It is the message to his men as well as the people. Seeing the message, it may reflect his life philosophy. Those under him explained the origin of the catchphrase as below:
“The slogan is no other than his message directly to us but not to the public. His firing character does not permit the job to be acted slowly. The job must be accomplished at once with new thinking and new possibilities. Like this, he is only an actionist, far from a pedant. From this point of view, the message or watchword or whatever it is called, is connected to his character--that is, no sooner said than done.”
Also, he has adopted Saturday Working System as his Management policy. Accordingly, everybody including him has to work on Saturday as working day. His staff and/or aides-de-camps are present at the office at six o’clock and a half in the morning as if they are early birds. At seven o’clock A.M. they report to him their daily chores and missions he had given to them before.
Seemingly, his subordinates obey the System willingly. In reality, however, they were still grumbling at the boss’ bizarre policy but did not speak out their mind boldly. They were afraid that they would be fired. So they’ve reluctantly followed it as his standing order. Behind the back, however, they have sneered at him down. Then they criticized him on behalf of their interest as below:
“He does know that a week has seven days and that the week is composed of each seven day; Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and so on. But his big problem is that he does not know the name of each day. He simply thinks that the day after Friday is regarded as a working day like Friday. He does not know that there is the name of Saturday. Presumably, he may not understand, ‘There is the seventh day by name Saturday. That is another holiday like Sunday.’ Due to his misunderstanding, he is present at the office on Saturday and works like any working day. That is the rubber. Like him, we have to work on Saturday like Friday.”
So, his policy did not kindle them to work hard.
Going up in the air, they added cynically in an unsatisfied look:
“His thinking is not a new thinking. The policy is not a new one. It is a quaint thinking because he thinks that Saturday is a working day. Without physical recreation we cannot find any new possibilities. Frankly, it is trite thinking. And such working attitude is out-of-date and quirk. The problem is that he will not listen to us. His character cannot allow our words. In this way, he strains at a gnat and swallows a camel.”
Never did the men under him concur.
Rather, their dissatisfaction was serious.
“No song, no supper.”
Nonetheless, he ignored it. He did not care for their complaints. Rather, he snubbed their leisurely mindset into silence. His position was ‘No song, no supper.’
One day, laughing a bitter laugh he explained why he works on Saturday:
“The early bird catches the worm. Sunday is enough as holiday. Saturday is not necessary as a holiday. As for me, two holidays a week are wasteful. I cannot afford the loss. A single holiday is enough per week.”
Further, he unfolded his thinking with vindicating the Saturday working system on unique excuses:
“The Saturday Management is not my official policy. My unvarying doctrine is ‘new Thinking and new Possibilities’ for a better future. In order to accomplish this doctrine unmistakably, you and I alike have to work hard. When we do it as such, we can cope with lots of troubles and barriers ahead in the world. Also I like a man who plods the work like me. Thus, you must follow my order with new thinking and new possibilities. Otherwise, you have to take it or leave it. No song, no supper.”
Right, he did not agree to disagree.
Never did he shrink from their peevish complaints. Then he warned them in high snuff:
“If you think differently and do not work on Saturday you will be fired. Then you will work no more.”
Actually such a mind and thinking was his natural-born character and hard-working attitude. From his boyhood he has lived in this way. By all accounts, he has been inconceivably industrious and unwearied. Like his men, he has worked on Saturdays as his duty. That is true, unpretending. Nobody can deny it. Therefore, to his eyes, two holidays a week are simply a luxury and laziness.
In this point, he cannot be underrated as a sophisticate. If so, his Saturday Management might not be connected to the small-mindedness. From this point of view, Saturday Management cannot be trivialized and ignored as a quaint thinking. Nonetheless, his subordinates have not understood his character and his deep ideal, that is, why he has adopted Saturday Management.
As for his men, it was and is a problematic and touchy issue. It cannot be a voluntary program but a compulsory doctrine. On the other side, as for him, it was and is one of his highly principles to achieve the goal. And he has still kept it in mind that it is one of his best policies. Presumably, he will maintain it as his Policy to the end. The Policy will not be changed until he feels tired as an old man.
At his unchanged attitude, his men have felt dissatisfied that ‘it is an odd thinking and an unwelcome policy.’ Despite their dissatisfaction, they, as his salary men, had no choice but to follow it to save their lives and support their families. They grudgingly acquiesced in his compulsive demand as a commanding order. For such a reason they call his proud policy as the ‘Saturday Management’ at his back cynically.
Tracing back to such a strong and stern character in him he must have been influenced his father. He was Cheong Ju-young.
He was capable and full of ambition with tireless vigorand wild valor.Like the catchphrase, ‘New thinking & new possibilities’, Cheong Ju-young was possessed of brain as well as brawn. Born and bred by him, the son, the owner of Hyundai, resembles him. Also, he was the son’s idol as well as his role-model. For such a reason, the son might have adopted ‘Saturday Management Policy.’
