What is management: A fundamental dissection from Chinese character logic to its essence
I. "Governance": The "role legitimacy" and "rule basis" of management
The character "" is composed of "" (bamboo) and "" (official). These two components precisely distill the two major prerequisites for "management behavior" - who manages (role) and based on what to manage (basis).
1. Official: The initiator and responsibility bearer of management
"Official" does not refer to "official position", but rather the "starting point" of management behavior. For any organization to operate in an orderly manner, there must be a clear "managerial role" to coordinate resources and align goals. For example, a department manager in an enterprise is responsible for the team's performance, a class teacher in a school is responsible for the class order, and a section chief in the government is responsible for the department's processes. Without "officials" (managers), the people, finances, and materials within the organization will fall into a state of disorder where everyone acts independently. The sales department may blindly expand the customer base, and the after - sales department may ignore customer complaints, ultimately leading to the failure of the organization's goals to be implemented.
2. Bamboo: The Source of Rules and Foundation of Legitimacy in Management
In ancient times, "bamboo" was a writing tool (bamboo slips), symbolizing "rules" that could be passed on and followed. When supervisors oversee their subordinates, they must never act based on personal preferences or subjective emotions. For example, they cannot relax the attendance requirements just because "they're in a good mood today," nor can they deny someone's performance just because "they don't like that person." The concept of "bamboo" requires supervisors to rely on clear and public standards. For instance, use the "Employee Handbook" to manage attendance, the "Performance Indicator Form" to conduct evaluations, and the "Operation Procedures" to manage production. These "rules" are the "confidence" for "management." Only when the basis is transparent will subordinates recognize the rationality of management actions, and "management" can change from "coercion" to "recognition."
II. Principle: The Closed-loop Logic of Management – A Systematic Approach from Planning to Improvement
The core of "principle" is to "act in accordance with principles". Its essence is to transform management behaviors from "random" to "systematic" with "standards, goals, and plans", and specifically implement it as a closed-loop management of the "PDCA cycle" (Plan - Do - Check - Act).
1. P (Plan): Planning is not a hasty decision but the "breakdown of achievable goals"
The key to the plan is to "turn vague wishes into specific actions":
Standards should be "measurable". For example, "improve customer satisfaction" should be translated into "the customer complaint rate is lower than 1%" and "the response time does not exceed 10 minutes". Vague goals cannot guide implementation.
Goals should be hierarchically structured: Strategic goals (such as annual revenue growth of 20%) need to be broken down into departmental goals (the sales department to achieve 12 million) and individual goals (sales representatives to achieve 100,000 per month) — if large goals are not broken down, they will become castles in the air.
The plan should have a "path": It should not only state "what to do" (e.g., "Expand 3 new customers"), but also "how to do it" (e.g., "Visit 2 potential customers every week"), "what resources are needed" (e.g., "An advertising budget of 200,000"), and "when to complete it" (e.g., "At the end of the quarter").
2. D (Do): Execution is not about "throwing tasks", but about "empowering subordinates to know how to do and be able to do"
The key to implementation is to enable subordinates to "understand the goals, master the methods, and obtain support":
Clarify communication: Use the "5W2H" (what/why/who/when/where/how/how much) to explain the requirements clearly. For example, "You need to complete the pilot of the new process (what) within 1 month. The purpose is to optimize after - sales efficiency (why). You will take the lead (who). Provide progress feedback every Friday (when). You need to coordinate with the IT department (where). Operate according to the 'Pilot Plan' (how). The budget is 50,000 (how much)."
Resource support: Provide necessary training (e.g., "Participate in process optimization training first"), tools (e.g., "Activate new system permissions"), and permissions (e.g., "Be able to directly connect with customers").
Dynamic follow - up: Have a weekly meeting to feedback problems during implementation (e.g. "What should we do if the customer doesn't cooperate with the pilot?"), and avoid "implementation deviation".
3. C (Check): Checking is not about "finding faults", but about "finding problems with data"
The key to the check is to distinguish between "accidental errors" and "systematic loopholes":
Node-based checking: Set key checkpoints (for example, check the "number of new customer acquisitions" weekly and the "sales completion rate" monthly) to avoid "finding out that the task is not completed until the end".
Data-based comparison: Use "actual results" vs. "planned goals" (e.g., "actually completed 80,000 vs. planned 100,000"), rather than saying "I think you didn't do well" — data is the most objective "mirror".
Root inquiry: Ask "Why wasn't it completed?" (e.g., "Was it because the client refused or the resources were insufficient?"), rather than "Why are you so stupid?" — Checking is about "finding problems," not "criticizing people."
4. A (Act): Disposal is not about "making a change", but about "solving problems in a closed-loop"
The key to handling is to ensure that "for each problem solved, one less problem remains".
Root cause analysis: Use the "5WHY" method to dig out the essence of the problem - for example, "High complaint rate → Slow response → The process omits 'Priority for old customers' → The system is not clear";
Targeted improvement: Develop solutions based on root causes (e.g., "Add a clause of 'Prioritize responses to long - standing customers' in the process") instead of making changes without careful consideration.
Standardized precipitation: Write effective measures into the system (e.g., "Update the Customer Service Process"), so that the improvement results become "organizational capabilities" - for example, if the issue of "slow response" is resolved this time, it won't happen again next time.
III. Manage: The core of management is people, and the key is adaptation
The English word "Manage" can be broken down into "Man (person)" and "Age (mental maturity)", directly pointing out the underlying logic of management - all management behaviors ultimately come back to "people".
1. Man: The essence of management is to manage people well
Whether it is managing finance, equipment or processes, it ultimately has to be achieved through "people".
- Equipment needs to be maintained by operation and maintenance personnel, finance needs to be managed by accountants, and customers need to be connected with by salespeople. Without the participation of "people", all resources are "dead".
- Managing people well means managing "people's needs" and "people's capabilities". For example, newly graduated employees want "learning opportunities", middle - aged employees want "stability", and senior employees want "autonomy" - only by meeting their needs will employees "be willing to do the work". For example, newbies need "training", experienced workers need "authorization", and experts need "challenges" - only by improving their capabilities will employees "do the work well".
2. Age: Management should be tailored to the mental stage rather than age
"Age" does not refer to "how old a person is", but rather "the level of a person's cognition and needs":
Newcomers in the workplace (aged 20 - 25): They are more receptive to "coaching-style management" that guides thinking (e.g., "How do you think we should expand our client base?") rather than "command-style management" (e.g., "Do it as I've taught you.").
Senior employees (aged 30 - 40): They are more suitable for "delegative management" - trusting and delegating power (e.g., "You are fully responsible for this project"), rather than "controlling management" (e.g., "Report every step").
Expert employees (aged 40+): They need "honor-based management" more - being given the role of "mentor" (e.g., "guide new employees and share experiences") rather than being managed in a "commanding" way (e.g., "do this task").
3. "Manage people with reason": Transparency and fairness are the "fixed stars" of management
Regardless of the stage of people one is dealing with, management should be "based on reason and abide by reason":
Transparency: The assessment criteria are publicly disclosed (e.g., "Performance score = Sales volume × 60% + Customer satisfaction × 40%"), and the promotion rules are clearly defined (e.g., "To be promoted, one needs to complete 3 projects and rank among the top 20% in the departmental evaluation") – Employees know "how to achieve the results".
Fairness: Rewards are based on performance (e.g., "The top salesperson gets an extra bonus"), and penalties are based on rules (e.g., "Deduct performance points for being late three times") —— Avoid "giving priority to personal connections" and "double standards".
Consistency: Once the rules are established, everyone must abide by them (e.g., "Even the boss has to punch in"). Only when managers abide by the rules first will their subordinates recognize them.
IV. The essence of management: The combination of "governance" and "regulation"
In the final analysis, "management" means: using clear roles (officials, represented by "" in Chinese), relying on rules (represented by "" in Chinese), conducting adaptive management of people (Man + Age), and achieving a closed - loop process of organizational goals through the PDCA cycle (represented by "" in Chinese).
Simply put -
- Without governance (roles and rules), management will be in chaos.
- Without reason (planning and improvement), management will be inefficient.
- Without "people" (core and adaptation), management will "fail".
The ultimate goal of management has never been "to keep people under control" but "to make people willingly do things well" - this is the essence of "management".