Super Struggle in the Office: The Super Employee Preface to “Super Employee” In mainland China, decades ago, the office was a place many yearned for. Apart from government agencies, only state-owned enterprises had such a place. The power figures sitting inside wielded significant influence and strategized, while office workers at least enjoyed being sheltered from the elements and had less strenuous work, so many fought tooth and nail to get in. However, those who could actually sit in these offices, be they leaders or secretaries, mostly had considerable qualities and had to go through strict scrutiny; getting in was not easy.
Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, private companies and private enterprises have sprung up everywhere in China. In many big cities, one could easily find over a dozen or twenty companies or offices in a single building. From small companies with a few idlers to large conglomerates with millions in assets and dividend distribution, various public affairs have emerged, giving rise to offices of all sizes, making it much easier to enter an office. Thus, the people sitting in these offices have become more diverse and complex. However, no matter how complex the relationships, they can be divided into two groups in the office: bosses and employees (in this book, for the convenience of discussion, when there is a hierarchical relationship, “leaders” are uniformly categorized as “bosses,” and “those led” as “employees”).
With all kinds of bosses, there come all kinds of employees, with different educational backgrounds and experiences, diverse personalities, and where there are people, there are relationships, and where there are differences, there are conflicts. Relationships are intricate, conflicts become apparent, and struggles are inevitable. Although the office is not filled with swords and daggers, it can certainly be described as a place of overt and covert struggles.
The aim of the boss is to gain more profit and respect, while employees hope to receive remuneration commensurate with their labor. However, bosses and employees have their own calculations of what constitutes fair compensation, leading to differing conclusions and thus, conflicts arise. Some employees work hard but do not show a good face to their bosses; they offer suggestions out of responsibility but often embarrass the boss. “Good” employees do not always receive “good” treatment, and the issues here are not just the boss’s fault.
