【Putin: Officials Should Get Used to Criticism】On August 10 local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a discussion with urban development officials and city planning experts in Ulan-Ude, stated that government officials need not constantly focus on seeking praise; what matters more is getting things done and ensuring the public truly sees tangible results.
He said: "They (government officials) will always be subject to criticism, and being scolded is actually justified."
Putin pointed out: "Their work is not about receiving praise, but rather about gaining a sense of accomplishment through the process, achieving real results for the people."
The message was clear: being an official isn't about hearing compliments, but about doing practical work.
In his view, government officials should not measure their performance by whether anyone praises them. Public complaints, criticism—even insults—are all normal phenomena. More importantly, when faced with such criticism, officials should not merely focus on explanations or justifications; instead, they must find ways to solve problems.
Putin also emphasized that officials should derive a sense of achievement from the work process itself. What ultimately brings this satisfaction? Not applause—but "achieving results for the people."
In fact, this is not the first time Putin has stressed the "results-oriented" approach for officials.
Previously, he had demanded that the Russian government maintain a sustained, high-intensity working pace, even comparing government departments to military personnel in special military operation zones, emphasizing that government agencies must not slacken and must prioritize solving real-world issues. He also noted that some key challenges facing Russia today may still ultimately be resolved through actions on the battlefield.
Notably, Russia has recently introduced institutional adjustments aimed at encouraging officials to place greater emphasis on "correcting mistakes."
In June this year, Putin signed a law exempting certain officials from administrative penalties if they proactively rectify violations and illegal acts. According to regulations, if officials reach a remediation agreement with regulatory authorities and complete the required corrections, related administrative procedures can be suspended.
Naturally, this rule comes with clear limitations. For instance, those who submit remediation applications only after cases have already been transferred to court, or those who previously made similar commitments but failed to fulfill them, are ineligible for this provision.
When viewed together, Putin’s recent remarks on "being scolded" convey a very pragmatic signal:
Serving as an official does not mean pleasing everyone; work should not be done merely to impress superiors. It's not frightening to be criticized by the public—what is truly alarming is having problems lying unaddressed, yet failing to resolve them.
Therefore, Putin’s statement that “being scolded is actually justified” is less about providing excuses for officials to be criticized, and more about reminding them: reduce expectations for praise, and increase efforts to solve problems. Ultimately, what determines an official’s evaluation is how many actual things they have accomplished for the people. Putin
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873146868795468/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.