Posted on 05/10/2010 10:46:46 AM PDT by llevrok
A STRUGGLING health authority shelled out £10,000 on a survey asking staff if they thought HITLER was COOL. The bizarre questionnaire also asked NHS workers to compare the Nazi dictator to their OWN chief executive.
Staff were asked to rate the "coolness" of other leaders including Richard Branson, Gordon Brown, Winston Churchill and England manager Fabio Cappello.
The survey — called Making Leadership Cool — was rubber-stamped by NHS West Midlands Strategic Health Authority.
Health chiefs forked out £10,000 to fund the project after two paramedics applied for a bursary to carry out the survey.
It was circulated to all 3,300 workers at West Midlands Ambulance Service at the end of last month.
Health chiefs will use the results, which form part of a year-long study, to develop a Leadership Development Programme to be published next April.
Staff were asked how "cool" they thought chief exec Ian Cumming was on a scale of 1 to 5.
Under Mr Cumming's name, workers were asked to rate the coolness of Adolf Hitler, and asked if being gay, funny or black made a leader cool.
The seven-question survey was today branded an "appalling waste of money".
One worker, who did not want to be named but has worked for the ambulance service for more than ten years, said: "It's the most bizarre work survey I've ever had to do. How can being cool have anything to do with managing an NHS ambulance trust?"
Former worker Steve Jetley, 54, campaigned to save an emergency control centre in Shropshire after it was axed because of budget cuts.
He said: "It is an appalling waste of money."
Fiona McEvoy, of the Taxpayers Alliance, said: "This is an utterly ridiculous waste of money.
"It's pretty obvious what people are going to think of Hitler, and has nothing to do with the ambulance service at all.
"This whole survey is absurd — taxpayers don't care if public sector managers are cool, they just want a decent service."
Incredibly, the West Midlands Ambulance Trust defended the survey, saying it would have a "direct and positive impact on improving patient care".
A spokesman said: "The project is important in identifying the key characteristics of good leadership, to allow the organisation and the wider NHS to be more efficient and effective.
"The project sought to discuss different styles of leadership and the characteristics of leadership to help staff at all levels develop their career.
"Staff were asked to look at different leadership styles and one of those was a dictatorial style.
"Adolf Hitler's style galvanised a country into terrible things but it did galvanise a country.
"Perhaps in hindsight a better example could have been used."
he was such a fabulous dresser. those boots and riding crops. just sends tingles up my leg!
/c.matthews
He wore some quite dapper uniforms in his mountain home. What was it? The Eagle’s Nest?
George: Seige Mentality, Jerry. They really want me out of here. They’ve downgraded me to some sort of a bunker. I’m like Hitler’s last days here.
Jerry: So, are you going to leave?
George: Oh no! I’m vigilant. They’ll never get me out. I’m like a weed, Jerry.
Jerry: I thought you’re like Hitler in the bunker?
George: I’m a weed in Hitler’s bunker.
Jerry: I’m getting a little uncomfortable with the Hitler stuff. I’m getting another call, see ya.
With the current UK lack of emphasis on history, I trust they had lines in the survey worded:
Who is Hitler? _____
Who is Churchill? _____
I don’t know if Hitler was ‘cool’
.... but I would have been friends with Stalin if he had a ping pong table.
"Baby! Baby!... Why does he say this "baby"? The Führer has never said "baby". I did not write, "baby". What is it with this, "baby"?
The Wolf’s Lair.
Everybody knows sunglasses make you cool. We have no photos of Hitler in sunglasses. Ergo Hitler wasn’t cool. Thanks for asking.
Winston Churchill was among the coolest people, ever.
How about Mao and Stalin? Why weren’t they included?
“Now there was a painter...he could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon....TWO COATS!”
No, Hitler wasn’t cool, you morons.
Where do I line up to get my 10,000 pounds.?
One and one's two/ Two and two's four/ I feel so bad 'cause I'm loosin' the war!
Yep Dick Shawn’s Hitler was much better than the gay Hitler of the remake.
OK, you made me laugh.
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