as wasteful as it would be to refuse to use mathematical formulas because they have been worked out by others. It might be advocated that the mind would grow by working out every possible mathematical formula before using it, but the result would be that the student would be held back from any further original investigation. Duplicating primary investigations might be original work for him, but it would be worthless as far as the world is concerned. The same is absolutely true in management. If the worker is held back by acquiring every bit of knowledge for himself instead of taking the work of others as the starting point, the most valuable initiative will be lost to the world.
Bad Habits the Result of Undirected Learning. — Even worse than the waste of time would be the danger of acquiring habits of bad methods, habits of unnecessary motions, habits of inaccurate work; habits of inattention. Any or all of these might develop. These are all prevented under Scientific Management by the improved methods of teaching.
Valuable Elements of Traditional Management Conserved.
— There are, however, many valuable elements of the old Traditional system of teaching and of management which should be retained and not be lost in the new.
For example, — the greatest single cause of making Page 219 men capable under the old plan was the foreman's unconscious ability to make his men believe, before they started a task, that they could achieve it.
It must not be thought that because of the