Proper planning saves time and money, makes the work easier and more pleasant for your crews, and expedites  the  work.  It  can  eliminate  friction,  jealousy, and confusion. Good planning can free you from many of the details of the work, thus giving you time to carry out   other   important   duties.   Also   it   eliminates “bottlenecking”  (remember  that  the  neck  of  the  bottle is always at its top). As the petty officer in charge of a crew, you are responsible for crewmember time management as well as  your  own.  You  must  plan  constructive  work  for your crew. Always remember to PLAN  AHEAD!  A sure sign of poor planning is crewmembers standing idle each morning while you plan the day’s events. At the close of each day, you should confirm plans for the next workday. In doing so, you may need answers on the availability and use of manpower, equipment, and supplies. Keep the following questions in mind: 1. Manpower. Who is to do what? How is it to be done? When is it to be finished? Since idleness may breed discontent, have you arranged for another job to start  as  soon  as  the  first  one  is  finished?  Is  every crewmember  fully  utilized? 2.  Equipment.  Are  all  necessary  tools  and equipment on hand to do the job? Is safety equipment on hand? 3. Supplies. Are all necessary supplies on hand to start the job? If not, who should take action? What supply delivery schedules must you work around? Have  a  definite  work  schedule  and  inspection plan. Set up daily goals or quotas. Plan to personally check  at  intervals  the  work  being  done  and  the progress  toward  meeting  the  goals.  Spot  check  for accuracy,  workmanship,  and  the  need  for  training. Seabees must be trained to do a wide variety of jobs. The rotation method, OJT, and classroom work require you to plan training time. Allow time too for handling  personnel  problems  and  military  duties. Your  planning  must  include  time  for  records,  reports, and  other  paper  work  necessary  for  the  control  of personnel and materials under your charge. ORGANIZING As a Seabee Petty Officer First Class, you must be able to organize. This means that you must analyze the requirements of a job and structure the sequence of events that will bring about desired results. You must develop the ability to look at a job and estimate   how   many   man-hours   are   required   for completion. You will probably be given a completion deadline along with the job requirements. Next (or perhaps   even   before   making   your   estimate   of man-hours), plan the job sequences. Make sure that you  know  the  answers  to  the  following  questions. What is the size of the job? Are the materials on hand? What tools are available, and what is their condition? Before  assigning  work,  carefully  consider  the qualifications   of   your   personnel.   Are   they experienced,  or  do  they  need  training?  Is  anyone scheduled  for  leave?  Will  you  need  to  request  outside support? After getting answers to these questions, you should be able to assign your crews and set up tentative schedules. If work shifts are necessary, arrange for the smooth transition from one shift to another with a minimum of work interruption. How well you do so is directly  related  to  your  ability  to  organize. COORDINATING A supervisor must be able to coordinate. When several jobs are in progress, you need to coordinate completion times so one can follow another without delay.   Possessing   coordinating   skill   is   also   very helpful   when   working   closely   with   your   sister companies.  Coordination  is  not  limited  to  projects only. You would not want to approve a leave chit for a crewmember and then remember a school during the same time period. Nor would you want to schedule a crewmember for the rifle range only to find the range coaches unavailable at that time. PRODUCTION The primary responsibility of every supervisor is PRODUCTION. You and your crew can produce best by doing the following: (1) planning, organizing, and coordinating  the  work  to  get  maximum  production with  minimum  effort  and  confusion;  (2)  delegating  as much authority as possible, but remaining responsible for the final product; (3) continuously supervising and controlling  to  make  sure  the  work  is  done  properly. SAFETY Safety and production go hand in hand, since the only  efficient  way  to  do  anything  is  the  safe  way. When your personnel are absent because of injury, your shop equipment is down because of damage, or completed work is destroyed by accident, production 1-12