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Motivating posters for your startup

startupvitamins.com

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Re: Motivating posters for your startup

#2

Post by Thieum22 »

When I see those, I always remember the quote from Peopleware - DeMarco / Lister :

"These motivational accessories, as they are called (including slogan coffee mugs, plaques, pins, key chains, and awards), are a triumph of form over substance. They seem to extol the importance of Quality, Leadership, Creativity, Teamwork, Loyalty, and a host of other organizational virtues. But they do so in such simplistic terms as to send an entirely different message: Management here believes that these virtues can be improved with posters rather than by hard work and managerial talent. Everyone quickly understands that the presence of the posters is a sure sign of the absence of hard work and talent."

Re: Motivating posters for your startup

#4

Post by seanstickle »

Thieum22 wrote: post #2

When I see those, I always remember the quote from Peopleware - DeMarco / Lister : "These motivational accessories, as they are called (including slogan coffee mugs, plaques, pins, key chains, and awards), are a triumph of form over substance. They seem to extol the importance of Quality, Leadership, Creativity, Teamwork, Loyalty, and a host of other organizational virtues. But they do so in such simplistic terms as…

And echoing one of the items from W. Edwards Deming's list of deadly diseases (from "Out of the Crisis", 1982): "Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force."

Create better systems, don't decorate the walls with nonsense "motivating" junk.

Re: Motivating posters for your startup

#6

Post by eitland »

Thieum22 wrote: post #2

When I see those, I always remember the quote from Peopleware - DeMarco / Lister : "These motivational accessories, as they are called (including slogan coffee mugs, plaques, pins, key chains, and awards), are a triumph of form over substance. They seem to extol the importance of Quality, Leadership, Creativity, Teamwork, Loyalty, and a host of other organizational virtues. But they do so in such simplistic terms as…

I think the effect depends on who put these up, management or employees. Personally I like to keep a copy of the Cult of Done manifesto around. I have learnt to hate when my own perfectionism keeps me from shipping in time and that poster seems to help.

Re: Motivating posters for your startup

#8

Post by Killah911 »

Thieum22 wrote: post #2

When I see those, I always remember the quote from Peopleware - DeMarco / Lister : "These motivational accessories, as they are called (including slogan coffee mugs, plaques, pins, key chains, and awards), are a triumph of form over substance. They seem to extol the importance of Quality, Leadership, Creativity, Teamwork, Loyalty, and a host of other organizational virtues. But they do so in such simplistic terms as…

Is there a motivational poster with this quote on it? I'd love to put it in my office!
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