SUCCESS IN BUSINESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14835, 11 November 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUCCESS IN BUSINESS.

■ BY CHRISTOPHER E. TOWN;

(Assdstant-Sccretary of "the London Chamber of • Commerce).

The essential for success in business may bo treated under two headings—personal and -.' educational. The personal qualifications which all business men should posses are very largely enhanced by their educational training inherent good personal qualities are valuable, but they usually lose much of their worth if not backed by educational efficiency. When one thinks of such names and reads the lives of such leaders in commerce as Sir. W. D. Pearson, Mr. J. S. Fry, Sir John Aird, Sir S. W. Wills, Mr. Andrew Pears, Mr. George Cadbury, and a whole list of other successful men, it will be seen that hard work, strenuousness, good temper, discipline and the practice of such virtues as patience, forbearance and fair dealing arc the principles which led to their success. The late Sir Sydney. Waterlow, founder of the great printing, house which bears his —was fond of recalling that as an apprentice he used to sleep beneath his composing frame ready for " work" at any hour of the night. The lit. Hon. W. H. Smith—who became First Lord of the Admiralty and Leader of the House of Commonsstarted life as a printer's devil, and was compelled by his father to graduate through every division of the printing and publishing business before stepping into a position of ease. Edison as a boy sold newspapers on the kerb; later installed a printing press on a trans-continental train, set up, machined and distributed a newspaper of which'he was the ' whole staff; later still by hard study to find himself in his proper inventive and scientific environment, thinking nothing, even to this day, of spending a whole week on end in his laboratory when hypnotised by a promising problem.

The day when personal influence alone was the only requisite for securing an appointment is very largely —and, unlees a seeker after employment is able to present some proofs and come successfully through tests of his practical ability, there is to-day little chance of securing any but the lowest positions. ; Personal essentials are: — Character thoroughness, method, accuracy, tact, punctuality and regularity, initiative, sobriety and hard work, of all of which I will treat seriatim :—

Good- character 'is- the ~ most important qualification ' for a business calling, and it is one which tends to elevate and dignify every phase of life with which it is associated. A man Of average abilities, and even of moderate education, may possess this qualification and by it succeed in business. The .world to-day as in the past, is ruled by men of good character, by which phrase must be understood men who are consistent, honourable, upright, and of unquestionable integrity. As the poet phrases it: "An honest man's the noblest work of God."

Thoroughness is shown by perspicuous attention given to detail by a determination to slur over nothing which may be temporarily harassing, however trivial;, and by a steady, continuous exhibition of zeal, in place of spasmodic activity and efforts by fits and starts, in. the performance of all duties. The "thorough" man is always certain of his ground; the "slapdash" worker lives in a state of high fever, not knowing from one moment to another when he may . receive a knock-out blow through neglecting the*; simple means of t defence with which a cultivation of 'thoroughness would have equipped him. Thoroughness is a, pearl of great price; slovenliness the quintessence of all that is bad. To be thorough ,is to be certain; to jump at . conclusions is to-land one on a mom-. tain of doubts. Thoroughness spells "Victory" all the time, as certainly as haphazardness and carelessness spell " Defeat and Disgrace." The ." thorough" man conquers; the "non-thorough" man is always cudgelling his brains for.loopholes of escape from terrors of his own creation Need I ask you which is the better man?— or which is* the man that will, make his fortune, and which the one who will be eventually bankrupt and pauperised? " Method, like character, may , be good or bad. Good method is a' most valuable commercial assistant. Without it, or by the application of bad method, success in business is almost impossible. , With a man of. good method, the neatness of his work, the proper location of stock or papers with which he has to deal, the arrangements made for the duties to which no has to attend, the record he keeps of matters lie has to follow up or bear in mind for future date; in fact, the method : he' applies to all he' undertakes becomes apparent to the most unobservant man who comes in business contact with him. Under method there is a time and place for r everything; it- ensures that everything is done' at the right time and places everything in its correct place; it is ever ready for emergencies; it is a great ! economiser of time, space and expense, and ensures against errors and thereby obviates worry. It is,' therefore, advisable to give the greatest possible attention to cultivating habits of method in all matters. Substitute for method the word order in its full meaning. ■ , - , . Accuracy in observation, in statements, and in transactions • are. absolutely necessary to all men of business..- A wrong quotation in a contract, an error in rendering an account or in making an entry in the firm's books may result in considerable loss of time, if'not money. Accuracy means • precision. It • is ,the - armament by which the bull's-eye of business can be hit with monotonous yet gratifying regularity. It is guaranteed to pass all commercial tests. It cannot be injured by the subtleties of legal quibbling.. It is impregnable; and, : since it • is- attainable by the exercise of .moderate, care, should be the invariable testimony to the efficient organisation of every business house. The need for accuracy "is not limited to matters of account. : Accuracy is the, (ruth. It should be present m the terms of all contractsoral' or written. It is the main line to the terminus of all successful activities; just, as much as tergiversation, word-twisting and tellers of half-truths pave the way to the ditch of destruction. . Tact is a qualification often little understood and sometimes.most grossly misinterpreted. as the habit of lying, and deception and misrepresentation. The_ word tact which has, many synonyms, I shall define as the ability to do the right, or most expedient thing at the correct moment: or, if you prefer it, a keen perception in seeing or doing exactly what is best in anv circumstances over which no time is available for pondering. Tact in, the man of business is the exact counterpart of that oualitv in naval and military commandants which enables the formation of quick iudgments. Talent is power tact"is skill: talent- is weighttact is momentum; talent knows -what to do— knows how to do it; talent makes a man respectable—tact makes him respected talent is wealth—tact is. ready, money. For all the practical purposes of life tact carries it against talent, ten to one. Every man in business should possess the quality of tact, as without it he will not succeed as he should. , . . •Punctuality and regularity, in business are absolutely necessary. Fortunately they are within the range of all.who. care to take the trouble to practice them. The employee who at all times can bo depended upon to attend regularly and punctually at business, whether supervised or not; the trader who can be depended upon promptly to execute orders and deliver his goods ; the debtor who can be depended upon for prompt payment of his account;. and the man who promptly keeps his appointments of all kinds, are not only acquisitions to any enterprise, but are in a position to obtain better terms and - conditions than those who are unpunctual ana irregular in their habits and dealings. These qualities must therefore materially add to the success of any business in which they predominate, or are the invariable rule. Initiative is the quality which initiates, or gives birth or beginning to thought or actions, and is of all business qualifications the Tareet. It is to initiative that our .great industries and commercial enter-..

prises are due, and without which they would decay. Capitalists of all grades and classes are ever on the look-out for the man with initiative, in order that they may add to their wealth by giving scope to new ideas. "The man of initiative is never at a loss for a living. An employee who has tho opportunity, and who can show his employer how to improve his business by new or improved methods, how to secure new markets and extend his customers, how to economise in time and material or expenditure, or how to increase the profits or revenue of a concern, . is the man who will ultimately merit a position of trust or make a start for himself as a master man. Men lacking in initiative must always be servants; they must remain of the rank and file content automatically to carry out orders. Sobriety' is no doubt necessary in business, but it is a regrettable fact that it is one of those qualities which all do not practice. Sobriety stamps tile . man as plainly as intemperance ..leaves its mark on those more unfortunate not not,of sober habits. The man of temperate habits as a rule has greater staying powers, is more reliable and self-respecting, and is more often ready and is better able to face with calm judgment the many difficulties which arise in business. ' But intemperance. is not limited to the consumption of ; alcoholic liquors. Not much in front of tlie inveterate tippler is the food glutton. His manners are almost always as coarse, and sometimes coarser, than those of the victim of alcoholism. Both are vices, at all events, to be studiously avoided. by those who aro bent on making their mark in the exacting commercial sphere. Hard work is by no means the least quality which is essential' to a successful career. This quality is fortunately within the reach of all who may bo blessed with health and strength. Personally, I think I ought to have placed hard work,immediately after good character as a prime requirement for business. If I had to choose between cleverness and aptitude for hard work, I think my choice would fall on the latter. A youth who is hardworking will take advantage of every opportunity in business, will always be fitting himself for a higher position, will not be content with just filling the position he has, but will be > constantly r adding to his knowledge and qualifying himself to fill one of the many openings which may at any moment become vacant. He will not scruple to " keep his nose to the grindstone," if he recognises that his seniors appreciate that he is doing credit to his position, ■while preparing for; something better; he will not be content to be a mere clerk, a shorthand-typist or a book-keeper, etc., but will strive till he is capable of stepping into any position that may present itself. • _ < 1 •

The educational >; qualifications requisite for success in business, although treated last, arc no less important, but. form the neeesary supplement to" * those personal qualifications upon which I have been laying stress. In order to understand the special educational qualifications j and the standard of efficiency required, one must consider the various positions which occur in business houses, and bear in mind that the standard of efficiency; varies : materially according to such positions, as - well as in the various classes of business concerned. The chief positions in most- business houses are those of :—(a) Juniors, which include office boys as well as junior clerks. (b) Seniors, including senior clerks both general and correspondence, book-keeper, representatives, secretaries, heads of departments, and managers; and (c) masters or principals. The qualifications for junior positions, in addition to a good general' education, should bo good rapid handwriting and spelling, both of which should be, but I regret to say are not, taught * efficiently under general education ; English composition, short methods in arithmetic for quickness in adding and ; calculating, commercial geography, book-keeping, shorthand,' typewriting and French or German. • For senior position^,'l would ad vise, the same qualifications as for juniors, but car; ied to a more advanced /stage, with the addition of a second foreign language, mathematics, commercial and industrial law, banking, accountancy, insurance,, exchange , political economy, * and commercial history. The degree to which those subjects 'should be taken must depend on the importance of the respective senior, positions I have mentioned. , , The master or principal ;of ; a business should possess a knowledge equal to, if not greater than, that of any member of his staff, and be fully acquainted . with money and exchange, . finance, commercial products generally, and ■ the various , markets of the .world; -he should be quick in forming judgment; he; should be able unerringly , to place his finger on • any flaw in his organisation apd have a keen scent for any leakages ■ or individual ; losses of■■ custom; he should have the bump of initiative highly developed jto enable him always to fill any lest position by new captures; the ideal leader in fact must be gifted with , a special sense to discover psychological moments,} be a stern logician, even-tempered and . unexicitable i and be able if occasion call for it to meet creditshaking disasters with . the inscrutable countenance of a Sphinx. - . As to the. standard of efficiency in business for the various positions referred to, one can only speak in general terms. This should be such that in whatever position you may be placed, whether as a junior, senior, or as a principal; you { should be able to cope successfully with your competitors. The standard' laid down by the London Chamber of Commerce in its examinations is that demanded by business men in the city of-London, and is higher than that of any •' other. examining ; body, v As an example or two/ I would —That before a student can hold the ' London Chamber of Commerce • Senior Certificate of Proficiency for book-keeping and accountancy. that student must prove to the examiner by his examination paper that he possesses such a knowledge of the sub: iect that ho could .be recommended, with confidence, to take the entire charge of. a set of books in any commercial house. In modern foreign languages, the certificate is only issued to those candidates who could, sav in French, for example, occupy the position of a Frenchman in a French house, exactly in the same manner as we find foreigners occupying the positions of Englishmen in English houses. ' Business affords many excellent, openings. Unlike " the professions, the wide . field of commerce has 110 limitation to the man of pluck, initiative and enterprise, and who lis - efficiently prepared. It is a. mighty, school in itielf for broadening one s views, destroying false sentiment, and creating habits of- practical common-sense. There are some that hold that anyone will do tor business, and that those with brains are the particular prodigies of the professions. Such statements can only arise from . ignorance.; All who know anything of the., real facts will corroborate the statement that the best brains arc required for a successful « com-5 mercial career. ' Business is a complex science, and if . we "are .to . maintain . our supremacy in the world's markets it, can only be done by adequate and efficient j training along scientific and well laid lines.