We Don’t Make Widgets
Overcoming the Myths that Keep Government From Radically Improving
Number of pages: 124
Publisher: Governing Books
BBB Library: Politics and Public Affairs
ISBN: 978-0872894808
Editorial Review
What we believe about government—that we don’t make widgets, that we don’t have customers, and that we’re not here to make a profit—all feed the bigger myth: that we’re different. We Don’t Make Widgets explodes the myths that prevent dramatic improvement in government operations. The aim of this book is to improve the government radically through changing the beliefs of those who run it – the managers. If you’re a manager and you are interested in a new way of thinking about what you do, who you do it for and why you do it, this book is for you.
Book Reviews
Books on Related Topics
Why do some societies manage to control corruption so that it manifests itself only occasionally, while other societies remain systemically corrupt? This book is about how societies reach that point when integrity becomes the norm and corruption the exception in regard to how public affairs are run and public resources are
This book lays out an impressive, well-articulated set of trends that have affected or will soon affect local governments throughout the nation through technology. Amazingly, as Dr. Shark points out, all of this massive change has occurred within the past 12 years. While technology trends continue to play out in the
Any chief executive whose ship is sinking, with the lights dimming and music fading, is likely to ask, “How did this happen? How did I allow myself and my company to end up like this?” Directors of once great companies also find themselves asking similar questions. “Did I and my fellow
Wisdom to Share
Once you get past the myth that government is different, so much good stuff is out there that you can use now, right away: All the best business methods for customer satisfaction, efficiency, and innovation can be applied because you have widgets, factories, customers, and results.
It’s not that we’re not trying, but how can we improve customer satisfaction if we don’t admit we have customers? How can we possibly give customers what they want when we can barely afford to give them what they need?
Whenever you launch your change initiative, save the banners and the mugs, and don’t call it anything. When people ask what’s going on, just reply, “We’re trying to get better every day.”
If you want great change, run great projects. Reading a book or attending a workshop may help change thinking, but projects are the way we change the work.
Are you the best? A great way to achieve the next breakthrough is to get outside the organization and see who’s better than you and why.
When you first get a puppy, you have a natural desire for it to fulfill its natural desires outdoors rather than on your carpet. Deciding that you will be an enlightened manager of this puppy, you set about using all of your best positive reinforcement techniques. Then your patience slowly wanes as you spend yet another half hour on your hands and knees cleaning up another of your puppy’s accidents until you finally reach a shame spiral of disgust. Who is motivated? You or the dog? As Frederick Herzberg would say: You are motivated, the dog is moved.
Many argue that pay is a great motivator. It’s a tremendously strong extrinsic mover—once. Money is not a motivator, but unfair pay can be a lethal demotivator.
When we can’t see the widget, we focus our attention on how we do things, and we forget about who we do them for and why.
We don’t buy products; we buy results. We don’t buy cars; we buy transportation. We don’t buy drills; we buy holes. We don’t buy cologne; we buy hope. Our challenge is to ensure not only that our widgets are timely, easy to use, accurate, inexpensive, and customized but also that they achieve the results for which they were created.
We couldn't find public videos for this title. Please check back later.
