P I m t fflnnagement
September IS50
The misuse of verbal instruction and the proper
use of bulletin boards and memos for issuing written instructions to employees are discussed by Walter @onPechmann
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months ago a chemist who had worked in the research laboratory of a chemical plant and was transferred to a production department asked the writer this question: “How do you give instructions?” As simple as this question may sound, it was most difficult to answer. The selection of tools which are available to supervisory personnel for giving instructions pertaining to productive operations depends on the consideration of a number of intangible and often overlapping factors-for example, extent of coverage, need for immediate action, how long an instruction will be effective, and the possibility of misunderstandings. It is obvious that there cannot be a stock answer to this question, but certain principles of approach which enable one to select the right type instruction can be developed. I n fact, most people in supervisory positions in the chemical industry have fixed ideas concerning which type instruction is best suited under given conditions. All these people may not be able to give a precise outline of the system they use or may not even realize that they make their decisions according to basic principles; nevertheless, most foremen and production executives in chemical plants seem to follow a pattern all their own. The writer has no packaged formula for giving instructions, but he believes people in the chemical industry may be interested in a comparison of their way of doing business with his, since the exchange of managerial points of view among people who have common interests and common problems always stimulates creative thinking. It is believed that all conventional methods which are employed in instructing have definite merits and definite limitations and the proper selection of a method is more important than trying to make one method work for a multitude of conditions. Verbal transmission of thought is undoubtedly the quickest and most convenient way of giving instructions. Its limitations and disadvantages are insufficient coverage, risk of misunderstandings, and inability to obtain confirmation of issuance. Gordon Allport, professor of psychology a t Harvard, Hadley Cantril of Princeton, and a number of other psychologists have made apprehensive studies concerning the verbal transmittal of information. They have come to the conclusion that most people are inclined to misinterpret information they receive and/or relate in order to satisfy their own ego. Anyone who has worked in a supervisory position in the chemical industry will agree with this finding and may recall instances where executives, foremen, or workers consciously or unconsciously have distorted instructions to make them more interesting, to prove a point, or simply
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to hurt management’s prestige. Even if an instruction is repeated word by word, the experienced executive or foreman knows that the timing of its issuance and even the tone of voice used may effect an instruction favorably or unfavorably. In view of these facts one would assume that, in general, vetbal instructions are issued only under exceptional circumstances when other more reliable means cannot be used. This, however, is not the case. Many people claim that in contrast t o other industries the manufacturing processes in the chemical industry undergo continuous change and that supervisory personnel would have to spend too much time a t their desks if most instruction had to be given in writing. The writer does not agree with this statement. He believes that these people do not realize that there is very little writing to be done if good, written working standards are in effect. The reluctance of supervisory personnel to put instructions into writing stems mainly from their desire to find an easy way out if instructions should prove to be wrong. The only time verbal instructions are needed and are effective is when deviation from a written working standard requires immediate action, when instructions cover a nonrepetitive task, or when personal contact with workers is believed to be advantageous, either to gain assurance that the instruction has been properly understood or to foster employeremployee relations. Many believe that bulletin boards are well suited to the issuance of instructions since every employee can be contacted with little effort. People who use bulletin bosrds as the only means of conveying written instructions seem to forget that workers do not always read the bulletin board and as it cannot be proved that the employee has read the instruction he has opportunity to deny knowledge of the instruction. Since instructions do not always apply to all employees, workers have to pick the ones addressed to them from all that are posted. This has two distinct disadvantages: First, an instruction loses importance when not issued directly to the employees who are affected by it. Secondly, the ability to remember an instruction naturally is weakened if one has also to read extraneous material. In addition, experience has taught that workers who receive their instructions via the bulletin board are inclined to apply to their own work instructions which were meant for others. The manner in which an instruction is displayed on a bulletin board also is quite important. Nobody, for example, can be expected to notice a new instruction if it is tucked away among many old ones. Papers which are carelessly pinned up on one corner of a board hardly tend to impress (Continued on page 116 A )
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Plant Management on employees the importance of their contents, and outdated instructions remaining on the bulletin board are not only confusing but have often caused trouble in production. Instructions on which funny remarks had been scrawled or funny pictures had been drawn lose effectiveness. This may sound farfetched. However, many executives in the chemical industry do not pay any attention to these details and believe that all they have to do is dictate the instructions. They should not be surprised if employees do not follow them. The writer would like to make it clear that he does not want to imply that the bulletin board cannot or should not be used to issue instructions. There is, however, a very restricted range in which this means of transmitting instructions can effectively be used. As the writer sees it, announcements on bulletin boards should cover only matters of interest to all employees. Since the effectiveness of an instruction is in direct proportion to the number of instructions on the bulletin board, there should be a definite time limit for keeping the instruction posted, and the board should be large enough to hold all announcements without having to cover up old ones; preferably it should be covered by glass or transparent plastic material. The writer never uses the bulletin board for issuing instructions as he prefers to reserve this means of conveying messages exclusively on company policies. Memos which are directed to employees who have to execute an instruction eliminate some of the disadvantages of the two methods previously described. For example, confirmation that the instruction has been received and read by all employees can be obtained. This is important in a plant or a department employing many workers or where shifts are in operation. It should be realized that employees still have to depend on memory if the letter containing the signature of the workers is returned to its original source. It is good practice to send a copy along with the letter, requesting that it be returned to the ofice. The original then can stay in the production department and can be used for reference whenever the need arises. The writer offers the following suggestions for instruction memos:
1. Each memo should contain only one instruction. This makes it possible to destroy the old one when a new instruction is issued. 2. The same type instruction should not be issued one time by letter and another time verbally or by announcement on the bulletin board. 3. The practice of changing an instruction by requesting the foreman to alter a memo is not recommended. Whenever an instruction has to be changed, a new one should be issued. 4. Memos containing instructions should be consecutively numbered. 5 . Old and new instructions should be kept separately. 6. Instructions issued by memo should preferably be written on colored paper; this will distinguish them from ordinary intraplant correspondence. Other means of issuing instructions-manuals, written operating standards,, job tickets, graphic presentation, and especially designed equipment-will be di+ cussed next month. 116 A
