1) There is no such thing as a one-size-fits all Black Belt or Green Belt program of study.

2) Many customers are naïve.  They often want more tools (not fewer), regardless of whether or not they will ever be used.

3) Some customers seek to purchase a hardware store so as to fix the kitchen sink (and a few other things around the house of quality).

4) Many consultancies are succumbing to the untested needs of customers.  The reaction is one of “squeezing and stuffing” more tools into the curriculum.

5) Many times, tools have been “hardwired” into a “unique curriculum.”  A strange piece of reasoning – indeed.

6) Some say that a process must be free of assignable causes before an experiment can be effectually designed to find the “vital few” variables.  If such a condition could be achieved, it is likely a DOE would never be required.

7) Without a doubt, the best “set of tools” is the one that solves the problem.  Unfortunately, the ability to identify that tool set is a retrospective sport.

8) Innovation and adaptability are the primary tools of a Black Belt.

9) Black Belts should be “idea mongers,” not “tool masters.”

10) Someone might be able to effectively teach the proper use of a 105 Howitzer, but that does not translate to the curriculum of a police officer.  So why include Multiple Regression and Analysis of Covariance in a Black Belt curriculum?  Why should such skills be attached to certification?

11) Promoting the merits of a Black Belt certification exam is like saying “a standardized skill set is generally good for nonstandard applications.”  What nonsense.

12) Every deployment is different – similarities do exist, but each is different.

13) Seems that the sum of “practicing experts” now exceeds the number of practitioners.

14) Many consultancies use catch phrases like “we don’t select the tools, the customer does – it’s the voice of the customer, so we listen.” They hide behind such phraseology so as to continue the sponsorship of a fixed curriculum.

15) A plethora of tools is rarely necessitated to ensure success – usually the opposite.

16) Some consultants probably know the location of Elvis and how many aliens are currently located on Earth — just ask them.

17) In the final analysis, it is frequently better to “blow and go” than it is to “roast and toast.”  What this means, I do not know – but it sure sounds good (like some of the tools).

18) A statistician is a person that puts his head in the oven and feet in the freezer – believing that, on average, he is in a comfortable position.

19) We need Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Bogart, and the Dixie Chicks.

20) The truth is out there.