A few years ago, Artie and I toured the Ben & Jerry’s Factory in Vermont.    We spent most of our time in the  graveyard where I was like a kid in a candy store – odd and slightly inappropriate behavior for a graveyard.

Surrounded by a white picket fence, there were rows and rows of tombstones – perhaps thirty in all – each with the name of a flavor, the years of it’s life and a short description.

Don’t you just love the angel-winged ice cream cones?

In addition to Economic Crunch (shown at left), some of my favorites  were:

Blondies Are A Swirls Best Friend

DILBERT’S WORLD Totally Nuts

Duff & D’oh! Nuts

Making Whoopee Pie

The Full Vermonty

The description under Miz Jelena’s Sweet Potato Pie reads:

One potato, two potato, Sweet Potato Pie.

No one could appreciate it.

So we had to let it die.

I could keep on describing but you’d get more from watching this one-minute video.

According to a Roadside America story,

“The Graveyard exists because of Ben & Jerry’s never-ending experimentation with odd ice cream flavors*; some are just too odd for their own good. Each year eight to twelve — those with the lowest sales — are “killed” and become candidates for this fatland Boot Hill. The company has eliminated over 200 flavors, but the Graveyard hosts 27 graves so far, perhaps enough to get the point across.”

What a clever way to send a clear message about mistakes and innovation!

What a brilliant tool for preserving institutional memory!

Like many companies, Ben & Jerry’s buries their mistakes.

But unlike many companies, Ben & Jerry’s doesn’t leave them underground.  Instead they preserve the memories and lessons learned with celebratory flair, a hint of caution and even, a dollop of humor.

Allowing the mistakes and their makers to rest in peace.

copyright 2009 – Jan Bolick, Business Class Inc

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*Note to Kim:  See!  There’s a chance for Hamburger & French Fries!

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