Measure your production if you want to increase it!

Over the last almost four years, I keep witnessing the same thing over and over again: during a meeting at work we all agree to do a list of activities, and the other day we just forget. I 've just had enough of this. At our last meeting, I suggested that we should measure how much we stick to our plan, it's the only way to be kept concentrated to our goals and motivated. During the meeting I wasn't taken seriously, because my colleagues still considered that we all were mature enough to need a written tracking of our efforts. I had met again many times the same reaction in the past, so this time I decided to take responsibility of the situation. I did something very simple.
My concern was about how should we increase sales.
I created a sheet called "Suggestions for sales". There were four columns: the name of the team member (with a field to sign below it), name of customer, product attempted to be sold, and notes.
Then, I convinced the headmistress to apply it. I'm the lowest ranked in my team, because I'm much younger, so I wouldn't have been taken seriously if i had given them the sheet. Each day, before we leave, we had to complete the sheet and sign.
The first day of its application, the sheet was almost empty, a clear proof that we didn't apply what we discussed in the meeting. Then, I left on vacation.
When I returned, I found my headmistress excited: "This works", she told me. "Now everyone is participating!"
It is difficult to sign that you didn't at least try to do what you are supposed to do. In this way, not only we secure that colleagues participate in the common effort, but we can measure how much they do and in which direction they move. So easy to apply and totally costless.

The true evil of our time

I 've just read an interesting post on "The Meekonomicks project" blog, The true evil of our time . It's about greedy corporations, and everyone understands the point.
My comment on this post follows.

"I think that another cycle takes place. Nowadays, we 're witnessing an imperialistic war between companies, which may be good though new countries appeared to the map of economy.
In my point of view, we should take responsibility of the situation. We are fueling this companies due to our luck of values, and we can't change that through education, because our way of lives impose this emptiness. I believe that a greater crisis is imminent, which will downgrade our living standards. As a result, new values may emerge, focused on survival of each local or virtual society. Then, companies will have no other option than to adopt this value at their missions: give back to society. So, if this is what will happen indeed, as far as I'm concerned, I think that this system is more democratic than the previous one. My only concern is that we may be the "wasted" generation."

Something evil leads to something pure