How to Pick Sides at Work? She Saved Herself With One Line
How to pick a side amid company acquisition? After the takeover, the new leader talked to every staff one by one, asking “What do you think of the former management?” Telling the truth would offend the old boss, while empty pleasantries would cost the new leader’s trust. She said nothing at all. Three months later, among all retained employees, she was the only one who kept her original post without reassignment.
Lin Wen’s company got acquired.
On the day the news was announced, the conference room fell dead silent. Headquarters sent over a new general manager, who brought three people with him. Their first step was “sizing up the team” — one-on-one talks with every employee, always opening with the same line: “What do you think of the old management team?”
The veteran staff all had different things on their minds. Some curried favor with the new arrivals by spilling dirt on their former leaders, others gritted their teeth and stood by the old management. Lin Wen hadn’t made up her mind yet.
How do you pick a side in office politics? She wasn’t without thoughts: the old general manager was capable, but also headstrong and arrogant; the new people had impressive backgrounds, but she knew nothing about their real character. She knew there was risk no matter which side she took.
She didn’t give a straight answer.
On the weekend, she went to visit her uncle. He’d worked at a state-owned enterprise for 30 years, lived through three mergers, and had kept his position steady every single time. When she told him what was going on, he asked, “Do you know who Zhang Liang is?”
“After Liu Bang conquered the empire, he wanted to grant Zhang Liang a fief of 30,000 households. Guess what he said back?”
Lin Wen shook her head.
“He only asked for a small, insignificant fief. Later on, he shut himself away entirely, saying — ‘I wish to set aside worldly affairs, and follow the Master Red Pine in wandering.’”
Her uncle took a sip of tea: “Most people think he just retired after achieving great merit. But actually, he was doing something far harder — 括囊，无咎无誉 (Tying the Bag Shut: No Blame, No Praise). Tie your bag tight, say nothing, draw no attention to yourself.”
“Why?”
“Su Dongpo once said — ‘Blame leads to punishment, but praise leads to suspicion.’ Make a mistake, and you get punished — that’s obvious. But if you get too famous, people will fix their eyes on you too. You think picking the right side keeps you safe? Not at all. What if you’re on the right side today, but the wrong side tomorrow? The safest place to be is where no one praises you, and no one hates you either.”
Lin Wen sat stunned for a long while.
On the day of her one-on-one talk, the new general manager asked her: “What aspects of the old management team do you think need adjusting?”
She thought for a moment, then said: “I can put together a document for you on the specific workflows. As for management decisions, I’m not in a leadership position, so it wouldn’t be right for me to comment.”
The new general manager glanced at her, said nothing, and nodded.
After she left the room, a colleague asked her: “Why didn’t you say anything? Isn’t that just giving up your chance to get ahead?”
She smiled and didn’t explain.
Over the next month, the company’s power structure shifted drastically. The people who’d rushed badmouthing the old leadership? The new general manager used them for a while, then slowly pushed them to the margins — “If he’d talk about his old boss like that, he’ll talk about me the same way someday.” The people who’d fiercely defended the old management were transferred to fringe departments one after another. The two factions fought back and forth, and neither came out on top.
What’s a veteran employee to do after a company merger? Lin Wen didn’t pick a side. She showed up to work on time, did her job properly, and only shared objective data when asked about the old days — never judging anyone. The new leadership didn’t have any special fondness for her, but they couldn’t find a single fault with her either.
Three months later, when the personnel restructuring was done, she was the only veteran employee left who still held her original position.
No one had specially promoted her, and no one had pushed her out. She wasn’t a favorite, and she wasn’t a target.
Her uncle later said to her: “You think those four words mean being mediocre? That’s because you’ve never seen what happens to people who pick the wrong side. In chaos, being able to stand steady right where you are is the biggest win of all.”
How do you choose a side in office politics? Her answer now is — sometimes, not choosing at all is the best choice.