PROPER PLACING OF WORKERS ELIMINATES DISTRACTED ATTENTION.--
Workers must be placed so that they do not see intermittently moving
objects out of the corners of their eyes. In the early history of
man it was continuously necessary to watch for first evidence of
things behind one, or at a distance, in order to be safe from an
enemy. From generations of survival of the most fit there have
developed human eyes most sensitive to moving objects that are seen
out of the corner of the eye. Even civilized man has his attention
distracted quickest, and most, by those moving objects that he sees
the least distinctly, and furthest to one side from the direction in
which he is looking.
The leaf that moves or the grass that trembles may attract the
attention where seen "out of the corner of the eye" to a point where
it will even cause a start and a great fear.
As an example of the distracting effect of moving objects seen
"out of the corner of the eye," try reading a book facing a window
in a car where the moving scenery can be seen on each side of the
book. The flitting object will interrupt one, one cannot get the
full meaning out of what one is reading--yet if one lays down the
book and looks directly at the scenery, the mind can concentrate to
a point where one does not see that moving scenery which is directly
in front of the eyes.
There is a great difference in this power of sensitiveness of
the corners of some workers' eyes from that of others. The first
move of Scientific Management is to place and arrange all workers,
as far as is possible, in such a position that nothing to distract
them will be behind them, and later to see that the eyes of workers
are tested, that those whose eyes are most sensitive may be placed
accordingly.
THIS ELIMINATION MAY TAKE PLACE IN ALL KINDS OF WORK.--The
necessity of removing all things which will distract the attention
is as great for the brain worker as for the shop or construction
worker. All papers that attract the eye, and hence the attention,
should be cleaned from the desk, everything except that on which the
worker is working. The capability of being distracted by the
presence of other things varies in all workers.
In using the dictaphone, one can do much better work if one is
in a room where there is little or nothing to distract attention. An
outline of work ahead, may tempt to study and planning of what is
ahead, rather than to carrying out the task scheduled for immediate
performance. The presence of a paper with an outline merely of what
is being done is found to be a great help, as the eye can rest on
that, and after a few moments, will become so accustomed to it that
the whole attention will be given to the dictating.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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