An administrator is one who can make things happen at the other end of a communication line which result in discovered data or handled situations.
A very good administrator can get things handled over a very long distance. A mediumly skilled administrator has a shorter reach.
As this scale declines, we get people who can make things happen only at arm’s length.
It is interesting that administrators are valued in direct proportion to the distance they can reach and get things handled over. Persons who can handle things only at arm’s length are valued but not in proportion to a long-reaching administrator.
The complexity of situations and things handled is also a test of the administrator. If one began at the highest level of capability of handling things thousands of miles away and at the bottom of the scale handling things at arm’s length, one would also find complexity entering the picture.
The artisan can, by means of heavy mest communication lines and tools, make all manner of things occur but mostly within his visual sight line.
The day laborer who can only handle a shovel usually can only handle the simplicity of lifting a few pounds of dirt to a definite position.
One of the troubles PTS people have, as an example, is handling something over a long-distance communication line. One can tell them to handle the suppressive, but one must realize he may also be giving the order to someone to handle another person several thousand miles away. This is a high level of administrative skill and is usually no part of a PTS’s ability, whatever other technical considerations may intervene.
Estimating situations thousands of miles away and handling them terminatedly is actually comparable to an OT ability.
There is no effort here to include artists and technicians who do work with their hands, for this is another class of activity requiring enormous technical skill and ability.
However, very few people understand the administrator or what he is or what he can do, yet the whole world is the effect of good or bad administrators.
The administrator has technology with which to discover and handle situations and if he is a very good administrator his handling is ordinarily constructive; but whatever it is, it is firm.
A skilled administrator therefore can be defined as ONE WHO CAN ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION LINES AND CAN THEREBY DISCOVER, HANDLE AND IMPROVE SITUATIONS AND CONDITIONS AT A DISTANCE.
When you fully grasp this and realize it is the basic simplicity that is the basic all of an administrator’s further complex technology, you can estimate an administrator’s efficiency or effectiveness.
If you are engaged in administration, this basic truth will serve you very well if you fully understand it and use it.