Don’t fight with the boss

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Don’t confront your boss – it will not end well. We Chinese tend to focus on petty tactics and fighting over short-term gains and losses. In many cases, it may seem like you’ve won against your boss on the surface, but in reality you’ve never really won unless you’ve earned his heart and trust. You need to adapt to different bosses; even if they are mean and jerkish, try to cater to their preferences. Be patient and careful with every detail – don’t let them find faults in small things, and it’s okay if things go wrong in bigger matters; they don’t care, so why should you? Always remember for whom you are working, who provides you with food and shelter; do whatever they ask of you, do as they tell you to – forget about what you yourself want to do or how you want to proceed. Even if you think your boss’s idea is utterly absurd and ridiculous, follow it for two days first; maybe it turns out to be correct. Then tell your boss that you did exactly as he suggested, but that new problems have arisen, and ask for his guidance again, offering your own suggestions for solving these problems and asking whether it would be possible to proceed according to your own ideas. Remember one thing: both the merits and demerits belong to the boss. The boss will never take credit for anything; you’re just working for him. Don’t agree? Find a place of your own to be the boss! Often, we are satisfied with certain experiences and tend to boast about our past achievements. We are satisfied with one success, rather than continuously developing our skills and gaining more experience. However, life is not about short-term success; the true meaning of life lies in achieving success through continuous growth. Just like a giant oak tree, you can’t see it growing, but when the seed is planted, you can define it, because growth happens invisibly every day, at every moment. Our experience should also be enriched day by day through continuous pursuit and innovation. Don’t live only in past experiences; seek directions that can help you grow. Only you can decide the breadth and height to which your career can expand. Has your career stalled because you haven’t expanded yourself? Are you proud of the achievements you and your team have made? Is there any clever solution that can help you get out of your current predicament? The answer is: spend a few minutes today writing down at least one way to expand your skills, and then make it a point to seize every opportunity to improve your abilities and gain more experience. In this way, after another 10 years, you can say: I have 10 years of experience. 6 key principles in the workplace: returning to a primitive state—prosperity in the Year of the Ox, rapid success, and exceptional ability to generate profits. For companies, all employees are important while they are on the job; once they leave, they become unimportant. There is no employee who must be retained at all costs—this seems to be the cruel reality of the workplace. 　　 　　Principle 1: Work is really just a job. Don’t expect to balance work and life; in fact, few people are able to successfully integrate the two. Work is not life – we work in order to live, or to maintain the life we desire. Just think about how much time you have in a day or a week to spend with your family, or to do things you enjoy with friends and relatives – it’s clear then that it’s impossible to balance work and life. Work is just work; its purpose is to make money, nothing more. 　　Principle 2: Don’t be afraid to change jobs. If it’s possible to earn more money, or if the job is more enjoyable and satisfying, why not change? Moreover, by changing jobs based on such principles, one’s income will naturally increase over time, and job-hopping may become more common. As long as one gives their best effort in every job and performs competently, meeting the expectations of both the employer and the industry, it should be possible to find another job at any time. 　　Principle 3: One bird in the hand is better than ten in the bush. Many companies claim to have excellent benefit packages, including retirement plans. Yet facts keep showing us that more and more people lose their jobs before reaching retirement age. So, it might be more practical to focus on immediate benefits. Principle 4: The more skills one has for making a living, the better. Work and income in the new century may become unstable, and industries may rise and fall or change rapidly; a lifetime of hard work at the same company could end in unemployment. Therefore, developing skills across various areas horizontally is more practical than climbing up the corporate hierarchy vertically in pursuit of higher positions and greater power. In fact, many companies these days have learned some clever tactics; they are willing to assign attractive senior positions that grant you a fancy title, but this doesn’t lead to much of an increase in salary. Rather than pursuing such false fame, it’s better to master various skills so as to be able to earn money in different ways and switch jobs at any time. 　　Principle 5: Do your job and then go home. Let me remind you once again that work is just work; the company can still function without you. Study diligently the skills necessary for your job, and strive to do it well; but don’t expect to be able to generate much more value or output for the company on your own. Don’t spend a lot of your personal time on this and pull yourself away from life. Remember, do your job properly and then go home. 　　Principle 6: Stay away from office politics. The purpose of your work is to earn a decent income, not to pursue false fame and power; therefore, there’s no need to focus on office politics. A popular fried chicken dish might leave its position due to a change in leadership, while one that has become frozen and lost its vitality might yet turn things around. Rather than spending time getting involved in these meaningless office struggles, it’s better to spend more time with one’s own family. 　　 Bringing one’s mindset back to a primitive era, or imagining oneself in a primitive land today, allows one to change what has been done before, as well as try things that have not been attempted before. Think about what kind of process it would involve? What might be the consequences? Then, returning to the real world and facing the relevant issues, things might suddenly become clear and solutions can be found. Regarding bosses, MP, and attitude – it’s better not to even talk about the current economic and workplace situation. I haven’t been here for a long time; I just want to chat with everyone casually. In the workplace or in everyday life, one often hears questions regarding getting along with bosses. One should act with reason and restraint, and never lose one’s dignity; this is a principle. Don’t the Americans also talk about integrity? Those with a seductive nature also find it difficult to survive for long. But those covered in thorns also suffer a great deal. Office politics are everywhere. Satisfying the boss vs. taking photos, working with colleagues vs. handling things smoothly, having a positive attitude vs. putting on an act – it’s sometimes difficult to draw clear lines, and it depends on how each person interprets these things. One thing my mother has always told me is that people are made of flesh. If you put yourself in the other person’s shoes when thinking about something, you’ll understand a lot more. This concept has benefited me a lot. Of course, I still haven’t done enough. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be like this today, haha. Let me share a few of my own little stories. Maybe everyone will relate to it. (1) What to do with 69 points? Many years ago, I worked as a university teacher in my home country for a short period of time. When grading exam papers, scores like 69 or 79 often appear. If that student is very cooperative in class, I feel a bit sorry for them and try to give them an extra two points so as to raise their grade ； If it’s a student I have no memory of, I just leave it at 69 or 79. Those “good” students didn’t take photos of my MP either, but the good impression they gave me made me lean in favor of them “unfairly”. I’m not a bad teacher; I haven’t deducted anyone’s grades ； But I admit that I’m not completely fair either. I often think that many bosses are also ordinary people like me, with their own little \"unfair\" tactics Knowing human nature, shouldn’t one be careful at all times, cooperate with others, and leave a good impression on them? It’s beneficial for both oneself and others. (II) The Story of the Cake Once, after a meeting in the afternoon, there was some food and drink left over. The second-in-command happened to come by to chat, and I know him quite well, so I said, \"Hey, we just finished our meeting and there’s still plenty of food left. Shall I get some to eat together?\" He said, “Sure, sure!” So I brought some over, and a few of us ate while chatting. Before leaving, he called out to me: Take me to the meeting room. I thought he still wanted it, so I took him there. He told me to get a plate and put a little of each on it. He also told me to get two bottles of xx drink. Only then did I realize that the boss had come to work on-site. Because the boss loves drinking that xx beverage the most. He asked me to take it to the boss. Because someone like me, a minor figure, doesn’t usually get many chances to chat casually with the big shots... I guess it’s not for nothing that the second-ranked person managed to rise to success so easily, right? You say I should be grateful to the second one for giving me some guidance? Should I still walk away with my chin held high? If someone thinks this is MP, I can only say with a blush: I don’t have the \"principle\" that you do, sir. (III) Never burn bridges. Not long ago, the team leader was dissatisfied with a newcomer’s attendance and told her to leave. I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable inside. The captain said: You need to think from the company’s perspective; personal feelings must not get involved! I agree. I talked to the newcomer about the company culture, telling her that it’s not enough to just do one’s own job well. She didn’t understand, and could only swallow the bitter pill. Taking advantage of the Spring Festival, she called me to talk about everyday things and reflect on how she hadn’t done well enough at that time. (She’s not Chinese, and I’m really touched by her effort.) I wish I had put such effort into my work back then as well. ) I’ll hang up and go inform the captain. After all, asking someone to clear a path is a rather sensitive matter. The captain was very nervous, and I said, \"I’m just imitating what was said before it’s forgotten; you have a good memory, so remember the details I’m telling you now!\" However, I didn’t hear anything with a legal connotation. The captain let out a long sigh. I think the captain is overthinking it. The newcomer is quite sensible; I guess they want me to act as a reference for them when they look for a job in the future. (IV) OVER-DONE is often a good thing. It snowed yesterday, and many people were late. As soon as KK arrived, he messaged me: Sorry, there was traffic jam on the highway; I’m late. I said, It’s okay, I’m late too. We can make up for the time when we have the chance later. KK said: I’ll make it up today! I said: Under no circumstances! The roads may be icy on the way back at night; safety must come first for all of us. KK said, “Then I’ll cut my lunch break today.” I can only say: Appreciate your efforts. I think KK is being a bit exaggerated. Our company has strict discipline, but not to that extent. However, KK’s follow-up is truly impeccable. Not long after he arrived, he would send me an email every Thursday morning to report on his work for the week. We don’t have such a requirement; usually people give reports at the regular meeting on Monday, and it’s up to them at other times. Later, he told me: I noticed that you hold meetings with the sister departments every Thursday at 4 o’clock, and I thought my email might be able to help a little. With such an attitude, it’s hard not to like him.