Ministry of the User
0. How to destroy your organization little by little
Amid WWII, in 1944, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) published a field manual for citizens and spies to learn how to sabotage enemies assets, facilities and companies.
In 1947 the OSS was absorbed by the recently established CIA.
According to Toyota Production System, the worst enemies for efficiency are:
- WASTE
- OVERBURDEN
- UNEVENNESS
There’s something worst than “broken” things.
That is: “almost broken” things.
When things are “almost broken”, they’re harder to detect and, thus, to fix. They become “part of the landscape”.
Here’s to the subtle art of “almost breaking” things.
22 ways to sabotage your organization:
#1: Insist on doing everything through “channels.” Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.
#2: Make “speeches.” Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences.
#3: When possible, refer all matters to committees, for “further study and consideration.” Attempt to make the committee as large as possible — never less than five.
#4: Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.
#5: Haggle (negotiate) over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.
#6: Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
#7: Advocate “caution.” Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reasonable“ and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
#8: In making work assignments, always sign out the unimportant jobs first. See that important jobs are assigned to inefficient workers.
#9: Insist on perfect work in relatively unimportant products; send back for refinishing those which have the least flaw.
#10: To lower morale and with it, production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions.
#11: Hold conferences when there is more critical work to be done.
#12: Multiply the procedures and clearances involved in issuing instructions, pay checks, and so on. See that three people must approve everything where one would do.
#13: Work slowly.
#14: Contrive as many interruptions to your work as you can.
#15: Do your work poorly and blame it on bad tools, machinery, or equipment. Complain that these things are preventing you from doing your job right.
#16: Never pass on your skill and experience to a new or less skillful worker.
#17: When training new workers, give incomplete or misleading instructions.
#18: Multiply paperwork in plausible ways. Start duplicate files.
#19: Misfile documents.
#20: Spread disturbing rumors that sound like inside dope.
#21: Mix good assets with unusable ones.
#22: Demand written orders.
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