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Show .ainflr-' . mil " Don't Criticize; Show Appreciation ; jyTOSTLY in dealing with the subject of handling people, this column relates how achievement was accomplished from using the proper technique. But today Robert Anderson, New York City, wants to tell you how he failed because he did not use the right technique. Robert was in India where they were train- ' sCZSt ing Chinese troops for war service. Among other f fTt, things, they inspected the rifles of the Chinese f ' ' soldiers and made necessary repairs. Since all the fL, pTv,vyt weapons had serial numbers, it was Robert's job v 1p to record these numbers and make notations. ' S ' P" J- He got fed up with all this paper ""J-'-fi work; was much more interested in f p1-" working on the guns themselves. There t .j .. i were others who preferred the paper work. How silly not to give a man the Carnegie work he liked, and in which, naturally, he would be more efficient. So he criticized, condemned, Complained. He condemned his lieutenant who was so short-sighted, and he did it in person. But the army was a busy place; shortcomings of the men often had of necessity to be overlooked. So things went on as they were. One morning, a company formation was called. The captain, a good sort of guy, stood out in front with the first sergeant who read off a few new company orders, then proceeded to call forth several enlisted men. That commanding officer really enjoyed handing out promotions and the men felt good all over as they heard their own or their comrades' names called for promotion. Then suddenly: "T5 Robert J. Anderson." Robert stepped forward; that T5 was now going to be written T4. He marched forward, gave the captain a snappy and respectful salute, and was given "at ease." The sergeant went on: "T5 Robert J. Anderson is reduced to the grade of private reason, inefficiency." Well, maybe that wasn't hard to take. He knew his work; he wasn t inefficient in performing it. But he had proved himself to be inefficient" in the matter of discipline. And he knows now that he would have been given another stripe instead of having what he had taken from him, if he had only observed a rule which reads "Don't criticize, condemn, complain; instead, show appreciation." standing iS eaS'ly followed' if U is Preceded by under- |