The Way of the Workplace
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Summary
The word “management” consists of two parts: “managing” and “organizing.” “Managing people and organizing tasks” is the foundation of effective leadership. Managers should respect human nature and practice self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-discipline. When dealing with subordinates, they should focus more on managing tasks and less on controlling people. In this way, mutual respect flourishes within the organization, and the atmosphere becomes naturally harmonious and pleasant.
Drawing on the characteristics of the Chinese people, integrating Eastern and Western cultural and managerial experience, and proceeding from the realities of daily corporate management, this book proposes such externally flexible yet internally principled management principles as “the six principles of conducting oneself and getting things done,” “the basic approach to handling problems,” and “subordinates should respond when a superior gives instructions bypassing the immediate supervisor.” It provides personnel at all levels with a set of effective workplace methods: through insight into and grasp of human nature, act in accord with the situation and do a good job of managing people and organizing tasks.
Editor's review
The book's greatest value lies in its unique cultural perspective—integrating Western management studies with Eastern wisdom on dealing with the world, and proposing the core idea of "holding to the constant while adapting to change." The author holds that success in the workplace lies not in blindly following rules but in understanding the "constant" (fundamental principles) behind the rules, so as to respond flexibly to change. Chapters such as "The Three Stages of Interpersonal Relationships," "The Art of Getting Along with Superiors and Subordinates," and "Seizing the Timing of Advance and Retreat in the Workplace" all embody this profound thinking.
Compared with most workplace books on the market, which emphasize the level of "technique" (such as communication skills and time management), this book focuses more on cultivating the "Way." It helps readers build a systematic cognitive framework for the workplace, understand the deeper logic of how organizations operate, and develop a strategic vision for long-term growth. In particular, its interpretation of Chinese-style workplace culture—such as the culture of face, the ways of human relations, and the balance between collectivism and individual performance—has irreplaceable reference value.
Note that the book's way of thinking bears a distinct imprint of traditional culture, and some views may require readers to absorb them critically in light of their own industry. For readers seeking a quick recipe for success, the book may seem "not practical enough"; but for those who wish to build lasting workplace competitiveness and understand the essence of the workplace ecosystem, it is a book of wisdom worth reading again and again.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Newcomers just entering the workplace who want to establish a sound professional outlook
- Practitioners at the middle-management level who have hit a development bottleneck
- Researchers interested in combining traditional Chinese culture with modern management
- Staff in enterprises and public institutions who need to handle complex interpersonal relationships
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking quick-fix techniques and concrete operational templates
- Workplace professionals who completely reject traditional cultural thinking
Reading tips
- Read the whole book first to build a framework, then closely read the chapters relevant to your current workplace dilemmas
- Take notes as you read, connecting the content to your own experience and comparing Chinese and Western management thinking
- If concepts related to the I Ching seem obscure, focus first on understanding their philosophical meaning rather than the hexagrams themselves
About the publisher
Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序言
- 01 洞察人性管理的奥秘
- 中国式管理即人性管理
- 管理的原则：以人为本
- 一切皆变，唯有人性不变
- 人性不喜欢被管
- 人性管理：管事加理人
- 02 人性管理的重要原则：外圆内方
- 理：看得起，有面子
- 要理人管事
- 做事要圆通
- 圆通不是圆滑
- 外圆内方真君子
- 03 外圆内方的要义
- “方”：方针、准则
- “圆”：变通、涵养
- 方形是“经”，圆形是“权”
- 有所变，有所不变
- 循则而变
- 合理变通
- 04 做人、做事六原则
- 守本分，做好本职工作
- 守规矩，按制度办事
- 守时限，提前完成才有可能
- 守承诺，一诺千金
- 重改善，精益求精
- 重方法，正确有效是唯一的衡量标准
- 05 建立合乎人性的制度
- 管理制度化
- 自觉遵守合理的制度
- 由下而上定制度最有效
- 领导有最终决定权
- 上下多交流，彼此多尊重
- 好制度关键在执行
- 凡事合理合法
- 06 处理问题的基本思路
- 遇事首先讲情
- 要用情和行动去化解
- 依法处理有前提
- 处理问题人性化
- 得到面子要格外讲理
- 执行制度要有软件配合
- 07 处理问题要谋定而后动
- 思考的方式和处理问题的方式相反
- 做事要合法
- 遇事要变通
- 不能变通，要求得理解
- 合理合法，还要考虑可能产生的后遗症
- 08 做好上级交办的事情
- 与上级交往的第一条：不能拍马屁
- 上级交办的事情要接受
- 难以领命的事情不能做，也不能说
- 研究实际情况，有问题提出来试试看
- 有问题请上级拿主意
- 察言观色，心中有数
- 09 部属工作做不好领导有责任
- 指派工作是考验上级的能力
- 适当分派工作，还要跟踪指导
- 老板和员工要好聚好散
- 部属工作做不好：“不能”？“不为”？
- “不为”的原因
- 安抚好能干、耍大牌的部属
- 10 正确处理部属越级报告
- 越级报告为非常态，不是常态
- 处理越级报告的是与非
- 认真倾听，但不必亲自处理
- 静观其变，无为而治
- 认真与部属沟通
- 各居其位，各自修炼，各安其所
- 11 上级越级指示部属要回应
- 上下够不着，中间最难受
- 不抗议，不询问
- 自行承接越级指示须自行负责
- 教训与宽容并举
- 老板做事要留有余地
- 承接越级指示要慎重
- 对待平行同事的越位指示要留心
- 12 向上级报告应择时机
- 尊重领导
- 带着方案去请示
- 报告要分三段讲
- 发生分歧要调整
- 报告要择时、择机，点到为止
- 13 少向部属作指示
- 少作指示，要借用别人的智慧
- 提出问题，让部属制定方案
- 集众人之智
- 把指示放在腹中
- 让部属多动脑筋找出最佳方案
- 中层领导要学会承上启下
- 保持紧急时发号施令的权力
- 14 善待平行同事
- 平行同事一般大
- 将心比心，互相体谅
- 同级之间要照顾
- 要保证跟你打交道不会吃亏
- 同事之间要善待
- 竞争：你看有则有，你看无则无
- 15 指派新任务要量才适用
- 企业不断增加新任务
- 让下级心甘情愿地接受新任务
- 用简化、合并、重组的方法调整原有工作
- 指派新工作要量才适用
- 指派新任务由主管控制
- 适当少派好差事给不接受指派者
- 16 实施走动式管理确保如期完成任务
- 如期完成任务
- 不要等到最后才发现不能兑现
- 要及早想办法解决进度问题
- 因人而异，一切都在控制之中
- 要有补救方案才妥当
- 绝不能降低质量
- 17 如何处理部属的错误
- 预防为先
- 派人实地检查部属的工作
- 指出部属错误要有策略
- 初犯不罚，再犯不赦
- 重在教育过程
- 管理中层领导重在做人，教育员工要诚心诚意
- 18 做事是否合理的判断准则
- 人性喜欢合理，但合理与否很难讲
- 做事先定位，位置不同则道理不同
- 时也，命也；势可以造，时只能等
- 合理是“中”，不合理是“不中”
- 做事合理与否看看反应就知道
- 灵活运用合理的标准
- 部属没有权力批评老板
- 19 人性管理的“六字要诀”
- 做事情、做学问都要“摸着石头过河”
- 做任何事以“两难”为起点
- 身处“两难”，要会“兼顾”
- “兼顾”不了，求“合理”
- 遇事三思而后行
- 第三种处境也许是最好的解决方案
- 20 实施人性管理的目的
- 降低成本的有效方法
- 让大家乐于工作，发挥潜力
- 大家合作协同，组织才有力量
- 管理也要“与时俱进”
- 尊重员工的尊严
- 人性管理适用于各种管理模式
- 中国文化理应作为企业的主流文化
- 21 实施人性管理的方法
- 21世纪是中国的世纪
- 不要讲“人力资源管理”
- 不要存心去管人
- 不要忽略人的情绪
- 不要讨论人性的善恶，人富有可塑性
- 不要开口闭口就讲法
- 有成绩时要感谢上司给了你机会
- 附录 曾仕强教授做客《名家论坛》对话“人性管理”
FAQ
How does this book differ from classic Western management works such as The Effective Executive?
Can readers without a foundation in Chinese classics understand the concepts in the book?
Do the book's views apply to all types of organizations?
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About the author
Zeng Shiqiang (1934–2018) was born in Zhangzhou, Fujian, and grew up in Taiwan. He held a PhD in management philosophy from the University of Leicester in the UK and was a professor at Taiwan Chiao Tung University. In 1979 he put forward the idea of "Chinese-style management," and he is known as the "father of Chinese-style management," an influential scholar and author in the Chinese-speaking management world. The library holds 75 of his works, covering management, motivational growth, social culture, and social science. Representative titles include Chinese-Style Management (Complete Edition), The Management Wisdom of the Chinese: Three Volumes, Flexible Interpersonal Relationships, The Great Way of Management, and The Square and Circle of Leadership (Updated Edition). He also appeared on CCTV's Lecture Room, presenting The Mystery of the I Ching and The Inspiration of Hu Xueyan, bringing traditional wisdom to modern management and life topics. His books combine scholarship with accessible writing and are widely read among Chinese readers.
