BUSINESS BUILDING.
NEED FOR EFFICIENCY. AN INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS. -j-. Food for much reflection was contained in a lecture delivered last night at New Plymouth by Mr. Jamea Wylie, of the Sheldon Institute. The Workers’ Social Hall was well/ filled with an audience, who followed the address with keen attention. Mr. T. C. List (president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce) was in the chair, and briefly introduced Mr. Wylie. “It would be interesteing to know why you have all come here to-night,” said the speaker in opening. Why do we do anything? Why did we wish to become business (builders? Why did we do anything? He ventured to say the •reason was because we were all actuated by a desire for happiness. Every man and every woman wanted to be happy, and to be a success in life they had to fee happy. The average man said success was the accumulation of wealth, but some men who could write out cheques for thousands of pounds were not successes, because they had lost the respect and credit of their fellow-men.
Unhappy people were to be found everywhere—in the street, in factories and stores. They had the wrinkled brow and the look of despair, whilst very few had the look of mental brightness. The need for self-dependence was stressed by the speaker, who said it was the duty of all to earn money*, otherwise they might in time ibecome mere hangers-on or worse. To-day, as never' before, there was great industrial unrefet, largely because both employers and employees failed to use their minds and bodies for the benefit of themselves and those who belonged to them.
This was a day of science. The past three years had foeen years of great achievement, and the last 20 years, from the viewpoint of scientific progress, were the greatest in the history of the world. Science was knowledge, organised and classified. It showed how to achieve the greatest results with the least expenditure of money, time and energy by the combination of brain, muscle and capital. Business could be scientifically divided into executive, producing, finance and salesmanship, the speaker stressing the great - importance of the last. All these sections , were interdependent and everyone from the manager to the office boy or the telephone girl were employees, selling their services to the world, for every business should be a composite salesman. In the final analysis business was service and he profited most who served the best.
The one great cry in ( the commercial world to-day was “more efficiency.” Efficiency, said Mr. Wiley, was the ability to produce the maximum results with the minimum expenditure of time, money and energy. All the knowledge necessary was contained in the four injunctions to man to 1 know himself, to know his fellowmen, to master his business, and to apply his knowledge. Ignorance, learning, knowledge and wisdom were the four stages in this life; most people belonged to the first class. Dealing with inefficiency, the speaker directed attention to supervision, which was necessary on account of errors of omission and commission which added tremendously to business expenses. Each error could be traced to one or more of 60 negatives, and the only way to eliminate these was by developing the corresponding positive, observation instead of heedlessness, concentration instead of scatteration, imagination instead of dullness. That terrible negative “I forgot” had cost thousands of pounds, whilst dullness meant slow death. It was imagination that stimulated ideas and achievements, which led to success. Then there was doubt, which the speaker contended had killed more businesses than all the armies of the world had killed men. He instanced the case of two simultaneous applications, one for a position worth £l5OO a year, the other for one at £3 10s a week. For the latter there were 160 applications, for the former none. Why? firstly, because there were no meh available who had £l5OO worth of knowledge for sale, or else because those who may have had it doubted their own capacity. Apathy was to be combated. “Don’t belong to the ‘going to be class,’ a ‘was is-er,*” pleaded the lecturer. “Be a man who is determined to climb to the top of the ladder and when there calls for more ladder.” We should develop a little more self-reliability, whilst the necessity for paying due attention to* a sound body —clear, fit and virile —which was a very valuable business asset, was pointed out. We should cultivate decision and definiteness, fight inertia and laziness, which destroyed the dreams of youth. Ability, reliability and action slVowed our area, our sovereign power.
Profile analysis the ability to read character, was demonstrated by means of diagrams, Mr. Wylie laying emphasis upon the value of being able to judge character correctly. On resuming his seat Mr. Wylie, whose address had been punctuated by applause, was again greeted with further evidence of the audience’s appreciation of the valua of his lecture.
The chairman expressed gratefulness for the very fine lecture Mr. Wylie delivered, his only regret being that arrangements had not been made for the same address to be given to the rising generation. On the motion of Mr. List a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Wylie, who, in returning thanks, said he hoped in a few weeks’ time to give a series of weekly addresses in New Plymouth as he was about to do in Hawera.
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Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1922, Page 3
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900BUSINESS BUILDING. Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1922, Page 3
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