On her third day sitting in the workshop deputy director's office, Liu Li decided to stop relying solely on reports and briefings. She put on her faded work clothes, the cuffs faintly showing oil stains, and plunged back into the familiar roar of the machine tools. This time, however, her gaze wasn't just focused on the precision of the parts and the angle of the cutting tools; instead, like a human scanner, she meticulously observed every step of the production process and the working status of every individual.

The sight she saw weighed heavily on her mind.

In the milling machine section, a veteran operator was slowly and methodically changing workpieces on the fixture, his movements skilled yet unhurried. Beside him, a young apprentice was listlessly wiping the machine tool guideways with a rag, his eyes somewhat vacant. Liu Li remembered the milling machine's rated processing efficiency; at the current pace, it probably wouldn't even reach 70%.

She walked over, without blaming him, and casually asked, "Master Zhang, the time quota for this batch of end caps seems a bit tight?"

Seeing that it was Liu Li, Master Zhang stopped what he was doing, smiled, and said with a casual, habitual tone, "Director Liu, the quotas are all decided by the higher-ups. Whether it's tight or not, we can always get by by leaving on time and manage to meet this month's targets. If we work too fast, the quota will be increased next month, and we'll just be asking for trouble." He pointed to the idle vertical drilling machine next to him, "That machine is fast, but even if we finish, we still have to wait. What's the use of rushing if there are no more blanks or the next process is not available?"

In the lathe group, she saw several workers gathered around an old C616 lathe, seemingly discussing something. Upon closer listening, she learned they were debating which angle of the cutting tool would be "less strenuous" rather than "more efficient" or "better in terms of quality" when machining a stepped shaft. Ultimately, they chose a parameter that, while causing faster wear and requiring more frequent tool changes, resulted in lower cutting forces and easier operation.

"Why not use the knife with the negative front corner? Although it takes a bit more effort at the beginning, it's durable and efficient," Liu Li couldn't help but ask.

A young worker scratched his head and said with a simple smile, "Director Liu, that's too tiring! Anyway, we only do this much work all day, so we can take our time and procrastinate a bit. If we use that easy tool and finish early, the foreman might assign us other odd jobs, which won't be any easier, and we won't get any more work points."

"Work points"... Liu Li noticed this key word. The current performance evaluation and income distribution system basically follows a work point system similar to that used in agriculture, with very little correlation to final production efficiency, quality, or cost savings. Whether you earn a lot or a little, do well or poorly, the difference in take-home pay at the end of the month is negligible. This unincentive distribution method acts like an invisible wall, firmly imprisoning workers' enthusiasm and creativity.

She also discovered that the equipment maintenance was worrying. Many machine tools had thick layers of oil and metal shavings on their surfaces, clearly indicating inadequate daily cleaning and maintenance. When asked, the workers looked helpless: "No matter how well we maintain them, we only get a few words of praise, not much extra money. Anyway, there's a repair team if they break down, so it's not our responsibility to delay production."

The entire workshop was like a massive but inefficiently idling machine. Everyone was moving about in their own positions, but lacked an intrinsic drive to strive for excellence. This pervasive inertia, this inertia bred under the "iron rice bowl" system, was more challenging for her than any single technical problem.

Technical problems can be solved through calculation, experimentation, and the introduction of new methods. However, deeply ingrained inertia and entrenched behavioral patterns require touching vested interests, changing rules, and even challenging the long-established concept of "fairness."

That evening, Liu Li sat under the desk lamp in her office, staring blankly at a sheet of paper. Outside the window, the streetlights in the factory area cast a dim, yellowish glow in the cold wind. She recalled her time on the project team, arguing heatedly with Fu Jingchen and Zhou Wei over a technical parameter, that passionate dedication to finding the optimal solution; she also remembered leading the task force in tackling key problems, the scenes of everyone working tirelessly and selflessly towards a common goal.

Why is it that the potential and efficiency that can be unleashed in national-level project teams and temporary task forces are difficult to replicate in regular workshop management?

The answer seems obvious: the mechanisms are different.

The project teams and task forces have clear goals, well-defined responsibilities, and tangible results, which are even closely linked to individual honors. However, the daily management of the workshop is mired in egalitarianism.

She picked up her pen and wrote a few words heavily on the manuscript paper: "Break the egalitarian system."

The ink seeped onto the paper, seemingly reflecting the heavy weight in her heart. She knew what turbulent waves lay behind those four words. But if she didn't take this step, the machining workshop of Hongxing Factory might forever remain in this lukewarm operation, unable to truly unleash its due vitality and efficiency.

Her first experience in management allowed her to truly grasp the hardest core of the old system. How to break through it next? Liu Li fell into deep thought, her pen unconsciously drawing a deep line on the paper.