I have found that whenever I have had to handle something, I found the person who should have handled it unhatted and with misunderstood words on things intimately connected with his duties.

Thus I have found this cycle of great use and thoroughly recommend it.

1. Emergency item or omission requiring handling turns up.

2. Handle it right now fast (my handling something time lapse is about 5 minutes to half an hour). (That means terminatedly.)

3. Spot who should have handled it.

4. Interrogate the person on basics of his post (not ask about “hat folders,” etc.).

In all cases so far I have found the person not doing his post duties, unhatted, with huge misunderstoods on words like “post,” “hat,” “muster,” etc.

5. Hat the guy.

So I can tell you that any overload you have is from unhattedness of the most basic kind.

An org is as efficient and looks as good as its people are individually hatted and do their jobs.

It’s a very good system. I recommend it.

A sort of a do-it-yourself HCO!

It works.

[Note:'' The original mimeo copies of this policy letter were incorrectly numbered as Exec Series 24.]