paper or item as it appears at the desk is judged according to its actual value, the mind as well as the desk receives a good house cleaning. Use the waste-basket more!

With these mechanical aids as allies, attack the work at the desk. Proceed calmly, systematically, forcefully. Carry every piece of business through to a definite conclusion.

Dilatory Co-operation

The business man works not as an individual merely, but as a cog in his industrial machine. His personal efforts are dependent upon what others do, and these others are often dilatory co-operators. Practically everyone, especially after he has undergone a series of committee meetings or conferences, appreciates the jest that "co-operation is the thief of time!"

The chief remedy for dilatory co-operation is care in planning.

The average business man escapes if he can the task of systematically planning a job, and passes his ill-assorted directions along to others, who as a rule are similarly delinquent. Thereby he initiates a series of difficulties, which in spite of heroic efforts here and there, are almost certain to delay the final results. Consider the printer as a typical victim. What tales he can unfold of rush orders, of missing parts of the copy, of last-minute changes, of telegrams to the engraver, and messenger boys to the foundry, of threats and pleadings for what would have been delivered days since had it only been planned properly!

Getting things done through co-operation necessarily requires time. But this time can be materially shortened if the initiator of the task plans for its accomplishment all the way through, takes into account the individuality and special conditions of the other persons concerned, assigns its various parts in due season, makes tickler records of the dates

when results are due, and notifies promptly any delinquent. If system is worth while to the individual in general, it even more truly serves the man who works with others.

Interruptions-By House Men

The executive, industrious though he may be in pushing his own tasks, may see his program hopelessly delayed unless he can defend his time from unwarranted interruptions.

Some of the interruptions come from within the organization, from his associates, subordinates, and superiors. It is pretty well recognized in the factory that continuous operation is necessary for maximum output, hence shut-downs are guarded against. It is by no means, however, so generally recognized in the executive office that steady work means larger mental output and that interruption here is quite as serious as shut-downs in the machine shop. As a result, house men are constant offenders.

Much of this promiscuous visiting will be avoided if each official follows the plan outlined in Chapter IV, of assigning pockets in the day's work file to his various co-workers and, by placing in these pockets all items having to do with a certain co-operator, makes one conference with him take the place of many.

A General Office Schedule

This plan if carried a step further involves the drawing up of a general office schedule, with which the various individual schedules are correlated. An example is here given of such a schedule as it has been worked out in a New York office and, it may be added, used with salutary effect. Figure 17.)

(See

The same idea has been applied with even greater elaborateness and entire success by a large manufacturing company. (See Figure 18.)

OFFICE SCHEDULE

In order to reduce the number of interruptions to a minimum, all members are requested to adhere as strictly as possible to the following schedule:

8:45-9:30 Preparation

Reading mail, memos, interphone calls, interviews without appointment, and other preparatory steps required.

9:30-12:30 Business

All work requiring concentration. Interviews during this time only by appointment. No interphone calls or memos unless absolutely necessary.

12:30-2:15 Preparation

Luncheon and informal conferences, memos, interphone calls, interviews without appointment.

2:15-4:00 Business

Same as from 9:30-12:30. Concentrate upon your own work and permit others to do the same by reducing interruptions to a minimum.

4:00-5:00 Miscellaneous

Sign mail, interview without appointment, informal conferences, planning work for tomorrow, and the like.

Outside callers, in so far as this is practicable, should be handled according to the above schedule.

No member is expected to break these rules without valid excuse, which is to be given at time of interruption to the person disturbed.

Figure 17. Office Schedule

In order to secure more effective co-operation among the members of its office force, a New York concern devised this office schedule.

In adopting such a schedule, particularly in deciding upon the classes of work and their respective hours, full consideration must be given to the office involved. In general, minute subdivision and close scheduling should be avoided.

While it doubtless may be that a schedule common to all its desk-workers cannot be introduced with profit into every office, the idea behind the schedule is neither its classifications nor time limits nor printed form, but an attempt to attain more orderly procedure. This idea, once it is grasped, may possibly be sufficient in itself to reduce house interruptions to a permissible quantity. Co-workers taught that concentration is the ideal and interruption a sin to be avoided, will become apologetic and brief when they do interrupt.

The Problem of Handling Callers

The interruptions of members of the force are commonly less troublesome to the executive than his outside callers. No business man can absolutely refuse to receive callers; still, their visits have only a certain value to him and the problem is how to secure this value within the proper time limits. The problem is as serious for the man in charge of a department as for the president of the company, more serious indeed, in a great many cases, because he has fewer defenses.

The policy of keeping the door always open and then getting rid of unwelcome callers by sheer brusqueness may have served very well heretofore, but has been discarded today. Under the growth of organized enterprise, the time of the executive, whether president or bureau head, has become too valuable for promiscuous visitors; at the same time the increased appreciation of the value of business courtesy prohibits the use of brusqueness or incivility as a defense.

Callers must be admitted with discrimination and their stay terminated with courtesy.

INTERDEPARTMENTAL SCHEDULE

ALL EMPLOYEES ARE REQUESTED TO CO-OPERATE BY MAKING APPOINTMENTS IN ADVANCE

SGW-SKW-STW-SXW-Special Work-Gun-Ctge., Tool Depts. and Executive

THE ABOVE SCHEDULE DOES NOT APPLY TO SATURDAYS

Figure 18. Interdepartmental Schedule

Symbols used in the Schedule but not included in the above Index, are the initials of individuals interviewed.