Tongfang Academy
Micro-Party Class, Issue 330
Only by heeding sincere advice can we truly solve real problems.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
Currently, Party organizations at all levels are vigorously organizing democratic life meetings as required. One important task in these meetings is to promote democracy and openly solicit advice and feedback from the public. Openly listening to opinions is a fine tradition of our Party and also a crucial principle for conducting democratic life meetings effectively. Only by genuinely listening to—and truly hearing—opinions can Party organizations and leading cadres address real problems and achieve tangible results.
Whether or not we can truly accept advice hinges on whether Party organizations and leading cadres are willing—and able—to listen to the truth. Yet in reality, in some localities and departments, soliciting opinions has often met with tepid response, making it difficult to hear genuine feedback and identify real problems. In some cases, there’s a mindset—albeit varying in degree—that “it’s better to avoid trouble than to get involved.” People tend to welcome “good news” but are reluctant to hear “bad news.” In other cases, although attitudes may be sincere, the methods employed are ineffective: despite widely distributing letters asking for input, many departments lack familiarity with the work or harbor certain reservations, resulting in most responses containing little substantive content or meaningful suggestions. Still others are ill-equipped to detect problems from the fleeting remarks of service recipients or grassroots communities, or from subtle, veiled comments—leaving them merely going through the motions without achieving any real results. Such issues not only undermine the quality of democratic life meetings but also hinder the improvement and enhancement of work within their respective departments.
Open the door to accepting advice and criticism—this approach must be both broad in scope and representative. On the one hand, we can adopt a variety of flexible and diverse methods—such as holding symposiums, setting up suggestion boxes, distributing letters soliciting opinions, conducting individual interviews, carrying out questionnaire surveys, establishing hotlines, and publishing notices soliciting input in newspapers, on television, and on websites—to gather feedback from as wide a range of people as possible and ensure that the input is truly comprehensive. On the other hand, we can employ practical and effective approaches like "having superiors point out issues, grassroots units propose solutions, individuals identify their own shortcomings, and colleagues help each other" to systematically and purposefully listen to the views and suggestions of Party members and cadres, especially those from grassroots units and ordinary citizens. At the upper level, we should fully heed the opinions and requirements of higher authorities; internally, we should engage in mutual inspections and assistance, identifying problems together to ensure that the feedback collected is both thorough and representative; at the lower level, we should carefully listen to the views and suggestions of grassroots departments; and externally, we should innovate our methods to solicit input from society and the media. Only by adopting such an approach can our efforts to solicit opinions and identify problems become more solid and effective.
Genuinely listening to opinions—and truly listening to genuine opinions—is not only a requirement for holding democratic life meetings, but also the responsibility of Party organizations and leading cadres at all levels. Practice has proven that the insightful advice and pragmatic measures solicited from all quarters serve as a “compass” for targeted work and a “booster” for enhancing quality and efficiency. For Party organizations and leading cadres, if they fail to face and cherish diverse opinions and voices, they will easily fall into self-imposed stagnation and stubbornness, which is detrimental to healthy and long-term development. In the process of soliciting opinions, we must cultivate an open-minded attitude that welcomes criticism; put aside our egos and set aside concerns about face, dare to listen to the truth, and be eager to accept constructive criticism. We should be able to listen equally well to praise and flattering words as well as to criticism and harsh truths—truly remaining calm in the face of constructive criticism and avoiding resentment when hearing mistakes. We must consciously adopt the practice of readily accepting good advice, adhering to the principles of seeking truth from facts and providing feedback in its original form. We should systematically categorize and summarize suggestions and comments by level and type, linking them closely to our respective departments, job positions, and personal realities. Through in-depth and comprehensive analysis, we can accurately identify existing gaps and their root causes, and find effective solutions to address these issues. We must strengthen our resilience in addressing problems, reject the mindset of merely going through the motions or simply going through the motions out of compliance, and prevent the situation where problems are simply shelved after the meeting ends. Instead, we must keep the various opinions and suggestions firmly in mind, persistently follow up on them, and carry out regular “look-back” reviews of problem rectification efforts. Only then can we ensure that problems are thoroughly addressed and that our work yields tangible and concrete results.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 331: Emphasize Family, Emphasize Family Education, and Emphasize Family Style
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 329: Cultivating the Patriotic Spirit Like That of Huang Xuhua
