---
title: "My 10 Years in the Beverage and Water Industry: One Paradigm-Shifting Insight"
description: "At the grassroots level, work diligently with 80% effort on tasks and 20% on relationships, but once you reach management, especially mid-to-high levels, you must invest 80% in relationships and 20% in tasks. This article recounts the author's journey from a temporary worker to a production manager, sharing lessons learned along the way."
author: "旺水哥"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2020-03-15"
categories: "Consumer & Categories"
language: "en"
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original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BcF2GBJWqek8csuhkrtYwA"
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citation: "旺水哥. “My 10 Years in the Beverage and Water Industry: One Paradigm-Shifting Insight.” New Distribution, 2020-03-15. https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/my-10-years-in-the-beverage-and-water-industry-one-paradigm-shifting-ins-906e8d07/"
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---

# My 10 Years in the Beverage and Water Industry: One Paradigm-Shifting Insight

> At the grassroots level, work diligently with 80% effort on tasks and 20% on relationships, but once you reach management, especially mid-to-high levels, you must invest 80% in relationships and 20% in tasks. This article recounts the author's journey from a temporary worker to a production manager, sharing lessons learned along the way.

**At the grassroots level, work diligently with 80% effort on tasks and 20% on relationships, but once you reach management, especially mid-to-high levels, you must invest 80% in relationships and 20% in tasks.**

**-01-**
I was born in 1987. After graduating from school, I was assigned to work at a certain unit, but due to relationships and being new to society, I quit after a year. I'll skip that part... After leaving the gas station, I was broke with no savings. After being unemployed for three months, I didn't think much; I just wanted a place with food and drink. Somehow, I ended up at a food company as a temporary worker with low pay, and that's how my beverage career began, lasting until now.

Since I was a temporary worker, my initial plan was to save a little money and find a better job, but I ended up staying until now... The following is all from memory, possibly incomplete, but absolutely true.

**-02-**
On my first day, I saw the huge company with many factories. I realized that such a big brand and all these delicious products came from here. As a temporary worker, I just registered and started working (formal onboarding procedures should be consulted with HR; it's not that this company was lax).

I was assigned to palletizing (manual). At that time, almost all companies used manual palletizing. I didn't think much; I just did what I was told. After about two or three days, my team leader arranged for me to operate the packaging machine (Kesmin brand). There was only one such machine in the whole factory, with two operators: one for day shift and one for night shift (Nokia phones were very popular then). I followed the engineer throughout the equipment installation, setup, and debugging. I had no mechanical background, but I wasn't afraid of dirt or fatigue, and I was eager to learn. I learned a lot from the engineer. Even after the engineer left, when the other operator had issues, they'd come to me to fix them.

The company also had maintenance staff, but they didn't know this packaging machine as well as I did, truly. Once, even their manager couldn't fix a fault because the machine required parameter setting, synchronization, angles, etc. I don't know their skill level, but for me, with my low education, I was proud that only I understood this equipment. At least I felt my temporary job was secure.

One night shift, the day shift machine broke down completely and couldn't be fixed. The other shift's team leader came to my dorm to ask me to fix it. I went without hesitation.

When I arrived, there was a crowd around the machine: my team leader, supervisors, maintenance staff, blow molding operators, the maintenance manager, the factory director, and even the general manager. They were all investigating the fault. When they saw me, my team leader told the factory director, "This is the other operator; let him take a look."

I didn't care who was who. To me, these were all high-level people with skills and abilities, people I'd never normally get to talk to. I didn't recognize them or know their titles; I learned later.

I went straight to the control panel, checked the error message, identified the section, did a quick dry run, tested a product, and roughly knew the problem. I started adjusting slowly. Because I was small and the repair required climbing in and out, even the general manager helped me while everyone watched. The GM was wearing a white shirt that seemed to shine like silk. When his shirt touched the chain and got oil on it, I felt bad for him—such a nice shirt stained. Usually, we used rags to wipe machines, but that day, the team leader used a high-quality cleaning cloth for the GM. That left an impression: if you have power and position, everything is different.

After adjustments and repairs, the machine was finally fixed and running continuously. I handed it over to the other operator. The GM was still discussing with my equipment manager about the cause and principle. Since I was on night shift and needed to sleep, I didn't join the discussion; I thought it was for management and leaders, and I was just a small fry.

As I was about to leave, the GM called me over, asked my age, how long I'd been there, etc. He then called my team leader and his supervisor, saying, "Promote this kid one level." I didn't know what that meant, so I went back to sleep. When I came to work that night, my team leader told me, "You'll be converted to a regular employee tomorrow; go to HR to complete the paperwork."

From that moment, I realized how important skills and abilities are. Through technical expertise, you can earn respect. I knew then, but also didn't know, how I would develop in the future.

**-03-**
Maybe because I was young and a bit arrogant, I had a fight with my team leader. After that equipment failure, the company assigned me an apprentice, so I had him watch the machine. Because of the argument, and during the night shift meal break, I went to the back hill to smoke and eat.

Fate or coincidence, I ran into my former classmate and desk mate on the hill. At that time, we were into playing "Fantasy Westward Journey." My classmate rented a place outside, and after work, we'd play computer games together. After about a week, I asked about his salary. He said he was a regular employee, had been at the company for years, and his salary was quite high—6,000 or 7,000 yuan, which I envied. He mentioned that he came with his cousin, whose salary was even higher, and that a company was trying to poach him with a better offer.

I realized that skilled and capable people get poached with high salaries. I asked which company, and he told me. The next night after my shift, I went to an internet café (an unlicensed one in a residential house) and searched for that company and all beverage-related companies.

I submitted resumes online to five companies. Two days later, three called me for interviews on the same day, but they were in different cities, so I couldn't attend all. I interviewed at two. Since one was on the way, I went to the closer one first, but the salary and requirements weren't satisfactory, so I didn't care much and rushed to the next.

At the next company's headquarters (I didn't know it was headquarters then), I toured the factory and workshops. They were bustling with production, full of youthful energy. The company offered me a leadership position (reserve cadre), which was exactly what I wanted. I didn't even ask about the salary. They asked when I could start, and I said in a few days. I returned to my company and resigned. They didn't want me to leave, but I was determined.

Since the GM had converted me to regular employee less than a month before, I felt a bit ungrateful, but my mind was made up. Two days later, my team leader gave me a resignation form for regular employees. I wanted to get my half-month's wages because I needed money for living expenses at the new job. The process involved various approvals, and the leaders were away, so I had to see the GM. It took a lot of time.

When I had to see the GM, I hesitated, but I was broke, so I braced myself. He wasn't in, which made me anxious. I wanted both the money and the new position, but I couldn't have both. Finally, I decided to forgo the money and chose the new company. So, I left without proper notice and joined the new company.

**-04-**
At the new place, I first familiarized myself with the people, internet cafés, and surroundings. To my surprise, reserve cadres had a separate dining window with free, excellent meals. That was a pleasant surprise. Even so, I had to buy daily necessities and was still tight on money, but I managed through the first month. I also met great friends whom I still keep in touch with, and they've all developed well.

During that first month, my team leader assigned me to packaging from day one. Seeing that I learned quickly and was eager, he had me rotate through almost every position: box opening, sealing, packing, labeling, coding, cooling bed, and bottle turning chain. Compared to others who joined with me, I felt they envied me, but I also envied them because they were assigned to important technical positions like pre-mix (or pre-treatment), water treatment, filling, blow molding, and preform injection.

In less than three months at headquarters, I learned a lot, but I still felt insignificant. The more I delved, the more I realized how much I didn't know.

**-05-**
One day, we were notified that our batch of reserve cadres would be dispatched in three days. I wasn't excited because I didn't know where, and I didn't even know there was a place called Gansu in China.

The day before leaving for Gansu, we had a farewell party with drinking and singing. I even wanted to confess to a girl, but I knew she was about to get married, so I never said anything, and we lost touch. I have many memories of headquarters: studying together, playing, hiking, going to the beach, picnics, learning to use mobile internet, and understanding data usage.

When the plane landed at Lanzhou Airport, it was minus ten to twenty degrees outside—the coldest I'd ever experienced. I felt the difference between the northwest and the south for the first time. I'd only seen snow as a child, not since growing up.

Seeing snow at the airport made me excited. The country was developing the northwest, and I felt like an educated youth, ready to contribute and shine. The company picked us up and drove to Wuwei. The roads were steep and snowy, and after several hours, we arrived at the company (Wuwei is famous for the Bronze Galloping Horse).

It was my first time in the northwest; I'd never been outside my province and knew little about history. It was late when we arrived, so we couldn't see much. After the long journey, we ate, washed, and rested.

The next morning, the company arranged a southern-style breakfast to help us adjust. Since the factory was still under installation, with some equipment not yet arrived, there was no rush. After breakfast, our director took us to tour the largest potato production base in Asia. Afterward, we returned to our workshop and learned about the specific situation and installation progress.

Entering the workshop, I realized these production lines were assembled through the blood, sweat, and tears of countless people, with immense human and financial resources. There's a saying: "Starting a business is easy; maintaining it is hard." At that time, I understood the difficulty of running a large company with thousands of employees, and the whole group with tens of thousands.

Locally, there were no skilled personnel, so all employees were trained by us. Even though we only knew a little, locals thought southerners were smart. But compared to professionals, we were just small fry. It was because we knew a bit more than the locals that we trained them, and they pushed us to grow, which shaped who I am today.

**-06-**
Let me share some experience. Within a few days of our arrival, the factory director selected several of us dispatched staff as team leaders, each in charge of a section (pre-mix, filling, packaging, blow molding, preform). Since I was trained in packaging at headquarters, I was assigned as the packaging team leader. During that time, I learned to read blueprints, welding (including argon arc welding), use various tools (or at least recognize them and their uses), motor repair, electrical circuits, and frequency converters.

Of course, these skills weren't learned overnight. To master them, I had to study on my own and put in more time and effort than others. Especially during the installation phase, I only understood packaging, not the other processes. Later, I went through various audits and learned regulations and standards.

I wasn't necessarily the best performer, but I had the most people in packaging. A shift had over 20 people, with more than half in packaging. So before production started, I was selected as shift leader. From the day I became shift leader, I never saw myself as above the employees. I ate, drank, and socialized with them.

During work, I would do their tasks at each station or let them eat first. When they were away, I'd cover their positions. Through hard work and willingness, I learned the key points, precautions, and methods for each station, which greatly helped my management career. I coordinated front and back, saved energy, and clearly arranged process pipelines, times, temperatures, and pressures.

The pre-mix pipelines were numerous with different functions and product processes. I used to think pre-mix was for smart people, but after becoming shift leader, I broke it down into sections. Within less than a month, I mastered packaging and filling, including CIP, AIC, SIP, SOP, etc. This greatly improved my shift's output. Of course, it wasn't just my effort; I'm only summarizing my own journey and the sweat I shed.

I even learned about food ingredients and additives, some with names that were tongue-twisters. This laid the foundation for my later higher management roles, as I dealt with procurement, price comparison, usage, order, function, timing, effects, and national standards for these materials.

During this period, I also compared domestic beverage companies, suppliers, and advanced technologies, learning about automation levels and foreign companies.

In Wuwei, I was promoted from shift leader to deputy workshop director in less than six months. During this time, I also found love, met my current wife, and my precious daughter was born in Wuwei.

Gansu gave me many memories. It was there that my perspective expanded from just the south to the whole of China.

**-07-**
Due to group adjustments, our workshop director was transferred to another branch. In nearly five years in Gansu, the company developed rapidly. Three new production workshops were added, from hot-fill to cold-fill, and from 24,000 to 36,000 production lines. The company's growth provided us with many opportunities.

Just as I was considering competing for the workshop director position, my old leader extended an olive branch. The offer was nearly three times my current salary. Although the future was uncertain, my current company offered stability and long-term development. But I felt that greater development might be far off. Given the company's size and family nature, with ten branches at the time, and me being a grassroots person without connections, I decided to venture out for bigger opportunities.

The olive branch also meant being closer to home, in Fuzhou. My family wanted me to return south. The offer was 120,000 yuan after tax, as production manager, close to home, and near my grandparents. So I returned south with my wife and child.

At the new company, everything from office to living arrangements was a qualitative improvement, confirming my choice. A man can support his family, provide a better life, be proactive, and be close to home. I felt close to being a successful person. I was only 25, a rural kid with limited education, now in a big city with a good salary. Even my grandfather in the village would boast about me.

There's a saying: "The poor in the city are ignored; the rich in the mountains have distant relatives." This job made me realize that to be above others, I must work even harder.

After a few days, I learned that the new company had paid a high price to bring us in because their products had serious quality issues. They believed that people from big companies could solve major problems.

On my second day, like any company, we had a routine meeting to meet the boss and management, and to assign tasks. At that time, we upgraded the product, added new items, adjusted formulas, and changed packaging. It was through this company that I started to understand design. This valuable experience taught me how much effort, planning, sampling, testing, and plate-making go into a qualified product.

This company's production capacity was far below that of large companies. It was family-run, with diversified products, low production capacity, insufficient worker skills, and processes not following standard procedures. But for a small company, that's understandable. Considering rented facilities, space, technology, R&D, and costs, the company's goal was profit, and to capture market share based on profit.

The product and personnel structure issues were far beyond my imagination. After investigation and reporting to the boss, I got approval to raise worker salaries, renovate production lines, adjust formulas—essentially a major overhaul. I even improved the workshop environment, including anti-mold coating on walls in clean areas, warehouses, and preparation rooms, and modified the UHT. Essentially, every area affecting product quality was addressed.

During the renovation, there were quality issues in the market and large inventory in the warehouse. It took about a month to complete, including handling returns, exchanges, full inspection of warehouse products, and worker training on quality awareness.

During this time, I received strong support from leadership and the boss, who invested heavily. After the upgrade, product appearance, taste, quality, and production efficiency all improved significantly.

Over the years, I did a lot at this company and learned a lot. Because I was young, I lacked experience in interpersonal relationships, colleague relations, and superior-subordinate dynamics. It was here that I learned: at the grassroots, work diligently with 80% effort on tasks and 20% on relationships, but once you reach management, especially mid-to-high levels, you must invest 80% in relationships and 20% in tasks. Because when you're at the top, you see more and know more; you only need to make decisions or execute. The remaining 80% is about dealing with the coldness of the world—those who don't want to see you succeed will always...

*This article is purely my personal experience, and the content reflects only my personal views. Please do not associate any companies, units, or individuals mentioned with real entities.*

Source: Food Forum

Tips will be paid 400-2000 yuan for reports adopted.


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## Citation metadata

- Publisher: New Distribution
- Author: 旺水哥
- Published: 2020-03-15
- Canonical: https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/my-10-years-in-the-beverage-and-water-industry-one-paradigm-shifting-ins-906e8d07/
- Original source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BcF2GBJWqek8csuhkrtYwA

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