The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-03-06
neo1if, Soles
Iraao MAlk Krg. \. ). IA. q.
FOR THE BOSS AND THE NAN
on THE JOB
The Qualifications OF o Satisfactory
Employee.

/
What constitutes a good workman
4 business. to be successful. must
/ answer that question. The matter is
constantly coming ND in the affairs
of the Independent-Rep reporter and we
/ have often thought we should under
/ stand it better ourselves il we re-
/ durpd the answer to the form OF a
newspaper article. a good employee
must be a contented one and TO be
contented. If he is of the right sort,
he must feel that he is getting ahead
The object of this study is to show
him how he can be worth more pay
and get it,
THE REAL BOSS
Perhaps the first thing an employee
should discover is who he Is working
for. 1t is John Jones of the indie
pendent Reporter Co, that hands him
a check at the end of the week But
this does not signify. He isn't or
ought not to be. working for Jones or
for the corporation just mentioned.
He ought to he. every minute, WORK.
| ING FOR HIMSELF. OF course. his
only dead sure method of working
for himself is to study all the time,
the interests of his employer. But
the thing we want to get through and
land good and solid in the employees
mind is that in doing his best he Is
really serving his own purposes. In
so far as he fails to make his best
effort he Is himself the one who re-
ceives the principal injury.
An employee will sometimes think
his efforts are not appreciated. In
deed. sometimes they may not be.
Even so, the rule is not changed and
it Is very rare indeed that faithful
service is not finally noted and suit
ably rewarded. Others besides John
Jones are noting Bill Smiths work.
If Jones isn't keen enough to note
williams growing abilities, someone
else will and Bill will get new job
at advanced pay.
KEEP FRIENDLY WITH THE CREW
An employee wants to keep solid
| with his boss, but 1t Is perhaps equal
ly necessary for him to be popular
with his fellow workmen, and right
here comes in some chances for Will
liam to make use of best judgment.
He will sometimes see or think he
sees. things going wrong. Suppose
he notes a fellow workman who is
careless, perhaps negligent. perhaps
dishonest Under such circumstances,
he has a duty to his employer. What
is it? The conditions under which
William is placed and under which
this question will come to him are so
varied that no rule could be framed
as a safe guide. 1t isn't best for Will
60 hi nj with c III IL
things. 1t isn't best even for him to
get the idea that he must report all
derelctions even il quite important.
He will observe, for the most part,
that his fellow workmen~ are as earn
est and honest as he Is himself. Team
work is very important and 1t Is i'm
possible where workmen become dis
| trustful of each other If his mates
get the idea that he will be instrument
tai in reporting their errors, he will
lose their sympathetic cooperation and
they all will be less valuable to the
concern they are trying to serve. VIII
liam must apply his best headwork
on these problems, but "Be Cautious"
is perhaps a good motto to start in
with.
BE THE ADVANCE AGENT OF CON
TENTMENT
1t is refreshing to leave matter
az uncertain as that just discussed
and tackle one about which no uncer
tainty exists. or all things. don't
specialize in discomfort The worst
scourge that infests the printing bus
mess or any other business Is the
y, oxa 10 l,n
someone less contented with his job.
This type never, himself. stays any
where very long. His method OF get
ting solid with his companions, where
ever he lands. Is to tell them what
crackerjacks they are and how much
less they are being paid than what
they are actually worth. He talks
about much higher pay being received
where he came from. and OF the nu-
merous places where worthy and skill
full effort Is more suitably rewarded.
or course, we wish to distinguish be-
tween the individual who has common
sense, and Is actually earnest to be
helpful In aiding a competent and
worthy workman to better his condi-
ton and the man who Is simply dis
tributing hot air Usually the man
who makes the most talk OF this kind
is reckless and misleading in his
whole program. After trying to make
himself solid with the crew, he Is
pretty sure to go to the bose and tell
OF some people. where he came from.
who would like a job and how much
more competent they are than the
crew already on hand. on he goes In
a few months to some other place and
Immediately the crew commence to
get letters urging them to follow
along, and telling them, in glowing
colors, how much to their advantage
such a change will be. Such an en-
ployee leaves a most unfavorable i'm
preston with every man for whom
he works and Is one who can count
to a moral certainty OF never getting
a Job in the same place the second
time. II you are anxious to be con-
sidered a satisfactory employee by
all means shun the characteristics of
the workman we have just described.
HOW MUCH OF A PLANNER ARE