In enterprise management, personal connections and execution are inversely proportional: the more you emphasize personal connections, the worse the execution; companies with strong execution inevitably downplay personal connections. When execution meets personal connections, if execution suffers, even the best strategy cannot work.

I once had the privilege of discussing the issue of "personal connections" in Chinese enterprises with several renowned entrepreneurs. They pointed out: "In fact, many Chinese enterprises have good strategies but lack execution; many good strategies cannot be implemented because of 'personal connections'." "The execution of an enterprise depends on discipline." "Chinese enterprises must have good discipline to carry out strategic management." It is clear that enterprises must improve their overall planning strategies through scientific, comprehensive, and standardized management systems. Employees must regulate their behavior according to the requirements of the system, eliminating the phenomenon of "personal connections," to enhance execution. From this, it can be seen that execution is discipline; without discipline, there is no execution, no combat effectiveness, and no matter how good the strategy, it cannot be implemented.

How Haier Views "Personal Connections"

When Zhang Ruimin first took over Haier, it was a small electrical appliance factory on the verge of bankruptcy. Employees lacked motivation, and the company suffered heavy losses. However, Zhang Ruimin used 20 years to turn the dying small factory into a world-renowned enterprise and even made it into the Fortune Global 500. How did he do it? What changed the people at Haier? It was discipline. After taking over Haier, Zhang Ruimin issued the famous "Thirteen Rules," which even included a ban on urinating or defecating in the workshop, giving us an idea of the overall quality of Haier employees at that time. Zhang Ruimin emphasized that employee discipline is crucial, especially in a group enterprise formed by many large companies, where strict discipline is needed to formulate plans and implement actions. Today, Haier employees are highly disciplined; few are late for work, and no one dares to abuse their connections to act recklessly within the company.

Haier is like this, Lenovo is like this, and Huawei and Vanke are also like this. Is this just a coincidence? No, because their bosses are all former military personnel. If you are observant enough, you will notice a similar strange phenomenon in American business circles: the greatest "business school" in the United States is not Harvard or Stanford, but West Point. A group of business elites who have achieved impressive results did not receive formal business education, yet they all come from West Point. Even more shocking is that among the Global 500 companies, more than 1,000 chairmen, over 2,000 vice chairmen, and more than 5,000 general managers graduated from West Point. For example, James Kimsey, founder of AOL; Mike McDermott, general manager of American Automobile Insurance Company; and Frank Borman, president of Eastern Air Lines, all graduated from West Point. Dave Palmer, former superintendent of West Point, once said: "Give me any person, as long as they are not schizophrenic, and I can train them to become the greatest leader in the world."

Strict Systems and Execution Are the Guarantee of Success

Why can military personnel create so many miracles in the business world? What does the myth of business depend on? It is strict systems, iron discipline, and unyielding execution. In the military, obeying orders and executing strictly is the duty of soldiers; no one can defy the orders of superiors, even at the cost of their lives. In the military, anyone who makes a mistake is subject to military law; personal connections must stand aside, and execution is the only thing that matters.

If an enterprise wants to succeed, it should learn from the military. After rules and regulations are established, the most important thing is strict implementation. As the saying goes, "Without rules, nothing can be accomplished." Rules are the yardstick in our hearts; those who violate them must be punished accordingly. The system in an enterprise is not a decoration. If one person is shown favoritism, countless eyes will be watching. If managers forgive one person's mistake, more people will make the same mistake, making employees even harder to manage and execution will decline.

As managers, not only must they adhere to correct principles and uphold company discipline, but they must also lead by example and strictly enforce rules. No matter how much value you have created for the company or what contributions you have made, you cannot be exempt from the company's rules and regulations.

How Enterprises Can Escape the Vicious Cycle of "Personal Connections"

In any enterprise, there are always some difficult-to-manage "troublemaker" employees who are arrogant, look down on others, defy leadership authority, and constantly challenge the company's bottom line. The bad behavior of these people not only reduces team efficiency but also encourages others to imitate them, negatively affecting the entire team's working environment.

How should we treat these people? First, we must not turn a blind eye or turn a deaf ear to them because of "personal connections" and let them develop unchecked. Then, we should formulate corresponding management measures according to different situations. For those employees with backgrounds, maintain a certain distance, find their strengths and praise them, but never tolerate or condone their mistakes. For those employees who are spoiled and arrogant, acknowledge the benefits they bring to the company and give them the benefits they deserve, but also clearly explain the company's rules and regulations. Everyone is equal before the system; no one can be above the company's rules and regulations.

The execution of an enterprise and its system are mutually reinforcing. If the enterprise has not formed scientific, systematic, and institutionalized management and still has the phenomenon of "personal connections," it will directly lead to poor execution and the enterprise will face the fate of being eliminated.

In an enterprise, when execution meets personal connections, we must not "show mercy" but should demand strict discipline and strict systems from every executor. Only then can the enterprise escape the vicious cycle of "personal connections."

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