Slogans are big business.
You can buy all sorts of motivational and inspirational posters on-line. A quick trawl of the internet will net you:
Cute slogans:
Important slogans:
Retro slogans:
Innovative slogans:
Slogans on stickers:
Even slogans on door mats:
You can buy more slogans than you can shake a stick at. A simple easy and effective way to improve business performance.
A quick question
When was the last time you changed your behaviour because you read a motivational slogan?
No, it didn’t just work because you were a four-year-old at the time (though that may well have helped). This slogan worked because:
- It was backed up with training
- It was backed up with infrastructure
- And your parents backed it up with a passion
Slogans without any back up are just slogans. Wouldn’t your money would be better placed where your mouth is? Building capability not just talking about it.
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Read another opinion
James,
Thanks for sharing those wonderful slogans! I’m so inspired. :-)
You are right and make a great point: culture transformation, process improvement, change management, employee engagement, etc. … none of it is achieved with slogans, chants, or posters. Instead, it’s hard work, concerted/focused efforts (starting with hiring the right people, for example), and a desire by all involved to make the change. I could write an entire blog post on that, but I’ll keep it brief.
Thanks!
Annette :-)
Glad you liked the posters, they give me a warm feeling every time I see them
James
Thank you James for another great reality check. I had a H.S. football coach who loved to create a new slogan and poster for each new opponent we faced. They were corny, they were weak and they didn’t do a thing to motivate us except laugh and mask the fact he had no business being a coach since our only preparation for the game were his slogans. Repeated daily at practice until we lost, again. I’m pretty sure that’s why I grew up believing actions speak so much louder than words or pretty posters.
James
Try these instead – as well as raising a much needed smile they somehow tend to ring much truer than the more earnest ones we’re all familiar with.
http://www.despair.com/demotivators.html
Thanks for the link Nick, made my day
Hello James
The slogans do work for me!
How do I tell if someone lacks self-esteem, self-worth? The person who is trying really hard to convince himself and others that he is someone, is wrathful. I look for the people that buy and display brands especially cool, high status brands. I look for the person who talks and talks.
When I see a workplace with slogans you shared it tells me something similar. And that is how I know that there si something amiss at the very core of that business: the leaders, the management style, the culture.
When you are great you don’t need to show that you are great. When you are customer-focussed you don’t need to talk about how customer focussed you are. Why? Because when you are great then others are talking about how great you are. When you are customer focussed then others are talking about how customer focussed you are.
Maz
An interesting take Maz, if I say it long enough, loud enough, will somebody believe me?
James
Hi James,
Personally, I like slogans but only if they are done well and follow the Rule of Three (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_%28writing%29) which your last one does. Alas, too few do and therein seems to lie the problem. Not many people are willing to work hard enough to produce a slogan that actually works, sticks with, resonates with, is helpful to or remembered by those that use it.
Adrian
Adrian. I like the rule of 3, but I am still not convinced that a slogan, by itself will do the job. A slogan that isn’t reinforced is just wall paper.
Thanks for the link
James
I agree. Reinforcement and training to help implement will always help.
Adrian