by Arthur Beckenham
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
low to make lecisions
IANAGEMENT is, among other lings, about deciding what to D, when and how. Therefore, r hen you are preparing for this >le you must give careful iought as to what will influence ou and allow you to make ecisions with an air of Drifidence.
taking judgements Moral musings are no ubstitute for the discipline of act-finding when a matter omes to judgement. As you Irogress in your career in road ransport, you will increasingly le called upon to exercise your udgement.
We cannot decide according o our wishes, especially in ixaminationsl The point at issue n any judgement is whether it is iupported by facts. Good udgement-making is impossible f you have made up your mind )efore learning the facts tecessary to an enlightened :onclusion. You cannot nvestigate searchingly a matter which is not openly examined. Ne must not be docile in the 'ace of facts. Every person has a -ight to their opinion, but no person has a right to be wrong in heir facts.
The difference is this: facts are subject to verification and will be the same no matter who quotes them, whereas opinion is a private matter in the mind of a person, and is not within the reach of proof. So during your studies be careful and diligent in marshalling your facts. Transport statistics/ should be carefully assessed, and sources critically examined.
Wide reading
You must make the maximum use of all the libraries available to you — local, college, and, in some cases, professional institutes and trade assocations. Knowing where to look, what the library clas
sification systems are and
the various annual reference books2 available is vital information to any student or researcher.
Thinking things over As time goes on through your course you will reach a stage of personal "take-off" where you will think things over, ponder on what you have studied, and begin to formulate your own ideas and judgements.
You will be applying also your commonsense, and, hopefully, improving it. According to Field Marshall Lord Slim commonsense "is neither dramatic nor glamorous; it is merely rare". Make sure you have some and are among those rare people who are capable of adding practical sagacity to your knowledge.
The need to know As you progress in your job you should begin to analyse your experiences and test them against your reading and learning. At the same time you should also begin to identify prejudices which are present and think over aspects of parochialism in your firm or sector of road transport or physical distribution.
You should ask yourself the question "How much should I know?" In your vocation you must be in possession of the latest up-to-date knowledge all the time; and you should be aware of shortcomings in both vocational and general areas. Confucius advised: "Know what you know, and know you don't know what you don't know — that is characteristic of one who knows."
Strive for excellence Quality performance is not to be kept for great occasions. Small matters provide the training for excellence. Everyone who tackles it finds the search for quality in the work they do a mind-satisfying and lifebroadening endeavour. Professional quality
The successful people in the years to come will be those who are "rounded" in both the theoretical and practical aspects of transport: a knowledge of the principles and framework based upon scientific method plus a knowledge of what is possible based on practical training and experience. This blend of both is the hallmark of professional quality, backed by the services provided by the various transport professional institutes.
The TRRL and transport groups in certain universities and polytechnics are making a valuable contribution in providing tools for transport practitioners to use. From now on a knowledge of transport principles and theories will be a prerequisite to efficiency. Some of your studies may allow you to begin to undertake small projects of your own. You should look for the opportunities to do so.
A sound knowledge of 'transport practice is also necessary and an analysis of experience can yield useful solutions to problems, reduce costs and point the way to improvements. Short training courses to meet identified skill needs can make a significant contribution to further improving practical performance. Ensuring that the scientists and practitioners work more closely together in the years ahead is something which needs constant encouragement. The resultant decision-making processes should be that much better.
Thus, the future requirement is to improve ways of blending theory and practice into a cohesive professional forum, and this the various institutes are doing. There are, though, still gaps in the coverage of issues, with the most difficult ones being avoided; and in some cases the emphasis is not yet right.
Meetings, conferences and similar functions allow younger people in the industry to benefit from meeting senior people, and people in different companies and organisations in either the same or different modes of transport. These professional activities need to be expanded and improved in the future, and young people should not miss the opportunity to take full advantage of whatever functions are provided. Such experiences will aid them in becoming more competent decision makers.
There is a danger of seeing things in too watertight compartments, and of being too parochial. Guard against this. As Eric Shipton taught: "think about and see the mountain as well as specific climbs".
The future prize The future for those now deeply engaged in various transport courses and preparing for management in road transport and physical distribution is challenging but lined with opportunities. Work hard, learn, apply what you learn, be effective. Develop the decisive habit. In conclusion, the following lines by a former Poet Laureate should spur you on to progress:
Sitting still and wishing Makes no person great. The good Lord sends the fishing
But you must dig the bait. References
I. Transport Statistics Great BritainT970-1980:141WSO 1981. Regional Trends 79112: HMSO 1982 fEspecially ca14 Transport and environment), Social Trends 12, 1$82: HMSO 1981. (Especially cll. 9 Trans; port, Conimiiriicalions and the Environment)
2, Some annual reference books concerned with road transport: 2 The Municipal Year Book (Local government transport planning, road passenger and.4' other services).
The Little Red 800k road passenger). FTA and RNA Year Books. Organisation and company annual reports and se
counts.