Secrets of Success as Related In the Best Current Literature

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944), a well-known Canadian writer, was born in England. When he was 7 years old his family emigrated to Canada. He was educated at Toronto and Chicago Universities. His first collection of humorous short stories Literary Lapses appeared in 1910. He also wrote articles, essays and sketches, in which he developed his own conception of humour.

I had been employed in one business and another quite a good few years, and yet I hadn't made good. I hadn't made good, and I knew I hadn't made good, and sometimes the knowledge that I hadn't made good made me feel bad. Often when I came home nights, I'd say, " Doll, " I'd say, " I haven't made good." " No, Jim, old boy, " she'd say, " I know you haven't made good, but never mind you'll make good yet! "

Often I used to think it over as to why it was I hadn't made good. I'd had about as much education as most, and more experience than many and better chances than some. I was willing enough and steady enough. I was a non-drinker and a non-smoker; I never touched a card and had never seen a horse race in my life, and never been inside the doors of a poolroom. Yet I knew as well as anybody just where my shortcomings were; I lacked pep, I had no punch, I had practically no magnetism... And I knew that nowadays in business it is magnetism and pep that make for success.

Well, I was thinking it all over one Monday morning in the back yard before going to work, when all of a sudden the reason of my failure came to me like a flash. I had no belief in myself: that was it. I couldn’t accomplish anything because I couldn't believe in myself.

I got up and I walked right into the house to the kitchen where Doll was getting the breakfast ready. " Doll, " I said, " I've found out what was wrong. I've got no belief in myself, " and I hit the table with my fist till it jumped up. " Oh, Jim, " Doll said, " you frighten me? " " Ha? Ha! " I laughed - that was the first time in six years that Doll had ever said that I frightened her...

Well, I got my breakfast and I started down to the office for my new job just feeling fine. I could sense myself reaching against everything. " Jim Dudley, ” I kept repeating to myself, " you're going to make good."

The first person I ran into at the office was the general manager just going in.

" You're ten minutes early, Dudley, " he said.

" Mr. Kitson, " I answered, " I'd rather be early than not".

And with that I opened my desk and got right to work. I guess I never worked in my life as I did that morning. Everything seemed easy. Letters I would have taken half an hour to consider I answered in two minutes. And every letter I answered I tried to put in just a little sunshine. Even if I didn't know who the correspondent was I found time to write in Peek-a-boo! orKeep on Smiling! or some little thing like that. " Jim Dudley, " I said to myself, " you're going to make good."

Two or three times in the morning Mr. Kitson walked through the office. About one o'clock he came over to my desk. " Dudley, " he said, “I’ve something I want to talk to you about, come out to have lunch with me."

" Now, Jim, " said Mr. Kitson, " I've had my eye on you all the morning, and I believe you're the man we want. The company wants someone to go to Kansas City to line up a man and to swing a big proposition."

" Mr. Kitson, " I interrupted, " I can line him up and swing it."

" When can you go? "

" Right now, " I said, " as soon as I finish my spinach. Just tell me what it is that I swing when I get there."

When I got to Kansas City, I found I was up against something pretty big. I found John Smith but he wouldn't see me. I went right into his office, and I said, " Mr. Smith, can I see you? " " No, " he said, " you can't." However, I hung on. " Let me see you, " I said. " No. I won't, " he answered. Still I wouldn't give in. I went up to his house that evening and right into his library. " Can I see you now? " I asked. " No, " he answered, " you can't see me." " Look here! Mr. Smith, " I pleaded, " I've come two thousand miles to see you: let me see you! " " No, Dudley, " he said, " I won't."

That went on four days and at last he gave in. " All right, Jim, " he said, " state your business. What do you want? " " I want to line you up – swing you, " I said, " come out with me, Mr. Smith, and eat spinach, and I'll tell you about it."

So I took him out to a swell restaurant where they had the best spinach in Kansas City. " Now, " I said after we had eaten, " you're a big man and this is a big thing: we want to put over something pretty big and you're the man we want in on it. You're big."

" Jim, " he said, " you talk well. And what's more, you've got personality and that's the biggest thing in business today. As soon as I see a man who has personality, I do whatever he wants. Personality gets me every time."

So I got what I wanted, and I took the train right back to New York. Doll met me at the depot. I kissed her right there on the platform. " Did you swing it? " she asked. " Yes, Doll, I did, " I answered. I saw Doll drop a tear right on the platform. " Good old Jim, " she said.

Next morning I found an envelope on my desk with a cheque for five thousand dollars in it. Well, that was how I got my first start. Once the firm found that I could line up a man and swing a thing of that size there was lots more to do. So the end of it was they made me the head of the company.

So I went home to Doll and I said, " Doll, " I said, " I'm made the president of the company." " Oh, Jim! " she said, " you've made good. I'm so proud — and I'm proud of the company, too, now that you're president of it. So you must tell me all about it, what it does and what it makes and sells."

" Doll", I answered, " don't ask me. I've been so busy in swinging propositions and lining things up and eating spinach, that I've never had time to find out what on earth the company does do."

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. Who is Stephen Leacock?

2. What makes success in business?

3. What made the main character change his attitude to life?

4. How much was he paid for the work?

Текст 2

SPENDING OUR MONEY

In 1953 the British Government published a book full of figures, tables and diagrams. These show how the people of Britain spent their incomes in the years 1946 to 1952. They show how much of their incomes was spent on such necessities as food and clothing, fuel and light, rent and water, and how much money was spent on travel, entertainments, to­bacco and other less neces­sary things. They tell us, too, how much of the total was taken by the Govern­ment in direct taxation and how much of it was saved.

The bottom diagram on page 8 shows in another way how income was spent during those seven years. Out of every twenty shillings, seventeen went on personal expenditure, or on the goodsand services in the list in the top diagram. Two shillings was taken by the Government in direct taxation. Savings were seven-pence, and the rest, fivepence, went for National Insurance contributions.

Direct taxes, for example the tax on income, took two shillings out of every pound. But the Government took a large sum in indirect taxation, too. In 1952 people in Britain spent 287, 000, 000 pounds on wines and spirits and nearly twice as much, 563, 000, 000, on beer. As the diagram shows, the sum spent on tobacco is nearly as large as that spent on alcohol. The taxes on alcohol and tobacco are heavy, so the larger half of the total expenditure on alcohol and tobacco, 1, 670, 000, 000 pounds, for 1952, went to the Government in axes. There is also the entertainment tax, for when the Londoner pays to go to a theatre, a cinema, a concert, or an opera, he pays tax as well as the price of his seat. On many goods there is a purchase tax. The cost of a radio set, a radiogram or television set is high because of the tax the purchaser has to pay. So is the cost of the records he buys to play on his radiogram. On these, too, here is a heavy purchase tax.

Out of every pound, seventeen shillings is personal expenditure. Of this sum a little over seven shillings is spent on food. The house-wife takes about one-third other husband's earnings to the grocer, the baker and the butcher. About 3s. 6d. out of every pound is spent on alcoholic drink and tobacco. This, of course, is an average figure; some families spend more and others spend less, and there are many non-smokers. If people in Britain drank and smoked less, the Government would at once have to raise the other taxes. Income tax would certainly be raised.

Seven pence out of every pound, a little less than 3%, seems a small figure for savings, but the total is quite large. The money contributed for National Insurance is also a form of saving, for those who pay these contributions receive the money back if they become ill or unemployed, or if they are injured in an accident while they are working.

The black part of the oblong opposite domestic service is very small. Only the rich can afford to employ domestic servants. More is spent on private motoring than on domestic service. Many middle-class people in Britain who can afford a car cannot afford a servant.

Travel includes journeys to and from work as well as travel for pleasure or for visits to relatives and friends. Workers in large cities spend a good deal of money on bus, tram and train fares. Almost everyone in Britain is now able to enjoy a summer holiday away from home. Workers in many industries have holidays with pay, and are able to take their families to the country or the sea, and this is good for those who work in mines or factories, or spend most of their lives in the dull, smoky and dirty manufacturing and industrial parts of Britain.

Household goods are such things as furniture for the home, and also things needed for cooking and meals, the kettles, pots, pans and cigarettes and cigars), are much greater than the amounts spent on books, papers and magazines.

The bottom diagram on page 8 shows in another way how income was spent during those seven years. Out of every twenty shillings, seventeen went on personal expenditure, or on the goodsand services in the list in the top diagram. Two shillings was taken by the Government in direct taxation. Savings were seven-pence, and the rest, fivepence, went for National Insurance contributions.

Direct taxes, for example the tax on income, took two shillings out of every pound. But the Government took a large sum in indirect taxation, too. In 1952 people in Britain spent 287, 000, 000 pounds on wines and spirits and nearly twice as much, 563, 000, 000, on beer. As the diagram shows, the sum spent on tobacco is nearly as large as that spent on alcohol. The taxes on alcohol and tobacco are heavy, so the larger half of the total expenditure on alcohol and tobacco, 1, 670, 000, 000 pounds, for 1952, went to the Government in taxes. There is also the entertainment tax, for when the Londoner pays to go to a theatre, a cinema, a concert, or an opera, he pays tax as well as the price of his seat. On many goods there is a purchase tax. The cost of a radio set, a radiogram or television set is high because of the tax the purchaser has to pay. So is the cost of the records he buys to play on his radiogram. On these, too, there is a heavy purchase tax.

Out of every pound, seventeen shillings is personal expenditure. Of this sum a little over seven shillings is spent on food. The house-wife takes about one-third other husband's earnings to the grocer, the baker and the butcher. About 3s. 6d. out of every pound is spent on alcoholic drink and tobacco. This, of course, is an average figure; some families spend more and others spend less, and there are many non-smokers. If people in Britain drank and smoked less, the Government would at once have to raise the other taxes. Income tax would certainly be raised.

We must include today some things which were either unknown fifty years ago or were found only in the homes of the rich. Refrigerators and washing-machines are common in British homes today. They are usually bought by hire-purchase, a system of sellings by which the buyer does not pay the whole price at once. Instead, payments are made weekly or monthly over a year or even longer.

Many British families have to make several weekly payments of this; kind; they are perhaps paying for a refrigerator, a sewing-machine, and a bicycle for one of the children.

The sum spent on books and magazines seems small. Most families take at least one daily newspaper and a Sunday paper. They may take several weekly magazines, usually including the Radio Times. This gives them the weekly programmes of the B.B.C. The small sum spent on books does not mean that people do very little reading. Millions of cheap, paper-backed books are bought every month. There are good public libraries everywhere from which books may be borrowed. Over one million books are taken; out from these libraries every week-day. In some homes, however, there is less serious reading now than there was fifty years ago. Many people prefer to listen to the radio, or look at films or television.

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. How did the British spend their incomes in 1946-1952?

2. How much did they spend on alcohol?

3. What is National Insurance?

4. What is hire-purchase?

5. Do you think that people read little?

 

Текст 3

IN THE OFFICE

The word commerce suggests buying and selling, the exchange of goods between countries. The word industry suggests the production of goods by mining and manufacture. When we see or hear the word business, however, we think first of all not of shops, factories or mines but of offices. Modern business is done chiefly in offices, and office work usually means various forms of communication.

A business man needs to communicate with other business men. He can do this by using the telephone. He can also do it by writing, but the modern business man docs not write his letters by hand. He dictates them to a shorthand typist, usually a woman. She types the letters on her machine and later takes them to be signed. When all the letters have been signed, they are put in envelopes and are ready for the post. Small offices employ a boy to stick stamps on envelopes, but large offices today have a machine which, as enve­lopes are passed through it, automatically prints a stamp on them in ink. There is a meter in the machine. This is set and locked by a Post Office official according to the amount of money that is paid in advance. When this amount is reached the machine no longer works and must be reset.

It is not necessary to type an address on an envelope. There are envelopes with a 'window' of transparent paper, and the letter can be folded so that the name and address typed on the letter can be seen through this 'window'.

The telephone is an important part of the communications system. The head of a large department usually has two tele­phones on his desk. One is con­nected, through a switchboard, to the public Post Office system. The other is connected to a private internal system. This makes it possible for members of the staff in different parts of the same building to talk to one another without leaving their rooms.

Telephone bells are noisy, so in most offices telephones usually have a quiet buzzer instead of a bell. The loud ringing of bells does not help a man to think about his work.

Departments can also communicate with one another by using another useful kind of apparatus. The head of the department has a kind of box on his desk, and when he wishes to speak to another department, he has only to lift a small key. There is a buzz in the department he has called. The head can then talk to his staff, in several departments at the same time if he wishes, and hear their replies. The apparatus has a loud-speaker like that in a radio receiver. Instead of calling his staff to his office for a short discussion, the head of the department can talk to them and hear their replies as they sit at their own desks. Perhaps one day the apparatus will also have a television screen so that the persons will see each other while they talk. Some office workers would not like to know that they could be watched by the head of the department.

A business man need not call in shorthand typist when he wants to dictate letters. He can use a dictating machine. This makes a record of his voice, either on a flat record like those we play on gramophones, or on a small roll of plastic material. The typist plays back the record or roll, listens to the letters that were dictated (perhaps several hours earlier), and types them. She then takes them in for the signatures. Some kinds of plastic roll small and light enough to be put in envelopes and sent by post.

If a business firm wishes to send out a circular letter to thousands of people, the letter can, of course, be printed in the ordinary way by a firm of printers. If, however, only a few hundred copies are needed, these can be produced more quickly and at a lower cost in the office. A sheet of paper coated with wax is put into the typewriter. Then, without using the ribbon, the typist strikes the keys in the usual way and the words are cut on the waxed sheet. The sheet is then put on a machine which will make as many copies as are required.

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. What do the words commerce and industry suggest?

2. What are the ways of communicating for businessmen?

3. Why do more offices use quiet buzzer instead of a bell in the telephones?

4. What’s the use of a dictating machine?

5. How can a hundred of copies be produced?

 

Текст 4

Jane's New Job

Jane works in the modem office of a large international company. On her desk she has the usual office equipment, such as a telephone, a typewriter, and filing trays for letters and papers. She uses an electronic typewriter, instead of the manual typewriter she used to have, and the company has just bought a computer with a word processor and a printer. With this computer the typist (operator) can type a letter, and then see what she has typed on an electronic screen (display), and correct any mistakes before the printer types the letter. The computer can print many separate copies of a letter and put a different name and address on each one.

If she has to do some calculations, Jane uses an electronic calculator, and there is a photocopier in the office for making copies of letters and other papers.

Jane normally sends letters by post, but if she wants to send a written message quickly she uses the telex. This is a machine like a typewriter: a message is typed, and then another telex machine somewhere else receives the message and types it out again some time later.

A fax machine is more popular now. It makes copies and sends it to any other fax machine you like. Messages can be writ­ten by hand or typed, and include drawings. A fax machine is connected or combined with a telephone, that's why it is also called telefax. The quickest way of sending photo messages is by E-mail (electronic mail).

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. Where does Jane work?

2. What does she use for typing letters and papers?

3. What is there on her desk?

4. What are the advantages of a computer with a word processor?

5. What kind of office equipment is there in your office?

6. What is telefax?

Текст 5

A Manager Gets the Secretary He Deserves

It costs a lot every time a manager loses his secretary. There are tangible costs, like advertising for a new one, training her, etc. And there are intangible costs, such as the effect of the res­ignation on staff morale, disturbed work and communications, and other things that lower efficiency. This is an advice foe ma­nagers who want to avoid all this.

First of all, be specific about what you intend to delegate to her — non-technical correspondence, supervising the office and so on. She may have heard such phrases before as satisfying and rewarding job, duties depend largely on you, and so on. In any case, roughly translated all that means just another boring shorthand, typing and filing job. Secondly, give her not just the responsibility but the authority as well as to get on with the job. That includes telling your colleagues plainly that she has that authority. Job specifications in writing are essential. Once they are there for her and you to see, there can be no arguments about overstepping her authority or failing to achieve her objectives.

Regular job appraisal is an obvious follow-up. A golden rule here is: do not appraise in secret. She has a right to know the results of the appraisal. Besides the appraisal, do not check up on her. If you have set her a task then tell her when you want it done — do not ask her daily if she has done it yet or if she has forgotten.

A manager's secretary is a member of his executive staff and should be treated like one. Take her around personally when she is new and introduce her to your colleagues and the staff. Do not just leave her to make a fool of herself because she does not know who anyone is.

Whether you call her a 'private', 'executive' or 'personal' secretary, she must be treated like a 'confidential' secretary. Show that you have confidence in her; do not cover up those 'top secret' papers every time she walks into the room. Let her know you value her opinion.

You will know within a few weeks of hiring her whether she can be fully trusted. If she cannot be, fire her.

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. What are the tangible and intangible costs when a manager loses his secretary?

2. Why are job specifications in writing essential?

3. What is a golden rule of regular job appraisals?

4. Is it recommended that a manager should introduce his new secretary to the staff? Why?

5. In what way must a secretary be treated?

Вариант 5

Текст 1

WHAT IS SELF ASSERTION?

 

Assertion training has gained increasing recognition in recent years. Its aim is to help people express themselves more effectively and appropriately.

The following three types of behaviour are identified:

1. Non-assertive behaviour - failing to express your feelings, needs, opinions, or preferences, or expressing them in an indirect or implicit way. For example, agreeing to activities you are not really interested in or failing to ask for a favour even though one is needed. Statements like I suppose we could go to the cinema' or 'I wish I knew someone who could help me re­pair my car' represent indirect or implicit state­ments in which the other person must infer what the needs and opinions of the speaker really are. One difficulty with this type of communi­cation is that it is open to varying interpreta­tions and is therefore easily misunderstood.

2. Aggressive behaviour - expressing your feelings or opinions but in a punishing, threat­ening, demanding or hostile manner. There is little or no consideration of the feelings or rights of the other person. In addition, the person who behaves aggressively assumes little responsi­bility for the consequences of his/her action. e.g. You'dbetter lend me £ 5.

You aregoing with me whether you like it or not.

3. Assertive behaviour - expressing your feel­ings, needs, legitimate rights or opinions honestly and directly without being aggressive to others, without infringing on their rights and without ex­pecting the other person to read your mind. As­sertive behaviour is not designed primarily to en­able an individual to obtain what he/she wants. Rather, its purpose is the clear, direct and inoffen­sive communication of one's needs, opinions and so on. To the extent that this is accomplished, the probability of achieving one's goals without deny­ing the rights of others is increased.

LINE AND STAFF POSITIONS

In business, organization structure means the relationship between positions and people who hold the positions. Organization structure is very important because it provides an efficient work system as well as a system of communication.

Historically, line structure is the oldest type of organization structure. The main idea of it is direct vertical relationships between the positions and tasks of each level, and the positions and tasks above and bellow each level. For example, a sales manager may be in a line position between a vice-president of marketing and a salesman. Thus a vice president of marketing has direct authority over a sales manager. A sales manager in his turn has direct authority over a salesman. This chain of command simplifies the problems of giving and taking orders.

When a business grows in size and becomes more complex, there is a need for specialists. In such case administrators may organize staff departments and add staff specialists to do specific work. These people are usually busy with services, they are not tied in with the company product. The activities of the staff departments include an accounting, personnel, credit and advertising. Generally they do not give orders to other departments.

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. What does the organization structure mean?

2. What does the organization structure provide?

3. What is historically the oldest type of organization structure?

4. In what position is a sales manager in attitude to a vice-president of marketing and a salesman?

5. What is the difference between line and staff departments?

Текст 2

ACCOUNTING

Accounting shows a financial picture of the firm. An accounting department records and measures the activity of a business. It reports on the effects of the transactions on the firms financial condition. Accounting records give a very important data. It is used by management, stockholders, creditors, independent analysts, banks and government.

Most businesses prepare regularly the two types of records. That is the income statement and balance sheet. These statements show how money was received and spent by the company.

One major tool for the analysis of accounting records is ratio analysis. A ratio analysis is the relationship of two figures. In finance we operate with three main categories of ratios. One ratio deals with profitability, for example, the Return on Investment Ratio. It is used as a measure of a firms operating efficiency.

The second set of ratios deals with assets and liabilities. It helps a company to evaluate its current financial position. The third set of ratios deals with the overall financial structure of the company. It analyses the value of the ownership of the firm.

 

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. What is the purpose of accounting?

2. Who uses the data provided by accounting firms?

3. What are the two types of records which most businesses prepare?

4. What can you know analyzing the income statement and balance sheet of a company?

5. What is the purpose of the ratio analysis?

6. What categories of ratios in finance do you know?

Текст 3

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