WASTEFULNESS OF INDIVIDUAL PLANNING.—­Even if it were possible so to arrange the work of every worker that he could be in close proximity to the equipment for planning and could be given the training needed, individual planning for “small lots” with no systematized standardization of planning-results would be an economic waste that would cause an unnecessary hardship on the worker, the employer and the ultimate consumer.  Individual planning could not fit the broad scheme of planning, and at best would cause delays and confusion, and make an incentive to plan for the individual self, instead of planning for the greatest good of the greatest number.

Again, even if it were possible to plan best by individual planning, there is a further waste in changing from one kind of work to another.  This waste is so great and so obvious that it was noticed and recognized by the earliest manufacturers and economists.

HARDSHIP TO THE WORKER OF INDIVIDUAL PLANNING.—­To obtain the most wages and profits there must be the most savings to divide.  These cannot be obtained when each man plans for himself (except in the home trades), because all large modern operations have the quantity of output dependent upon the amount of blockades, stoppages and interferences caused by dependent sequences.  It is not, therefore, possible to obtain the most profit or most wages by individual planning.  Planning is a general function, and the only way to obtain the best results is by organized planning, and by seeing that no planning is done for one worker without proper consideration of its bearing and effect upon any or all the other men’s outputs.

THE MAN WHO DESIRES TO BE A PLANNER CAN BE ONE.—­If the worker is the sort of a man who can observe and plan, or who desires to plan, even though he is not at first employed in the planning department, he is sure to get there finally, as the system provides that each man shall go where he is best fitted.  Positions in planning departments are hard to fill, because of the scarcity of men equipped to do this work.  The difficulty of teaching men to become highly efficient planners is one of the reasons for the slow advance of the general adoption of Scientific Management.

THE MAN WHO DISLIKES PLANNING CAN BE RELIEVED.—­It must not be forgotten that many people dislike the planning responsibility in connection with their work.  For such, relief from planning makes the performance of the planned work more interesting and desirable.

PROVISION FOR PLANNING BY ALL UNDER SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT.—­Much has been said about the worker’s “God-given rights to think,” and about the necessity for providing every worker with an opportunity to think.

Scientific Management provides the fullest opportunities for every man to think, to exercise his mental faculties, and to plan

    1. in doing the work itself, as will be shown at length in
       chapters that follow.
    2. outside of the regular working hours, but in connection
       with promotion in his regular work.