isham research
"We trained hard . . . but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization."
Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.
Except he never said it!
The following appears on page 162 of Robert Townsend's Up the Organization (New York: Knopf, 1970):
"I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization."
This is the quote's first appearance in printed form, though some believe it may be just a few years older. It's certainly not ancient. Townsend cites "Petronius Arbiter (circa A.D. 60)". A number of researchers - including Jim Reeds - have read all the surviving works of Petronius, and failed to find the quote. See Google and Google Groups.
As Jim points out, Petronius Arbiter did exist in Nero's time and was the author of a book - the Satyricon. As famous as the book is, Petronius Arbiter is now more famous for something he didn't say. Like "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Play it again, Sam" this non-existent quote now has a life of its own.