McDonald’s Training—“Doing Whatever It Takes!”

I get it: some people love the corporate training videos of yesteryear, and some folks don’t. Well if you do enjoy a step back in time through the lens of a massive business organization to see how they indoctrinated their new works, have I got a treat for you. This tape was made in 1992 for McDonald’s employees to emphasize customer service and push the idea that all the workers must be servile to their dining room masters. What’s novel about that?

Did I mention it has an introduction from Michael Jordan? 1992 era Michael Jordan, no less. Yeah, he acts like he plays at the whims of his fans (or customers), but no one’s buying it. Air Jordan is rocking a sweet early ‘90s Cosby sweater though. So. That’s a look.

The other selling point for “Doing Whatever It Takes!” is that it tries to be a thinker. It’s not just a training video, it’s a training video set during the making of a training video. The producers of the tape learn about the importance of McDonald’s culture of servitude and how employees must adhere to specific prompts, methodology, and standards. Fun!

So enjoy awkward acting, forced dialogue, and a wildly popular gambling addict masquerading as a sitcom monster!