Always Give 100%

By Dong Qian

Work shapes personality.If there are no strict requirements for the final result,most people are likely to loaf on the job.

There is some room for leeway:for instance,an actor who does not fully understand the character they are playing may still be able to present a performance that is not too bad and does not affect the overall quality of the film.Some household appliances,though not well designed and inconvenient to use,may still be accepted by customers as long as their major functions are not affected.I’ll take myself as another example.When I do not have adequate time to get fully prepared for an interview,I may just browse through some materials without having a careful study of the interviewee.Probing with my past experiences,the interview probably won’t go too badly.

Such jobs allow for some flukes:if I don’t work hard this time,I can make up for it next time.Therefore,people who are engaged in these jobs are more or less not so disciplined.We are not 100%strict at work.Instead,we allow 70% or 80% precision,trying to loaf at any place,in any aspect,and don’t pay too much attention to what we feel are minor details.

However,work in the aerospace field is quite the opposite.The only criterion to testify the work is whether the rocket or spacecraft can successfully launch and go into orbit.There is either success or failure—there is no third possibility.This clear-cut result coldly and ruthlessly examines the quality of all the daily work of the staff and the credibility of countless data.Therefore,the most important feature of this work is that you have to give 100%,without any indolence.How much work you have done is fully reflected in the product.If you slack off,it will be imprinted in the product,ultimately making the launch a failure;furthermore,you’ll have to accept this punishment in front of the whole world.A backward check will surely find out who shirks.No one can afford such disgrace,so anyone taking the job has to be 100% sure that their own tasks are fully and perfectly accomplished.

All the aerospace industry professionals I have interviewed are straight to the point in our conversations—clear-cut and concise in giving replies.If I didn’t prepare carefully,I would be embarrassed by their clear answers,and their clear logic would highlight the vagueness of my questions.Therefore,to interview such a group of people,I have to be mindful of every detail.

(FromGains,People’s Oriental Publishing & Media Co.,Ltd.Translation:Jessie White)

什么样的工作塑造什么样的性格。如果对结果的要求是松散的，那么过程必然是能偷懒就偷懒。

电影演员如果在人物性格塑造上有些地方没理解到位，但只要整体过得去，就不大影响总体效果。有些生活用电器，某些细节没有设计到位，使用起来不是那么顺手，但不影响整体的使用，能对付也就对付了。再比如我自己，遇到时间紧，没有时间充分地做采访前的准备工作，偷懒看个大概，而不是仔细研究采访对象，凭着经验摸着往前走，采访效果也不会有太大的闪失。

这些工作都容得下侥幸：我这次没用功，下次还能补上。所以，从事能偷懒的工作的人，做事多多少少都不严谨。这个不严谨会表现在方方面面，在任何地方，能用十分功的用七八分，说话的思路用词也不会太条分缕析。总之，不同程度的模糊是我们的特点。

航天领域的工作则截然相反。检验工作的唯一标准，就是火箭、飞船能不能顺利升空，顺利入轨。这个结果要么成功，要么失败，没有第三种可能性。结果的泾渭分明冷酷无情地在验证工作人员平时所有的工作是不是扎实、无数个数据是不是严谨。所以，这个工作的最大特点是，绝对不能偷懒，用几分功，都体现在产品上，欠着一分，产品就给你记着这一分，最后累积到结果上，火箭发射不成功，在世人眼前接受惩罚。一倒查，肯定能发现是谁当初欠下的那一分功。这份工作，丢不起人，承担不起责任，就迫使人绝不能马虎，必须确保自己这一关万无一失。

我采访过的所有航天人，表达都是直切主题、干净简洁。作为采访者，如果我没有仔细准备，会被他们清楚的回答堵得尴尬不已，他们清晰的逻辑会映照出我提问的模糊。所以，采访这群人要事无巨细地做准备。

（摘自《懂得》东方出版社）