@Marsha – Totally agree with your comments about training in the workplace. Couldn’t say it better if I tried…so I won’t. Thanks for adding to the conversation!

Ahhh but there are many Real Americans that say it is just right: because there is always the opportunity for the employee to take personal responsibility and go work somewhere else.

To Real American the issue is freedom, and the employee is entirely free to choose between a job where they have to pee into a can to avoid wasting shareholder money, and something else. There is a free market in employers, and may the best win. if the employee mentioned above peed in a can, that was because she freely chose to do so, rather than seeking another job.

Indeed a Real American would argue that perhaps employees *prefer* jobs where they have to pee into a can, because that allows the company to make bigger profits and thus their jobs may be more secure, or perhaps they get a bonus for higher productivity, and they value the bonus more than having to pee into a can.

In any case a Real American could also argue that employees like the above are losers, insignificant nobodies who produce and create nothing, and are out to take advantage of their employers with paid breaks for bodily functions, and nobody should care about them.

In Real American business there is no such thing as that “stupidity”, just making the biggest bonus/profit if you are a winner and taking personal responsibility if you are a loser.

Oh, and thanks for the heads up about puppies for Farmville. I did think it was odd dogs weren’t getting equal time. Ha!

@Melissa – Nice comparison to lean manufacturing and quality. It would be great to see more organizations take a process improvement approach to their challenges. Thanks for adding to the convo.