Wei Zheng
The Prisoner at Cizhou
When those above have promised no reprisals and someone below is still arresting people, make the promise true first
Old Book of Tang, Biography of Wei Zheng (juan 71)
Those above promised no old scores would be settled, yet someone is still being arrested. Why did Wei Zheng free a man at Cizhou on the spot?
What actually happened?
Soon after Li Shimin took the throne he sent Wei Zheng to calm the north, with the words: act as you see fit. At Cizhou Wei Zheng met two former officers of the old prince's household being taken to the capital in chains. He told his deputy that on the day they set out the pardon had been announced for everyone from the two courts. If another was sent in now, who would not doubt it? He freed the man there and then, and reported it afterwards.
Make the promise true before it is broken
The old officers of the north were watching to see whether the pardon held. To take one man off in chains told all of them it did not, and no envoy could argue that away: a hair's breadth wrong at the start, a thousand miles off at the end.
A firm announces that past mistakes will not be pursued, then one department digs out an old file and disciplines someone. From that day nobody believes the announcement.
Authority first, then use it fully, then say so
He did not free the man on impulse: before he left he had been told he could act as he saw fit. After releasing him he wrote the report at once. Authority given beforehand and an account given afterwards are what separate using power from overstepping it.
Your boss says use your judgment. You do, and that evening you send a note saying what you did, on which sentence of his, and what follows from it.
Weigh the matter, not your own safety
He said that whatever served the public good had to be done, and better to think of oneself last than ruin a great plan of state. The ruler had treated him as one of the realm's best, and he would answer in kind. He counted the matter, not how to avoid blame.
A shop broke a refund rule head office had promised. You follow head office's own words, and you have your account to your superior written before you are asked.
How do I use it today?
Where you are: those above have said no old scores will be settled, and someone below is still settling them, with you in between.
Ask first: Do I hold an explicit grant of authority? Can I explain this step upward the same day I take it?
Where it goes wrong: reading 'act as you see fit' as 'do whatever you like'. His grant was spoken aloud and his first act afterwards was to report. Without a grant, ask first; do not borrow someone else's words as your own warrant.
Lines to keep
When we were appointed, the old households were all pardoned.
Sending one more now: who among the rest will not doubt?
He treats me as a man of the realm; I must answer as one.
Same situation, other people are asking
I've stopped believing the promises.What I was promised falls through, over and over.The values are on the wall and nobody lives by them.He agreed this time. Will it hold next time?I don't believe what my boss says · all 7 questions →If this one named what you are going through,
send it to someone who needs it, or keep it somewhere you will find it again.