In the weariness of Monday lies the collision between procedures and human hearts
Every Monday morning, I feel like I've been stuffed into a fast - spinning gear. As soon as I push open the office door, 37 unread messages pop up on the computer screen. There are abnormal reports left unfinished from last week piled on the desk, and the voice of the production line team leader is ringing in my phone: "This batch of materials needs to go into production urgently. Please confirm the specifications quickly." My finger glides across the schedule, and the four characters "Workshop inspection" are circled three times in red pen. I stare at it and rub the space between my eyebrows - not because I'm afraid of following the procedures, but because I'm afraid that "following the procedures" will turn into "offending people". Last time when I reminded Xiao Wang in the assembly section that he forgot to stick the labels, he said, "You're really nosy" and didn't talk to me for a whole week. Last week when I checked the inspection standards with Xiao Li from the quality control department, she rolled her eyes and said, "You're stricter than our manager." I touch the "Operation Process Manual" in the drawer. Its cover is all frayed, but I still haven't figured out the balance between "following the rules" and "not offending people".
At half past nine, I carried the inspection form and walked towards the workshop of Manufacturing Class 3. Just as I pushed open the heavy fire door, the roar of the machines mixed with the smell of engine oil rushed towards me. On the workbench of the third station, there were newly unpacked semi - finished products, and the foam bags were scattered around my feet. The operator, Xiao Zhang, was wearing gloves and picking up materials. IPQC Xiao Lin was squatting beside the material box, holding a caliper to measure the thickness of a casing. After the measurement, he looked up and nodded to Xiao Zhang, saying, "The size is correct. We can start production." Xiao Zhang responded and reached out to press the start button. I quickly walked over and first glanced at the production order form on the workbench. The front side was printed with the product model "XZ - 231" and the quantity "500 PCS", and there was a stamp of "Approved" in the bottom - right corner, but it was placed upside - down with the back side facing down.
"Wait a minute." I reached out and held Xiao Zhang's arm. "Have you read the production order form thoroughly?" Xiao Zhang looked up, with a bit of confusion on his face. "Yes, I have. I've checked the model and quantity on the front, and Xiao Lin has also inspected the quality." I turned the production order form over. On the back, there was a line of small characters written in red pen: "This batch of products needs to undergo surface anti-scratch treatment first (see Annex 3 for the process). Do not start production without treatment." The handwriting was a bit faint, but it was indeed a requirement newly added by the sales department last week. "Didn't you look at the back?" I asked. Xiao Lin leaned over. After seeing it clearly, he was stunned for a moment. "I thought everything was written on the front, so I didn't turn it over." Xiao Zhang also scratched his head. "I followed Xiao Lin's instructions and didn't notice there were requirements on the back." The fan in the workshop blew over, lifting the corner of the production order form. I stared at that line of red characters and suddenly remembered that during the meeting of the sales department last week, they emphasized that "this batch of customers has extremely high requirements for surface finish. If the anti-scratch treatment is missed, there will be batch rework." At that time, I even circled it in my notebook, but unexpectedly, we still missed it.
During the noon break, I took the production order form and went to the Quality Control Department to find Manager Wang. The window of his office faced the corridor, and the sunlight shone on the coffee cup on his desk, creating a layer of oily sheen. I put the production order form in front of him, pointed to the red - pen writing on the back, and said, "Regarding the situation in Production Class Three just now, neither Xiao Lin nor Xiao Zhang read the requirements on the back. If they start production directly, they'll definitely have to rework later." Manager Wang picked up the production order form, glanced at it, then put it down, leaned back in his chair and smiled, "So what?" His tone was very light, as if he were talking about an insignificant matter, and there was a hint of impatience in the smile on his lips. I was taken aback for a moment and quickly added, "The Sales Department specifically emphasized this requirement last week. If something goes wrong..." "What could go wrong?" Manager Wang interrupted me. "Xiao Lin is an old employee. Even if he misses something, can't he just make it up during the inspection later?" I stared at the "Quality Control Management Regulations" on his desk. Article 12 clearly stated that "IPQC shall comprehensively check all the contents of the production order form", but I swallowed the words back. The last time I argued with him about the process, he said I was "too rigid", and after that, the people in the Quality Control Department avoided me.
When I got off work, I was sitting on the subway, looking at the streetlights flashing by outside the window. A message from Xiao Zhang popped up on my phone: "I just flipped to the back of the production order. Thanks to your reminder, otherwise I would have been scolded." I stared at this message, typing and deleting on the keyboard with my fingers. I wanted to say "You must read the whole production order from now on", but I was afraid of being regarded as "preaching" like last time. The inspection form in my pocket was pressing against my leg. The two characters "rigorous" on the cover were rubbed shiny by me, but suddenly I felt they were not that weighty anymore. I remembered that when I was applying lipstick in front of the mirror this morning, I told myself "Mind your own business less today", but I still couldn't help speaking up when I saw something wrong. I thought of Manager Wang's "So what", Xiao Zhang's "Thanks to your reminder", and the cold - shouldering I received last week. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. It wasn't physical exhaustion, but the confusion in my heart was like a thick fog, making it hard for me to breathe. I wondered: How on earth can I stick to the process without being a "nuisance"? How should I say things to make others take the "rules" seriously?
The subway broadcast announced, "The next stop is XX Road." I put away my phone and looked at the crowded passengers. Everyone was frowning, holding their laptops or documents, like a group of chess pieces being pushed forward by the routine. I felt the "Operation Procedure Manual" in my bag and suddenly remembered what my mentor had said when I joined the company: "Management isn't just about sticking to rules and shouting slogans. It's about making the rules a part of everyone's habits." But now, I can't even get people to read the entire production order form, let alone make it a habit.
When I stepped out of the subway exit, the wind was a bit chilly. I wrapped my coat tightly around me and looked at the office buildings in the distance, where the lights were coming on one by one. I don't know how to talk to Manager Wang about this matter again tomorrow, nor how to communicate with Xiaolin, nor how to balance "following the rules" and "not offending people". But I know that when I get to the company tomorrow morning, I'll still carry the inspection form to the workshop, still stare at the back of the production order form, and still speak up when I see something wrong. After all, some things aren't about "being annoying"; they're about holding on to what one should hold on to. Even if I'm confused and tired, I still have to keep going.