The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-09-01

KNOW MN 10 ne earnest, puTpOSelul
and to be doing his best But to ac-
knowledge frankly that man who
is not securing results is unsuccess-
full, is not necessarily reflection on
that man. 1t simply means that he
is not adapted for that line of work,
but probably for some other. II
We're to attempt to paint a beautiful
picture | should make an awful daub;
if you were to acknowledge fairly
that | had made an awful blunder of
it you would not be injuring me but
would simply be acknowledging that
| was not fitted for that particular
line of work and you would probably
be doing me a great service if you
assisted me into something else Ex-
ecutive ability is rare2and it is no dis
grace to a man who fries it and fails,
1t simply means that he Is qualified
not for this, but probably for some-
thing else.
| remember a man in an executive
position who said to me at one time
You cant accomplish anything
here, 1t is useless. The Board of
Directors will not respond. People
will not come out to the meetings.
You simply cannot do anything here
! wanted to say to him, my dear
man. if they do not respond whose
fault is it? You are paid salary
here which is three or four or five
times what you could earn as labor
ing man because YOU are supposed
to have the ability to get people to
respond to the work You have drawn
your salary but you have not return
ed its value to the organization You
do not belong in an executive posi-.
tion, that is all"
Some time ago | saw letter of rec
omendations which had been writ
ten i'll behalf OF aman who was an ap-
plicant for very high executive po-
sitlon The recommendation stated
that the school from which he grad
uated, the college where he had re-
ceiyed his degree, the university at
W
he was a very fine man, had no bad
habits. had the respect of every one,
was thoroughly honest and upright,
pleasing in his personality, etc. etc.
But no where in that letter was there
any statement as to whether or not
the man had ever accomplished any
thing There was nothing in tue let
ter from whichy6u could even set an
idea as to whether or not the man
was able 10 accomplish anything
whatsoever. Now what did we care
about all these little things? They
We're very nice things to know but we
wanted TO pat this man in a position
where he had to do things. and the
thing we wanted to know was wether
or not he was able to do things. II
you We're going to the hospital for an
operation. ana We're looking for sur
geon on whom YOU could depend and
someone wrote you concerning "A sur
geon and told you about his college
and what flno man he was and
anout his refined manners, how hon
est and upright he was, etc, what
"Well all these things are very nice,
but | want to know how this man can
handle the knife Has he ever oper-
ated on patient? What success has
he had? Can he do it? And yet We
will employ teachers and ministers
and secretaries of various organiza-
tions where their work is to be exec
tive. where their chief duty will be
to accomplish things; We win ascer-
tain all the pleasing details without
ever asking the question whether or
not they can bring things to pass.
hold it as an axiom that we as cit
izens should demand of every church.
of every school, of every board of
trade. of every Y NJ. c. A. of every
social uplift organization of whatever
character, that they produce actual
results in the community If we are
members of any organization that is
not producing definite results, it is
our duty to do one of two things. eth
er to kill the organization at once or
to see 10 it that the officers are re-
moved and a new set of officers are
elected who will bring about results
sympathy for an inefficient man
should never retain him in an execu-
tive position twenty-four hours. do
not care it have a sick wife and ten
children who are going to starve if |
do not keep the position, yet / do not
want 10 be retained in an executive
position for twenty-four hours unless
! can produce results. If were
working in a factory there might be
some excuse, il might be even laud-
able in the foreman to retain me on
account of my family circumstances
even tho | was doing inefficient work
But when | am in a position where
am paid several times as much as 1
would he paid in factory on the
strength of my being able to produce
results and when the welfare of hun
dreds of people depends more. or less
on the work of the organization,
should not be retained for an hour
unless ] produce those results. Sym
pathy for me should never play any
out