The Art of Winning People Over
Ten physics researchers seconded from the School of Physics came to the FASTER Project Team. Including Shen Qi and Yang Ding Tian, the project team has a total of twelve members.
Shen Qi held a meeting with everyone. "First of all, welcome to the nine brothers and one sister from the Institute of Physics. Your personnel positions will still belong to the Institute of Physics, and you will be subject to the management of the project team in terms of scientific research. During the project's progress, you only need to be responsible to me, to the project, and to the country."
"Everyone will receive a project document from Yang Ding Tian later. The FASTER project plan is to develop a brand new Metallic Plastic in the laboratory. Our clients are enterprises. Once the prototypes we develop are tested by the enterprises and can be commercially mass-produced, the FASTER project will be completed."
"Do you understand everything?" Shen Qi asked loudly.
Everyone was enthusiastic. "Understood!"
Shen Qi was very satisfied with the project team members' positive attitude. "OK, then I'll treat everyone to a good meal to welcome you all. Let's go to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse."
"Boss Shen, you really care about your subordinates!" Tang Yuan wasn't just praising him; it came from the bottom of his heart. His superior at the Physics Institute, a director, would occasionally treat his subordinates to meals, like hot pot or skewers, with an average cost of less than 100 yuan per person.
Boss Shen is very generous Tang Yuan and the other researchers had just arrived and hadn't even started working yet when Boss Shen invited them to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. This is the treatment reserved for leaders.
Eleven grown men and one female researcher—the meal lacked any real atmosphere.
So Shen Qi gathered the other employees from the center, and the group of about twenty people went to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for a working lunch.
As long as ordinary citizens can afford it, they can dine at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse by making reservations and registering as required.
The average cost per person here is around 1500 yuan. You don't need to eat too extravagantly for work meals; the average cost per person is fine.
Shen Qi entrusted his bank card to Sang Tian for safekeeping, and Sang Tian always paid the bill for team building activities.
Sang Tian asked Shen Qi, "What should we put on the invoice for the working meal at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse? It's only a few tens of thousands of yuan. If we put it on the center's invoice or the itemized budget, it might attract their attention when we submit it to Yenching University's finance department for reimbursement."
"Doesn't our center have a budget for entertainment expenses? Write it at the center's letterhead." Shen Qi had a clear conscience; he treated his subordinates to meals entirely for work purposes, to enhance the team's combat effectiveness, and he did not misappropriate public funds for personal gain.
"We researchers are fighting silently on this battlefield without gunfire. Why can't we eat well? Why shouldn't we dare to eat well? We're not corrupt officials. After we've eaten and drunk our fill, we'll use our research results to serve our country. Come on, everyone, raise your glasses and eat and drink to your heart's content." Shen Qi wasn't afraid of being investigated. At worst, he would just issue an invoice and not get reimbursed. Paying out of his own pocket wouldn't violate any rules, right?
A leader who treats his subordinates with respect and courtesy will be reciprocated by his subordinates; this is the art of management.
Scientific research is also a job. In your work, you should treat others with empathy and respect. If you treat others with respect, they will treat you with even greater respect in return.
After enjoying a good meal and drinks, the ten newly arrived physics researchers worked tirelessly, treating the laboratory as their home and voluntarily requesting to work overtime to prepare samples, measure data, and calculate models. They were extremely busy.
By fully motivating subordinates, leaders can relax and focus on more far-reaching medium- to long-term plans.
After New Year's Day, Shen Qi began writing his annual summary.
Last year, the center achieved fruitful results in scientific research. In physics, Shen Qi, Yang Ding Tian, and others published two PRL articles, two Science articles, and one academic monograph. Since Dr. Sha joined the center in the second half of the year, he will not be subject to annual performance evaluation.
In the field of physics, the center's average output is 2.5 academic works per person, and all of them are high-quality academic works, ranking among the top in Yenching University.
In mathematics, Li Zhenqiang joined in November and will not be evaluated. The other seven Mathematical Research produced six high-quality mathematical papers, averaging nearly one paper per person, which is slightly higher than the Big Mathematics Department at Yanshan University.
The center successfully achieved its annual work plan in areas such as Party and Youth League activities, security, social order and stability maintenance, and cost control.
In summary, the center made steady progress last year and achieved good results in all aspects. We hope that the school will expedite the completion and handover of the center building so that the center can better carry out its subsequent work.
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Shen Qi, author of the annual summary report
This report was written for the president. On paper, it appears that everyone at the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center has work to do, everyone is dedicated to their job, their performance is outstanding, and the team is harmonious. It can be described as an excellent model department of Yenching University.
And that's exactly the case; the results are there for all to see, open and transparent, and anyone can verify them.
At the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, auditing and finance enter a busy season.
There are indeed people who want to investigate the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center.
Principal Lu slammed his fist on the table and yelled at the audit and finance departments, "What are you investigating? Didn't we just investigate in December? Was there a problem? No problem, right? What's wrong with him taking his employees to Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for dinner? Don't academicians have the right to eat there? Don't Chief Scientist have the right to enjoy a high quality of life? I've been to Diaoyutai State Guesthouse too, why don't you investigate me first?"
After yelling, Principal Lu, fearing Shen Qi might have something to say, had a heart-to-heart talk with him. "You have your own way of working, and I trust you won't do anything reckless. Don't take it to heart; they're just following the rules, they're just a bit slow on the uptake."
Shen Qi: "I understand. Everything I've done is based on evidence, and I welcome any review from the government and the university."
"I'm glad you understand," Principal Lu said with a smile, adding, "The FASTER project is a key project for Yenching University this year, and I will definitely give your team my full support in completing the research."
In recognition of its outstanding performance last year, Yenching University awarded the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center a banner recognizing it as an "Advanced Collective".
Xiao Junlong was awarded the title of "Advanced Scientific Researcher", Yang Ding Tian was awarded the title of "Outstanding Doctoral Student", and Cui Xiaoyi was awarded the title of "Model Female Employee".
Yenching University recognized the center as an advanced collective and outstanding employee.
Zhou Yu'a National First Prize, but he hasn't received any titles. Last year, the average output of mathematical achievements at the center was close to one, while Zhou Yu'an's was zero.
"What's going on, Zhou Yu'an?" Shen Qi asked, never expecting that it was Zhou Yu'an who was dragging things down.
Zhou Yu'an: "Is this how fast math papers are written in China? One a year."
"Zhou Yu'an, it's as if you were born abroad?"
"I can't write one a year. I spent almost three years writing my Doctoral Thesis." Zhou Yu'an was also desperate.
Shen Qi reassured her, "Alright, alright, I'm not pressuring you. I was just asking casually. It's normal for a mathematical achievement to take two or three years. Our center's output rate is slightly higher than the national average, which is why the school awarded us the title of Advanced Collective. Zhou Yu'an, don't feel pressured. Take your time and meticulously craft a great achievement."