Preface
In the field of management, there is an extremely common yet widely recognized topic, and many management books will devote a large amount of space to in - depth introductions of it. However, I don't intend to discuss topics such as demand theory or personality types here. I'd rather make a summary and share with you the results that have been refined through my practice and thinking over a period of time.
Back to the point: Awareness and confusion of humanized management
"Nonsense! Human effort can achieve anything. Of course, management should be people-oriented! But how exactly should it be done?" Presumably, many people have heard such sighs more than once. On the one hand, everyone understands that management should be based on people; on the other hand, due to the complexity of human nature, they don't know where to start. This actually shows that this person already has the primitive awareness of humanized management. However, if one only stays at this level of primitive awareness without further understanding human nature, they will fall into a state of confusion and indecision.
The four hierarchical stages of humanized management
Based on this, we divide the humanized management into four hierarchical stages:
1. Primitive stage: Managers begin to shift their management focus from complicated affairs to people, only having this preliminary awareness. However, this stage lacks practical operability, so it will not be discussed in depth for the time being.
2. Cognitive stage: Managers begin to pay attention to employees' personality strengths and individual characteristics, consider employees' needs, and strive to create conditions to meet these needs.
3. Understanding stage: Managers can pay attention to people's innate characteristics and know how to promote or restrain these characteristics to achieve the purpose of management. This is also the stage that this article focuses on exploring.
4. Operation stage: Managers have a deep understanding of human nature and can manipulate it, guiding human nature to develop in the expected direction.
Typical case analysis in the cognitive stage
Let's use a common example to illustrate the situation in the cognitive stage. When someone sees that a company doesn't allow an employee to take leave to visit their sick child, they will think that the company's management lacks humanity. However, when they find that the company sends a special person to take care of the employee's family members so that the employee can work with peace of mind, they will think that the company's management is very human - oriented. This is a very typical case. Many middle - level and grass - roots managers' understanding of human - oriented management often stays at the level of judging based on whether the company treats employees well or not. Strictly speaking, this is more like humanitarian management rather than real human - oriented management. Because simply being nice to employees all the time may eventually turn the company into a welfare institution.
Understanding stage: Focus on the fundamental nature of human beings
Next, the understanding stage will be elaborated on emphatically. This is also the core of this article, and it is hoped that it can help some people achieve an improvement in their concepts. At this stage, managers know how to pay attention to the fundamental nature of people and can make use of it fundamentally to achieve management goals. So, what is the fundamental nature of people? Simply put, the fundamental nature of people is human nature, which is the inborn nature of the vast majority of people.
Summary and discussion on human nature
I. Viewpoint: Humans have an inherent nature to avoid risks
When facing decisions, almost everyone will ask themselves, "Will doing this be disadvantageous to me?" When problems arise, people will also think about whether they are responsible and whose responsibility is greater. They may even find ways to let others take on more responsibility. As a manager, in the face of this situation, one should not blame but first conduct guidance, reduce the responsibility risks borne by employees from the mechanism, and enhance their sense of security. When employees must be made to take responsibility, one should adhere to the objective principle of seeking truth from facts and the principle of fairness. Excellent managers will spend a great deal of energy exploring the truth when dealing with problems.
View II: Everyone has inertia
Inertia mainly has two manifestations. I. Refusing to execute, that is, being lazy and not wanting to do anything; II. Refusing to change, being accustomed to a certain mode of thinking or action, and being reluctant to change even if one knows it is not the best or even incorrect. In the workplace, similar situations are common. For example, employees in the production department stubbornly refuse to do some simple things. Facing this situation, managers need to be strategic and guide employees in various ways, but they have to figure out the specific methods on their own.
III. Viewpoint: Humans are greedy
Whether one admits it or not, or likes it or not, it is an objective fact that human beings have a greedy nature. Since the barter system in ancient times, people have hoped to gain more benefits in exchanges and break through the principle of fairness. At work, employees will pay attention to their colleagues at the same level and in the same position as themselves. While pursuing fairness, they also want to achieve more with less effort. This is the manifestation of human beings' innate greedy nature at work.
Opinion IV: People all think that they themselves are the most important
Statements like "If I leave, I wonder how long it will take for the company to return to its current state" and "If it weren't for me solving this problem, the company would have messed this up long ago!" reflect the common belief among people that they are crucial to the company. However, this is an immature thought. If managers directly point out this issue to young subordinates, it may arouse their dissatisfaction and ridicule.
Opinion V: Everyone has a desire for control
Since birth, we have been under the control desires of various people. As children, we are controlled by our parents; at school, we are controlled by our teachers; at work, we are controlled by our bosses. People seem to take pleasure in controlling others and will fly into a rage when the other party is out of control. If managers can control their own desire to control, they can at least improve themselves by one level. They will avoid interfering with employees' work in a self - righteous way and won't be annoyed or angry when employees don't follow their orders. It should be noted that management and control are different concepts, which will be discussed separately later.
Opinion VI: People are not likely to admit their own mistakes easily
After people make mistakes, it is difficult for them to admit their errors unless the evidence is conclusive. This is more of a psychological barrier than a matter of saving face. When they have to come clean, people will make excuses for their mistakes and shift the blame onto others.
Opinion VII: People all hope to get rewards soon
Although there is a saying that "hard work always pays off," people still hope that their efforts can be rewarded as soon as possible. For example, when giving up one's seat on the bus, if the other person doesn't express gratitude, one may not be willing to do so again. In the workplace, employees work and receive salaries, but their satisfaction levels with the company vary greatly, which is worthy of in - depth consideration by managers.
A brief mention of the content related to operating human nature
Due to limited space, only the above several views on human nature that I consider relatively important are selected here for discussion. Next, I'll briefly talk about the relevant content of manipulating human nature.
At the principle level: The theoretical foundation of human nature operation
Before discussing the feasibility of manipulating human nature, we have to mention the widely circulated saying - "A leopard can't change its spots." This saying seems to set an unchangeable tone for human nature, as if human nature is like a big tree deeply rooted in the soil and difficult to shake easily. However, when we focus our attention on individuals, we will find a completely different picture.
On the stage of real life, many people have successfully broken through their inherent nature in a certain aspect, transformed from a caterpillar into a butterfly, and become outstanding figures that attract people's attention. Take human laziness, for example. This is almost a common nature shared by all humans, like a lazy cat hidden deep in the heart, always wanting to take a long nap in a cozy corner. However, we can see that many people have overcome this laziness and become paragons of industry.
Some people are diligent because the seeds of the consciousness of diligence have long been sown deep in their hearts. This consciousness may stem from the influence of their families. Since childhood, their parents have taught them that "no pains, no gains," making them understand that only through hard work can they lead a wonderful life. It may also come from school education. Teachers inspire their inner desire to strive by telling inspiring stories of famous people. These people regard diligence as a virtue and a way to realize self - worth. They actively overcome inertia. Just like brave knights challenging dragons, they constantly urge themselves forward.
On the other hand, some people become industrious because they are forced by life or other external factors. Life is like a strict tutor. When it puts pressure on people, they have no choice but to fight back. For example, a child from a poor family has to learn to be independent, take on responsibilities and work diligently at an early age in order to relieve the burden on his parents and change the fate of his family. Social competition is also a powerful external factor. In the fierce workplace competition, if people don't work hard, they will be eliminated. In order to survive and develop, people have to overcome their inertia and become industrious.
From these phenomena, we can draw two important conclusions. First, humans have the ability to transform their nature through their subjective consciousness, turning the common human nature into unique personalities. It's like the clay in the hands of an artist. Originally, it's all the same material, but through the artist's careful shaping, it can become various and charming artworks. Similarly, through the guidance and efforts of subjective consciousness, people can change their nature and make themselves stand out. Second, external influencing factors act like catalysts, accelerating the process of this transformation of nature. Whether it's family pressure, social competition, or others' encouragement, they can stimulate people's potential in a short time and prompt them to overcome the weaknesses in their nature more quickly.
However, the transformation of human nature is not always one - way and irreversible. We can also see that some people who were originally industrious gradually become lazy after they have acquired wealth and a stable life. This is like a machine that was originally full of motivation gradually stops running after losing external pressure and stimulation. When the external factors are removed or new factors emerge, the transformation process of human nature may reverse. For example, at the initial stage of starting a business, a person works day and night and is diligent and hard - working in order to realize his dream. But after his enterprise has achieved great success and accumulated a large amount of wealth, he begins to relax his self - requirements, enjoys a comfortable life, and gradually loses the spirit of struggle he once had.
These three conclusions together form the theoretical basis for manipulating human nature. They prove to us that it is feasible to manipulate human nature and provide us with a guiding direction. They make us understand that human nature is not immutable but malleable, and we can guide and change it through reasonable means.
Technical level: Means of manipulating human nature in management behavior
Based on the above principles, we can find the basic technical means to manipulate human nature in management behaviors.
First is guidance. In the management process, the ideology of employees is like a ship sailing in the vast sea. Without proper guidance on the direction, it is very easy to lose one's way. Managers are like captains, who need to guide the ideology of employees to bring about changes in certain aspects of them. There are many ways of guidance, such as training, education, and communication. Through training, managers can impart new knowledge and new skills to employees, enabling them to continuously improve their abilities; through education, managers can convey the values and culture of the enterprise to employees, making them identify with the goals and concepts of the enterprise; through communication, managers can understand the needs and ideas of employees, and promptly give them encouragement and support, making them feel their own value and importance.
Secondly, create suitable external conditions for motivation. Humans are animals greatly influenced by the environment. Suitable external conditions are like fertile soil, which can stimulate employees' potential and enable them to thrive. Managers can create suitable external conditions by setting up reasonable reward mechanisms, providing a good working environment, and giving employees sufficient autonomy. A reward mechanism is like an alluring piece of candy, which can motivate employees to work hard. When employees achieve excellent results, give them both material and spiritual rewards so that they can feel that their efforts are recognized and rewarded. A good working environment is like a comfortable home, which can make employees feel happy and improve work efficiency. Giving employees sufficient autonomy is like giving them a key, allowing them to freely display their talents and realize their values.
The journey of management is long and arduous
Man himself is a unity of contradictions, and human nature is also full of complexity and diversity. In the world of human nature, various factors interact with each other, just like a complicated game of chess, and every step requires careful consideration from managers. To become an excellent manager, it is far from enough to merely understand the principles and techniques of manipulating human nature. Continuous training and thinking are also needed. In practice, managers should flexibly use various means according to different situations to guide and change the human nature of employees, enabling them to give full play to their greatest potential. At the same time, managers should also constantly reflect on their own behaviors and decisions, summarize experiences and lessons, and continuously improve their management level. Only in this way can they go further on the path of management and achieve more glorious achievements.