Firmly Establishing a Correct Outlook on Political Performance by “Looking Upward” and “Looking Downward”

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “Our Party serves the people. The Central Committee’s considerations are all about doing things for the people. Cadres at all levels must not always look upward only. In everything we do, we must look upward and look downward.” He stressed, “We must often ask ourselves: Are we busy with things completely unrelated to the Party’s fundamental purpose? Are we wholeheartedly doing things for the common people? Are we working around the central tasks of the Party and the state?” “Looking upward” embodies the political consciousness of anchoring the correct political direction and grasping the overall situation and general trend; “looking downward” manifests the original aspiration of rooting oneself among the masses and seeking truth from facts. Party members and cadres, in establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance, should constantly examine their original aspiration and inspect their words and deeds, firming up ideals and convictions while “looking upward,” and deepening their commitment to the people while “looking downward,” striving to create achievements that withstand the test of practice, the people, and history.

习近平总书记指出，“我们党就是为人民服务的。中央的考虑，是要为人民做事。各级干部也不能眼睛总是向上。任何事情都要向上看看，向下看看”，强调“要经常问问自己，我们是不是在忙着与党的根本宗旨毫不相关的事情？有没有一心一意在为老百姓做事情？是不是在围绕党和国家中心任务而工作？”“向上看看”，体现锚定正确政治方向、把握全局大势的政治自觉；“向下看看”，彰显扎根人民群众、求真务实的初心坚守。党员干部树立和践行正确政绩观，应时常叩问初心、检视言行，在“向上看看”中坚定理想信念，在“向下看看”中厚植为民情怀，努力创造经得起实践、人民和历史检验的实绩。

“Looking upward” means looking at direction, at the overall situation, and at the Party’s will. Only by frequently looking upward can one clarify direction, recognize the overall situation, see the standards and requirements clearly, and consciously think about problems and handle affairs from the overall perspective of the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings. The key for Party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct outlook on political performance lies in consciously positioning, planning, and advancing the work of their own region and department within the overall framework of the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings. Only by embracing the overall situation and taking a long-term view can one maintain strategic composure amidst complex contradictions and challenges, and effectively anchor the foothold of development on improving development quality and efficiency. “Looking downward” means looking at popular sentiment, at the actual situation, and at the foundation. Only by frequently looking downward can one take benefiting the people as the greatest political achievement, read the “big matters” of popular sentiment from seemingly trivial livelihood issues of the people, discover new situations, study new problems, summarize new experiences, see through the actual situation and grasp the laws behind the myriad phenomena, and find effective paths to solve difficult problems.

“向上看看”，看的是方向、是大局、是党心，只有经常向上看看，才能明方向、识大局，看清标准和要求，自觉从党和国家事业发展全局出发想问题、办事情。党员干部树立和践行正确政绩观，关键在于自觉把本地区和本部门工作放到党和国家事业发展全局中定位、谋划和推进。只有胸怀全局、着眼长远，才能在纷繁复杂的矛盾和挑战面前保持战略定力，切实把发展的落脚点放到提高发展质量和效益上来。“向下看看”，看的是民心、是实情、是根基。只有经常向下看看，才能把为民造福作为最大政绩，从看似琐碎的民生小事中读懂民心“大事”，才能发现新情况、研究新问题、总结新经验，从千头万绪的现象背后看透实情、把握规律，找到破解难题的有效路径。

Adhering to both “looking upward” and “looking downward” is, in the final analysis, unifying responsibility to the higher authorities with responsibility to those below. If one’s eyes are only fixed upward while neglecting to “look downward,” it is easy to fall into the mire of formalism and bureaucracy. In fact, when implementing policies from higher levels, if one is divorced from the actual conditions of one’s own region and department and remains numb to the urgent difficulties and concerns of the masses, even the best policies will become dead letters and fail to be implemented on the ground. Conversely, if one only “looks downward” without “looking upward,” responsibility to those below can easily degenerate into departmentalism, focusing only on immediate local interests and calculating petty gains within one’s own small sphere. Due to a shallow and inaccurate understanding of the major policies and principles of the Party Central Committee, work will lack foresight and systematicity.

坚持既“向上看看”也“向下看看”，说到底就是将对上负责与对下负责统一起来。如果眼睛只往上盯而忽视“向下看看”，就容易陷入形式主义、官僚主义的泥淖。事实上，贯彻落实上级政策，如果脱离本地区和本部门实际，对群众急难愁盼麻木无感，再好的政策都会成为一纸空文，难以落地落实。反之，如果只“向下看看”而不“向上看看”，对下负责就容易变成本位主义，只顾眼前局部利益，缩在自己的一亩三分地里打小算盘，由于对党中央大政方针理解不深、把握不准，工作缺乏前瞻性和系统性。

A correct outlook on political performance is precisely formed in the unity of “looking upward” and “looking downward.” Only by thoroughly grasping the spirit of the Party Central Committee and fully and accurately understanding the overall considerations and long-term planning behind the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee can one find the “outline” that guides work. Only by persisting in “looking downward,” deeply understanding the actual conditions at the grassroots and the demands of the masses, can one find the “mesh” for implementing the spirit of the Party Central Committee. Achieving the “outline raised and the mesh spread,” one can then both “connect to the antenna” and “stay close to the ground” when undertaking endeavors and starting undertakings.

正确政绩观，正是在“向上看看”与“向下看看”的统一中形成的。只有吃透党中央精神，全面准确理解党中央决策部署的全局考量和长远谋划，才能找准指导工作的“纲”。只有坚持“向下看看”，深入了解基层实际和群众诉求，才能找到落实党中央精神的“目”。做到“纲举目张”，干事创业才能既“接天线”又“接地气”。

Adhering to both “looking upward” and “looking downward” requires Party members and cadres to embrace the overall situation while keeping their feet on the ground, consciously calibrate the compass of thought, draw the bowstring of action taut, firm up faith and grasp the direction while “looking upward,” deepen commitment and draw strength while “looking downward,” transform the results of studying and comprehending the spirit of the Party Central Committee into concrete measures for serving the grassroots and the masses, elevate problems discovered in grassroots research into decision-making references for improving top-level design, be “understanding persons” who reassure the Party Central Committee and “intimate persons” whom the masses trust, and write solid achievements and true political performance into the overall situation of the Party and the state’s undertakings and into the hearts of the people.

坚持既“向上看看”也“向下看看”，需要党员干部既胸怀大局又脚踏实地，自觉校准思想罗盘，拉满行动弓弦，在“向上看看”中坚定信仰、把准方向，在“向下看看”中厚植情怀、汲取力量，将学习领会党中央精神的成果转化为服务基层、服务群众的务实举措，把基层调研中发现的问题升华为完善顶层设计的决策参考，当好让党中央放心的“明白人”、让人民群众信任的“贴心人”，把实业绩、真政绩写进党和国家事业大局中，写到人民群众心坎上。