"Authoritarian" thinking

(Baonghean) - Once, when I went to work at agency X, I was struggling to find a place to park my motorbike when I was suddenly startled by a shout: “Hey! Where are you going? Who are you asking?”. Turning to explain the reason to the security guard, I continued to receive questions without subjects and empty predicates such as: “Where are your eyes? The customer’s motorbike is parked here!”. The timid words and empty questions from the security guard made me both annoyed and a little confused… With all my might, I walked into the “one-stop” department to make a transaction. The unwelcoming attitude, the same questions without subjects and empty predicates were what I received from the civil servants of agency X. After waiting for nearly a morning, I finally received the answer: “This time, come back tomorrow to get the papers…”. I left with a heavy heart…

My mother has arthritis, and the weather has changed over the past few days, and the pain has increased. I asked for a day off to take my mother to the doctor. After the examination, following the doctor's instructions, I went down to table number 3 to wait for the medical records. When I heard my name being read, I ran to this counter, but the staff at table number 2 called me back and loudly said: "Can't you tell where the voice is?". I explained that I was directed to go down to table number 3. After listening, the staff frowned: "It's 4pm already. It's almost the end of the working day. If we crowd at table number 3, will we be detained until tomorrow?...". I suppressed my anger to finish the procedure, but when I got home, I felt resentful.

The office is where citizens, relevant agencies, colleagues in the industry... come to contact and work. Therefore, officials and civil servants working here need to have civilized and elegant behavior in communication. However, in reality, in some offices today, we still encounter the above inelegant behaviors. Although right at the entrance of the office, the sign "Regulations on cultural behavior in the office" is neatly hung, with large, clear, and beautiful lines. Although it is a public agency, some people still have a strong authoritarian mindset when interacting with the people. Therefore, in many places, we still have to hear questions without subjects, such as: "What do you need?", "Where to go?", "Who to meet?" or encounter frowning faces, arrogant and cold attitudes.

For administrative offices implementing the one-stop mechanism, the staff receiving citizens must have a gentle attitude, grasp the regulations, principles, procedures, and provide detailed instructions to save customers the effort and time of traveling many times, especially working on time. However, sadly, in many places, there are still situations where customers have to wait for a long time, while the staff is busy... drinking tea and chatting. In some offices, there is still half an hour left until the end of working hours, but when a customer comes to contact the work, the staff receiving the citizens replies that the time has passed to receive documents, and they should come back tomorrow. This arbitrary and irresponsible attitude has a significant impact on the image of the "public servants".

Workplace culture not only reflects the ethics and qualities of officials, civil servants and employees while performing their duties, but also reflects the cultural level of each person. To ensure the solemnity and effectiveness of state administrative agencies, the Prime Minister has issued the Regulation on Workplace Culture in State Administrative Agencies, effective from September 5, 2007. However, up to now, many agencies have not seriously implemented this regulation.

We are striving to build a team of cadres, civil servants and public employees with standard behavior in public service activities, good moral qualities, contributing to the excellent completion of assigned tasks. It is thought that in offices, especially those in contact with the people, cadres and civil servants need to strictly follow specific regulations on dress and communication, in which it is especially necessary to respect the people, pay attention to behaving with the people in a civilized manner. Building culture and civilization in the office is not only about banners and slogans but also through polite gestures, speaking, working responsibly and respecting the people. Therefore, behaving in a civilized manner in the office contributes to making the image of the office and cadres, civil servants and public employees more beautiful in the eyes of everyone.

In a letter to the “People’s Committees of regions, provinces, districts and villages” published in the newspaper Cuu Quoc on October 17, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh wrote: “We must understand that government agencies from the whole country to the villages are all servants of the people… Whatever is beneficial to the people, we must do our utmost to do. Whatever is harmful to the people, we must avoid. We must love and respect the people, then the people will love and respect us.”

Please do not use the authoritarian mindset as a code of conduct in the workplace. Always remember that you are a cadre, a civil servant of a public agency, a “servant” of the people. So why do they regret their eyes, smiles and pleasant words to the people?

Thanh Tuong