By Dr. WANG Ming-min

Many people believe that to achieve great success in the workplace, one must adhere to the principle of "no destruction, no construction," daring to reform and innovate. However, in practice, many ill-considered reforms and innovations ultimately become "destruction without construction," disrupting the original benefit mechanism and failing to produce the expected results, becoming a pointless exercise.

The phrase "No destruction, no construction" means that without dismantling the old, the new cannot be established. This idea emphasizes that only through criticizing and negating the old can conditions and space be created for the emergence and development of the new. In revolutionary practice, "No destruction, no construction" manifests as a thorough critique of the old system, clearing obstacles for the establishment of the new system. This "destruction" is not blind destruction, but a rational critique and sublation of the corrupt system; its essence is the deconstruction of the old relations of production and power structure.

"Destruction without construction" refers to actions that involve destruction without establishing new order and systems, leading to disorder in individuals and organizations. This state can cause multiple harms: First, it inevitably leads to functional deficiencies and systemic disorder, creating a governance vacuum; second, "destruction" without new functional support can trigger turmoil and even chaos; finally, destruction without construction can disrupt the continuity and stability of individual and corporate development, causing reforms to become repetitive.

Destruction and construction are a fundamental contradiction in the development of things; they are both opposing and unified. Construction depends on destruction; without eliminating the factors that hinder the generation and development of new things, new things cannot emerge and grow. At the same time, destruction also depends on construction; destruction itself is not an end, but a means to serve construction. Destruction without construction inevitably leads to functional deficiencies, while construction without destruction inevitably results in a situation where the old system remains unresolved and the new system is difficult to establish. Destruction is the beginning of construction, and construction is within destruction; progressing through the unity of destruction and construction is the fundamental law of the development of things.

In the workplace, it's crucial to strike a balance between "breaking down" and "establishing up." Before "breaking down," one must thoroughly consider how to achieve "establishing up" in the future, and only when all conditions are met should concrete actions be taken. In some cases, "establishing up before breaking down" might be a viable strategy. This emphasizes establishing up before breaking down, exploring and summarizing new approaches first, and then breaking down outdated ideas and changing rigid mechanisms. The advantages of this approach are: it allows for a comprehensive comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the old and new, giving reformers more opportunities for trial and error, tolerance for mistakes, and correction; it avoids blindly breaking down and impulsively establishing new systems, preventing short-sighted actions that prioritize breaking down before establishing new ones; and it ensures that reforms proceed steadily and surely, achieving progress while maintaining stability, and promoting stability through progress.