Nowadays, living in society and as a part of it is an integral and inevitable part of every human, unless the one is a total hermit. Therefore dealing with people is perhaps the biggest problem we face every day. An appropriate communication is an especially relevant issue in people who are in business, states Dale Carnegie in his article (Carnegie 1). Communication, however, is an element which influences person's success immensely. The research made by Carnegie Institute of Technology investigations showed that even in such technical spheres as engineering, one's technical knowledge implies about 15% of one's financial success, while the other 85% is gained due to the skill in so called “human engineering” (Carnegie 1), meaning, the capacity to communicate, collaborate, and lead other people.
As long as the idea appeared to organize the courses for skills and capacities development which would be crucial for every person to assure one's success, the University of Chicago and the United Y.M.C.A. Schools decided to conduct the following survey, which took them to years and consisted of more than 150 questions about people's background, their interests, ambitions, problems, and future plans. The purpose of this survey was to define what exactly adults wanted and needed to study. (Carnegie 2) However, by that time there was no book on human relations which could serve as a practical handbook for the course. “Since no such book existed, I have tried to write one” (Carnegie 2) – claimed Carnegie.
While Carnegie focused on the educational purpose of the book while writing it, he referred to Herbert Spencer's quote in identifying its role: "the great aim of education," said Herbert Spencer, "is not knowledge but action." (Carnegie 4). Thus Dale highlights the fact that learning is an active process, and learning by doing approach proves to be really efficient and thus highly advisable. He supports his position by the statement by Bernard Shaw: "If you teach a man anything, he will never learn." Carnegie goes on giving the following advice: “Apply these rules at every opportunity. If you don't, you will forget them quickly. Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind.” (Carnegie 5).
Three first chapters of the book provide numerous advices on how to win friends and influence people. Part 1 unravels the fundamental techniques in handling people and suggests how to read the book efficiently and get the most out of it. One of its main points lies in the following sayings:"If you want to gather honey, don't kick over the beehive" (Carnegie 21) and "He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot, walks a lonely way". (Carnegie 42). Thus they emphasize on the crucial importance of connections and good relationships. Part 2 reveals the ways how to make people like you (such to smile, to be genuinely interested in other people and talk a lot about other person's interests, to be a good listener, to make others feel important etc.), how to make a good impression, and how to become a good conversationalist. The Third Chapter provides the ways to win people to your way of thinking (by showing respect to opinions of others and being able to admit being wrong) and how to avoid making enemies, as well as introduces some insights into human reasoning and psychology. Some other points Dale Carnegie considers important while making attempts to collaborate with others are the following: “I am interested not interested in how big you are and what you desire - I am interested in how big I am and what I desire”. - not how big you are” (Carnegie 26), talking to clients about preferred list makes them feel insignificant, using the word “promptly” while messaging is inappropriate, while “mutually” – highly effective, and finally, the matter of customer's interests and benefits for the one should be outlined in the very beginning. Following Dale Carnegie's book will surely enable the one to achieve the desired results and be truly successful in conducting business, going up the career ladder, and just being successful on the regular basis.
References
Carnegie, D. (1964). How to win friends and influence people. New York: Simon and Schuster.
