How things change and yet...stay the same
WoW company memos have been "toolish" for over a hundred years.
So we are purging the company files and my co-worker Miriam ran across this gem and made copies for us all to enjoy.
From the Chicago Telephone Company, October 28 1911.
1911!
It outlines the Rules For Troublemen (Troublemen sounds like it's a bad translation but I guess that's what we called our Technicians back in the day.)
I won't type it all but here are some of the best bits:
1) Put up a "good front" it is not necessary to advertise any tailor shop, neither is it necessary to go about your work looking like a coal heaver. Overalls can look as respectable as anything else, but they must at least show that they are on speaking terms with the laundryman; and shoes must have a bowing acquaintance with the bootblack.
2) Make the liveryman wash and oil your wagon and harness, and do not tie the harness up with wire longer than is necessary to get proper repairs. The same may be said of your suspenders and buttons. (This kills me, I can only assume that there were complaints of "troublemen" wandering around with busted wagons and plummer's crack, AND I guess people who could afford phones also could afford liveryman.)
6) If compelled to do anything that makes a litter, ask for a newspaper to catch the trash. The Lady of the house will be grateful. (OMG "lady of the house")
12) Treat everybody as you would like to be treated, not forgetting your horse; if you want to know the horse's side of it, just take off your coat and hat some zero day, hitch yourself to the same post with your belt and stand there about two hours. Hearafter don't forget his blanket.
You also get admonished to not go "pell mell" as though you were going after your salary. Heee!
The rest of the memo is full of sayings that I'm guessing have been with corporate America as long as we've HAD corporations. Stuff like:
17) If you will do today what somebody would put off until tomorrow you need not worry about your future.
23) If you don't like your job resign. It will be better for you and the Company. (LIES! That they still tell it to this day, we had an email go out with basically the same language while we've been negotiating our new contract.)
*is amused*
So we are purging the company files and my co-worker Miriam ran across this gem and made copies for us all to enjoy.
From the Chicago Telephone Company, October 28 1911.
1911!
It outlines the Rules For Troublemen (Troublemen sounds like it's a bad translation but I guess that's what we called our Technicians back in the day.)
I won't type it all but here are some of the best bits:
1) Put up a "good front" it is not necessary to advertise any tailor shop, neither is it necessary to go about your work looking like a coal heaver. Overalls can look as respectable as anything else, but they must at least show that they are on speaking terms with the laundryman; and shoes must have a bowing acquaintance with the bootblack.
2) Make the liveryman wash and oil your wagon and harness, and do not tie the harness up with wire longer than is necessary to get proper repairs. The same may be said of your suspenders and buttons. (This kills me, I can only assume that there were complaints of "troublemen" wandering around with busted wagons and plummer's crack, AND I guess people who could afford phones also could afford liveryman.)
6) If compelled to do anything that makes a litter, ask for a newspaper to catch the trash. The Lady of the house will be grateful. (OMG "lady of the house")
12) Treat everybody as you would like to be treated, not forgetting your horse; if you want to know the horse's side of it, just take off your coat and hat some zero day, hitch yourself to the same post with your belt and stand there about two hours. Hearafter don't forget his blanket.
You also get admonished to not go "pell mell" as though you were going after your salary. Heee!
The rest of the memo is full of sayings that I'm guessing have been with corporate America as long as we've HAD corporations. Stuff like:
17) If you will do today what somebody would put off until tomorrow you need not worry about your future.
23) If you don't like your job resign. It will be better for you and the Company. (LIES! That they still tell it to this day, we had an email go out with basically the same language while we've been negotiating our new contract.)
*is amused*