MANAGEMENT, the face of current employer apathy, and in the absence of critical international developments, the next two-year period can be assessed only as the time selected b y labor unions to regroup their forces before moving ahead once again in t h e campaign for greater political and économie control of the nation." Personnel Administration. In a session on techniques of personnel administration, industry was warned by Robert L. Thorndike of Columbia University to beware of "all the fascinating . devices for personality appraisal, whose authors are prepared to revolutionize industrial personnel work." There is
not yet enough evidence that any test-, ing procedure does in fact accomplish what is claimed for it and promoters who have been unable to prove that their personality profiles actually do predict success in any business job have turned to such types of pseudovalidation as "validation by testimonal," or "validation b y use." T h e "testimonal" proof, or approval voiced by executives who have used the test, still lacks scientific validation, Thorndike says, and the joker in the case of validation by use—evidence that men who scored high on tests were successful later—is that each man's later career has been influenced bv the test results.
Climbing the Executive Ladder Successful y o u n g executives must b e a b l e to w o r k harmoniously w i t h t o p m a n a g e m e n t NEW YORK.-The up-and-coming young executive is a man who can handle effectively situations that are totally unexpected. H e is able to see way out of dilemmas in which others may feel totally lost. He is a man possessing maturity beyond his years. Despite his limited experience, he is capable of guessing at answers and guessing right. Insights into what management is looking for in the capable young executive were presented by J. J. MacFarland of Celanese at the recent meeting of the Chemical Industry Association (formerly the Chemical Engineers of Greater New York). He indicated that management is seeking executives who are able to lead men and to make them like it. He must be able to drive himself as well as others. He must also be willing himself to do any job that he may call upon others to do. An important qualification of the young executive is ability to work with top management, including the company's elder statesmen. He must be able to engender confidence on the p a r t of older men in the organization who might otherwise hesitate to retire for fear of turning over the organization to unqualified junior associates. T h e ability to get a job done is most important- The willingness merely to start a job is not enough. It is not very useful simply to work hard amid a continual frenzy of activity. T h e important consideration is actual achievement of desired goals. Alertness of mind is also valuable, as is ability to change tactics to m e e t specific new situations. In addition, a good executive must be able to make 888
effective use of the manpower under him. Furthermore, t h e good executive must have proper technical training and skill in his chosen field. It is relatively easy today to b u y brainpower, MacFarland says. The big job is get the right brainpower applied to the particular problem at hand. The good executive must both look and act the part. He must also feel the part in his contacts with his associates in the organization. At the same time, h e must have ability to tell when a project will pay off. Here luck, of course, may be an important factor. Methods of M a n a g e m e n t . The successful executive must be familiar
with the best techniques of management and must have an understanding of the capabilities of people and their individual preferences, says George L. Rover of American Cyanamid. He must have the know-how of learning, observing, reading, planning, writing, evaluating, speaking, and listening. H e must be able to work with people and, in particular, must h a v e emotional control. Besides having t h e ability to delegate authority, he must also understand the broader aspects of his job. Of course, says Royer, there are chemists and chemical engineers who do not want to manage. Companies must see to it that the basic interests of these people are satisfied. Research workers must be paid salaries comparable to their worth, he emphasizes. Their value is often equal to, and in some cases exceeds, that of administrative personnel. In some branches of an organization, it may be entirely justified to pay a uniquely talented research worker more than his boss. A good manager should b e able to acquaint a man with those personal characteristics that limit h i s progress, and do this without hurting liis feelings or his work output. A successful manager should b e able to match the man to the job. H e must b e able to show a man how h e fits one job a n d not another that requires greater training. The best person to rate a man's job capabilities is his boss. If a man's immediate superiors are against him, he is in the wrong job, says Royer. Thus far, the use of psychological tests has not proved an entirely satisfactory method of determining the j o b qualifications of individuals.
Three speakers at the Chemical Industry Association's meeting on executive advancement take time out for a private conference: J. J. MacFarland (left) of Celanese, George L. Royer of American Cyanamid, and Richard L. Moore of Foster D . Snell
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