He is nameless in the movie Polar Express and the closing credits only give him the name, “Hero Boy.” The adventures depicted in the movie follow the plight of a young boy who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. Hero Boy cannot hear the bells of Santa’s sleigh because he doesn’t believe.

For years now, I have railed against poor service and its causes in columns, articles, and of course, my blog. Managers are usually in the cross-hairs because they control the design and management of work. The systems workers toil to make a living in a setup developed by managers, and the result is often a disappointment to customers.

Managers are immersed in managing activity. The industrialized mindset taught by Frederick Winslow Taylor during the industrial revolution still rules management thinking. Can anyone say “stagnant thinking?” For more than a century, managers have been preoccupied by three questions:
1. How much work do I have?
2. How long does it take to do it?
3. How many people do I need?

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