Business Girls Personality

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 28, 27 October 1937, Page 11

Business Girls Personality

What Comtiiutes Elusive "It"

\\^HAT is feminine personality, or "it," in business? To what extent does it coxmt in determining success or failure? The President of the Sydney Feminist Club, Mrs. P. A. Cameron, acted recently as one of the judges in a Business Girl Personality Contest. She found it a very difficult task to define the elusive quality. In this article Mrs. Cameron discusses in picturesque style the impressions she gleaned when tracking down this much-prized atlxibute. "Ihe world is at the feet of any business girl combining brains with fceauty," is one of her conclusions. A business personality (says Mrs. Cameron) contest, however, is not a beauty contest. It requires something more l%an a pretty face. The three qualities wliieh I would geek in my ideal female business personality are: (a) Distinction of person, (b) Charm* of manner. (c) Intelligence with ability. ' . "Distinction of Person" may be classed as physica^ heauty of face and form. In the 19th cdntury a pretty girl stood out from all others, but in the 20th century, with all the aids to beauty available, every. girl can « he attractive in > appearance. ' Individuality in dress, make-up, and permanent waves overcome all disadvantages.. Though beauty is said to he only skin deep, its influence upon the world of business must not he "under-rated. The world is at the feet of any business girl combining brains with beauty. j "Charm of IjVlanner." Charm is that quality or characteristic which pleases and attracts those with whom one comes tn contact. The question here arises: Has a business personality to coimote what Arthur Rubinstein, yisiting inter-> national piariist, so aptly describes as "that silly and crude expression, sexappeal," or has this personality to reyeal . something 'deeper and wider, based on a foundation of good character? This type of charm must in my mind he disassociated from the other ihgredienis, for, as Alexander Pope ' has said,

"Beauty charms the senses, merit wins the soxid." * That the first suggestion has even to be considered shows how far we have removed from the old conception of the business woman whose capability had to be expressed by mannish imitation. "Intelligence with Ability." The price of an ahle, capable employee to an employer is above ruhies. She may lack beauty and charm, hut the business personality must he efficient. Here I am told by business women that the efficient woman is riot wanted in the business world. The too-efficient woman creates an inferiority complex in the'female staff she controls,' and is not generally liked by the male-seniors. I feel I am on safe groxmd when I class business personality as the possession of physical and mental distinction. This viewpoint again being endorsed by Arthur Rubinstein:— "Personality is like a great motor power within us. We all have it, but it is not very well . understood. It is not necessarily heauty, but it ,is charm, appeal, intelligence, everything that goes to make up the loveliness of women." Havihg now decided that personality is the possession of physical apd mental distinction, I have no hesitation in saying that the primary qualification of a business personajity must he capability. Hasn't genius been classed as an "infinite capacity for taking pains"? Whilst in business personality we do not need to look for genius, we must find ability. Ability may manifest itself in different ways, not only in doing one's duty, in the daily task, the common round, hut in one's hohbies, he they physical or mental recreation. Consequently, it is necessary to take into consideration how leisure time is spent; whether in the public library or on the playirig fields. Each in their proper proportion is indicative of a sound mind in a soimd body. •In my considered opinion, women in business have loftier ideals and a higher moral business tone than men. They may be biologically inferior, but, believe it or not, the age of -the-matriach is coming— the ,age when women will take their proper place in. industry. The time is rapidly approaching— if.it is not.already here— when women will be as well educated qs men. And now, lastly, other things heing equal, the ideal female business personality must have appeal to both sexes. It is frequently found that some women impress some men more favourably than other women. Yet those self-same women are not popular with their own sex. This appears to be a paradox, but each eye forms its own standard of worth, and quite a lot of men, with due apologies, are more apt to be influenced by such unsubstantial qualities as beauty or an ingratiating manner. On the other hand, women are more discriminating. They look for more tangible evidence of female character and ability. Woman is woman's severest critic, and any woman who is eighteen carat to her own sex will always eommand my respect. When one analyses the Hindu idea of how woman was created, one will readily understand that there will always be many types of female personality, business or otherwise. According to the legend, Twashtri (Vulcan of Hindu mythology) created the world. Upon commencing to create woman he discoyergd that for man he had

exhausted all his creative m&terialB}Aa| not one solid element had been left. ThljL of course, greatly perplexed Twashtri, ama caused him to fall into a profound meditation. When he awoke he proceeded to create woman from the following elements:— "The rotmdness of the moon. \ "The undulating cugve of the seipent, "The graceful twist of the creeping plant. "The slenderness of the willcna, "The velvet of the flowers. "The lightness of ihe feathefk "The gentle gaze of the doe. "The frolicsomeness of ihe danetsg sunbeam. "The inconsistency .of the wind. "The tears of the cloud. "The timidity of the hare. "The vanity of the peacock. "The chill of the snow. "The hardness of the diamond. , "The cruelty-of the tiger. "Ihe cackling of the parrot. "The cooing of the .turtle dove* A Paris, nay, a Daniel, come to Judgment, might well hesitate, therefore, in the selection of the ideal female business personality:— "The perfect woman nohly planned* To warn, to cornfort, and eommand, And yet a spirit still and bright, With something of an angel light.* Dainty Jewellery. Flowers made of porcelaln make ap-» propriate summer jewellery. They are dainty and not so fragile as.they apjiear and can be had in the natural colours of the flowers or in pastel shades. White porcelain "jewels," which include clips for the ears as well as necklets and bracelets, are delightfully cool looking with black linen or navy hlue. Bitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillltiiiiiiiiliiiitifitiiiiiiiiinr