Make ourselves predictable

Many experienced professionals have ever taught me that to win is to make oneself non-predictable.  Sun-Tze told the same in the Art of War: fool the enemy in order to win.  Game theory focus on the study of how the opposite incumbents are thinking of each other.  It is not uncommon to see that if a person could figure out how the other think, he will feel exhilarated and proud to tell others of this intelligence.  Being predictable to certain extent is labeled as non-intelligent.  A non-predictable manager is considered gaining more respect.  I took this approach in the past but felt exhausted because usually the staff would wait for my final decision in order to avoid any mistake.

When I did more and more on system development, I shifted to the opposite subliminally – like to do thing in if-then-else or select-case-default manner.  It helps me reduce time in moving thing forward.  Above all, I try to re-evaluate what I learn in the past and determine what to unlearn.  The side-effect is by making oneself predictable, it will earn you trustworthiness.

The rule of making-ourselves-predictable has 1 exception.  If you are running a factory of producing low-end products in China, you need to make yourself non-predictable in planning recreation activities to the people.  Recently, when I announced the following activities in an all-employee meeting, I gained the eye-starring of >1,800 pair of eyes.  I did enjoy this feeling.  The activities are as follows:

1. Personal Pictures posting to our website and earn the prize
2. Music Concert to be held in Jun by the factory band, the members are from the staff and operators are encouraged to join the band and receive music training
3. Quick Matching, help them to find better-half
4. Jun 1, celebration of children festival; help the working parents to care their remote living children
5. ….

Being cheated, what would you do?

Furious?  No longer trust anyone or label certain group of people as non-trustable?  But if the “trust no-one” principles has been adopted, there is no such thing as even more “trust no-one”.  Usually, the person being cheated will be furious and release temper to innocent people, agree?  I will say it is always a matter of judgment which speculates what action is to be taken by the suspect (not necessary the cheater).  Usually, I would first adopt the approach of utilitarianism to judge what action to take.  What does it mean?

1. From the perspective of the subject person, she would speculate the cost and benefit of cheating.  E.g. An operator told the line leader that he is sick and would like to apply for leave.  Upon heavy pressure of production target, the line leader chooses not to believe it as he thought the operator went to bed late because of long time surfing internet last evening.  The operator forsake 1 day wages but the production line may not have sufficient labor to run or need to squeeze labor from other lines.  However, if the line leader is so adamant to any application of leave, it would affect the morale and cause higher employees turnover rate.  Therefore, if the line leader got to know where the operator was doing last evening, it would help him make the right decision.  (If you are not working in China factory, you definitely would not understand what I mean!  Actually, I am talking about TIC principles – This is China)  Another example is a manager applies to work at home 1 day; usually, he is more trustable because of the maturity and sense of responsibility. The understanding will get back more contribution from the manager.
2. If an operator just meet a friend in an internet café, got to know that he is going to join the factory.  He would remind the newly acquaintance to write his name in the application so that he could get the referral bonus.  Is it cheating?  Strictly speaking, it is but it is difficult to prove it.
3. A staff with father contracting cancer is getting desperate without sufficient money for treatment.  He asked for help to the company for open donation from all employees but she did not address that his father was running a small illegal casino.  He got donated money and inherited the operation of the casino as part time job.  Is he cheating?  No, he is unethical.  But his manager became a victim because of offering help to him.  Then will you offer help next time in case of such request?  Of course, it is necessary to collect more fact before offering.
4. An unhappy resigned staff made complain to government with fabricated evidence and cause trouble to the company.  Will it be good to create more restriction on information/data sharing?  Of course not.
5. ……
6. ……

When you worked in there longer, you would be able to accumulate more and more stories before you become paralyzed.  I have more than a hundred but am not able to detail them.  The solution is not to get furious; instead, minimize the chance to make judgment if it is cheating, e.g. for dorm-living operators, no entrance to dorm after 11:30pm to ensure they will sleep at least 7 hours; not using company announcement to help staff for collecting donation, get resonance of the people by open communication channel, maintain more touchpoints with people, keep stupid everyday & etc.  Believe or not.