EVERYONE SHOULD BE TRAINED IN BEING MEASURED.--Accurate
measurement of individuals, in actual practice, brings out the fact
that lamentably few persons are accustomed to be, or can readily be,
measured. It has been a great drawback to the advance of Scientific
Management that the moment a measurer of any kind is put on the
work, either a device to measure output or a man to measure or to
time reactions, motions, or output, the majority of the workers
become suspicious. Being unaccustomed to being measured, they think,
as is usually the case with things to which we are unaccustomed,
that there is something harmful to them in it. This feeling makes
necessary much explanation which in reality should not be needed.
The remedy for this condition is a proper training in youth.
A boy brought up with the fundamental idea of the importance of
measurement to all modern science, for all progress, accustomed to
being measured, understanding the "why" of the measuring, and the
results from it, will not hesitate or object, when he comes to the
work, to being measured in order that he may be put where it is best
for himself, as well as for the work, that he be put.
The importance of human measurement to vocational guidance and
to the training of the young for life work has never been properly
realized. Few people understand the importance of psychological
experiment as a factor in scientific vocational guidance. For this
alone, it will probably in time be a general custom to record and
keep as close track as possible of the psychological measurements of
the child during the period of education, vocational guidance and
apprenticeship. Not only this, but he also should be accustomed to
being measured, physically and psychologically, from his first
years, just as he is now accustomed to being weighed.
The child should be taught to measure himself, his faculties,
his reactions, his capabilities as compared with his former self and
as compared with the capabilities of others. It is most important
that the child should form a habit not only of measuring, but of
being measured.
MOTION STUDY AND TIME STUDY ARE THE METHOD OF MEASUREMENT UNDER
SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT.--Under Scientific Management, much measuring
is done by motion study and time study, which measure the relative
efficiency of various men, of various methods, or of various kinds
of equipment, surroundings, tools, etc. Their most important use is
as measuring devices of the men. They have great psychological value
in that they are founded on the "square deal" and the men know this
from the start. Being operated under laws, they are used the same
way on all sorts of work and on all men. As soon as the men really
understand this fact, and realize