Draw a circle with a ruler, and you will fall into the trap
He objectively recounted what happened and proposed a strategy that seemed conciliatory but was actually more drastic.
"Mr. Zhang, forcibly transferring Liu Feng or publicly promoting him but secretly demoting him will only exacerbate the conflict. I have an idea that might resolve the issue once and for all. At the very least, it might give him some pause when it comes to future projects."
"Oh? You say." Zhang Wang was quite interested.
"We can leverage their strengths," Mo Zhichi said steadily. "Isn't Mr. Liu most concerned about his son's future and reputation? Let's start from the perspective of 'standardizing management and improving efficiency.' As the project enters a critical period, I suggest that we introduce a 'supervisory personnel performance evaluation system' to ensure fairness and transparency in supervision."
"A review system?"
"Yes," Mo Zhichi explained. "On a regular basis (for example, monthly), representatives from the client, construction, and supervision parties will anonymously conduct a comprehensive review of the key supervisors' work capabilities, professional ethics, and service attitude. The results of this review are not made public, but will serve as an important reference for the supervision company's employee evaluations and for the client's overall assessment of the supervision team. Crucially, the review form must clearly include options for specific negative behaviors, such as 'whether there has been corruption, extortion, or inappropriate language or behavior.'"
Zhang Wang on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, then a low laugh echoed. "Old Mo, that's a brilliant move! This puts a tight rein on all supervisors, especially Liu Feng! While the review results won't be made public, they will definitely be reported back to the supervisory company's top management and his father, Liu Tianyuan. If Liu Feng gets a low score in the review because of something like tonight, especially if those negative options are checked, Liu Tianyuan will be embarrassed and worried that this record will affect his son's future reputation and career in the industry."
"That's exactly what I mean." Mo Zhichi nodded. "We're not targeting him personally, but rather promoting a 'sunshine management' initiative. Mr. Liu, considering his son's long-term future, not only can't object, but may even have to express support. As for Liu Feng himself, if he still wants to make a living in this industry, he must carefully consider his words and actions. Otherwise, every review will be a warning to him. He wants to make a scene? The review form is anonymous, so who can he complain to?"
The beauty of this strategy is that:
Justifiable: under the name of improving management, with high sounding reason.
Unable to refuse: If Liu Tianyuan objects, it will seem that he has something to hide, and it will be detrimental to Liu Feng's long-term development.
Long-term constraints: It is not a one-time punishment, but a sword that hangs over your head continuously.
Protecting everyone: The anonymous method protects the reviewers, allowing Lan Tongtong and other construction personnel to express their true opinions with confidence.
"Okay! Let's do it this way!" Zhang Wang immediately made the decision. "Tomorrow I will make this suggestion to President Tang in the name of strengthening project supervision. If Liu Tianyuan knows what's good for him, he'll keep his son in check. If he objects, I want to see how he explains it!"
The plan was set. Mo Zhichi put down the phone, his eyes sharp. This time, he wasn't going to engage in a head-on confrontation or resort to underhanded tactics. Instead, he was going to establish rules, using the system and the invisible pressure of the collective to create a "circumference" for Liu Feng that he wouldn't dare easily cross. Once this "entrapment" was set, Liu Feng's every move would be under the scrutiny of this review system.
The center of the storm seemed to be quietly shifting. Mo Zhichi used his wisdom to build a more solid institutional barrier for Lan Tongtong and all those who worked hard.
The next morning, the atmosphere at the project office remained tense and tense. Everyone awaited the client's verdict, especially regarding the decisions regarding Lan Tongtong and Zhang Biao. Lan Tongtong was so distraught that she could barely focus on the blueprints.
However, around noon, the news spread like wildfire through various channels, and the result was beyond everyone's expectations.
It is said that at the morning high-level meeting of Tianma Investment Company, Vice President Zhang Wang indeed proposed the establishment of a "supervision personnel work evaluation system" on the grounds of "strengthening project supervision and promoting honest and efficient supervision work."
Vice President Liu Tianyuan expressed his opposition on the spot and was quite emotional. He believed that this was a lack of trust in the supervision work, an unnecessary move, and would easily affect the independent and impartial exercise of the supervisor's authority.
The atmosphere of the meeting was somewhat tense for a while.
But at this moment, General Manager Tang Hao, who had always remained neutral in the dispute between Zhang and Liu, made the final decision.
Mr. Tang first affirmed the importance of supervision work, then changed the subject and pointed out, "Mr. Zhang's suggestion was well-intentioned. The introduction of the review mechanism is not intended to hinder, but to help supervisors better perform their duties and prevent problems from arising. It also provides a form of protection for supervisors. After all, the public's eyes are sharp, and true gold is not afraid of fire."
He continued, his tone calm yet with unquestionable authority: "However, since we're going to have an evaluation, we can't just evaluate the supervisors. Do the management personnel of our owner units also have areas that need improvement in terms of work efficiency, service awareness, and integrity and self-discipline? I think this evaluation system can be expanded and implemented simultaneously within Tianma Investment! The project department, the supervisory unit, and even important subcontractors can anonymously evaluate our owner representatives. We need to create a positive atmosphere of two-way supervision and mutual improvement."
Mr. Tang made the final decision: "President Zhang will take the lead on this matter, and the Human Resources Department will cooperate. We must come up with a specific plan as soon as possible. We will first pilot it on the cross-river bridge project, and then promote it throughout the company after it is mature."
When this news reached the project department, it caused quite a stir.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this move by President Tang was a stroke of genius:
Successfully suppressed Liu Tianyuan: President Tang not only supported the review system, but also expanded its scope to the company management level, making Liu Tianyuan's opposition appear narrow-minded and selfish.
This cleverly balanced internal power: assigning the project to Zhang Wang to lead was both a recognition of Zhang Wang and a check on Liu Tianyuan. Furthermore, the two-way review process prevented Zhang Wang from dominating the project.
Demonstrated superb management skills: President Tang took advantage of the situation and turned a "small matter" that could have caused a conflict among senior management into an "opportunity" to promote the improvement of company management, demonstrating his vision and control as the top leader.
This completely resolved Lan Tongtong and Zhang Biao's crisis: in this "big climate," if Liu Tianyuan continued to dwell on his son's beating and demanded the dismissal of specific individuals, he would appear to be extremely inconsiderate and self-serving. He and Liu Feng could only grit their teeth and endure it for the time being.
As expected, the entire afternoon was uneventful. No dismissal notices, no further harassment. Liu Feng had called in sick and was absent from work. News from the owner was that Liu Tianyuan had left the meeting room with a sullen expression.
Lan Tongtong was speechless for a long time after learning all this. She once again deeply realized that the operating logic of a construction site, and indeed society as a whole, was far more complex than what could be found in books. A person's fate was like a small boat in the tide of high-level political games. Fortunately, this time, the invisible combined force of Brother Mo, Mr. Zhang, and even Mr. Tang, whom she had never met, pushed her little boat to a safe harbor.
She walked to the office window and looked out at the bustling construction site in the distance. Cranes stood in a crisscross pattern, welding sparks flickered, and the outline of the bridge became increasingly distinct in the sunlight. She could never have imagined that the incident she had sparked would ultimately lead to changes in the entire project and even the management system of the owner's company.
"The wind starts from the tip of a blade of grass," she murmured. Perhaps true growth comes from beginning to understand and learn how to hold on to oneself and how to go with the flow in this complex web of power.
She pulled out her phone and sent a short message to Mo Zhichi: "Brother Mo, thank you. I understand."
Mo Zhichi quickly replied with four words, as usual, concise yet powerful: "Work with peace of mind."
Yes, work with peace of mind. When rules are established, when sunlight tries to penetrate corners, then, just like this bridge taking shape day by day, keeping our feet on the ground and doing everything well is the best reward for those who protect us and the most powerful response to those who destroy us. Lan Tongtong took a deep breath, cast aside all distractions, picked up the blueprint again, and her gaze became firm and focused.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
