Comments on: Are Slogans Always Bad or Can They Inspire? http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:01:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Understanding Psychology: Slogans – Risky Tools http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-7254 Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Understanding Psychology: Slogans – Risky Tools Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:49:56 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-7254 [...] In response to: Are Slogans Always Bad or Can They Inspire? [...] [...] In response to: Are Slogans Always Bad or Can They Inspire? [...]

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]]> By: Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Management Improvement Carnival #86 http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6987 Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Management Improvement Carnival #86 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:53:39 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6987 [...] Are Slogans Always Bad or Can They Inspire? by Mark Graban – “Why are slogans bad? Dr. Deming writes, in part, ‘They are directed at the wrong people. They arise from management’s supposition that the production workers could, by putting their backs into the job, accomplish zero defects, improve quality, improve productivity, and all else that is desirable.”” [...] [...] Are Slogans Always Bad or Can They Inspire? by Mark Graban – “Why are slogans bad? Dr. Deming writes, in part, ‘They are directed at the wrong people. They arise from management’s supposition that the production workers could, by putting their backs into the job, accomplish zero defects, improve quality, improve productivity, and all else that is desirable.”” [...]

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]]> By: John Hunter http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6986 John Hunter Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:22:37 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6986 Dr. Deming saw that slogans almost always caused harm. He saw that given the existing management systems they were a way for managers to shift responsibility (in their heads not really) from their need to fix the system to someone else by just pointing to a slogan. If you first tell someone not to use a hammer in that way and show them how it should be used 10,20,50,100 times eventually I think you just say - Don't use hammers. This isn't exactly what Dr. Deming did but I think it is close. He does say "don't use slogans" and then he explains why http://curiouscat.com/deming/eliminateslogans.cfm You can assume those are the biggest reasons he had a the time for not using slogans. If you avoid those and get a large benefit it might not be so bad to use them. .-= John Hunter´s last blog ..<a href="http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2010/01/19/hospital-providing-better-health-care-while-reducing-costs/" rel="nofollow">Hospital Providing Better Health Care While Reducing Costs</a> =-. Dr. Deming saw that slogans almost always caused harm. He saw that given the existing management systems they were a way for managers to shift responsibility (in their heads not really) from their need to fix the system to someone else by just pointing to a slogan.

If you first tell someone not to use a hammer in that way and show them how it should be used 10,20,50,100 times eventually I think you just say – Don’t use hammers. This isn’t exactly what Dr. Deming did but I think it is close. He does say “don’t use slogans” and then he explains why http://curiouscat.com/deming/eliminateslogans.cfm You can assume those are the biggest reasons he had a the time for not using slogans. If you avoid those and get a large benefit it might not be so bad to use them.
.-= John Hunter´s last blog ..Hospital Providing Better Health Care While Reducing Costs =-.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6352 Mark Graban Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:09:22 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6352 I think it's a fair qualifier to say "empty slogans." But, pages 65 to 67, Dr. Deming doesn't mince words. He says "Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force." He doesn't say "Eliminate empty slogans." Why are slogans bad? Dr. Deming writes, in part, "They are directed at the wrong people. They arise from management's supposition that the production workers could, by putting their backs into the job, accomplish zero defects, improve quality, improve productivity, and all else that is desirable." "The management needs to learn that the main responsibility is theirs from now on to improve the system...." On that measure, I think the NU basketball slogan is worse (maybe the players just aren't talented enough... is that their fault?). Maybe they could practice more or work harder... The NU football slogan was, as much as anything, directed at the fans, not just the players. I'm more tolerant of that old slogan, not just because "it worked". I think it’s a fair qualifier to say “empty slogans.”

But, pages 65 to 67, Dr. Deming doesn’t mince words. He says “Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force.”

He doesn’t say “Eliminate empty slogans.”

Why are slogans bad? Dr. Deming writes, in part, “They are directed at the wrong people. They arise from management’s supposition that the production workers could, by putting their backs into the job, accomplish zero defects, improve quality, improve productivity, and all else that is desirable.”

“The management needs to learn that the main responsibility is theirs from now on to improve the system….”

On that measure, I think the NU basketball slogan is worse (maybe the players just aren’t talented enough… is that their fault?). Maybe they could practice more or work harder…

The NU football slogan was, as much as anything, directed at the fans, not just the players. I’m more tolerant of that old slogan, not just because “it worked”.

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]]> By: Andy Wagner http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6351 Andy Wagner Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:58:30 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6351 In a similar era, I was in the Vanderbilt University Marching Band, perennial doormat of the SEC. We had an exciting new coach who coined the slogan "have fun, expect to win" with similar thinking to Barnett's "Expect Victory." Of course, this quickly became "Have Fun, Expect two wins"... which is what we got. I think Deming's principal objection was to empty slogans, with the qualifier that most of them are just that, empty. Ford started advertising "Quality is Job 1" in the early 1980s. It was about 1986 (after switching slogans) that my dad came home from work and said "I think they might really mean it." -Andy In a similar era, I was in the Vanderbilt University Marching Band, perennial doormat of the SEC. We had an exciting new coach who coined the slogan “have fun, expect to win” with similar thinking to Barnett’s “Expect Victory.”
Of course, this quickly became “Have Fun, Expect two wins”… which is what we got.
I think Deming’s principal objection was to empty slogans, with the qualifier that most of them are just that, empty.
Ford started advertising “Quality is Job 1″ in the early 1980s. It was about 1986 (after switching slogans) that my dad came home from work and said “I think they might really mean it.”
-Andy

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]]> By: Jon Miller http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6239 Jon Miller Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:51:46 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6239 Mark has raised an interesting point. This is one of Deming's teachings that I have never fully agreed with. In the USA slogans and exhortations by authorities may seem unnatural, while in more socialistic countries like Japan or China slogans feel quite natural. Even "don't drive drunk" is a slogan. Is that slogan a bad thing? We need to understand what Deming meant by slogans and take it within the context of his 14 points and overall teaching. A banner on the wall that is empty of true action may be a slogan, while a phrase like "genchi genbutsu" or "go see for yourself" repeated again and again becomes a thought process, then a behavior and then a driver of great results. Phrases like these may not inspire, but they remind. Is "go to gemba" a slogan? If it is, there are many slogans at Toyota and within TPS. The question is not whether slogans are bad, but why Deming said they should be avoided. Mark has raised an interesting point. This is one of Deming’s teachings that I have never fully agreed with. In the USA slogans and exhortations by authorities may seem unnatural, while in more socialistic countries like Japan or China slogans feel quite natural. Even “don’t drive drunk” is a slogan. Is that slogan a bad thing?

We need to understand what Deming meant by slogans and take it within the context of his 14 points and overall teaching. A banner on the wall that is empty of true action may be a slogan, while a phrase like “genchi genbutsu” or “go see for yourself” repeated again and again becomes a thought process, then a behavior and then a driver of great results. Phrases like these may not inspire, but they remind. Is “go to gemba” a slogan? If it is, there are many slogans at Toyota and within TPS.

The question is not whether slogans are bad, but why Deming said they should be avoided.

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]]> By: Liz Guthridge http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6220 Liz Guthridge Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:11:52 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6220 In the case of the Northwestern basketball team and its poor performance, "Make Shots" is a great rallying cry. This slogan serves as a basic guiding principle to encourage team members to focus on an important action. "Make Shots" will only be effective, however, if the coach and others emphasize offense, not defense. While Deming advocated against slogans, we have to acknowledge we live in a different world today, the world of attention deficit disorder. Coaches and other leaders need to cut through the clutter, get people's attention, and help them focus on the key actions they must take. And as a Northwestern alum myself, I have suffered through many losing seasons with the sports teams. And I've had to do more than my fair share of explaining to high school classmates, friends and certain family members in my home state of Oklahoma as to why I was willing to leave behind Oklahoma sports teams for Northwestern academics. (Duh!) But when I want it all--brains and brawn--I'll chant "Make Shots!" P.S. "Make Shots" and "Expect Victory" are certainly more motivating than my high school football team's cheer: "Kill, kill. Blood makes the grass grow." Enough said. In the case of the Northwestern basketball team and its poor performance, “Make Shots” is a great rallying cry. This slogan serves as a basic guiding principle to encourage team members to focus on an important action. “Make Shots” will only be effective, however, if the coach and others emphasize offense, not defense.

While Deming advocated against slogans, we have to acknowledge we live in a different world today, the world of attention deficit disorder. Coaches and other leaders need to cut through the clutter, get people’s attention, and help them focus on the key actions they must take.

And as a Northwestern alum myself, I have suffered through many losing seasons with the sports teams. And I’ve had to do more than my fair share of explaining to high school classmates, friends and certain family members in my home state of Oklahoma as to why I was willing to leave behind Oklahoma sports teams for Northwestern academics. (Duh!)

But when I want it all–brains and brawn–I’ll chant “Make Shots!”

P.S. “Make Shots” and “Expect Victory” are certainly more motivating than my high school football team’s cheer: “Kill, kill. Blood makes the grass grow.” Enough said.

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]]> By: Jeff Hajek http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6217 Jeff Hajek Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:36:12 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6217 Slogans without substance are bad. But slogans do have a place when tied to real efforts to improve, especially, as Bruce mentioned, when there is a choice to be made. 'Just Pull It' (with acknowledgement to Nike) might be a good one for the andon cord. I had a boss a long, long time ago who used to say 'Hope is not a method', which goes well with requiring people to countermeasure KPI misses with real actions. Slogans without substance are bad. But slogans do have a place when tied to real efforts to improve, especially, as Bruce mentioned, when there is a choice to be made.

‘Just Pull It’ (with acknowledgement to Nike) might be a good one for the andon cord.

I had a boss a long, long time ago who used to say ‘Hope is not a method’, which goes well with requiring people to countermeasure KPI misses with real actions.

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]]> By: Bruce Baker http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6215 Bruce Baker Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:13:31 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6215 Good question. Deming said in point ten that slogans and exhortations are bad (point 10). That being said, I think some slogans or mottos aren't bad. Hunter already said most of what I would have said so I won't rehash that stuff except to reemphasize his point that any slogan used to direct blame is bad. When I was in the Corps an old gunny told me that the best mottos (kind of like slogans) were about choices (as opposed to a result). Our motto for the whole corps was "Semper Fidelis" -- always faithful. Faithful is choice - you can't always be fast enough, strong enough, accurate enough, etc. You can do your best to be those things but they are outcomes. You can decide to be faithful. Officers and Non-commissioned Officers had another slogan, "troops first." The rule was that water, food, and medical treatment (within triage groups designated by Navy medical pros) were to be distributed in inverse order of rank ALWAYS. That's a choice. It's a choice that Marine leaders have made for generations. The gunny also taught me that they should appeal to a higher purpose and morality. Applying the gunny's rule Make Shots isn't a very good motto but Expect Victory might make the cut. I don't know if this adds or detracts from the discussion. Other than that I pretty much say what John said. Good question. Deming said in point ten that slogans and exhortations are bad (point 10). That being said, I think some slogans or mottos aren’t bad. Hunter already said most of what I would have said so I won’t rehash that stuff except to reemphasize his point that any slogan used to direct blame is bad.
When I was in the Corps an old gunny told me that the best mottos (kind of like slogans) were about choices (as opposed to a result). Our motto for the whole corps was “Semper Fidelis” — always faithful. Faithful is choice – you can’t always be fast enough, strong enough, accurate enough, etc. You can do your best to be those things but they are outcomes. You can decide to be faithful. Officers and Non-commissioned Officers had another slogan, “troops first.” The rule was that water, food, and medical treatment (within triage groups designated by Navy medical pros) were to be distributed in inverse order of rank ALWAYS. That’s a choice. It’s a choice that Marine leaders have made for generations. The gunny also taught me that they should appeal to a higher purpose and morality.
Applying the gunny’s rule Make Shots isn’t a very good motto but Expect Victory might make the cut.
I don’t know if this adds or detracts from the discussion. Other than that I pretty much say what John said.

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]]> By: Mike Sporer http://www.leanblog.org/2010/01/are-slogans-always-bad-or-can-they-inspire/#comment-6192 Mike Sporer Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:34:18 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=4312#comment-6192 When slogans become mantra, I like em'. Kind of like a Guy Kawasaki approach......make mantra! When slogans become mantra, I like em’. Kind of like a Guy Kawasaki approach……make mantra!

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