The  major  advantage  of  departmentalization  is specialization. By concentrating on a single phase of work,  personnel  achieve  specialized  knowledge  and skills  that  enable  them  to  do  the  work  more professionally  and  complete  it  more  quickly.  They  are also  able  to  establish  closer  working  relations  with media  representatives. Specialization  also  has  its  disadvantages.  One disadvantage  is  that  JOs  sometimes  develop  a  narrow point of view or “tunnel vision.” Also, public affairs specialists who concentrate their efforts in just one area of  public  affairs  may  one  day  find  themselves  in  a position where the y are expected to perform in another area and cannot. Therefore, you should make certain that all JOs have the opportunity to cross-train in the major functions of their career field. Cross-training will be discussed later in this chapter. In a small office with only two or three JOs, it is usually  impossible  to  departmentalize.  A  small  public affairs staff should be trained to function as a team with each member able to replace another in his specialty when leave, illness or major events require it. Manning standards for public affairs offices are based  on  a  number  of  factors.  Installation  population, surrounding  community  population,  news  potential  of the mission of the command, media directly served and the  proportionate  allocation  of  total  manpower  spaces are  usually  considered  in  determining  the  manning.  A one-PAO  and  one-JO  office  might  serve  an  isolated installation.  At  a  major  installation  located  near  a metropolis, the public affairs office staff may include several officers and enlisted specialists (PHs/JOs), plus a few civilians, particularly if the installation is a hub of DoD activity. COORDINATING Coordination,    one   of   the   chief   goals   of   all administrators,  deals  with  unifying  and  synchronizing everybody’s  actions  toward  achieving  a  common objective. Although listed here separately, coordination is not a distinct and separate function. Coordination is actually a part of all five administrative processes. The best time to bring about coordination is at the planning  level.  It  is  only  common  sense  that  in determining what is to be done, you should also consider how  it  will  be  done  and  who  will  do  it  (to  attain maximum efficiency with a minimum of effort from all concerned). Coordination, or teamwork, is seen in all aspects of public affairs activity. In arranging a SECNAV Guest Cruise, for example, coordination is necessary among CHINFO, the fleet commander in chief, the type commander, the unit to which the guest is to be assigned and the guest himself. A command public visit on the invitation of the CO is another example. To make it a success, coordination is required among the CO, XO, PAO, other departments in the command, possibly other commands, news media and the civilian community. Even a simple thing like sending a picture story to a newspaper involves close coordination. If the base photo lab cannot turn out the pictures on time and the PAO is not able to get the necessary transportation for a pressrun, you are fighting a losing battle. An important part of good coordination is proper timing. Everyone involved in a public affairs project must not only do his share, but do it on time. If one man or one department drops the ball, the entire project may come  to  a  standstill. Planning a public affairs project, in many cases, is like setting up the machinery for an assembly line in a manufacturing plant. The speed of the assembly line must be geared to the capabilities of the machinery and workers and to the availability y of parts. You do not want one group of workers standing around idle while another group  down  the  line  finishes  one  job  after  another without  a  break;  and,  of  course,  if  you  run  out  of parts–that  is,  supplies  and  equipment–the  entire assembly  line  will  close  down. In a public affairs office, a good administrator sees to it that the right person is suited to the right job, that the opportunity to hone skills in a myriad of professional areas exists, that machinery to do the work is kept in good operating condition and that sufficient supplies and equipment are on hand to keep the work moving smoothly  and  efficiently. SUPERVISING As a petty officer, supervising should not be new to you.  Good  supervision  is  nothing  more  than  good leadership.  It  means  that  you  will  guide  your  staff intelligently  and  check  the  progress  of  their  work regularly to see that it conforms as nearly as possible to your  plans.  Directions  should  be  given  simply,  clearly and completely. They should also be given in such a way that the staff knows what is to be done and when to do it. Depending on the job or situation, you may also have to tell them how to do it, why it must be done in a professional manner and when the required action must be  completed. 1-7