"His analysis showed him the necessity of proper allocation of time for work, meals, sleep, exercise, etc., each day."

This salesman-manager has an income running well into five figures, so he cannot very well be accused of being a mere theorist. He emphasized an idea well worth while; time is a most valuable asset and everyone should make an analysis to see how his is being spent.

For two or three days keep accurate record in minutes of all time spent from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., or whatever your regular hours are. Do not postpone this recording until the close of the day, but jot down the minutes as you go along, five for mind wandering, ten for worrying, etc. Be honest with yourself in this, too; the question is not at all whether you like the showing made but solely what are the facts? The time spent on some of these things is not entirely wasted, as, for instance, during a ten-minute gossip something may be said which in the way it fits into the day's work may be worth two minutes; this two minutes accordingly would be placed in a second column as a credit.

Your percentage of efficiency, however low it may be, undoubtedly shows higher in this computation than your working methods actually justify. The reason is that even with the most careful recording a great many minutes will not be accounted for, probably wasted, whereas in the above records all time not accounted for is credited as being properly spent.

Are you satisfied with this percentage of efficiency? Or do you find, as did this sales manager, that you have been deceiving yourself about the amount of time devoted to productive work?

Your Own Record

Do I or do I not dispatch my work on schedule time?

Within the big organization where your working days are spent, you already have a reputation for promptness in meeting your obligations or you are known as a person whose laxness in dispatching continually delays the business game. Because so many men are addicted to this latter practice and yet wish to escape the consequences, poor dispatching naturally associates itself with countless attempts to "pass the buck."

We shall employ Test Chart 8 as a check upon ourselves. The twelve pieces of work selected ought not to be trivial matters but tasks for which a fair amount of preparation is required. The first two causes of delay specified in the form have been discussed in the present chapter; the five factors in planning are object, methods, equipment, materials, and schedules; and the seven devils are procrastination, the day-dream, things forgotten, yesterday's loose ends,

dilatory co-operation, interruptions by associates, and round-about methods. A delay may be due, of course, to more than one cause. Use check marks for the replies when this is possible.

When Test Chart 8 has been completed, survey the result. Frankly, what is your opinion of yourself as a dispatcher?

Some improvement doubtless is in order. Follow the specific plans you have outlined for yourself according to Chapter V, and during the next month, two months, or whatever definite time you set for yourself, seek in every possible task to eliminate wastes in time. Use your specific plans in cutting directly to the goal, make every moment and every motion result getting.

At the end of the period set, once more use Test your record of accomplishment for two days or so. improvement?

Chart 8 to enter
How goes your

CHAPTER IX

SHORT-CUTS

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points.

Amateur Versus Expert

-Euclid.

The man intent upon dispatching his day's work upon schedule time, but apparently unable to do so will discover possibly that like a Bostonian upon the winding streets of his city, he has been proceeding most indirectly to the goal. The solution here is a short-cut.

The insistence upon short-cuts is not a foible of the scientific manager, but is based upon the very nature of things. Tyrus Cobb at the plate is much less given to motions than is the usual amateur batsman, but he has his eye on the ball and he "connects" with it. Tris Speaker in the outfield chases back and forth considerably less than the bush leaguer, but when he does move it is in the right direction. Rose Fritz, the world's champion typist, in her speed contests is apt to deceive the onlooker, for even as a record is being broken her fingers glide easily over the keys.

The amateur, in general, attains his end by roundabout methods; the expert uses short-cuts.

A Lesson from Animal Psychology

The psychology upon which the principle of short-cuts is based is illustrated in a very interesting way by a series of experiments Professor Thorndike performed with a cat. The animal was placed inside a closed box, which was constructed of slats and could be opened by means of a wire loop which hung from the ceiling.

When first put into the box the cat commenced to struggle vigorously, tried to squeeze between the slats, clawed and bit at the bars, and even thrust its paws through the openings and clawed at whatever it could reach outside. In the course of its clawing and biting, it by and by attacked the suspended loop, whereupon the door opened and it was free. In succeeding attempts, improvement was shown; the animal which in its first attempt to escape consumed 160 seconds, in its twelfth attempt consumed only 20, and in its twenty-fourth consumed but 7. The various non-successful motions were eliminated; the necessary motions were used at once.

Short-Cuts Represent Perfected Methods

What we have here, if the time periods required are plotted graphically, is a curve of learning. First attempts are found to be crude, wasteful, time consuming; succeeding attempts bring about continuous improvement until the minimum of time and effort is expended, which means that normally crude and wasteful methods are replaced by short-cuts. The principle involved is true even for the executive in his private office.

The man who would be expert, no matter what his position, must adopt short-cuts.

The following short-cuts are illustrative of a line of thought which may profitably be carried much further.

Conservation of Time

The buyer for a machinery jobbing house, who meets many callers, fitted out his office with two work places. "If I am talking to one man when another arrives," he explained, "I ask the second to go to the vacant desk and prepare whatever he may have to show.

"If the salesman I am talking with is inclined to overstay his welcome, I explain that I feel I should not keep the other

man waiting. In this way I can excuse myself gracefully, leaving the first caller to put away his samples or photographs while I go to the other.

"Similarly, when I am through with the next man, I return to the desk, while the second caller puts his paraphernalia away. You may not imagine that this saves me much time in the course of a day, but it does."

Fill in the vacant periods: hoard the minutes.

A trade paper, a book, some reports, routine correspondence, an unexpected caller, a short period of calisthenics, these are some of the many items which may be sandwiched into the vacant period. Keep 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. sacred for work, its minutes packed with accomplishment.

Business Time for Business

Keep free from personal visitors and personal matters during the business day. The firm in paying your salary has first claim to your time and energies.

Some Things Not To Do

Do not sharpen pencils, fill fountain pens, nor run errands. Your time is high-priced, and the firm loses whenever a highsalaried man performs low-priced tasks.

Supervising from the Office

Office partitions of clear glass enable a manager to work at his desk and supervise at the same time. These partitions afford him good light, air, warmth and comfort, and keep him in sight of his men.

Words versus Check Marks

Checking is quicker than writing, and for many purposes is entirely adequate. (See Figure 20.) In drawing up record blanks, routing sheets, reference forms, and the like,