The Waste of Unplanned Work

The executive who pays little or no heed to the foregoing elements of planning usually will be found wasting time and energy in ways such as these:

1. Needless shifting of employment-stopping and starting.

2. Poor sequence of operations, involving often doing
of less important things first and the massing of im-
portant tasks together regardless of the rhythm of
effort and thus wasting energy.

3. Wrong perspective-proportioning time unwisely.
4. Wrong methods of approach-or wrong strategy in
dealing with the various tasks.

5. Packing the working day too full-no free time for
emergency tasks.

Careful analysis reveals relationships among different experiences, and enables a man to establish a few controlling accounts for his expenditure and investment of effort and time. By working out a standardized procedure for the regular case he can save time and strength for the exceptions.

The Assistance of Systematic Planning

Standardized procedure cuts off the waste characteristic of unplanned work. More than that, by its deliberate and systematic arrangement of the work, it leads to positive results:

I. It shows the nature, relation, and order of importance, among a series of seemingly individual items. It classifies them into "constants," those which recur regularly in much the same form, and "variables,"

which are not thus regular; and into matters of greater and of less importance.

(a) Constants may be handled in the mass with a minimum of effort and thus more time is

left for variables.

(b) Minor matters can be subordinated and priority be given to those of larger importance.

2. By enabling the worker to foresee his various tasks it enables him:

(a) To determine in advance the method he will use for each task or each group of tasks.

(b) To get ready for special efforts, to meet special needs.

3. It gives the worker confidence. He knows that he is not wasting his strength and is in no danger of blocks on the line; therefore he does not worry.

Illustrations of Systematic Planning

The whole matter of planning the day's work is simplified by a study of the programs worked out by executives of known ability. Some of these are given below:

William H. Ingersoll, whose mercantile genius is largely responsible for "the Watch that Made the Dollar Famous," arranges his work according to a most systematic plan, using both a weekly and a daily program. The weekly program is shown in Figure 14.

With this goes a daily program, shown in Figure 15. This form, which is filled out at the beginning of each day, gives a complete outline of the day's work, noting engagements with outside people and any deviation from the set weekly program.

In the schedule shown in Figure 14 the following letters represent

C Staff of Home Office Bureau Chiefs

S Bureau of Sales Promotion (salesmen and other)

X Bureau of Experimental and Special Duties

G General Service Bureau

Bureau of Domestic Branches (Co- and supervision)

FM Bureau of Foreign Branches

P Bureau of Publicity and Advertising

R Bureau of Export (direct markets)

BM Bureau of Organization Maintenance and Standard Practice T Bureau of Scheme and Special Sales

The blank spaces represent time in which the executive works by himself and the following are the duties which he aims to cover in that time:

1. Plans, schemes, producing

2. Study of reports

3. Get ready for conferences (i. e., assemble material, etc.)

4. Reading materials submitted to him and minutes of previous conference meetings

5. Reading clippings and articles of special interest.

6. Problems in general management-constant subjects

Some Typical Daily Plans*

I.

DAILY PROGRAM OF AUDITOR FOR

STREET RAILWAY COMPANY

8:30-9:00 A.M. Read mail and give orders to chief clerk

These sample schedules were secured by Carroll D. Murphy of System, who also presents in the sixth his suggestions as to what duties should appear in the day's work schedule.

Correspondence

3:30 to 4:30 Invariably held open for consideration of matters not possible to dispose of during the day

3.

8:00

8:20

8:30

9:00

11:30

I:00

2:00

4:00

5:00

A SALES MANAGER'S SCHEDULE

Reading and answering telegrams; study of day's schedule

Talk to city salesmen

Confer with heads of departments; study re-
ports and charts previous day's business
Mail and correspondence

Luncheon. Usually with some out-of-town cus

tomer or at some business club

Reading afternoon mail.

salesmen and branches

Appointments with solicitors

Correspondence

Signing correspondence

Write out-of-town

5:30 to 6:00 Usually stroll around office and plant and talk

with employees, picking up information as to

how things are going.