Looking at traditional enterprises from another angle

When traditional culture collides with enterprise management, what kind of spark will it produce? Here, Yan Xiaoer simply takes Confucianism, Taoism and France, which were popular in the pre-Qin period, as the representatives of traditional culture, and briefly talks about what enlightenment they can bring to enterprise management.

First of all, starting from the Confucian idea of "fame and reality", we can tell modern managers how to "select people".

Secondly, starting from the ideological characteristics of Taoism that "softness can overcome rigidity", it can help modern managers understand how to "manage people".

Finally, starting from the legalist concept of "everyone for himself", it can help modern managers understand "employing people".

1, Confucian "justified": How to "choose people" For Confucian culture, we can't stick to its shortcomings under the extreme development of the old society, so it is easy to miss the great scenery left by our ancestors.

Some people say that Confucianism emphasizes "Jun Jun, minister, father and son", and that this concept of "respect and inferiority" will solidify people's thoughts and is "dross". In Yan Xiaoer's view, if we stick to the literal meaning, it is really dross, but the reason why our traditional culture can be spread for thousands of years is because of its "core spirit" charm. The core charm of Confucianism lies in "benevolence" This kind of "benevolence" is flexible and full of toughness, and it is by no means a rigid "respect and inferiority".

Confucius' "Jun Jun, Minister, Father, Son" starts from "benevolence", which is by no means the foolish loyalty of "the monarch wants the minister to die, and the minister has to die", but contains a flexible way of "selecting people", which is worth learning today.

In other words, Confucius' "Jun Jun, Minister, Father and Son" actually emphasized "name" and "reality". He is saying for Jun Jun that a monarch should have "the ability of a monarch"; To be a "father", you must have the virtue of being a father and so on. In other words, where a person is, he must have the "ability" and "virtue" that the corresponding position should have. This is Confucius' view of "taking name as truth".

In other words, the so-called "harmony between morality and demand" and "real demand for fame" are actually the views that Confucianism and Confucius want to express, and this view is undoubtedly a subject that modern enterprise management needs to understand when selecting people.

2. Taoism "softness wins rigidity": how to manage people. Everyone is a living individual and has his own personality and life background. People with different backgrounds and personalities often need a "leader" or "manager". Here, it is very important to make good use of the "management art" in management.

Friends who have been in society for a certain period of time should have some experience. Really powerful people often have strong affinity. They are gentle but resilient. This actually confirms a classic theory of Taoism, that is, "the weak wins the strong."

"Lao Zi" Chapter 36 has a sentence:

"If you want it, you will be solid; If you want to be weak, you must be strong; If you want to abolish it, you must lift it; Take what you want and give it. It means dusk. Weak is stronger than strong. "

This is what I said. If we want to expand, we must first exercise restraint. If we want to weaken it, we must first strengthen it. If you want to abolish it, you must praise it first. If you want to catch it, you must give it first. Many times, weakness can overcome strength because of its tenacity.

In Yan Xiaoer's view, the theory of Taoist Laozi is actually more like the application of the law of "extremes meet" in personnel. Weakness is not cowardice, but the combination of rigidity and softness, because rigidity and softness are combined, but there is more room for advancement and retreat; And "power" is closer to "destruction" because it has reached the extreme.

The "convergence" before expansion is more like keeping a low profile; To be strong first and then weak is to know the truth that "the wood in the forest is beautiful"; It is not uncommon to "flatter" before "abandoning", relying on favor and arrogance. Courtesy before soldiers is also a tactical thinking of courtesy before soldiers.

Taoist thought reveals many "laws" that everything can't escape. Grasping this "law", starting from the principle of "following the trend" of Taoism, with goodwill, I think Taoist thought can give modern managers a lot of inspiration in "managing people".

3. Legalists' "each doing his own thing": How to employ people Legalists was very popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Lisi, the representative of legalists, helped Qin Shihuang gallop the battlefield and unify the whole country, which also shows that legalists' thoughts really contain a lot of "wisdom of employing people".

Yan Xiaoer does not advocate that you should learn from the legalist school's "heavy punishment and heavy law". After all, the death of Qin Ershi and the disappearance of legalist thought in later generations are lessons from the past. However, some laws grasped by legalists in "employing people" are indeed enlightening to modern managers.

Han Fei, a representative figure of Legalism, once put forward the view of "magic potential" from the perspective of "each doing his own thing" Yan Xiaoer doesn't talk about it here, nor does he suggest managers to understand the "magic potential". In the final analysis, modern enterprise management is a "two-way choice", not a simple "pecking up and down". Here, it is necessary to establish the harmony of "partners" between management and employees, and less "routines".

Closer to home, Han Fei put forward that "everyone is for himself", that is, "everyone is for his own benefit". From this point on, we can make good use of the people under our master. Han Fei once gave an example that inspired Yan Xiaoer very much, and the truth behind this example is the "wisdom of employing people" that every manager needs to grasp.

Han Fei once said: people who make cars want everyone to have money so that they can buy a car. People who make coffins may want someone to die early. But this does not mean that people who make cars are "benevolent" and those who make coffins are "heartless". Their different attitudes towards people are only their "benefits".

Han Fei's example here is a bit extreme, but it is helpful for us to understand its meaning. Han Fei is actually telling us that, first of all, most people are selfish; Secondly, because "self-interest" and "benefit" of each individual are different, so likes and dislikes are different.

Here, returning to Han Fei's enterprise management perspective, for managers, if they want to "use good people", they only pay attention to dedication and return, which undoubtedly violates the "self-interest" of "migrant workers" and even everyone, and naturally they don't need good people. Secondly, everyone's "needs" may not be as consistent as we think. At this time, if you want to use good people, you must pay attention to their needs. Under the "right medicine", the return may be unexpected.

4. How to understand "wisdom" in traditional culture? From the perspective of managers, combined with the cultural characteristics of Confucianism, Taoism and France, this paper briefly talks about the management wisdom displayed by the three schools. Of course, the cultures of the three schools are profound, and these are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to know more, you have to work hard on your own.

However, what Yan Xiaoer wants to say here is that some people see feudal ethics in Confucianism, passive seclusion in Taoism and ruthlessness in critics. This is actually not objective, and it is treated with preconceived prejudice. When we study the classics of traditional culture, we should have an "objectivity" of staying out of it, use words to understand the subtle logic of classic books, understand their core spirit through words, and then analyze them from all angles to get inspiration and essence, so that our gains may be even greater.

I hope this article can bring you some help and look forward to meeting you next time.

Note: This article is the original and exclusive release of Yan Xiaoer's philosophical works. If there is any infringement such as handling or plagiarism, the responsibility will be investigated once found. The pictures in this paper come from the Internet, and some materials come from the Internet. They were hacked and deleted (within two weeks). Please enjoy this series.