The Washington herald., 1915-03-18
GETTING A START.
Interfering Relatives and
Friends.
By NATHANIEL c. FOWLER, Jr.
Copyright, l9E.)

Nofynght, IslS.b
You are a bookkeeper. a stcnographer.
or a clerk. You are working in an office
or in a counting-room. Your employer
probably is a gentleman. and has not in
stituted stringent rules for your conduct.
He expects you TO do your duty. He does
not object to conversations with your fell
lows. or 10 any other diversion which
does not interfere with your work.
Perhaps you have a number of relatives
and friends. many of them with a social
instinct. They drop in TO see you dur
ing business hours, or they call for you
at the close of the days work. Very like
ly they telephone you occasionally or fire.
quently.
Your employer does not object TO a rea-
sonable amount OF this. You are not in
Jail. subject to ironclad rules and regula-
cap Your effectiveness or interfere with
ture from business which does not handi-
cap Your effectiveness or interfere with
that of others.
The good business man. or any one else.
who maintains an office and has working
hours. breads interruptions and does
away with as many of them as possibility
permits.
social call while YOU are busy. or
MAY I've. can Iot do other than interrupt
YOUR work and be of detriment TO YOU
and 20 your employer. II IS not easy to
get back after being taken away from
N0ur labors.
know of a case where a young man
was not promoted wholly because his
wife called upon him daily and often re-
NAMED for an hour.
recall severa! instances where an APP
Nhcant for a position was refused the
Hla"" because he was act ompanied by
m"ddleSome relative.
N"ur employer engages YOU. not Your
relatives and not your friends.
II Nou are 50 weak, SO TetiCent, SO alb
normally modest that YOU cannot stand
before lvur would De employer in apply
me- for position without being accom-
panied by a rClatiVe or friend. YOU are
NOT hunk II the stun which business men
demand.
You arc husv with a column of figures.
The tc."Thonr hell rings and you are
called |" II" Yhunc. Your work is inter
'uri"d. :" 2"-r injury and TO that Of
!uUI rrIn
N"I a"c "usascd upon something of inn
p'r'arrr. something which must he done
ir."nd 'tls. You are taken from Your
work and -" obliged TO rush II you
Mould ..',omp,>h II on time.
h"~i N"NT relatives and YOUR friends
A"a' tr.r the office during business
h""F>. Except y hen they call upon mat
t'E> al 'nl"'taMCe or only occasionally.
Il ,rI i.lNr = uleGd.esorle friend. who
"o's not know enough TO respect Your
ONE. tell hun gently but firmly that Your
al" '.t'i t"ec "a see visitors from 10 }.
S'l"iIie N"Gr h!S.uesS from YOUR social
duties Work while YOU work and play
"h!" You l,aN. Avoid Interruptions Of
eNS:N KIND Thrt stand between you and
success. he,ween YOU ard full accom-
plI>hmr!t
Your parents should be interested in
N"l. AID :" should your friends but they
have II" ,!Rht 10 interfere with Your
""rAns Time. 10 annoy You by frequent
VISITS. OF 70 cal You 10 BIC telephone un-
les there Is Al urseni message.
II YOU orange 70 hama friend call 10
walk honr with lou, s. aest that he 90
not put IN an appearance IRtil the closing
hour. You cannot worSs steadily. you
cannot do Your best work Nith somebody
in the ante-room or by yotir SIDE. fidSet-
ing because You are busy Better meet
the friend outside OF the tCSce.
Don't Try to mix social Se with busi-
ness life They are OF ditelent compost
ton and they cannot blend or rninSle TO
advantag~