Chapter 40 Retention
On the last night of the Spring Festival holiday, Xu Mo boarded a plane to the northern coastal factory.
Zou Kexin, Wu Siyue, and Cheng Ming were also on the same flight. However, they tacitly kept their seat numbers secret so that they could have some alone time to relax during the journey.
The new year has passed and work has officially begun. For the project team, the next one to two months will be a period of intensive field research.
In fact, neither Mr. Lan nor Manager Wu seemed to have a clear idea of the goal of this project.
But everyone has a relatively general consensus - improve management and increase efficiency.
To improve, we need to understand the current situation and problems.
This is also the original intention of the field research.
After landing, Xu Mo received a message from Lin Jingchuan, asking her if she had landed safely.
Most of the passengers on the plane stood up and waited to get off the plane. Xu Mo stood up to get her luggage that she had placed on the storage rack, and immediately looked at Wu Siyue and Cheng Ming who were standing in front of her.
The two men waved at her, and she smiled and mouthed "Happy New Year".
The factory is located in a remote county town. The winter wind is bleak, and the roadside is lined with bare tree trunks. Under the night sky, the black sea water undercurrents surge. It is deserted and there is no decent hotel within a radius of more than ten miles.
Wu Siyue found a hotel that looked decent. It was a little far from the factory, but it was safe to stay there.
After taking a hot bath in the hotel, Xu Mo received a video call from Lin Jingchuan.
The man on the phone was wearing dark blue pajamas and sitting on the sofa, with Dudu's big tail sweeping around next to him.
"Is it cold in the north?"
"When I first got off the plane and was looking for a Didi driver, I walked along the road for a while. The sea breeze was very cold."
"The factories you're visiting are all old, and the conditions are average. The air conditioners in some of the conference rooms are outdated. You should keep warm and don't catch a cold. If you're outdoors, it's best to wear a hat."
He gave such detailed instructions that Xu Mo's lips curled up: "I see. Why are you just like my dad?"
"Is it a compliment or an insult?"
"Daddy's meaning."
Lin Jingchuan typed "Daddy" into the AI software, and the words that appeared on the screen made him raise his eyebrows: "A mature and reliable man, symbolizing pampering and dependence."
"So it's a compliment?"
He smiled, and then seemed to sigh softly. Xu Mo asked him, "What's wrong with you?"
Lin Jingchuan shook his head and looked up at the empty living room in the dim light: "How long will you be gone?"
"Come back at least once every two weeks."
“…”
"What's wrong?" Xu Mo narrowed her eyes. "Do you miss me?"
"And you?"
"fine."
Lin Jingchuan paused: "You are lying."
The man's deep voice came through the speaker: "I'll come find you when I'm done with this."
Xu Mo looked at the lit computer screen on the desk. As the project leader, she was under certain psychological pressure.
"The interview will begin tomorrow, Mr. Lin. Do you think there is anything I should pay attention to?"
"People in traditional industries prefer simple and straightforward communication methods," Lin Jingchuan said slowly. "There may be some resistance to the strategic transformation project. The industry is relatively traditional, and some people may not be so receptive to new things. Does Mr. Ou have any advice for you?"
"Boss Ou..." Xu Mo pursed her lips slightly. "Boss Ou has given very little guidance or advice. So far, he's pretty much letting things run their course."
"What do you think?"
"I like a more relaxed environment, but I'm worried that he won't control the process and suddenly ask people to report at critical points. If there are no results by then, they will be under a lot of pressure."
"That's his style. He's willing to delegate power, but he also has very high expectations," Lin Jingchuan said. "You have to be mentally prepared. But don't be too nervous either. You have to believe in your own abilities."
He didn't seem to offer any concrete suggestions about the project, merely soothing words. Xu Mo felt a faint sense of strangeness, but she seemed to understand his reserved attitude towards her. After all, he was a senior executive at the client, and perhaps he really needed to avoid discussing some key issues with her. Xu Mo's expression faded, and she hummed, "I'm going to rest now. You should too."
"You haven't said goodnight yet."
Xu Mo said softly, "Good night."
Lin Jingchuan's dark eyes showed a hint of tenderness: "Good night."
The next day, the situation on site was much better than expected, with all key interview subjects present. To save time and improve efficiency, Xu Mo split the project team into two groups: Cheng Ming and Zou Kexin in one, and herself and Wu Siyue in the other. They interviewed sales and purchasing personnel respectively.
The interview seemed to go smoothly. According to the questionnaire prepared before the holiday, everyone asked questions with the same granularity, and the factory staff said a lot of things.
The project team followed the rhythm of previous projects, conducting interviews during the day and summarizing the interview content at night. This went on for a week and basically formed preliminary report materials.
On Friday night, Xu Mo emailed the materials to Manager Wu and reviewed them with her over video.
"When will you talk to Mr. Ou?" asked Manager Wu.
"I want to make an appointment for tomorrow." Xu Mo said.
"Actually, this document is pretty standard," Manager Wu said. "But you know, the senior management at Lan University has pretty high standards. You'd better add a few more details."
Xu Mo said, "I understand. I also think this material is too vague, but at the scene, the interviewees were all very vague."
"You mean they're holding back?"
Xu Mo nodded: "I think so."
"Why?" Manager Wu asked, "What do you think?"
Xu Mo said, "To be honest, on the first day we were there, quite a few interviewees privately asked us what the project was about. They were quite cautious in asking this question."
"Tell me more specifically."
"After all, this project is internally called a transformation project, so some people might think it involves a realignment of responsibilities," Xu Mo said succinctly. "Simply put, it's about layoffs."
Manager Wu said: "It's reasonable to have such concerns. If the process of subsequent projects is adjusted during the implementation stage, layoffs may indeed be involved."
Xu Mo said: "So everyone is actually still on the defensive towards the project team. Although they appear to be quite cooperative on the surface, they are actually reserved towards us."
"We need to thoroughly report this to President Ou. He hasn't been providing much support right now. With just a few of you working on your own, without the support of those familiar with the company's internal affairs, it's difficult to gain the trust of the lower-level staff," said Manager Wu. "The factory's attitude is crucial to the success of the project. After all, Landa's management doesn't just want a PowerPoint presentation; they want its content to be implemented. The success of a consulting project hinges on each factory's ability to implement the plan as required. If you adopt a defensive attitude from the outset, even the best plan will be difficult to implement, or even rendered ineffective."
"I see."
After hanging up the phone, Wu Siyue looked at her with his chin in his hand: "Keep going?"
Xu Mo nodded and said, "Let's go back. Everyone has worked hard this week. I'll just edit the follow-up content when I get back to the hotel."
Everyone was busy this week, but the hardest-working and most stressed person was Xu Mo, the on-site supervisor. Wu Siyue sighed, "Can you handle it all by yourself? How about sharing some of the work with me?"
"No need." Xu Mo stood up and packed her things. "You've been up all night, go home early."
Wu Siyue sighed deeply. She looked at the empty space beside Cheng Ming, where only a computer stand and a water cup were placed, and sighed.
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