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Management styles
Dec. 9th, 2015 10:33 amThe great book on management published by CIA in 1940s is now freely available at internets!
The book starts with
"The purpose of this paper is to characterize simple sabotage, to outline its possible effects, and to present suggestions for inciting and executing it." And then it goes along about the best management practices that some people have first hand experience with.
"Acts of simple sabotage... Slashing tires, draining fuel tanks, starting fires, starting arguments, acting stupidly, short-circuiting electric systems, abrading machine parts will waste materials, manpower, and time" - oops, that is not about the management yet. I'll have to read a next chapter.
"Adjust the overload relay to a very high value beyond the capacity of the motor. Then overload the motor to a point where it will overheat and break down." Still not the right chapter..
Oh, here it is (my personal favourite in bold):
1. Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.
2. Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your "points" by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences.
3. When possible, refer all matters to committees... Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.
4. Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.
5. Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
6. Advocate "caution." Be "reasonable" and urge your fellow-conferees to be "reasonable" and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
7. Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.
8. See that the important jobs are assigned to inefficient workers...
9. Insist on perfect work in relatively unimportant products; send back for refinishing those which have the least flaw.
10. To lower morale and with it, production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions. Discriminate against efficient workers; complain unjustly about their work.
11. Hold conferences when there is more critical work to be done.
12. Multiply paper work in plausible ways.
13. Multiply the procedures and clearances involved in issuing instructions, and so on. See that three people have to approve everything where one would do.
14. Apply all regulations to the last letter.
15. Spread disturbing rumors that sound like inside dope.
16. Never pass on your skill and experience to a new or less skillful worker.
17. If possible, join or help organize a group for presenting employee problems to the management. See that the procedures adopted are as inconvenient as possible for the management, involving the presence of a large number of employees at each presentation, entailing more than one meeting for each grievance, bringing up problems which are largely imaginary, and so on.
18. Act stupid.
I think 18 is redundant actually provided that 1-17 are in place.
The book starts with
"The purpose of this paper is to characterize simple sabotage, to outline its possible effects, and to present suggestions for inciting and executing it." And then it goes along about the best management practices that some people have first hand experience with.
"Acts of simple sabotage... Slashing tires, draining fuel tanks, starting fires, starting arguments, acting stupidly, short-circuiting electric systems, abrading machine parts will waste materials, manpower, and time" - oops, that is not about the management yet. I'll have to read a next chapter.
"Adjust the overload relay to a very high value beyond the capacity of the motor. Then overload the motor to a point where it will overheat and break down." Still not the right chapter..
Oh, here it is (my personal favourite in bold):
1. Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.
2. Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your "points" by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences.
3. When possible, refer all matters to committees... Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.
4. Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.
5. Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
6. Advocate "caution." Be "reasonable" and urge your fellow-conferees to be "reasonable" and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
7. Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.
8. See that the important jobs are assigned to inefficient workers...
9. Insist on perfect work in relatively unimportant products; send back for refinishing those which have the least flaw.
10. To lower morale and with it, production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions. Discriminate against efficient workers; complain unjustly about their work.
11. Hold conferences when there is more critical work to be done.
12. Multiply paper work in plausible ways.
13. Multiply the procedures and clearances involved in issuing instructions, and so on. See that three people have to approve everything where one would do.
14. Apply all regulations to the last letter.
15. Spread disturbing rumors that sound like inside dope.
16. Never pass on your skill and experience to a new or less skillful worker.
17. If possible, join or help organize a group for presenting employee problems to the management. See that the procedures adopted are as inconvenient as possible for the management, involving the presence of a large number of employees at each presentation, entailing more than one meeting for each grievance, bringing up problems which are largely imaginary, and so on.
18. Act stupid.
I think 18 is redundant actually provided that 1-17 are in place.
