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nowadays, when people and enterprises go to departments and units to handle affairs, it is rare to see the situation of "difficult to enter, unpleasant faces, and unpleasant words". however, when i visited the grassroots, i also heard a voice: some grassroots people said that although "easy to enter, pleasant faces, and pleasant words", sometimes things are still difficult to handle, and because the staff have a good attitude and set rules and procedures everywhere, people often cannot get things done and can only hold back.

some people call this phenomenon "smiling bureaucracy" and some call it "soft nails". in the context of building a service-oriented government, "soft nails" are unacceptable, and the harm and negative impact it causes cannot be ignored or condoned. so,how is the “soft nail” usually “played”, what causes it, and how to remove it?

image source: visual china

one

in recent years, with the advancement of a series of reform measures to streamline administration and delegate power and the continuous deepening of work style construction, people and enterprises have been able to do business more smoothly and conveniently. "running once at most" or even "not running at all" has become the mainstream and the norm. however, there are still some corners where the unhealthy winds of formalism and bureaucracy are blowing, causing trouble for the people in various ways. among them, the "soft nail" phenomenon is criticized but helpless.

the reason why this "nail" is "soft" is that except for the fact that the thing was not done, all the links and behaviors seem reasonable at first glance, but when it comes to specific things, all kinds of "soft resistance" arise.

for example, some people are very enthusiastic when dealing with others, but indifferent when doing things.a media outlet once reported that a resident complained to the local street office about the "tail" of the garbage room renovation. every time he went there, the person in charge served him tea and water and received him warmly, but after more than two months, the problem was still not solved. after investigation and verification, it was found that the person in charge could not even explain the specific situation and did not report it to his superiors. this was really just a superficial work of smiling and welcoming, and he turned his back and forgot about the people's demands.

some people claim to be impartial, but in fact they are just using new tricks to get in the way rather than providing real service.nowadays, the operation of public power is becoming more open and transparent, and a set of standardized and clear procedures have been established for many things. the original intention is to improve administrative efficiency, ensure fairness and justice, and thus better serve the people. however, sometimes these procedures are used by people with ulterior motives as a shield to "dissuade" the masses and enterprises. they deliberately make detours and create cumbersome procedures, mechanically emphasize "it cannot be done", and do not think about "what can be done", making the service path that should have been smooth become tortuous and difficult.

there are also people who are friendly and pleasant when communicating in front of others, but "set hidden dangers" when doing things behind others' backs.some people said that when they reported the situation to some grassroots units, they promised to help, but then there was a long wait. when they asked about the progress, they either received feedback that the staff were too busy recently to take care of it, or that the relevant policies were being adjusted and it would take some time... in this way, things fell into a vicious circle of "seemingly doable, but actually difficult to do". however, when some situations were reported to the regulatory authorities or inspection teams, the situation miraculously "turned around" and could even be "handled specially" and quickly resolved. this sharp contrast can't help but make people question and be dissatisfied with the previous delays.

cartoon: "just smiling but not doing anything" source: xinhua news agency

two

although the "soft nail" may seem gentle, the result is that people will be frustrated and depressed. this not only wears down the patience of the people and enterprises, but also damages the credibility of the government. we cannot allow it to encourage the wrong trend of "as long as the attitude is good, it doesn't matter if nothing is done", but we should see through the motivation behind it and clearly oppose this behavior.

the "soft rejection" reveals a phenomenon: a few people have not yet properly balanced the power and responsibility, and are still trying to increase their "presence" by creating some minor obstructions.it should be their duty and legitimate thing to do, but there are always people who want to "obstruct it" because they hold power. what's worse, they hide their improper intentions of "taking bribes" behind a smile and procrastinate. these are undoubtedly serious deviations from the requirement of unified power and responsibility. a correct and healthy view of power should always be based on the principle of "power is given by the people and power is used by the people", and use this power to promote public interests and enhance people's welfare, rather than holding it in their hands and making it a "private tool".

looking deeper, the "soft rejection" reflects that there are still a few people who have failed to keep in mind their original aspirations and mission, and have failed to fully correct their style of serving the people.some of them have restrained their past "high and mighty" arrogance and put on a casual mask, but they have not given up their sense of superiority and arrogance in their bones; some of them, out of fear of incompetence and fear of difficulties, or fear of trouble and responsibility, only choose to do easy and small things, and when they encounter things that need coordination or struggle, they exaggerate the difficulty of the work and the complexity of the process, leaving the masses and enterprises "anxious". in any case, the essence is that the work style is not strict enough, and some cadres are unwilling to take on responsibilities and solve problems.

especially when some demands are more complicated and difficult to handle, this situation may invisibly provide a reason for those who do not directly reject you but do not want to find a solution. good work style should not be limited to the level of "doing it if it can be done", but should actively use your brain and find ways to solve those reasonable demands that are difficult to handle at the moment. as some business owners lamented: "if you only stick to the process and don't work hard to solve the problem, then what is the difference between people and cold machines?"

source of the "can't get things done" reporting window: "jiaxing public security" wechat official account

three

the root cause of the "soft nail" lies in formalism and bureaucracy. removing the "soft nail" does not mean that government departments should take on too much and respond to requests without distinction, but should encourage cadres to take responsibility and do what they should do. so, how should this nail be removed?

do what you should do.many people who encounter "soft nails" in their demands hope that the party members and cadres who handle affairs can put themselves in the shoes of the masses and consider more, and "go a few more steps" when formulating or implementing policies. such demands usually require party members and cadres to take more responsibility, make more efforts, and even take some risks. therefore, to remove the "soft nails", there must be both institutional guarantees so that party members and cadres have the confidence and path to move forward, and regulatory constraints so that those who are unwilling to advance their work will pay the price. for example, a certain place once issued an incentive and accountability implementation method for the governance of "officials who do not do their job", allowing reverse accountability and positive incentives to work in a two-pronged approach, establish the deterrent power of accountability, show a red card to lazy politics, and establish a protection mechanism for cadres who dare to act, so as to resolve the problem of "it's hard to be a good official".

hold the line that must be defended.objectively speaking, not all grassroots demands are reasonable, and it is not realistic to demand that all problems must be solved 100%. the key to identifying "soft nails" is to distinguish whether it is objective inability or subjective inaction. removing "soft nails" does not mean that party members and cadres who do things do not abide by the bottom line of principles. for things that really cannot be done, you can explain clearly that they cannot be done. in particular, when it comes to various requests that cross the red line, such as economic exchanges and personal favors, party members and cadres should still be vigilant and never reach out. for things that can obviously be done, they must be done well and leave convenience to the masses.

cover what you can cover.some people and enterprises' demands are difficult to resolve, not because the officials are lazy, but because they encounter new situations and new problems, or they are temporarily unable to handle the demands. however, such demands may involve the vital interests of the people, the development of enterprises, and may also reflect the trend of social development. such matters that should be covered and considered in the long run are precisely the tests of the government's governance capabilities and level. for example, some places have set up offline "cover-the-bottom" windows in government service centers to specifically handle difficult business-related service matters such as nowhere to consult and accept, multiple departments without a lead, and non-recurring and unprecedented matters. this gives people and enterprises a place to seek explanations.

the reason why "soft nails" are difficult to remove is that they are often covered with "correct clothes", which separates attitudes from actions. however, "soft nails" are not impossible to remove. "govern with facts, not with words", and adhere to seeking truth from facts to ensure that "soft nails" do not pierce people's hearts.