UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1961-11-18_Page-042

"There is a great deal to be done. If I could do it myself, it would, of course, be done better than by anyone else. But, since I can't do it all, for there are only twenty-four hours in a day, I must delegate. Even if the work is not done as well as I should do it, it will be done relatively well. In any event, it is more apt to be done than if I tried to do it." In a footnote at the bottom of the page this helpful admonition appeared: "Probably it will be done better." The good administrator refers decision-making powers as close as pos­sible to the seat of actual operation. He establishes rigid cut-off points on appeals, otherwise many of the problems sent out of his office for deci­sion will float right back. He respects organizational channels but he does not chain himself to them. After he hands out an assignment, he keeps in touch with staff members to indicate his continuing interest in their per­formance. He makes available his experience and broad viewpoint without impinging upon their discretion. When aides make mistakes-and they will­he stands behind his staff. So that the president can delegate as much as possible, he will choose strong administrative assistants with an appetite for responsibility. The consultative process demands that they be persons who can say "no" to him, as well as "yes," in order to protect him against ill-advised decisions. A basic canon of organization is to keep the structure as simple as possible. An elaborate structure is no more a proof of a university's greatness than is a champion football team. As colleges and universities grow in size and diversity, the structure of their organization becomes more critical. Dean Acheson has said that "where people are organized for thought, the simpler arrangements are kept, the better."* A pyramid of authority cannot be avoided, but the president should not confine his contacts to the topmost ring of administrators and faculty. If he reaches out beyond this group to other administration and faculty members, he can confirm-or correct-his understanding of their individual and collec- • New YorTc Timea Magazine, October 11, 1959, p. 89, as quoted by Dodds. [ 8