The Habit Of Doing More Than Paid For

He promoted himself into this profitable position solely through the aid of the Law of Increasing Returns, which he put into operation by rendering more service and better service than that for which he was paid.

In a recent visit with Mr. Downes I asked him to tell me how he managed to gain promotion so rapidly. In a few brief sentences he told the whole story.

"When I first went to work with Mr. Durant," said he, "I noticed that he always remained at the office long after all the others had gone home for the day, and I made it my business to stay there, also. No one asked me to stay, but I thought someone should be there to give Mr. Durant any assistance he might need. Often he would look around for someone to bring him a letter file, or render some other trivial service, and always he found me there ready to serve him. He got into the habit of calling on me; that is about all there is to the story."

"He got into the habit of calling on me!"

Read that sentence again, for it is full of meaning of the richest sort.

TO love praise, but not worship it, and fear condemnation, but not go down under it, is evidence of a well balanced personality. Why did Mr. Durant get into the habit of calling on Mr. Downes?

Because Mr. Downes made it his business to be on hand where he would be seen. He deliberately placed himself in Mr. Durant's way in order that he might render service that would place the Law of Increasing Returns back of him.

Was he told to do this?

No!

Was he paid to do it?

Yes!

He was paid by the opportunity it offered for him to bring himself to the attention of the man who had it within his power to promote him. We are now approaching the most important part of this lesson, because this is an appropriate place at which to suggest that you have the same opportunity to make use of the Law of Increasing Returns that Mr. Downes had, and you can go about the application of the Law in exactly the same way that he did, by being on hand and ready to volunteer your services in the performance of work which others may shirk because they are not paid to do it.

Stop!

 Don't say it-don't even think it if you have the slightest intention of springing that old timeworn phrase entitled,

"But my employer is different."

Of course he is different.