The following list is a summary of items which Develop (Increase) Traffic. It is based on years of experience with the subject of Dev-T.
A report that is false can cause greatly increased useless action including at times Bs of I, despatches verifying it, etc.
Failure to comply with an order can set an emergency flap going which crowds the lines with despatches. One consequence of non-compliance when repeated over a long period is to move a large number of Targets into PT in a sort of frantic jam. Catastrophes can occur because of non-compliance.
Something was introduced or changed in the orders which made them non-optimum. This sometimes wastes and repeats all earlier traffic.
The scramble to find out if something has been done increases traffic. This includes lack of data forwarded as it should have been. It causes as well anxiety and uncertainty.
All orders out answers in are on the Comm Formula. Failing to answer the question asked can triple traffic.
Those in charge fail to brief their juniors. These then have no idea of what's going on and develop other traffic in conflict. Reversely, juniors fail to inform seniors of data they have.
Failure to forward an assembled package of information on any given situation, plan or emergency or failure to forward complete information on any despatch, sufficiently complete to require only an approved or not approved, slows down approval and action and develops traffic. It often requires returning for completed staff work, or the senior concerned must take over the person's hat and assemble the missing data using his own time and lines. And thus traffic develops.
Lines get closed by arbitraries so that vital info does not get through or vital action is not ordered.
Juniors issue so many orders unknown to a senior and across his lines that a senior's orders are obscured or lost. Things get very confused, very active but non-productive.
Basic Programmes or standing orders or policy go out by not being enforced. PT orders only are being forwarded or handled. This eventually balls up in a big wad and an organization vanishes. Primary Targets go out.
Targets are not set, major targets are unknown. Actions are then unproductive.
Targets are set and worked on which are not derived from any useful major target.
The senior's target system is neglected due to conflicting targets being set on lower levels.
A target develops bugs in its forwarding which are not seen or reported. The target stalls. A furious traffic burst may eventually occur to redo it and catch it up.
A staff member can "ride his favourite hobby horse", ordering and complying only in his favourite area, neglecting areas of greater importance. His orders often cross-order and distract from important targets and create Dev-T, vital actions being neglected.
Staledating delays action, often important, and creates anxiety and emergencies. New (developed) traffic results in an attempt to get an answer or compliance.
Areas or persons fail to follow the conditions formulas assigned or actually indicated and pursue the wrong or no formula.
Incorrect conditions are assigned or assumed with consequent ball up of lines.
This is referring everything to someone else. It greatly increases traffic without producing.
Something is not forwarded in channels but skips vital points and if acted on confuses the area of the points skipped.
A Division, Dept or staff member or materiel used for things it was not organized to do. It disrupts its normal lines.
If traffic or bodies begin to be backlogged one can stall completely just handling the queries about the backlog without getting anything really done.
A terminal originates something not its hat.
Despatches or orders are passed in a manner to deny info on record.
The Comm System or procedures are not organized so as to be easily used. They are either not organized at all or are made too complex to be useful.
An out-of-date Org Board can cause Dev-T. A staff that doesn't have a well done Org Board cannot help but make Dev-T. A staff that doesn't know the Org Board will make Dev-T.
Staff not grooved in on the lines mainly deal in Dev-T and although they even look busy seldom accomplish much.
Keeping a personnel on a post who is a flagrant Dev-T source.
Problems presented by juniors when solved by a senior cause Dev-T because the source of the problem usually won't use the presented solution either.
Projects stall "because of FP" or "because it would be nice to have a _____".
The biggest single goof anyone can make is failing to recognize something as Dev-T and going on to handle it anyway. One's basket soon overflows. The reason for "overwork" and "heavy traffic" is usually traceable to permitting Dev-T to exist without understanding it or attempting to put the Dev-T right.
Executives may not OK anything done or to be done below their level unless their immediate junior has also stated or attested with an initial that it is OK.
Unless one can fix responsibility for actions there is no responsibility anywhere and the whole show goes to pot.
Never let a junior say "Is this OK?" Always make him state or initial "This is OK" on all work, actions or projects.
"Is this OK?" is Dev-T and should be chitted as such.
An executive is seldom hit unless he has had non-compliance on his lines. He is almost never hit if he polices Dev-T. When an executive is hit by a catastrophe, he should handle it and AT ONCE CHECK UP ON DEV-T AND HANDLE IT. I keep a daily log of Dev-T and who and what every time I find my lines heavy or there is a threatened catastrophe. Then I handle the majority offenders.
An executive must really know what Dev-T is and really say what the exact Dev-T was in order to reject or handle Dev-T.
A catastrophe occurs by lack of prediction of a possible circumstance. Those things planned for do not become catastrophes. Catastrophes USUALLY FOLLOW A PERIOD OF EXCESSIVE DEV-T.
The above make a great many motions necessary where only the one correct one was needed.
Thus a crew or Org can look very busy when it is only handling Dev-T. It will get nowhere. Real Targets are not done. Tempers go bad. Staff and crew are overworked.
Also when I get Dev-T on my lines I know that it is despite various screenings. If I get it, then it must be 100 times that for the fellow who has no such admin defenses.
I routinely run a Dev-T check on my lines and advise all officers and executives to do the same.
The way to handle this is REVIEW and CLASSIFY all targets into their types as per three recent Policy Letters.
Find and note all instances of Dev-T as above with the person who did them.
Turn in KNOWLEDGE REPORTS or ethics chits concerning them.
Concentrate on COMPLETING proper targets set as per the recent Policy Letters.
ONLY REPORT COMPLETIONS.
Work to get COMPLETIONS. Then we'll get the job done.