The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System marks a historic shift in baseball—transforming the strike zone from a human judgment into a measurable system. Through the lens of W. Edwards Deming and DMAIC, this evolution isn’t about replacing umpires, but understanding variation, improving consistency, and redefining performance across every role on the field.

A manager I had while working at an Outback in the late 1990s, once made a point that no one in the kitchen forgot. When a cook named Bird slowed the pace of the line, she didn’t argue or lecture. Instead she had him sit in a chair and watch her do both jobs; his and hers. In that moment, the message was unmistakable: effort isn’t coached. It’s expected. And everyone has a choice to make when it comes to the effort that is given.

In any healthy organization, 1:1 meetings create alignment around priorities, progress, and accountability. Yet too often, these conversations become consumed by managing today and improving tomorrow, leaving little space for intentional development. The 4/3 meeting fills in the gap of the 1:1 by adding a deliberate commitment to growth. It creates space for leaders and followers to ask where they are getting in each way, align on development goals, and invest in becoming bet

When work doesn’t get done, leaders face a choice. Caring addresses the gap, reinforces ownership, and invites growth. Carrying ignores the issue, absorbs the burden, and teaches avoidance. The difference is subtle, but the impact on people, trust, and culture is sustainable.