Recently, a series of videos about workplace management have climbed to the top of online hot discussions. In the videos, a corporate executive, with her strong management style, put forward some controversial workplace views. She claimed that the relationship with employees in the workplace is purely an employment relationship, which should be performance-centered without the need to delve into employees’ personal lives. “Why should I consider an employee’s family? I’m not her mother-in-law. What concerns me most is whether he can deliver results for the company in a timely manner…” These outspoken comments sparked intense debates on the internet.
As for such views, audience reactions are divided. Some people think this view is too extreme and ignores employees’ emotions and well-being. However, others agree with it, believing that in the competitive workplace, performance is the key to evaluation standards.
In the face of public opinion, this executive had to issue an apology. However, this statement did not appease public discontent. The company’s stock price fell, and its market value decreased significantly, indicating a blow to the company’s image. Inside sources indicate that this member of management has formally resigned, and a series of internal approval processes have been completed.
Worth pondering is that this incident reflects certain prevalent phenomena in Chinese enterprise management. It is not just an isolated case but demonstrates that some managers still adhere to traditional, “employee enslavement”-oriented thinking. In their eyes, employees are not seen as individuals but as tools for achieving profit objectives.
In the current workplace environment, the topic of humanistic care in organizational management is particularly important. Are people ends or means? In contemporary organizational management philosophy, this is a long-standing and profound issue. If people are only seen as a means to an end, then corporate development will focus on efficiency and profit, ignoring individual growth and development. Machines, artificial intelligence, and rapid technological advancement seem like solutions to replace human labor.
However, if we respect each person’s value as an individual and see it as the core of corporate development, then human growth and advancement will become the driving force. Enterprises will focus on people’s thoughts and emotions, encouraging innovation and allowing each person’s unique value to manifest. In such a culture, technological development is intended to aid people, not replace them.
In a business and performance-oriented environment, employees are often inadvertently marginalized, becoming pawns, resources, or means to achieve company goals. In an environment that places people first, every worker is seen as a key factor in organizational success.
The current workplace culture sometimes overemphasizes employee productivity and execution while neglecting their various needs as independent individuals. This practice not only weakens internal motivation and the spirit of innovation but can also lead to talent loss and organizational stagnation. Conversely, forward-thinking organizations that focus on sustainable development steadfastly embrace the “people-centered” philosophy, deeply understanding that employees are not just tools in the business process, but independent individuals with dreams, emotions, and creativity.
In such an organization, the value of a person is not merely in completing tasks, but in growing with the organization and realizing their own value. Valuing employees’ personal development and welfare, respecting their opinions and autonomy, and providing opportunities for growth and fair chances are key to enhancing job satisfaction and commitment. Employees who feel appreciated and respected will greatly enhance their motivation, passion, and sense of responsibility, which are the core driving forces behind the sustained success of a company.
In this constantly changing world, we clearly recognize that people are not cold instruments, but living beings with blood, dreams, and emotions, which are the ultimate purpose of organizational activities and development. Only by establishing such a philosophy can we truly tap into human potential, promote team cohesion and collaboration, achieve a win-win situation, and steer the entire industry towards a more humane and sustainable direction. When our focus shifts from execution to innovation, the keywords of the workplace will no longer be commands and execution, but how to allow employees to leverage their self-drive and creativity to meet customer needs.
The care a company provides for its employees will feed back into customer satisfaction and thus impact the company’s profits and development. Therefore, happy employees are the cornerstone of satisfied customers and high-performance businesses. The importance of process over outcome has always been a controversial topic. In actual work scenarios, outcomes are often used as key indicators of success and represent the results and effectiveness of work. However, if we delve deeper, we will find that the value contained in the process is equally important.
The process is a testament to effort, a ladder of growth, and a storage of experience. In the journey towards the outcome, our sweat and wisdom, along with the setbacks and struggles we go through, all contribute to forging our will and capabilities and amassing valuable experiences. These experiences enable us to face new challenges with ease. Focusing solely on outcomes to the neglect of process value may lead to short-sightedness and an unhealthy work environment, thereby suppressing employees’ innovative spirit and enthusiasm, reducing work efficiency, and diminishing team cohesion. However, if we recognize the value of the process while striving for outcomes, we can also achieve personal growth and team progress. Every step in our work, every attempt, every reflection, is our valuable treasure for moving forward.
These treasures not only help us to better cope with current challenges but also provide a powerful support for our future development. The process is like the wonderful path leading to the outcome; both are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Only by focusing on the process and pursuing the outcome can we achieve more comprehensive and in-depth success at work and together create a rich and complete workplace.
What should new era leaders care about? In today’s organizational context, the responsibilities leaders bear have far surpassed the traditional boundaries of merely monitoring tasks and outcomes. An outstanding leader must not only have keen insight into work progress and final results but also show deep concern for employees’ work experience, emotional state, and personal growth trajectory.
Leaders must clearly recognize that employees are not merely tools for completing tasks, but the most precious resource within the organization. Therefore, paying high attention to employees’ career development, skill enhancement, and personal growth is extremely important. By providing employees with opportunities for learning and development, as well as clear promotion pathways, leaders can inspire their potential, effectively promote their growth, and thus bring more long-term benefits to the organization.
Leaders should be clearly aware of the emotional state and work experience of the employees. A happy and satisfied employee often bursts with higher work enthusiasm and strong creativity. Leaders need to closely monitor the employees’ workload, work environment, and relationships with colleagues, promptly identifying and properly solving problems that may affect their work experience. Leaders should also strive to create a positive and healthy team culture. By actively encouraging open communication, teamwork, and mutual support, leaders can foster a team that is full of vitality and strong cohesion. Such a team is not only capable of completing tasks efficiently, but also capable of exhibiting strong organizational resilience and extraordinary innovative abilities when facing challenges and difficulties.
Leaders need to be constantly mindful of the organization’s goals and vision, ensuring that the employee’s work is highly aligned with the organization’s long-term development direction. With clear goal setting and effective strategic consensus, leaders can lead employees to dedicate themselves to achieving these objectives, thereby powerfully driving the organization’s continuous development and prosperity.
In summary, an excellent leader needs to have a comprehensive perspective and a profound spirit of humanistic care. By paying close attention to employee growth, emotions, and work experience, as well as creating a self-driven team culture, leaders can shape an efficient, vibrant organization with a rich humanistic care, laying a solid foundation for the long-term success of the organization.
Why has the concept of “work-life balance” ultimately become a false proposition? The demands of work often permeate every corner of our lives, and even when we try to divide time, the pressure, responsibilities, and unforeseen circumstances brought by work still break this seemingly beautiful balance. Life cannot always make way for work; essential aspects like family and health can also conflict with work, forcing us to struggle between the two, revealing the illusionary nature of balance. Pursuing work-life balance has become a luxury for many companies and individuals in various industries.
The notion that “work is for a better life” is not too far-fetched. We must realize that a good work-life balance is crucial for employee satisfaction and long-term engagement. When people can find the right balance between the workplace and home, enjoy wonderful moments with loved ones, and take on other life responsibilities, they become more focused, passionate, and creative in their work. Such balance not only enhances personal well-being but also boosts work efficiency, thereby positively impacting the organization.
However, it is regrettable that many organizations adopt traditional management approaches, yet overlook the importance of work-life balance, sometimes taking action only when problems become severe. Some employees, unable to bear the dual pressures of work and life, have no choice but to regretfully leave their jobs and return to the embrace of their families. Studies have shown that those who cannot make enough time for personal life often feel physically and mentally exhausted, which is not conducive to maintaining healthy family and social relationships.
Work-life balance is a dynamic process, changing with individual differences and over time. People at different stages of life, influenced by factors such as the nature of their careers, personality traits, and life demands, will have differing points of balance. The pursuit of “balance” should not be a rigid standard, but rather a flexible adjustment according to one’s actual situation.
It is notable that over-emphasizing the separation of work and life leads us to overlook their intrinsic connection. Work is not just a means of livelihood but also a path for realizing personal value and improving skills; life is not just a space for leisure and enjoyment, but also a stage for personality shaping, emotional development, and interpersonal relationship building. We should view work and life as an integrated whole, where each is connected to and influences the other.
The pursuit of work-life balance is not really the problem we need to solve. In fact, we should focus on how to find our own position and value between the two, and how to maintain inner peace and stability in the face of stress and challenges. This requires us to continually adjust our mindset and behaviors, seeking meaning in busy work and finding happiness in ordinary life. Only in this way, can we achieve a harmonious coexistence between work and life, and move towards a better future.
In the issue of leadership, should we conform to human nature or break it? Leadership that conforms to human nature emphasizes understanding and respecting employees’ needs and desires, thereby inspiring their vitality and creativity. It is people-oriented, focusing on creating a harmonious and conducive work environment for potential development. In contrast, leadership that goes against human nature places more emphasis on rules, constraints, and the breaking of challenges.
For employees, leadership is a driving force, encouraging them to bravely leave their comfort zones, constantly challenge themselves, and achieve higher goals. In complex situations, such leadership can spur a team to break the norm, adapt to constant changes, and meet challenges.
However, ignoring private matters such as family, as demonstrated by Qu Jing’s approach, is clearly against the modern social trend. This management style might achieve some results in the short term, but in the long run, it can severely affect employees’ work enthusiasm and loyalty to the organization.
Exceptional managers must recognize that caring for employees should not be seen as an unnecessary accessory; it is an essential part of organizational development that runs parallel with it. In facing complex times, the required leadership might not be a mere pursuit of appeasement or defiance of human nature, but rather a clever combination of the two.
On one hand, it is necessary to cater to human nature with gentleness and understanding, making employees feel respected and cared for, thus uniting their hearts; on the other hand, it also requires the decision-making and courage that go against human nature, to make resolute decisions at critical moments and guide the right direction.
The balance of leadership can continuously demonstrate its flexibility and adaptability in a changing environment. It can both satisfy human needs and provide emotional comfort, while also driving the team to innovate and move forward against human instinct. Such a leadership model can coexist harmoniously with the complexities of the times, progress together, and steadily lead the team forward in the torrents of the era.
When employees deeply feel trusted and cared for, they will release their potential more actively and contribute better results to the organization. Only management established on the basis of respecting human nature can really build a vibrant and creative self-driven organization.
Leaders should give up the approach of pursuing efficiency while ignoring employees’ inner feelings, and instead treat people with a more open and understanding attitude, finding the perfect balance between management and employee care, thus helping the organization to continue developing forward.
In this rapidly changing business era, if enterprises want to maintain their competitiveness, they must constantly adapt to new situations and continue to improve. As modern leaders, they must understand the aforementioned issues clearly and deeply, and make wise decisions. It is necessary to focus on the coordination between process and results, treating people as goals rather than merely tools, valuing the comprehensive development of employees, cultivating leadership abilities to adapt to complex times, effectively promoting the organization’s continuous progress and growth, achieving workplace prosperity, and enabling the organization to display even more dazzling sustainable development brilliance.
