Behind the
slogan
POLITICAL
Hong Kong Today
ISSUES
ISSUES
POLITICAL
Thursday, March 1, 2007
A simple slogan can mean different things
to different people, says Janet Wong
Translated by Lon Yan
LL get the job done” (「我會做
好呢份工！」) was the campaign slogan adopted by
Chief Executive Donald
Tsang when he announced his intention
to run in the election of the next Chief
Executive of the SAR.
The slogan has quickly become the
talk of the town. Some people are critical,
saying that equating the duty of the Chief
Executive of the SAR to just a job deprecated (貶低) the importance of the position. Calling the position a job also
showed a lack of ambition and vision,
they said.
The desire to get the job done is supposedly a laudable spirit, but then why
does this idea attract so much flak when it
is used as Mr Tsang’s campaign slogan? Is
it not appropriate to
call the position
of Chief Executive “a job”?
“I’
In the news
WHEN Chief Executive Donald Tsang
announced his candidacy for the next term,
he adopted “I’ll get the job done” as the slogan of his election campaign.
Mr Tsang explained that to get the job
done is something he has promised himself
when he joined the Hong Kong civil service some 40 years ago. He said this commitment had not wavered through the years,
and he remained faithful to it, irrespective
of whether he was the Financial Secretary
dealing with the financial turmoil or the
Chief Secretary coordinating cleaning work
of the territory.
He said he had approached every duty
on hand, whatever it is, with the same single-minded determination to get it done,
and get it done well. He also stressed that
there was no such thing as a lowly job, so
long as it is a job that needed to be done, it
should be completed to the best of one’s
ability.
However, some people are very critical
about the slogan. It seems that the message
of dedication and commitment Mr Tsang
mentioned is lost on these critics. They
chided the slogan for reflecting a non-progressive (不長進的) attitude, lacking the
sense of mission (抱負) and vision (遠大的目
光), all of which are essential qualities of a
good leader.
A university lecturer called the slogan a
major failure, saying that it has exposed the
caretaker mentality with which the Chief
Executive has been taking his position.
Opponent Alan Leong (梁家傑) was critical
too, expectedly, saying that Hong Kong
does not need someone who takes the CE
office as a job, but a leader that has vision.
To the critics, the slogan is easily associated with the “it’s-just-a-job” mentality
common among many employees in Hong
Kong. This mentality is characterised by
the lack of initiative (不思進取), and follow-
ing orders unquestioningly (唯命是從).
One citizen told a phone-in programme:
“Donald Tsang may think so privately, but
he should never have said it out loud.”
However, some have expressed an opposite view, saying that the slogan showed that
Mr Tsang is a humble (謙卑) person who
feels for the workers. It also showed the
devotion he has shown to his job during the
past 40 years, and his practical and downto-earth (務實) approach to solving problems.
In response to the criticisms, Mr Tsang
later elaborated that the slogan was meant
as a constant reminder to himself that he
must always remain humble despite his
high position. The slogan means that he
must remember that the “boss” he is serving are the people of Hong Kong. However, detractors were quick to say
that Mr Tsang’s “real boss” is the
Central Government in Beijing.
What they say
Legislative Councillor Albert Cheng: “Commitment and dedication are essential if you want to get
your job done well. The spirit behind getting the job
done reflects an ideal and an attitude of perseverance,
without which no job can be done well. From this perspective, I think Donald Tsang’s slogan is good, and I
respect the ideas it represents.”
A public affairs commentator:
“The English version of
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Multi-angle thinking
Campaign slogan
1) Why do you think Donald Tsang adopts the slogan “I’ll get the job done”? What messages do you think he is trying to bring out? Do you think those messages have been
effectively conveyed?
2) What is the controversy triggered by the slogan? What are the main issues of argument? Do you think the slogan is a successful one?
Employee mentality
3) What do you think is the proper attitude towards a job? Are there problems with having
an “employee mentality”?
4) Getting a job done is an admirable attitude. Why do you think it attracted so many criticisms when it is used as the slogan for the Chief Executive Election campaign?
Class discussion
5) If you were to help the Chief Executive revise his campaign slogan, how would you do it?
6) Why is “Employee Chief Executive” a negative term? Is there any problem with the Chief
Executive of the SAR having an employee mentality?
7) Design a better campaign slogan for Tsang, with reference to his platform (選舉政綱).
the slogan – ‘I’ll get the job done’ – has been popular
within the civil service, particularly among civil servants in the older generation. There is nothing wrong
with it and it should be supported. What is arguable is
its Cantonese version (「我會做好呢份工!」), which literally translated as ‘I will get this job done’, which is much
weaker and is open for criticism. It is better if it is
translated as ‘I’ll not rest until I get it done well.’ (「我會
做到好為止。」)”
A columnist: “What is an employee? Of course, an
employee can have his own independent thinking and
values ... however, an employee must follow orders
from the boss. When the orders clash with his own
values, he would still have to carry them out, all he
can do to make himself feel better is by saying ‘Oh, it’s
just a job!’ How can you expect an employee to give
up his job just to protect his subordinates, or expect a
security guard to put his life on the line?”
A university lecturer: “What Hong
Kong needs is a helmsman who will lead us
to venture into the future. This contrasts
starkly with the idea of just getting the job
done, which connotes a conservative attitude.”
A public affairs commentator: “A job is very different from a career (事業). Leading Hong Kong to
become a true metropolitan (國際大都會), bringing a
good life for Hong Kong’s population of seven million
is a career. An employment does not necessarily
require a sense of mission. The only objective of
‘getting the job done’ is not to lose one’s employment.”
Class voting
DO you think Tsang should use “I’ll get the job done!” as his campaign slogan?
1) Yes, as it expresses his respect for the job.
2) Yes, as it reflects the Chief Executive’s practical approach.
3) No. The position of the Chief Executive should not be treated as just another job.
4) No. The slogan reflects a lack of vision and sense of mission.
Online references
Tsang: the people is my boss
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070202/60/215rf.html
Leong chides “employee Chief Executive”
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070201/12/212og.html
How to get the job done
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070203/12/2169o.html
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