Evening star., 1926-12-17
THE BUSINESS OF GETTING
AHEAD.
Making Your Influence Felt.

When the late f. Fl. Hartman f1rst
sought membership on the hoard OF
the Union Pacific Railroad Company
his banker told him that he exag-
gerated the importance Of becoming
a director.
You will only be a minority of one
on a board consisting of IL" the
banker pointed out. Up to this time
Mr.. Hartman, who was destined 10
become known as the great railroad q
builder, had been little more than
a Wall Street speculator.
He believed intensively in himself.
and replied to the bankers criticism
that IL he could once get on the board
he felt confident that he could soon
dominate it. And 1t is part OF the
record that he did.
The genius can make his influence
felt, no matter what his official posi-
tion. The man who complains that
he Is held down because of the nature
of his job Is likely to be seriously lin
tied by his own capacity. Practical
and workable ideas are always at
premium in any well conducted busi
ness organization, and the office boy
who shows promise of developing
them is likely to be pushed forward
rapidly.
bookkeeping Not Understood.
In the gospel of the second rate,
Youngsters are frequently warned
away from the bookkeeper's stool. in
fiction. the bookkeeper is depicted as
the tragic routineer, who ages WIN
out progressing. Elmer Rice once
wrote a play, "rhe Adding Machine
which attempted to analyZe the decay
of the soul of n bookkeeper.
/ have no intention of glorifying
the plodding life of the average book
Keeper. but believe the alleged hope
lessness of the job Is based on the
misunderstanding of sentimental out
siders It is. of course, true that the
average bookkeeper or any one else
has a difficult time. of 1ife. The great
plums go to the man above the aV-
erage. And, if men possess extraor-
binary capacity, they are likely 10
rise far, no matter at what door tney
enter the world of business.
The bookkeeper's stool, as a, matter
OF fact, puts an enterpris1ng ann
ina ginatiye individual in a. place or
opportunity for studying the precise
results and rewards Of business poll
cies The bookkeeper has constant
access to the facts which measure
business success. II capable. he can
sense far In advance tendencies for
a business to wither and decline; on
the other hand. he can detect early
signs of expansion and growth. III
he regards his job as merely an END
less succession of tasks in adding and
slbtracting, he fails to recognize the
significance of the tools with Whlch
he works. If he can see the s1gnln-
canoe of the figures which he hanhieS
he il likely. to rise above the mere
routine. ff he can point out to ms
department head or to the responsive
executive evidence Of leaks ana IN
efficiency, as shown in the bookkeep-
ing. record of the business, he becomes
a man OF great value. IL he can Iook
beyend the digits. into the stories
which they continuously tell ABOUT
the success of some policies and the
of others. he is in a position
to play a constructiVe-no SIMPLY
Observation-Disclosures role.
When he gets this non-routine at
titude toward his work. he ceases 10
be a. mere bookkeeper and becomes an
accountant The columns Whlcn ne
adds suddenly take on new interest,"
and Significance. He recognizes at
this stage that the raw facts which
he reduces to business statistics, give
the kew to policies by Whlch respoh'
sible executives can control the ues-
tinv of great and small enterprises.
Incidentally, training In Keeping
books and a capacity to read nnah-
cial statements analytically are use
ful. If not Indispensable, in the deVei-
opment OF an individual into com
petent general executive.
You should try to select the type or
work for which you are best ntted,
but it is we'll also to recognize tnat
vou can make something interesting
out OF Jobs that superfcially seem dull
and routine. Interest Is something
which you contribute, ratheE than an
inherent quality Of the job itsef.