| "Let's form a committee!" When you hear
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| | local selectman state that both the
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| these words during a public meeting, a
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| | "Share the Road" signs (i.e., share with
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| warning light should start flashing, for
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| | bicycles) and promoted by the
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| more often than not Parkinson's law may
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| | ever-so-righteous Rotarians, and the
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| be coming into play. One of the many
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| | construction of two major rotaries
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| precepts from this law states that work
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| | (i.e.,roundabouts) on a local arterial
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| expands so as to fill the time available
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| | parkway are important issues. The
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| for its completion. It was first
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| | implication was that both were of equal
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| articulated by C. Northcote Parkinson, a
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| | importance. Surely he was not
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| British scholar, in the book "Parkinson's
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| | serious.....but he was! The sign issue
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| Law: The Pursuit of Progress," (London,
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| | should not even have been on the table.
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| John Murray, 1958). Based on extensive
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| | It was a classic example of where the
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| experience in the British Civil Service
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| | amount of time given to an issue is so
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| system, his scientific observations
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| | far out of proportion to its importance,
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| noted, among other things, that as the
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| | it makes one wobble. In this connection,
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| British empire declined, the number of
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| | Parkinson not surprisingly laid down a
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| employees at the colonial office
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| | dynamic that said groups spend time on
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| increased. Parkinson claimed this was
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| | subjects in inverse proportion to the
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| caused by two forces: One, officials want
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| | importance of the subject. The issue of
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| to multiply subordinates, not rivals; and
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| | rotaries on the aforementioned parkway is
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| two, officials make work for each
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| | indeed important but hopefully will not
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| other.Among many other things, his law is
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| | lead to a study committee which may in
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| also used to refer to a derivative of the
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| | turn lead to subcommittees. Instead, the
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| original law relating to computers;
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| | selectmen need to resolve this. Again,
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| namely, data expands to fill the space
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| | warning lights are beginning to flash,
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| available for storage (see Moore's
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| | though ever so dimly.For a new and even
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| Law).Verification of this law is most
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| | more negative meaning regarding the
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| readily found in government where
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| | wasteful practice of patronage, all one
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| bureaucrats usually want subordinates,
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| | need do is take time to review the gross
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| but not competitors, to help with
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| | duplication of effort between the
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| overwork. In the field of public
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| | Massachusetts Turnpike and that state's
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| administration in the United States, it
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| | Department of Transportation. Patronage
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| has been widely observed that work tends
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| | is a phenomena which Parkinson perhaps
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| to increase in importance and complexity
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| | did not fully take into account but most
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| in direct proportion with the time to be
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| | assuredly would make his eyes roll.
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| spent. Politicians and, frequently,
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| | Indeed. the public sector in
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| taxpayers (the latter with at least an
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| | Massachusetts is an exemplar of
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| occasional sense of doubt) have assumed
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| | Parkinson's law gone stark-raving mad.
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| that an increased number of civil
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| | Maybe that's why Massachusetts is called
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| servants must be the result of an
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| | a Commonwealth.So what say we form a
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| increased amount of work to be
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| | committee to review rotaries or some
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| performed.Here is an example, widely used
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| | other subject. Let's schedule meetings,
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| by other writers, of how it works. Let's
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| | lots of them. Let's analyze the results
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| assume an individual contributor (for
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| | of these meetings. Let's schedule more
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| example, one who is part of the overhead
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| | meetings to discuss the analyses. Now
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| structure) finds herself overworked. For
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| | let's assign priorities and hire some
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| this real or imagined overwork situation,
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| | people or "experts" to handle the tasks
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| there are at least three solutions.
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| | resulting from the priorities. The hires,
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| First, she can simply quit, but this is
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| | of course, will attach great significance
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| not a likely outcome given the loss of
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| | to their work and likely will attempt to
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| relatively generous public sector
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| | expand it as far as possible. Their
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| benefits. Secondly, she might request
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| | salaries will then go into a line item
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| that the work be divided with another
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| | budget under a cost center entitled,
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| employee, but this creates an unwanted
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| | "salaries." When this happens,
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| rival for promotion. Or thirdly, she
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| | Parkinson's law has set in and things are
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| might ask for the assistance of two
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| | no longer a joke."By expanding their
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| subordinates thus adding to her
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| | 'work' to fill the time available, and
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| importance. Assuming the third choice is
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| | grabbing at every opportunity for
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| the one taken, and it usually is, one can
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| | advantage and self-aggrandizement,
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| further assume that sooner or later one
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| | they've [Congressmen] made their world a
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| of these two subordinates will also
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| | better place. But is it their world, or
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| complain about overwork thus creating
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| | ours? Has the expansion of work been a
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| another round of employment. If you do
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| | benefit to you?"Paul Hein Archives,
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| the math, seven officials will eventually
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| | 2004Ted Sares, PhD, is a private investor
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| end up doing the work that one did
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| | who lives and writes in the White
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| before. To make matters even worse, the
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| | Mountain area of Northern New Hampshire
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| two subordinates may be nepotistic hires
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| | with his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog.
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| who in turn may hire other relatives or
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| | He writes a weekly column for a local
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| friends. This is precisely why there are
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| | newspaper and many of his other pieces
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| those who are such staunch proponents of
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| | are widely published.
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| doing more with less.I recently heard one
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| |
|
