rn. But with foremen, superintendents, and
other minor executives selecting employees, for any reason and every
reason except the legitimate reason, it is small wonder that employees
grow discontented and leave, are demoralized and incompetent so that they
are discharged. For these reasons it is an unusual organization which does
not turn over its entire working force every year. The average of the
concerns we have investigated shows much more frequent turnover than this.

Under these circumstances, it should be easy to understand why our
efficiency engineers and scientific management experts find the average
organization only 25 per cent efficient. And this is not the only trouble
we make for ourselves as the result of unscientific selection in the rank
and file. In many cases we use no better judgment in the selection of even
our highest and most responsible executives. If it is true, as has been so
often stated, that a good general creates a good army and leads it to
victory, and a poor general demoralizes and leads to defeat the finest and
bravest army, then it is more disastrous for you to select one misfit
executive than a thousand misfits for your rank and file.

In our next chapter we shall attempt to show some of the troubles which
overtake a man who selects the wrong kind of executives.

CHAPTER II

THE SELECTION OF EXECUTIVES

The President and General Manager of a large manufacturing and sales
company, who, for the purpose of the present narrative, shall be called
Jessup, was making a trip from Chicago to New York on the Twentieth
Century Limited. In the smoking room of his car he met a gentleman whose
appearance and manner attracted him greatly. Acquaintanceship was a matter
of course, mutual admiration followed swift upon its heels, and friendship
soon began to crystallize in the association. As the train sped on through
the night, the Big Executive became more and more delighted with his
new-found acquaintance. The man agreed with him in many of his sentiments;
belonged to the same political party; was a member of the same fraternal
order; wore the same Greek letter society pin as his oldest son; and, what
was, perhaps, more important, entertained what seemed to him intelligent,
clean-cut, forceful, progressive ideas in regard to business.

As their talk proceeded, President Jessup found that the gentleman was a
Mr. Lynch, advertising manager of a firm manufacturing jewelry, located in
Provid