An infra-organizational dispatch is a simple thing. You can keep a copy if you wish, but only one copy (the original) goes and comes back.
When writing a dispatch, address it to the POST — NOT the person. (If a person changes post, or leaves, if you address the dispatch to the post, it will be received by the new occupant of the post, but if you address it to the person, then if the person leaves it may not be received and handled.)
Set up a dispatch as follows: (for information or advice)
Example:
Mimeograph Officer
Supply Officer (date)_________________
Dear_________________,
Your order of ........ (message).
or for a request or an order:
Mail Clerk
via Dir Comm(date)________________
HCO Area Sec
Dear__________
Please see that . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (order or request).
This form is used so that when it is ready to be returned, an arrow can be drawn pointing to the post to which it is to be returned, eliminating the need to write if. If the message is one that should go in your hat, either put it in your hat and acknowledge sender, or write it up for your hat, returning the original to sender. If the dispatch comes to you from a junior always insist the junior has attested "it is okay". If you in turn wish to send it on, you too must attest "it is okay" and send it on. If itis not OK return the dispatch to the originator stating briefly why it is not OK.
The receiver handles the dispatch and retains the dispatch until such time as it has been completely handled. If it is a matter which involves days or weeks, you can dispatch the sender stating that such and such is being attended to and expected to be complete within a certain time — but retain the original dispatch until job is done, thenreturn it to sender marked "DONE". Do not return the original with "It's beingattended to". Originals only return with "DONE" or "Can't be done". Otherwise the communication stays incomplete.
When replying to a dispatch, put down the date of the message. Dispatches are handwritten. Executives, other than Exec Secs, should not have their dispatches typed by a secretary except where the dispatch contains large volume.
The colour flashes for paper for divisions are as follows:
White paper is also used for letters to the field, business houses, Board minutes,and for manuscripts and research notes.
Copies of letters written are on the colour flash of the division writing the letter.
If you have a request, put it in writing. Do not go to the person and expect him toc arry your request around in his head. Personnel are not supposed to present theirbody, nor their body with a dispatch to other personnel except for actual conferences which are kept to a minimum. Few things need conferences. Dispatches take care of 99% of organizational business.
The Comm Centre contains a basket for each staff member. Each basket is tagged with the person's name and underneath the name is their post or posts. Each person is responsible for delivering his own dispatches to the proper baskets and for picking updaily his own dispatches. Do not fail to pick up your dispatches at least twice a day (once in the morning and once in the afternoon — make your own schedule). But do not let dispatches pile up in your basket.
In larger orgs a Comm Centre and separate Divisional Comm Centres may be instituted. The Comm Centre would consist of one basket for each division plus abasket for L. Ron Hubbard and an outer org OUT basket. Each divisional commcentre is placed in the divisional working area with a basket for each staff member in that division plus a divisional in-basket and a divisional out-basket. An HCO dispatch courier would be responsible for delivering dispatches into the divisional in-baskets and from the divisional out-baskets into the comm centre baskets. The sec sec is responsible for the distribution of dispatches from the divisional in-basket to staff members' baskets.
Keep abreast of all post changes. As the Org Board is changed, the Comm Centre baskets are changed. Always know who is occupying what post so that when you deliver a dispatch you will always know whose basket it goes in. If you are not sure, check the Org Board.
Handle your dispatches daily. Do not let them stack up on you. When someone sends you a dispatch let them hear from you. Do not get the reputation of 'I hesitate to send so and so a dispatch because I don't know when I'll hear from it, or if I'll everhear from it.' DO NOT LET YOUR DISPATCHES DEAD-END. When you let your dispatches (or letters) stack up on your desk, you are in actuality chopping the commlines of the organization and in so doing chopping your own pay cheque.
Secretaries who type letters should always take care to staple the carbon copy ontop of the incoming letter — do not use a paper clip. In answering letters, answer their questions. Give them the information they are seeking. Use the gradient scale method. DO NOT FAIL TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS. If you don't know the answers, find out.
The purpose of the secretarial unit is to type answers to letters. Most all intra-organizational dispatches can be handwritten: this saves time in putting them on tape (when you could be writing them yourself) and saves the transcriber's time for replying to letters. Stay in communication with other staff members and with our correspondents. If you don't handle your dispatches properly don't reply to thesender, as I said before, you are cutting your own pay cheque.
[Note: The two earlier issues of 8 Apr '58 and 13 Dec '62 were the same basic issue as the abovePolicy Letter, with a few changes reflecting the evolution of the Comm System and the Org Board.
13 Dec '62 was a straight reissue of 8 Apr '58 — as part of the Reissue Series (7) — with minor changessuch as the inclusion of a salutation in the dispatch example, and in the first paragraph under CommCentre Baskets, addition of a phrase, "(except in some larger Orgs, where there is a Communicator forthis purpose)" after the sentence saying each person is responsible for picking up and delivering hisown dispatches.
4 Jan '66, Issue III (above) gave two dispatch examples instead of one as given in both earlier issues,showing the different routing for information or advice and for a request or an order; added thesecond half of the last paragraph on page 101 re including the attestation "it is okay" on a dispatch; updated the Colour Flash System in line with the 7 Division Org Board, which in the earlier twoissues had been based on type of dispatch, report, letter, carbon copy, etc. as opposed to Divisionalcolour flash; and deleted a second half of the paragraph entitled Written Requests, which read, "Wehave a Comm Centre where dispatches are to be placed. Place your dispatches in the person's basket,not in his hands. IT IS ANXIETY ABOUT COMMUNICATION ONLY THAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO JUMP THE LINES. There may be, however, a few exceptions: emergencies, or if you have a largearticle that would not fit into a Comm Centre basket. The point is, do not mn around all day handingpeople dispatches, nor put them down on someone's desk. This tends to intermpt their work andcauses confusion on the lines." It also added the second paragraph under Comm Centre Basketsre Divisional Comm Centres; and under the paragraph Answering Letters, after the sentence, "Givethem the information they are seeking," deleted " — but do not try to sell them a course and anintensive if all they want is some information concerning an ad we are running."]