BUSINESS SUCCESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1939, Page 5

BUSINESS SUCCESS

ADVICE TO YOUNG

MEN

SIR ALEXANDER ROBERTAS VIEWS

Hard work, common sense, thoroughness, and honesty were declared to be the main essentials for success in commercial life by Sir Alexander Roberis in an address at a men's evening arranged by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand League for the Hard of Hearing, last night. The evening was held as part of a programme at present being carried out by the league to interest hard of hearing people in ■ its work and to bring to their notice modern hearing, aids, the study of lip reading, and so on. It is the first men's evening held by any branch of the league in New Zealand. Dr. W. Macdonald, president of the Wellington branch, presided. Sir Alexander asked his audience to imagine that he was addressing a group of young men who had just entered or were about to enter commercial life. He desired first of all to make it clear that by success he did not mean the attainment of a high position in the community. Success meant bringing to a successful termination what one set out to do. It must not be associated with those people of exceptional ability. The kind of success he wished to deal with might be described as success in doing what one was best fitted to do, and it could therefore be attained by men and women in every walk of life. "There is no short cut for the young man starting in a commercial career or in any other career," said the speaker. "He must make up his mind that he has the will to work and to work for a long time. The history of the successful business man will reveal years of hard work and application. When Edison, the great inventor, was asked to define genius, he said it was 2 per cent, genius and 98 per cent, hard work." "YOUNG MEN CAN'T ADD." Sir Alexander referred to the need for good handwriting, which, he said, should be given more attention, in the schools today than it was receiving. A better grounding in simple arithmetic, too, was desirable. Young men entered offices today after an excellent school training and were quite unable to add up a column of figures with reasonable accuracy and expedition. It would be gathered from his remarks that the simple things were important in business. Perhaps- we were inclined these days to make too much obeisance to the |fod called matriculation. It vas the simple things that were required for success. Another essential in' the power of most was to have and develop common sense An ounce of common sense was worth a ton of theory. It had been said that common' sense was often genius in its working clothes. Thoroughness was apother essential. It was necessary to be thorough and especially not to forget the small things. Referring finally to honesty as the fourth essential for commercial success. Sir Alexander said that the principle on which the whole structure of commerce was built was honesty, and without that characteristic no man could succeed. It had been estimated that only ■ 5 per cent, of the world's business was conducted on a cash basis, the other 95 per cent being on credit. Credit was confidence in the integrity of man. During the evening pianoforte .solos were rendered by Miss Dorothy Downing, and Mr. Stuart Adair contributed