Invasion of the sanctuary

on the back of the toilet door. It's Friday but no kidding

Barnet Council go into the closet

Just when Mr Mustard thinks that Barnet Council can't sink any lower and that it would be difficult for them to find anything else stupid to do, the above poster (and 2 other variants about doing it right first time or keeping the customer informed - Fred has just popped out for a minute - possibly for a leak? ).

Now listen to Mr Mustard you misguided managers at Barnet Council. Human beings have to go to the toilet. Some people don't go very often especially the young, but others as they get older need to go more often. Sometimes you just need 5 minutes away from your desk if you have something that is bothering you, such as the uncertainty as to whether you will have a job next month thanks to the toxic One Barnet programme, and when you go to the toilet and close the door you can get your thoughts back under control. Now you are sitting looking at the above poster. Well did you do it or wouldn't it come out right first time. This is the stupidest place to put a poster; it is ineffably stupid. Get out of the toilets Barnet management. You are not motivating the staff, you are p*ssing them right off. 

How do you motivate staff. Well, scrapping One Barnet would do wonders but you aren't quite ready for that, you have a whole load more crass ideas to implement before then, but you motivate people by leading them properly and by talking to them with respect and by letting them get on with their job if they are doing it OK. If customers aren't given the best service it is probably because the SAP software that management have chosen is awful, because the systems that management have designed have in-built bureaucratic inefficiencies and because management are cutting staff numbers below the level that can do the job, because the tablet computers aren't fit for purpose, because you have the stress of taking 20 minutes finding somewhere to park at work, because you have a hot desking system in some departments so no-one feels loved or wanted, because the computer system has a virus anyway and IT don't ring you back for days if there is a problem and on and on and on.

If the best that management can do is these posters then they aren't fit to manage. Resign and go off and do something you can manage. NSL probably need some CEOs.

Mr Mustard has heard that the staff are expecting any new toilets to be based on this model

but Mr Mustard thinks that is a bit harsh (expecting management to climb steps, there should at least be an escalator!).

No, the punishment that Mr Mustard suggests is that the idiot who thought these posters would motivate the staff should have to go round removing them all and then clean the toilets for a week.

Update 11.24

Mr Mustard has now been sent this picture of a One Barnet Urinal - almost new and already unfit for purpose.

was the sign really necessary?

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard