The New England Patriots’ trademarked “Do Your Job” slogan defines in a simple, short statement a philosophy cited for fueling the team’s success. James Kerr, writing in Inc. magazine in 2015, provided the following interpretation of the phrase:

• Communicate the Game Plan to your people by providing a compelling vision for them to buy into and a plan that enables its achievement.
• Set Expectations for Each Player by translating the game plan into “actionable” items that each person is accountable for executing.
• Practice the Fundamentals so that each player can develop the skills needed to live up to and exceed expectations.
• Provide Immediate Feedback to enable learning.
• Encourage Trust and Inspire Confidence by promoting team values, endorsing loyalty and instilling a strong sense of “being in it together.“

The challenge with slogans is that someone else might interpret “Do Your Job” as meaning, “do what you are told,” “mind your business,” and “don’t ask questions.” Same slogan – two different meanings – one that is consistent with Lean thinking and one that is very much the opposite.

Slogans are great for reminding the team what values and guiding principles are important. From time to time, revisit the meaning behind your team slogan to make sure all are sharing the same values and guiding principles.