Creating Passionate Users: REAL motivation posters
This is stuff I’ve talked about with co-workers years ago: the “fake-ness” of motivational posters. The examples Kathy created are hilarious and truthful.
There was also a great post in the comments that I’ll quote here:
This all relates to item 10 of Deming’s 14 points; eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce. This didn’t seem to do Japanese industry much harm. Deming said:
“Posters that explain to everyone on the job what management is doing month by month to (for example) purchase better quality of incoming materials from fewer suppliers, better maintenance, or to provide better training, or statistical aids and better supervision to improve quality, not by working harder but by working smarter, would be a totally different story: they would boost morale. People would then understand that the management is taking some responsibility for hangups and defects and is trying to remove obstacles. I have not yet seen any such posters.”
Most people don’t come to work to not “Do it right first time”, “Be a Quality Worker”, “Take Pride in Your Work” or “Increase Productivity”. These are signposts of the management saying they don’t take responsibility.
Job plans are a related area. Having said that, all my employees have job plans modelled on Scott Adams’ “OA5″ (Out at Five) plan in one of his Dilbert books. 2/3 the text is what I will do for the employee… and it seems to work 
Ian W.
Posted by: Ian Waring | Jan 15, 2006 2:22:51 PM
I don’t know who Deming is (though the name does sound familiar), but I’m going to look him up.
I also think it’s pretty funny, and great, that this guy is building a job plan from a Dilbert book suggestion.
Related posts
Loading ...