The Psychology of Management by Lillian Moller Gilbreth

At first glance it might seem simpler to consider the worker as static and the materials as in motion. The "routing" of the worker is really often not a question of motion at all, as the worker, if he were operating a machine, for example, would not change his position between various pieces of work--except to rest from fatigue--enough to be considered. The word "routing" is used figuratively as regards the worker. He is considered as transported by the management through the day's work. But, whether the work move, or the worker, or both, programmes must so plan out the progress of each, in detail, for as many days ahead as possible, that the most efficient outcome will ensue. ROUTING OF WORK.--The work is routed through schedules of materials to buy, schedules of material to handle, and schedules of labor to be performed. The skilled worker finds all the materials for his work ready and waiting for him when he arrives at the task, this being provided for by programmes made out many tasks ahead. ROUTING OF WORKERS.--The workers themselves are routed by means of the route sheet, route chart, pin plan and bulletin board. The devices for laying out the work of the workers appeal to the imagination as well as the reason. The route chart is a graphical representation of a large river, starting with the small stream,--the first operation, gathering to itself as the tributaries, the various other operations,--till it reaches its full growth, the completed work. The pin plan, with each pin or flag representing a worker, or work place, and following his progress on a plan of the work, presents a bird's-eye view in miniature of the entire working force; and the bulletin board, with its cards that represent work ahead, not only eliminates actual delay of shifting from one task to another, but permits studying out one task while doing another, and also destroys all fear of delay between jobs. IMPOSSIBILITY OF DESCRIBING ROUTING DEVICES ACCURATELY.--These routing devices might all be described at length, but no description could do them justice. A visit to a shop, or factory, or other industrial organization operating under Scientific Management is necessary, in order to appreciate not only their utility, but the interest that they arouse. These programmes are no dead, static things. They are alive, pulsing, moving, progressing with the progress of the work. PROPHECY BECOMES POSSIBLE UNDER SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT.--The calendar, or chronological chart, becomes a true prophecy of what will take place. This is based on the standardized elementary units, and the variations from it will be so slight as to allow of being disregarded. SUMMARY RESULTS OF PROGRAMME TO THE WORK.--Under Traditional Management the tentative calendar might cause speed, but could not direct speed. Under Transitory Management elimination of waste by prescribed methods and routing increases output. This increase becomes greater under Scientific Management. Standardized routing designs the shortest paths, the least wasteful sequence of events, the most efficient speed, the most fitting method. The result is more and better work. RESULTS OF PROGRAMMES TO THE WORKER.--A programme clarifies the mind, is definite. The Traditional worker was often not sure what he had better do next. The worker under Scientific Management knows exactly what he is to do, and where and how he is to do it. The attention is held, a field of allied interests are provided for possible lapses, as are also methods for recalling attention. The programme provides for a look ahead, and the relief that comes from seeing the path before one. This ability to foresee also leads to a feeling of stability. The knowledge that there is a large amount of work ahead, ready to be attacked with no delay, eliminates anxiety as to future employment. This allows of concentration on the work in hand, and a feeling that, this work being properly done, one is free to turn to the next piece of work with the absolute assurance that what has been done will be satisfactory. RELATION BETWEEN RECORDS AND PROGRAMMES.--No discussion of records and programmes would be complete that did not consider the relation between them. IMPORTANCE OF THIS RELATION.--The relation between records and programmes in the various types of management is most important, for the progress from one type to another may be studied as exemplified in the change in these relations. A BROADENING OF THE DEFINITIONS.--In order to understand more plainly the complexity of this relation, we will not confine ourselves here to the narrower definition of a record as a written account, but will consider it to mean a registering of an experience in the mind, whether this expresses itself in a written record or not, A programme will, likewise, be a mental plan. MANY POSSIBLE TYPES OF RECORDS AND PROGRAMMES.--In order to understand the number of different types of records and programmes that can be made for a worker, the table that follows may be examined (Table I). It exemplifies twelve possible records and twelve possible programmes. TABLE I / / | |1. unconscious record | |2. conscious record, /1. Man -----| | not written | working | |3. written record | for | |4. standardized record | himself \ \ I. | RECORDS----| /1. unconscious record | |2. conscious record, not written | /(a) One of a ---|3. written record | | gang |4. standardized record | | \ /(a) made by man \2. Man -----| |(b) " " manager working | /1. unconscious |(a) made by man for | | record |(b) " " manager another | |2. conscious -|(a) made by man | | record, |(b) " " manager \(b) Individual -| not written |(a) made by man output |3. written |(b) " " manager | record |(a) made by man |4. standardize \(b) " " manager \ record / |1. unconscious programme /1. Man ------------------|2. conscious programme | working |3. written programme | for |4. standardized programme | himself \ II. | PROGRAMMES-| | /1. unconscious /(a) made by man | /(a) One of a ---| programme |(b) " " manager | | gang |2. conscious |(a) made by man | | | programme, |(b) " " manager \2. Man --| | not written -|(a) made by man working | |3. written |(b) " " manager for | | programme |(a) made by man another \(b) Individual -|4. standardized |(b) " " manager output | programme |(a) made by man \ \(b) " " manager INTERRELATION OF THESE TYPES.--The man is classified first, as working for himself, or working for another. There will usually be a fundamental difference, at the outset, in the minds of these two men, for the man working for himself will be of a more independent cast of thought. There will be no question as to the man's output showing up separately, unless he chooses to prevent this by having others work with him. Neither will there be any question but that, if a record is made, he makes it himself, unless someone who is not vitally connected with the work, as some onlooker, interested or disinterested, should make the records for him. But the typical case of the man working for himself would be that he was working as an individual, and that the record was made by himself. There would then be four kinds of records--an unconscious record, a conscious record not written, a written record and a standardized record. The "unconscious record" would be, in reality, no record at all. It would simply be, that somewhere in the man's mind there would be a record of what he had done, which, except as a "fringe of consciousness" would not particularly influence his programme. What we mean by a "conscious record" would be more of a set habit, the man knowing that he had done the work in a certain way. This would begin to influence, more or less, his programme, and also his knowledge of his capacity for work. With a written record, would come a thorough knowledge on his part of what he had done and how he had done it, and we must note that with this written record comes the possibility for some sort of a set programme, the man knowing what it will be possible to do, and how he had best do it. With the standardized record comes the standardized method. RELATIONSHIPS COMPLEX.--When we consider the man working for another, he may either be one of a gang, or one whose work is considered as that of an individual. In either case, any of the four sorts of records can be made of his work that have been already described for the man working for himself. Each one of these records may be made by the man, or by the management; for with the man working for another, naturally the second mind, that of the other, or the manager, enters in, and a great many more combinations are possible. For example,--there might be an unconscious record made by the man and a conscious record, or a written record, made by the manager. There might be a conscious record made by the man, but an unconscious or a written record made by the manager, etc. There are too many combinations made to be here considered. Each one of these combinations would have a definite and a different effect, both upon the mind of the man, and upon the mind of the manager; and also upon their relation to each other. The second half of this chart is similar, but treats of programmes, as many variables enter here. It may be thought that the details of the preceding chart and the three following charts are uninteresting, obvious, and show too many possible combinations. If this be so, then it is most necessary to include them to illustrate the conditions that are passed through and slipped back into too often in our schools, our apprenticeship and in all but the best of managements. The outline of advancement must be known and recognized if the quality of teaching, efficiency, and management is to be graded in its right class. When we consider that each type of record bears a relation to each type of programme, the complexity of the problems involved become apparent. This will be better shown in Table II. TABLE II