Outstandng 18th Oddities

I am with WJ on this and I blame word processors for part of the problem. Prior to the widespread use of word processors there was no cut and paste, no insert a word/line/paragraph/page, the whole document or page would need to be retyped depending on the change. This typing would be done by a typist often in the typing pool. So in every handwritten/dictated  original each word or sentence would be considered and thought about. If you made too many changes to the original you would find the typing pool became "very busy" and you would be waiting over a week for your amendments. Alternatively you could type it yourself using one finger and lots of Snowpake (other makes available). Now, no one thinks so much as it is copy and paste, insert stuff here recirculate lots of times following numerous small amendments just because we can and the idea of thinking about things thoroughly before producing has gone out of the window and documents become so wordy and with so many revisions people don't bother to comment on all the amendments and rubbish gets output.


The second problem is the advent of value engineering and the control of accountants and marketeers over the business decisions. Design outweighs functionality and everything is engineered financially to the bone and beyond. Ignoring price can anyone recommend a really good double socket in white plastic?


Thirdly is related to OMS' footnote and the underlying value engineering. Rather than train people to do the job properly and allow them to make decisions a process is designed that can be followed by untrained/minimally trained employees at close to minimum wage. This process is then computerised and everything becomes a tick box exercise. How many times following a major problem often resulting in death do you here we followed our processes correctly, lessons will be learnt! When what they mean is our process was inadequate to stop us taking the blame and we will now change our process so the next time this happens it won't be our fault. No thought of training staff and giving them the power to make decisions.


Finally for me this was brought home when a surgeon I know told me he had physically assaulted a patient. He had been forced by the process, waiting time limits and an obnoxious patient who was going to complain to eveyone, to perform an operation that he believed was unnecessary. Fortunately the outcome was good but this was a major consideration in him taking early retirement from the NHS.


We're doomed, we're all doomed I tell you. ?


Kevin

I am with WJ on this and I blame word processors for part of the problem. Prior to the widespread use of word processors there was no cut and paste, no insert a word/line/paragraph/page, the whole document or page would need to be retyped depending on the change. This typing would be done by a typist often in the typing pool. So in every handwritten/dictated  original each word or sentence would be considered and thought about. If you made too many changes to the original you would find the typing pool became "very busy" and you would be waiting over a week for your amendments. Alternatively you could type it yourself using one finger and lots of Snowpake (other makes available). Now, no one thinks so much as it is copy and paste, insert stuff here recirculate lots of times following numerous small amendments just because we can and the idea of thinking about things thoroughly before producing has gone out of the window and documents become so wordy and with so many revisions people don't bother to comment on all the amendments and rubbish gets output.


The second problem is the advent of value engineering and the control of accountants and marketeers over the business decisions. Design outweighs functionality and everything is engineered financially to the bone and beyond. Ignoring price can anyone recommend a really good double socket in white plastic?


Thirdly is related to OMS' footnote and the underlying value engineering. Rather than train people to do the job properly and allow them to make decisions a process is designed that can be followed by untrained/minimally trained employees at close to minimum wage. This process is then computerised and everything becomes a tick box exercise. How many times following a major problem often resulting in death do you here we followed our processes correctly, lessons will be learnt! When what they mean is our process was inadequate to stop us taking the blame and we will now change our process so the next time this happens it won't be our fault. No thought of training staff and giving them the power to make decisions.


Finally for me this was brought home when a surgeon I know told me he had physically assaulted a patient. He had been forced by the process, waiting time limits and an obnoxious patient who was going to complain to eveyone, to perform an operation that he believed was unnecessary. Fortunately the outcome was good but this was a major consideration in him taking early retirement from the NHS.


We're doomed, we're all doomed I tell you. ?


Kevin