[Ads-l] 100 attaboys

[James A. Landau]

Date:    Tue, 18 Dec 2018 20:38:21 -0500
Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> posted:

>Former Lt. Col. Ralph Peters on CNN notes "There's a saying in the Army,"
>which he went on "to clean up for your viewers": "One 'Oh, shucks' cancels
>one hundred 'Attaboys.'"
>
>Prosaically, "A single blunder outweighs one hundred laudable actions."
>
>Less than a dozen Google hits.
>
>1995  Edward M. Marshall _Transforming the Way We Work_ [N.Y.: American
>Management Association] 35: Perhaps one of the most difficult work
>environments is one in which 'one mistake is worth 100 attaboys.' In a
>constantly changing work environment, it needs to be okay for people to
>make some mistakes.


http://www.combat.ws/S4/SAMIZDAT/ATTABOY.HTM

<quote>
Certificate of Merit
for your most outstanding performance you are awarded one ATTABOY

ten-thousand "ATTABOY"s qualifies you as a special person, able to work overtime with a smile,
able to explain problems to management, able to explain policies to coworkers, 
able to explain coworker goals to management, able to explain management goals to oworkers,
and regard as a local phenomenon.

Please Note:
the issuance of only one "AW-SHIT" cancels any any "ATTABOY" accumulation and you must begin all over again@
<end quote>

With somewhat different wording but the same punch-line, this saying was posted on a wall in the Pentagon office when I started working there in 1969.  I do not recall if it were a commercially printed poster or simply hand-calligraphed, but it was neatly done, hardly a latrine graffito.

- Jim Landau

Date:    Tue, 18 Dec 2018 20:38:21 -0500
From:    Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Subject: 100 attaboys

Former Lt. Col. Ralph Peters on CNN notes "There's a saying in the Army,"
which he went on "to clean up for your viewers": "One 'Oh, shucks' cancels
one hundred 'Attaboys.'"

Prosaically, "A single blunder outweighs one hundred laudable actions."

Less than a dozen Google hits.

1995  Edward M. Marshall _Transforming the Way We Work_ [N.Y.: American
Management Association] 35: Perhaps one of the most difficult work
environments is one in which 'one mistake is worth 100 attaboys.' In a
constantly changing work environment, it needs to be okay for people to
make some mistakes.

JL





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