Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-03-04
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
THE OLD JOB IN A BETTER WAY.

All this recent talk about the IN
crease of efficiency in industrial and
mercantile life is but repetition in
striking p11raseology and with vivid
illustrations from current life OF what
makers Of epigrams, wfseaeres and
moralists of the Samuel Smiles type
have been saying In one way and an
other all through the centuries. But
the sudden leap of the general sub
ject to the forefront of attention ought
to mean something to US, especially to
those Of US engaged in routine labor
who are always in danger OF falling
into rl1ts and discouragements.
The discussion of the subject in the
magazines and on the public platform
may not be Immediately followed by
large and striking revolutions in the
way in which great businesses are car
ried on. Doubtless not all the san
g1line expectations and promises of
those who are looked upon as experts
on the subject will be fulfilled, but
much has already been done to demon.
strate the need of a more careful scru-
tiny in the methods and machinery
and especially of the human factor
coneerned with result. It pays every
worker, whether he relies for his daily
bread on his hands or his brain, now
with certain searching questions: Am
/ doing II as well as I did a year or
five years ago." fam I doing it any
betterw "A1n 7 doing it as well as a
new person in my place would do it?'
Gam I wasting strength and nervous
force in unnecessary details, or am
neglecting that attention to trifies
which in the long run is important 2"
"Am / learning from others in the
same line of work r. Am willing to
take suggestions" IF I should radf-
cally reconstructed some of my habits
and methods would the output at the
DAYS end be largerT"
Questions like these test the sin
certify and the capacity of the worker
and you may be sure il he does not
himself put them to himself, somebody
along the line higher UP" will prob
ably apply them to him. Said the
manager Of a great publishing house
the other day: IT think shall have to
discharge a certain man, not because
he is not efficient, but because he Is no
more efficient than he was five years
ago. In all that time he has not had a
new idea, 50 far as can see, and in
our business the new idea is what
counts"
So whatever we are doing, selling
groceries or delivering milk or writing
poems or managing agencies or So
Letting insurance or teaching school
or arguing cases or writing prescrtp-
of all fine arts-we can well afford to
listen to this modern gospel Of eff
cheney.
1t means that we should take time
enough now and then from actual work
to look over the work as a whole and
see its defects and problems. "A man
that works all the time will never get
rich," said a benevolent elderly gem
tleman to younger man who never
appeared to give himself any vacation,
and there is a world of good sense In
the observation, hence the need OF a
quiet hour, the devotional fifteen min
rtes, the escape from the crowd into
solitude.
Increase in efficiency also is often
the result of conference with others.
If we are brave enough to ask, our
best friend or the person who knows
best what we are trying to do, con-
corning the daily discharge Of our du-
ties and how they might be better
performed, we should probably be
profited Then there are books avail
able today in almost every line Of
activity. We do not want to read all
lest we should get more badly mixed
up but one or two will help US.
And finauy, the gain, u it cegpeq,