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Bulletin HASKINS & SELLS 27 Qualities Essential in an Assistant T H E Director of Professional Training was asked recently to state the principal qualities essential to the success of an assistant accountant. The qualities named are as follows: Alacrity Concentration Application Reasonable speed Absolute accuracy Dependableness Pleasing appearance Neatness Orderliness Punctuality Personality Ability to learn Alacrity sums up a number of things. It means that attitude which is cheerful and willing coupled with promptitude. It is enthusiastic response to a suggestion or request. It is the manifestation of a desire to do gladly whatever one is asked to do. Some men show by the expression on their faces that they are not pleased at the task to which they have been assigned. Others may give no evidence through facial expression as to their feelings but show by manner their displeasure; or their attitude may be indicated by a side remark to the person sitting alongside. The man who answers the test of alacrity is the man who when he is asked to do anything jumps to it as if it were the one thing in the world which would give him the most pleasure at the moment. No one need hesitate to display alacrity. It is not a sign of toadying. It is no mark of servility. It is a part of the game. It makes for success. It is a quality to be cultivated accordingly. Concentration denotes ability to focus the mind. To hear instructions is not sufficient. A grasp of their meaning is necessary. Spoken words impinge upon the eardrums. Frequently they make no impression upon the brain. They are said to pass in one ear and out the other. Such occurrences show lack of concentration. To understand the person who hears must react, meaning, that the brain must respond. The idea must be conveyed. To accomplish this generally requires concentration. A woman who frequently had occasion to call her husband on the telephone sometimes found it necessary to leave a message with his secretary. The messages were always delivered correctly. The woman was never asked to repeat anything even though the messages often contained names and numbers. She remarked about it to her husband who did not seem a bit surprised. It was no more than was to be expected of a secretary who had developed the power of concentration to a point where to. give him a message to deliver or a task to perform was to dismiss the matter from one's mind. Concentration is not confined to the ability to receive and understand instructions. It goes further. It embraces the faculty of casting out of one's mind all subjects except the one selected and thinking only about the latter. The person who does this is oblivious to his surroundings as well as to what is going on about him. Application is ability to pursue a task with steadfastness and diligence. Persons who scatter their activities usually accomplish little. Work which is interrupted is unsatisfactory. One who talks much is apt to work little. A man who was on the staff several years ago was far from popular with his associates because of a disagreeable personality, but he was usually in demand because of the inordinate amount of work which he was able to turn out. The reason for the latter was clear. He came in at the usual hour, went about his work and without a word to anyone continued during the morning without interruption until he went out to lunch. In the afternoon the performance was repeated. He did one thing at a time. The result was a maximum amount of work. There is a time for play and a time for work. They do not go together. A little conversation at times is necessary to break the monotony. It does interfere with ap-
Object Description
Title |
Qualities essential in an assistant [News items] |
Author |
Anonymous |
Subject |
Accounting as a profession |
Personal Name |
Forbes, John Franklin Wildman, John Raymond, 1878-1938 Maguire, Mr. Kerr, James Ferguson McNally, Frank J. Gould, Mr. Woolsey, Mr. Forney, Mr. O'Brien, Mr. |
Citation |
Haskins & Sells Bulletin, Vol. 02, no. 04 (1919 April 15), p. 27-30 |
Date-Issued | 1919 |
Source | Originally published by: Haskins & Sells |
Type | Text |
Collection | Deloitte Digital Collection |
Digital Publisher | University of Mississippi Libraries. Accounting Collection |
Date-Digitally Created | 2009 |
Identifier | HS Bulletin 2-p27 |