The Psychology of Management by Lillian Moller Gilbreth
2. Individual output,--standardized
1229 words | Chapter 196
record and programme,
known to, or made by, both
manager and man.
ELIMINATION OF WASTE POSSIBLE.--The third table--that of the man
working for another man--attempts to do no more than indicate the
first and last step of a long series, beginning with the man, one of
a gang, an unconscious record, and an unconscious programme, on the
part of both the manager and the man, down to the final stage of
individual output, with the written record and programme known to
both manager and man. It would be a most interesting problem to work
out the various steps stretching between these two, and the various
ways in which progression might be made through these steps, either
taking one step after another slowly or making the various possible
jumps long and short. A psychological discussion of each step would
be of value, and certainly must in time be made, but this book has
not the scope, nor can the time be devoted to such a discussion.
If this third chart had no other purpose, it would be useful to
suggest to the student the wide tracts which still remain for study
and development. It must not be thought that any of the steps
omitted on this chart are not in existence. Every single possible
combination of record and programme is in existence to-day, and must
be studied by the manager of men. Not until these are all
discovered, described, and standardized, the progression noted,
and standard progressions outlined, can methods of least waste
be adopted.
With a more thorough experimental study of the mind will come a
possible prediction as to which stages the various types of mind
must pass through. So, too, with the training of the young mind in
the primary schools and in the methods of Scientific Management,
will come the elimination of many stages now necessary, and the
possibility, even, that the final stage may be introduced at the
outset, and the enormous waste of time, energy and wearing of
unnecessary brain paths be absolutely abolished.
THE PROGRAMME DERIVED FROM THE RECORD.--Having considered the
various records and programmes and their relation, we will now
consider the four stages of the record,--(1) unconscious, (2)
conscious, (3) written, (4) standardized, and trace the derivation
of the programme from each stage.
TABLE IV
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I. Record unconscious. Programme cannot be definite.
Method is indefinite.
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II. Record conscious. Programme becomes more definite.
Method becomes more definite.
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III. Record written. Programme yet more definite.
Method definite.
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IV. Record standardized. Programme standardized, i.e.,
Results predictable.
Methods standard.
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UNCONSCIOUS RECORDS MEAN INDEFINITE PROGRAMMES.--First, then,
suppose that the records are unconscious. What does this imply? It
implies in the first place that the worker has no idea of his
capacity; never having thought of what he has done, he has no idea
what can be done, neither has he a comparative idea of methods, that
is, of how to do it. It is impossible for a definite programme to be
laid out by such a worker,--that is to say, no predictions by him as
to the time of completing the work are possible. Neither could a
method be derived by him from his previous work.
Note here the alarming amount of waste. All good methods which
the worker may possibly have acquired are practically lost to the
world, and perhaps also to him. Not only this, but all bad methods
which he has fallen into will be fallen into again and again, as
there are no warning signs to keep him out of them.
As there is no possibility of an accurate chronological chart,
the worker may undertake more than he can do, thus delaying work
which should have been done by others. On the other hand, he may
underestimate his capacity, and be left idle because work he should
have done has been assigned to others. Either of these leads to a
sense of insecurity, to wavering attention, to "hit or miss" guess
work, "rule-of-thumb methods," which are the signs of Traditional
Management.
WITH CONSCIOUS AND WRITTEN RECORDS COME DEFINITE PROGRAMMES.--We
turn now to the case where the record is conscious,--that is, where
the worker keeps in mind exactly what he has done. With this
conscious record the idea of capacity develops. The man realizes
what he can do. So also, the idea of method develops, and the man
realizes how he can do the work. Third, there comes gradually an
idea of a margin; that is, of a possible way by which capacity can
be increased for a higher speed, or methods can be slightly varied
to meet any particular deviation in the work to be done.
From this ability to estimate capacity, and to plan the method
ahead, comes the ability to lay out a more definite programme. When
the record becomes written the exactness of the programme increases.
Methods also become written, and, though accurate prediction is not
possible, such prediction is more and more nearly approached. This
increasing accuracy is the work of Transitory System in all its
stages.
STANDARD RECORDS PERMIT OF STANDARD PROGRAMMES.--In the last
case, the record is standardized, that is, the result of the method
of processes of analysis and synthesis. Through this process, as has
been shown, the reason for success is discovered and rendered
usable. The programme becomes standard, results can be predicted
accurately, and methods by which these results can be best obtained
are also standard.
It may at first escape notice that these standardized records,
of the ultimate or scientific management type, imply _not_ a greater
rigidity, but a greater elasticity. This because of the nature of
the elements of the records, which may, in time, be combined into a
great number of different, predictable programmes.
SUMMARY
RESULTS OF RELATIONS BETWEEN RECORDS AND PROGRAMMES ON THE
WORK.--The most noteworthy result of the closer relations between
records and programmes which appear during the evolution of
Scientific Management is the fact that they cause constant
simplification. The more carefully records are standardized, the
simpler becomes the drafting of the programme. As more and more
records become standard, the drafting of programmes becomes
constantly an easier and cheaper process.
PROGRAMMES BECOME RECORDS.--Under Traditional Management the
record that follows a programme may appear very different from the
programme. Under Scientific Management the record that follows a
programme most closely resembles the programme. Improvements are not
made between the programme and the following record,--they find
their place between the record and the following programme. Thus
programmes and records may be grouped in pairs, by similarity, with
a likelihood of difference between any one pair (one programme plus
one record) and other pairs.
RESULT ON THE WORKER.--The greatest effect, on the worker, of
these relations of record to programme under Scientific Management
is the confidence that he gains in the judgment that is an outcome
of Scientific Management. When the worker sees that Scientific
Management makes possible accurate predictions of times, schedules,
tasks, and performance; that the methods prescribed invariably
enable him to achieve prescribed results, his confidence in
Scientific Management grows. So also does the manager's confidence
in Scientific Management grow,--and in this mutual confidence in the
system of management is another bond of sympathy.
The place left for suggestions and improvements, in the
ever-present opportunities to better standards, fulfills that
longing for a greater efficiency that is the cause of progress.
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