Ho Chi Minh's thought on reforming working methods

(Baonghean.vn) - President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "The success or failure of all endeavors depends on whether the cadres are good or bad. That is an undeniable truth." According to Ho Chi Minh's viewpoint, cadres and civil servants have no other duty than to serve the people, to work for the people, and to be accountable to the people.

In October 1947, in a small hut amidst the mountains and forests of the Định Hóa ATK (Anti-French Resistance Zone), under the pseudonym XYZ, President Ho Chi Minh wrote "Correcting Working Methods." This is a very important work, addressing many major issues, possessing both theoretical and practical significance. His teachings on working methods and the character and ethics of cadres and Party members from 70 years ago still retain their original value.

Photo: Archival material.

Drawing from practical experience in leading the revolution, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "The success or failure of all endeavors depends on whether the cadres are good or bad. That is an undeniable truth." Therefore, the work of educating, training, and utilizing cadres is of paramount importance. According to him, the Party must nurture cadres, like a gardener cultivating precious plants; it must value talent, value cadres, value each person who is useful to the common good; it must replenish cadres, retain old cadres, and train new cadres because the issue of cadres is a very crucial and urgent matter.

To become a good cadre, according to Uncle Ho, there is nothing difficult; it all depends on each individual cadre. If each cadre's heart is solely dedicated to the Party, the Fatherland, and the people, then they will inevitably progress towards selflessness and become people of humanity, righteousness, wisdom, courage, and integrity. This is revolutionary morality. Uncle Ho considered morality to be the foundation of all success in the revolutionary struggle. Therefore, cultivating revolutionary morality is a crucial issue in the training and development of cadres.

The work "Revising Working Methods" by President Ho Chi Minh, signed with the pseudonym XYZ, was written in October 1947.

Besides cultivating revolutionary ethics, President Ho Chi Minh always emphasized the spirit of self-study for each cadre. In the opening section of his book "Correcting Working Methods," he wrote: "Our cadres and Party members, due to being busy with administrative or military duties, have neglected their studies. This is a very serious shortcoming. It's like a doctor who only treats others but forgets to treat his own serious illness. From now on, we need to practically study and correct our shortcomings. Only by eliminating shortcomings can our work progress."

President Ho Chi Minh believed that cadres were the foundation of all work, and that the training and development of cadres was the fundamental task of the Party. After specifically analyzing the shortcomings of cadre training, such as training that did not meet practical requirements (e.g., "Training cadres in administrative agencies without touching on administrative work") or being rambling and impractical (e.g., "teaching politics is vast but impractical, and then unusable"), he pointed out effective ways to train and develop cadres.

That is when professional training and development must adhere to the motto: "Learn what you do," meaning that cadres working in a particular field must become proficient in that field. Learning must include investigation and research of the actual situation, the sharing of experience, and especially the combination of both theory and practice. When providing political training and development, two key issues must be emphasized: current events and policies. This is a very important issue; however, the focus should be adjusted depending on the individual cadre, avoiding a scattered and unfocused approach.

President Ho Chi Minh test-operated an improved rice transplanter at the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Forestry's rice cultivation experimental farm in July 1960.

One issue that President Ho Chi Minh particularly emphasized was the seamless integration of theory and practice. If, in learning, one only focuses on dry theory and general slogans while superficially applying experience to practice, then it is merely empty theory. Similarly, practicing without theory is like having one eye bright and the other blind. While studying theory, one must also research practical work and skillfully apply experience to real-world situations. According to him, this is what constitutes practical and useful theory.

In the work of training cadres, Uncle Ho pointed out several key areas to consider: "Understanding cadres. Skillfully utilizing cadres. Promoting cadres. Caring for cadres. Criticizing cadres." It can be said that the contents of the work "Correcting Working Methods" all reflect his thoughts on compassion and the progress of each cadre and Party member. "Party members and cadres are also human beings. Everyone has good and bad qualities. But having understood and voluntarily joined a Party for the people and the country, and having become a revolutionary, one must strive to develop good qualities and correct bad ones." According to Uncle Ho, each cadre and Party member must practically self-examine and examine their comrades every day. The purpose of criticism is to help each other correct mistakes, to help each other progress, to improve working methods, to make them better and more correct, and to foster greater internal unity and solidarity.

President Ho Chi Minh visits the people of Pac Bo, Ha Quang (February 1961). Photo: Archival.

To select and utilize cadres effectively, Uncle Ho clearly stated that the Party must place the right person in the right job, and must know how to use people according to their talents because "If a talented person is not used according to their talents, the work will not be done." According to Uncle Ho, the purpose of skillfully using cadres is to fully implement the policies of the Party and the State, while simultaneously combating ills such as: favoring relatives, acquaintances, and friends, believing them to be more reliable than outsiders; favoring those who flatter while avoiding those who are upright and dedicated. Therefore, in cadre work, it is necessary to use the right person, in the right place, and for the right job to achieve high efficiency.

Although written over 70 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh's work "Revising Working Methods" remains one of the most important documents in the current reform process. Imbued with his teachings, every cadre and Party member understands their responsibility, constantly striving to become cadres who are "diligent, thrifty, honest, upright, and selfless," worthy of being "loyal servants of the people" as he wished.

Peace

(Synthetic)