o.k. I am preparing to be blasted by the Deming's (small mindless creatures that blindly follow their guru over the cliff into the sea). {Note sarcastic comment is a weak attempt at humor not directed at any individual in the cove}.
What if Deming is wrong and others like Crosby are right? There seems to be a knee jerk reaction to accept things just because Deming says so. Deming was a great teacher and there is great value in following his example. There is however also value in other approaches too though.
I also think sometimes people in Quality tend to see things in black and white. While that is usually a good thing for someone asked to be the judge of processes and specs, sometimes it can be taken to the extreme. Is Deming's point 10 being stretched out of context to say all slogans are evil. Seems to me to be what he is truly getting out is to avoid judging people or setting goals for people, as there are many hidden things out of their control.
While I will agree that most slogans do little more than inflate the egos of CEO's, marketing guys and people who create the slogans, I do not dismiss them off hand. I have seen many examples where slogans have worked to help unite people toward a common goal.
At a large U.S. based commercial airplane maker the slogan "Tidy friday" is commonly used. It isn't on banners but is used as a rallying cry every friday by the shop 5S coordinators. It does seem silly and hokey but it works. There is a lot of pride taken in a properly cleaned an organized shop, and the slogan is just a weekly reminder.
Also while I will agree that most banners are a waste of time and money, they are sometimes useful. A banner for a crew that has just done something above and beyond normal can sometimes be a real moral boost, but it can be dangerous too. If it isn't sincere, and if it comes from an out of touch manager, it can be cynically seen as being condesending.