Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D.

By Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2008-2010 by Gary Screaton Page. All rights reserved.

[This article may be reproduced as is with none of the content changed except for spelling as appropriate for the country in which the reproduced articled appears, and further that all links are included as well as the copyright information.]

At the peak of his business career, John J. Mitchell was President of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank, and a financier of the first rank. Mitchell simplified his code of business ethics as follows:

1.  There is no question that the golden rule is the best one to apply to business transactions.

2.  I put myself in the place of the man with whom I am dealing and govern my actions accordingly.

3.  Success has attended my efforts because of dealing with others as I would be dealt with.

4.  My rule in investments has always been, look to the principal rather than to the interest. 

[Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D. is a Registered Psychotherapist and author of Pressing Your Own Buttons: How to Take Control of Your Life So Others Don’t™ at http://ww.pressingyourownbuttons.com]

By Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2008-2010 by Gary Screaton Page. All rights reserved.

[This article may be reproduced as is with none of the content changed except for spelling as appropriate for the country in which the reproduced articled appears, and further that all links are included as well as the copyright information.]

D. O. Mills

Darius O. Mills, financier and philanthropist, started on his road to fortune with nothing but a good physique and a large determination. His wealth grew to over $25,000,000. He acquired that amount of money by observing these rules:

1.  Work develops all the good there is in a man; idleness all the evil; therefore work if you would be good—and successful.

2.  Sleep eight hours, work twelve, and pick your recreations with an eye to their good results.

3.  Save one dollar out of every five you earn. It is not alone the mere saving of money that counts; it is the intellectual and moral discipline the saving habit enforces.

4.  Be humble, not servile or undignified, but respectful in the presence of superior knowledge, position, or experience,

5.  Most projects fail owing to poor business management, and that means a poor man at the helm.

6.  Success is not measured by the number of his millions one has or by the extent of his power, but by the good that he does.

Joseph Downey

Joseph Downey, was one of the wealthiest contractors in Chicago. He took a pessimistic view of every business venture. Downey said that he always expected the worst to happen, and was agreeably surprised when the reverse occurred. To his intimate friends he often gives these terse bits of advice:

1.  Never figure what your profits are going to be.

2.  Calculate what your possible losses will be on a venture.

3.  Figure what the lowest return will be in a business proposition with all things unfavorable. If matters turn out favorably, you can stand the prosperity that follows.

4.  Buy all the property that you can, but never build to suit you. Construct buildings to please others and they will sell.

C. P. Huntington

Collis P. Huntington laid the foundation of his fortune of over $50,000,000 by peddling hardware in California during the feverish days of 1849. His business maxims were:

1.  Don’t talk too much during business hours.

2.  Listen attentively; answer cautiously; decide quickly.

3.  Do what you think is right and stand by your own judgment.

4.  Teach others, by your conduct, to trust you implicitly.

5.  Never let your competitors know what your next move will be; time enough to talk after you have acted.

6.  Have a definite aim, and keep your eye on the objective point.

7.  Be bold with caution, prudent with boldness.

[Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D. is a Registered Psychotherapist and author of Pressing Your Own Buttons: How to Take Control of Your Life So Others Don’t™ at http://ww.pressingyourownbuttons.com]

By Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2008-2010 by Gary Screaton Page. All rights reserved.

[This article may be reproduced as is with none of the content changed except for spelling as appropriate for the country in which the reproduced articled appears, and further that all links are included as well as the copyright information.]

Here are ten useful guidelines for becoming an effective and welcomed companion. They can help you become a more effective conversationalist:

(1) First listen! Then talk about what matters; avoid trivialities.

(2) Choose your company wisely for a profitable interchange of ideas. The best companions, like the best books, uplift, inform, and entertain.

(3) Study the character of your companions. If they are your superiors, learn from them. Ask them questions. Then, be an attentive listener. If they are your subordinates, render them the best service you can. Always be respectful of others regardless of their station in life.

(4) Fill you mind with suitable topics for use when the conversation wanes.

(5) Make a note whenever you hear something especially new, valuable, or instructive. Enter it as soon as you can into a notebook you keep for such conversational jewels.

(6) Always aim to be pleasing in what you say. Never ridicule!

(7) Avoid making hasty statements or drawing conclusions too quickly. Take time to weigh the different sides of a subject. Take a broad view of things.

(8) Let the conversation drift naturally from one subject to another. Do not hold too tenaciously to one subject. Your companions may wish to talk about other things of greater interest to them.

(9) Make yourself inconspicuous in conversation. Never display superiority. Keep a modest manner. Doing so will be to your credit.

(10) Bear patiently with those holding opposite views to your own. You just might be wrong. Don’t miss an opportunity to learn from them.

[Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D. is a Registered Psychotherapist and author of Pressing Your Own Buttons: How to Take Control of Your Life So Others Don’t™ at www.pressingyourownbuttons.com]