6 ms·

When I see those, I always remember the quote from Peopleware - DeMarco / Lister : "These motivational accessories, as they are called (including slogan coffee

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."

seanstickle 14y ago
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.
- Evbn 14y ago
  The posters here say the opposite of demanding perfection.
eitland 14y ago
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.
Killah911 14y ago
Is there a motivational poster with this quote on it? I'd love to put it in my office!
swalberg 14y ago
My first thought was of the more cynical http://www.despair.com/motivation.html http://www.despair.com/motivation.html Motivation: If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon.
- rjknight 14y ago
  I clicked in to this thread purely to post a despair.com link. You beat me to it, and you also posted the most appropriate link!
- pasbesoin 14y ago
  I know that the word "hack" is over-used these days, so I say this with some trepidation, but when I first ran across the despair.com posters, I wast quite overwhelmed with the brilliance and success of their "hack" of the motivational poster paradigm. Having spent a number of years in corporate life, often in offices spotted if not plastered with such posters, their parody quite hit home for me. One I remember particularly well: http://www.despair.com/burnout.html http://www.despair.com/burnout.html
samspot 14y ago
I doubt that many people see these posters as a substitute for hard work and managerial talent. Why not put your core values on the walls? It is a reminder of what the company thinks is important, which is a step above what we often have at my job.
- Evbn 14y ago
  Yes, but my core values are not outsourced to StartupPosters.com
bitcartel 14y ago
Peopleware is a great book to read, highly recommended and I hope DeMarco and Lister write a sequel as I'd love to find out what they think of balance balls and standing exercise desks.

seanstickle 14y ago

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.

Evbn 14y ago
The posters here say the opposite of demanding perfection.

eitland 14y ago

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.

Killah911 14y ago

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

swalberg 14y ago

My first thought was of the more cynical http://www.despair.com/motivation.html http://www.despair.com/motivation.html Motivation: If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon.

rjknight 14y ago
I clicked in to this thread purely to post a despair.com link. You beat me to it, and you also posted the most appropriate link!
pasbesoin 14y ago
I know that the word "hack" is over-used these days, so I say this with some trepidation, but when I first ran across the despair.com posters, I wast quite overwhelmed with the brilliance and success of their "hack" of the motivational poster paradigm. Having spent a number of years in corporate life, often in offices spotted if not plastered with such posters, their parody quite hit home for me. One I remember particularly well: http://www.despair.com/burnout.html http://www.despair.com/burnout.html

samspot 14y ago

I doubt that many people see these posters as a substitute for hard work and managerial talent. Why not put your core values on the walls? It is a reminder of what the company thinks is important, which is a step above what we often have at my job.

Evbn 14y ago
Yes, but my core values are not outsourced to StartupPosters.com

bitcartel 14y ago

Peopleware is a great book to read, highly recommended and I hope DeMarco and Lister write a sequel as I'd love to find out what they think of balance balls and standing exercise desks.