The Washington herald., 1913-03-02
Fired Because He Was Disliked;
Crouch Finds 1t Good Lesson.
By HENRY DICKERSON.

ri WAS the most efficient man they ever
~ had on the job over there" says a
young man who one year before had
been fired from the job Of which he
speaks, yet they fired me and the
reason IVES because none Of the other en-
ployes seemed to like me. and the reason
the other employees did not like me and took
so many opportunities to show 1t was simply
because I was Ill natured.
when I left that position" he continued,
my boss In a good, frank way told me just
why he was letting me go. He told me that
I was on the job all the time and that my
work was all that could be desired. but that
my personal influence on the other employees
was not a good thing for the organization in
general He pleasantly advised me to cheer
up.
Strange to say. did not get angry at the
way he talked. made up my mind would
try out the cheer up policy in my next
job; and l want to say that there are not
two bigger words in the language than those.
81 cane into this Job now hold deter
mined to be good natured at any cost, and
no matter what might happen.
Within a month everybody inthe organi-
zatIon was a friend Of mine. although did
not allow myself to get familiar with any.
| just plugged along in the same old careful
way. only refused to let things bother me.
Il just kept cheerful all the time. and dur
ing that same first month I also gained a
reputation as being a man of great self-con-
troll
Il was actually looked UP to in a friendly
way, and that's the real reason why / got
up where / am in the short span Of one year.
Yes. sir. chronic good nature was the biggest
factor that helped me 10 make good in a big
way. Now | have the good nature habit, and
it's no effort at all
Peppery at the Phone.
Just then this young mans telephone bell
rang. He reached over. and in pleasant. low
tones gave some orders to the man at the
other end OF the wire: then. turning back to
me. he said:
Take the telephone. for example. In the
old job 1t used to make me sore when the tel
ephone rang. and | would shout into II my
displeasure: the man at the other end usual
ly would shout back at me. and We would
both put up the receiver with a bang-then.
as a RUE. l would use minute or two TO
figure out how 10 avoid letting that fellow
slip one over on me, for nearly every man In
that organization was always trying to throw
the hooks into me. At least suspected they
were-and a man generally gets what he /.
looking for.
:" OF course. don't say any man ought TO be
an easy mark. l believe IN being on the look
out for number one all the time, but It can
be done much more effectively IL in a good
ratured way Even when a man has a kick
comm believe II should be registered
with = nst possible good nature.
e. g. Ember the first month on this
job 49, l red some changes in the rou-
tine put through. so that some Of the unim-
portant details ! was handling could be taken
care Of by a subordinate. My boss refused
point blank: said the question had been up
with my professionalism turned to his
own work though that were the end OF the
matter I was tempted to go away carrying
a grudge against the man who had en-
ployed me. Then I cheered up.