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MartinDanoesastro_2018S-_我们愿意放弃什么以改变既有的工作方式呢_
Have you ever watched a flock of birds work together? 你看过成群飞行的鸟吗？
flock:v.聚集;群集;蜂拥;n.(羊或鸟)群;(尤指同类人的)一大群;
Thousands of animals, flying in perfect synchrony : 上千只的动物, 以完美的协调性成群飞行,
synchrony:n.同步;
Isn't it fascinating ? 这是不是很迷人呢？
fascinating:adj.极有吸引力的;迷人的;v.深深吸引;迷住;(fascinate的现在分词)
What I find remarkable is that these birds would not be able to do that if they all would have to follow one leader. 我觉得值得注意的是:若这些鸟只能跟着一位领袖, 那牠们便无法如此成群飞行了。
remarkable:adj.卓越的;非凡的;值得注意的;
Their reaction speed would simply be too low. 因为牠们的反应速度会太慢。
reaction:n.反应,感应;反动,复古;反作用;
Instead, scientists believe that these birds are relying on a few simple rules, allowing every single bird to make autonomous decisions while still flying in perfect synchrony. 相反地,科学家相信这些鸟 依循着几个简单的原则, 这些原则让每一只鸟 都可以自主决策, 同时以完美的协调性成群飞行。
relying:v.依赖;信任;指望(rely的现在分词); autonomous:adj.自治的;自主的;自发的;
Their alignment enables their autonomy , and their autonomy makes them fast and flexible. 牠们的共识让牠们能够具自主性, 而牠们的自主性 让团队飞行更快速、灵活。
alignment:n.队列,成直线;校准;结盟; enables:v.使得; (enable的第三人称单数) autonomy:n.自治,自治权;
Now, what does this have to do with any one of us? 那这跟我们有什么关系呢？
have to do with:与…有关;
Well, it's one way of illustrating what I believe to be the most important change that is needed in ways of working today. 这是诠释我相信现今的工作方式 需做重大改变的一种方法。
illustrating:图解;
The world is getting faster and more complex , so we need a new way of working, a way that creates alignment around purpose, that takes out bureaucracy and that truly empowers people to make decisions faster. 世界变得愈来愈快、越错综复杂, 所以我们需要新的工作方式, 以目的为核心达成共识, 摒弃繁文缛节, 授权人们使其能更快速地做出决策。
complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; bureaucracy:n.官僚主义;官僚机构;官僚政治; empowers:授权;使能够(empower的第三人称单数);
But the question is: 但问题是:
In order to get there, what are we willing to give up? 为了达成目标, 我们愿意放弃什么？
A few years ago, I was working with a bank that wanted to embark on a digital transformation . 几年前,我与一间银行合作, 他们想进行数位化的改革。
embark:vi.从事,着手;上船或飞机;vt.使从事;使上船; digital:adj.数字的;手指的;n.数字;键; transformation:n.转变;(用于南非)民主改革;
They wanted their offering to be simpler, more intuitive , more relevant . 银行希望提供更简单、 直觉式和适切的服务。
intuitive:adj.直觉的;凭直觉获知的; relevant:adj.相关的;切题的;中肯的;有重大关系的;有意义的,目的明确的;
Now, I'm not sure how many of you have seen a bank from the inside, so let me try to illustrate what many traditional banks look like. 我不确定多少人 知道银行的内部作業, 让我试着形容一下传统的银行:
illustrate:v.解释;加插图于;给(书等)做图表;表明…真实; traditional:传统的,惯例的,
You see lots of people in suits taking elevators to go to their department, marketers sitting with marketers, engineers with engineers, etc. 你看到许多人穿着西装, 搭着电梯抵达他们的部门, 行销人员坐一起, 工程师们坐一起,依此类推。
elevators:n.电梯(elevator的复数形式);升降机; marketers:n.卖主;市场营销者(marketer的复数);
You see meetings with 20 people where nothing gets decided. 你看到二十个人的会议, 没有作出任何决定。
Great ideas? They end up in PowerPoint parking lots. 若有好主意, 最终也埋没在简报堆里。
And there are endless handovers between departments. 还有数不尽部门间的会签。
endless:adj.无止境的;连续的;环状的;漫无目的的; handovers:adj.移交的;(handovers是handover的复数);
Getting anything done can take forever. 把事情搞定似乎是遥遥无期。
So this bank knew that in order to transform, they would have to improve their time to market by drastically changing their ways of working as well. 这间银行知道为了变革, 他们必须大幅地改变工作的方式 以加速产品的上市时间。
improve:v.改进;改善; drastically:adv.彻底地;激烈地;
But how? 但该怎么做呢？
To get some inspiration, we decided to go and have a look at companies that seem to be more innovative , like Google , Netflix , Spotify , Zappos. 为了汲取一些灵感, 我们去拜访那些看起来 很有创意的公司, 像 Google, Netflix, Spotify, Zappos。
have a look at:看一看,看一眼; innovative:adj.革新的,创新的; Google:谷歌;谷歌搜索引擎; Netflix:n.网飞公司(出租DVD;在线观看电影的网站。); Spotify:音乐播放器;音乐服务网站;
And I remember how we were walking the halls at one of these companies in December 2014, a management consultant and a team of bankers. 我记得当我们走进 其中一间公司的大厅, 在 2014 年的十二月, 一个管理顾问跟一群银行家。
management:n.管理;管理人员;管理部门;操纵;经营手段; consultant:n.顾问;高级顾问医师;会诊医师;
We felt like strangers in a strange land, surrounded by beanbags and hoodies and lots of smart, creative employees. 我们自觉像是造访异地的异乡客, 被懒骨头沙发、连帽运动衫、 许多聪明有创意的员工给包围。
beanbags:n.游戏用的装了豆子的小袋; hoodies:n.冠鸦; creative:adj.创造性的;
So then we asked, "How is your company organized ?" 我们请教:「你们的公司 是如何组织运作的？」
organized:adj.有组织的; v.组织; (organize的过去分词和过去式)
And we expected to get an org chart. 我们预期会拿到一张组织表,
But instead, they used strange drawings with funny names like " squads " and "chapters" and "tribes" 但是,他们画了些 标着有趣名称的奇怪图案, 像是「小队」、 「地方分会」或是「部落」,
squads:n.小队;班(squad的复数);小组;v.编成小队;编成班(squad的第三人称单数);
to explain how they were organized. 来解释他们是如何运作的。
So then we tried to translate that to our own world. 我们试着把这些转译成自己的语言。
translate:v.翻译;被翻译;被译成;(使)转变;
We asked, "How many people are working for you?" 我们接着问: 「有多少人为你工作呢？」
'"It depends." 「看状况。」
'"Who do you report to?" 「你向谁报告呢？」
'"It depends." 「看状况。」
'"Who decides on your priorities ?" 「谁决定你工作的优先顺序呢？」
priorities:n.优先事项;优先权;重点;(priority的复数)
'"It depends." 「看状况。」
You can imagine our surprise. 你可以想像我们有多讶异。
We were asking for what we thought were some of the basic principles of organizations , and their answer was, "It depends." 我们自认请教的是一些 关于组织的基本原则, 而他们的回答却是「看状况」。
principles:n.原则;主义;本质;政策;(principle的复数) organizations:n.组织,构造,有机体(organization的复数);组织机构;
Now, over the course of that day, we gained a better understanding of their model. 经过了那天的拜访, 我们更了解他们的模式。
They believed in the power of small, autonomous teams. 他们相信精简自主的工作团队 所拥有的力量。
Their teams were like mini-start-ups. 他们的团队就像小型的创業团队。
They had product people and IT engineers in the same team so they could design, build and test ideas with customers independently of others in the company. 他们让产品部和工程师 在同一个团队, 因此他们能与顾客一起 设计、建立、测试想法, 而无须仰赖公司其他人。
independently:adv.独立地;自立地;
They did not need handovers between departments. 他们不需要做部门间的会签,
They had all the skills needed right there in the team. 他们所需要的人才都在团队中。
Now, at the end of that day, we had a session to reflect on what we had learned. 那天的尾声,我们有一个会议 来回顾我们今天的所见所学。
session:n.会议;(法庭的)开庭;(议会等的)开会;学期;讲习会; reflect on:仔细考虑,思考;反省;回想,回顾;怀疑;
And we had started to like their model, so we were already thinking of how to apply some of these ideas to a bank. 我们开始欣赏他们的模式, 我们已经在思考如何 将某些点子应用在银行業上。
apply:v.申请;涂,敷;应用;适用;请求;
But then, one of the hosts , a guy who had not said a word all day, he suddenly said, "So I see you like our model. 当下,其中一位主人, 那天全程保持缄默, 他突然开口问道: 「你们喜欢我们的模式,
hosts:n.主人; v.主办,主持(活动); (host的第三人称单数和复数)
But I have one question for you: 但我有一个问题想问你们,
What are you willing to give up?" 你们愿意放弃什么呢？」
What were we willing to give up? 我们愿意放弃什么？
We did not have an answer immediately, but we knew he was right. 我们当下没有答案, 但我们知道他是对的。
Change is not only about embracing the new; it's about giving up on some of the old as well. 改变不只是拥抱新的方法, 同时也要放弃一些旧的作法。
embracing:n.拥抱;v.拥抱,包含;(embrace的现在分词)
Now, over the past five years, 现在过了五年之后,
I have worked with companies all over the world to change their ways of working. 我协助世界各地的公司 改变他们工作的方式。
And clearly, every company has their own skeptics about why this is not going to work for them. 显然每家公司都有他们自己觉得 新方式对他们而言是行不通的质疑:
skeptics:n.疑论者,怀疑主义者(skeptic的复数形式);
'"Our product is more complex," 「我们的产品更复杂。」
or "They don't have the legacy IT like we do," 「他们不像我们有这么多老旧系统,」
legacy:n.遗赠,遗产;
or " Regulators just won't allow this in our industry." 或是「主管机关不会允许 我们的产業这么做。」
Regulators:n.调整者;调节阀(regulator的复数形式);
But for this bank and also for the other companies that I have worked with afterwards, change was possible. 但对这家银行与其他 和我合作过的公司而言, 改变是可能的。
Within a year, we completely blew up the old silos between marketing, product, channels and IT. 一年之内,我们完全打破了以往 行销、产品、通路和资讯部门间 各自为政的状况。
silos:n.筒仓;粮仓;贮仓(silo的复数);
Three thousand employees were reorganized into 350 multidisciplinary teams. 三千多名的员工被重新组织成 三百五十个多专業合作团队。
reorganized:v.重组(reorganize的过去分词);整顿;重新制定;adj.重组的;重新制定的; multidisciplinary:adj.有关各种学问的;
So instead of product people sitting just with product people and engineers with engineers, a product person and an engineer were now members of the same team. 取代以往:产品部门坐在一起、 工程师们坐在一起, 现在产品经理跟工程师 隶属于同一个团队。
You could be a member of a team responsible for account opening or for the mobile banking app, etc. 你可能是任务团队一员: 负责开立帐户 或行动银行手机应用软体等。
responsible:adj.负责的,可靠的;有责任的; mobile:n.手机;汽车;移动电话;adj.活跃的;可动的;
At the go-live date of that new organization, some people were shaking hands for the very first time, only to find out that they had been sitting two minutes away from each other but they were sending each other emails and status reports for the last 10 years. 新组织架构正式运作的那天, 有些同事第一次握手, 才发现彼此的座位 走路仅两分钟的距离, 而他们可能彼此互寄电子信件 和进度报告已有十年之久的时间。
status:n.地位;状态;情形;重要身份;
You would hear someone saying, "Ah, so you're the guy that I was always chasing for answers." 你可能听到有人说: 「原来你就是那位 我一直追着要答案的人。」
(Laughter) （笑声）
But now, they're having coffee together every day. 但现在他们每天都一起喝咖啡。
If the product guy has an idea, he can just raise it to get input from the engineer who is sitting right next to him. 如果产品经理有个想法, 他直接提出后 就可获得邻座工程师的意见回馈。
input:n.投入; v.把(数据等)输入计算机;
They can decide to test with customers immediately -- no handovers, no PowerPoints, no red tape, just getting stuff done. 他们可以决定立刻进行顾客测试, 不用会签、简报或耗时的繁琐手续, 直接把事情搞定。
stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本:
Now, getting there is not easy. 要达到这样并不容易。
And as it turns out, "What are you willing to give up?" 我们发现 「你们愿意放弃什么？」
is exactly the right question to ask. 就是最核心的问题。
Autonomous decision-making requires multidisciplinary teams. 自主决策需要多专業合作团队。
decision-making:n.决策;
Instead of decisions going up and down the organization, we want the team to decide. 不再是由上而下的决策过程, 我们希望让团队决定。
But to do so, we need all the skills and expertise for that decision in the team. 但要能这么做,团队之中就必须拥有 做该决策所需的技巧与专業。
expertise:n.专门知识;专门技术;专家的意见;
And this brings difficult trade-offs . 随之而来的是困难的取舍。
trade-offs:n.权衡(trade-off的复数);交易;物物交换;
Can we physically co-locate our people who are working in different buildings, different cities or even different countries today? 我们能将不同大楼、城市甚至国家的 工作同仁共置在一起吗？
co-locate:驻扎在同一地点;使位于一处;
Or should we invest in better videoconferencing ? 或我们要投资更好的视讯会议设备？
invest:v.投资;(把资金)投入;投入(时间、精力等);授予; videoconferencing:v.视频会议(videoconference的现在分词);
And how do we ensure consistency in the way we do things across these teams? 我们如何确保 不同团队行事的一致性？
ensure:vt.保证,确保;使安全; consistency:n.[计]一致性;稠度;相容性; in the way:妨碍;挡道;
We still need some kind of management matrix . 我们仍然需要一些管理矩阵工具,
matrix:n.[数]矩阵;模型;[生物][地质]基质;母体;子宫;[地质]脉石;
Now, all these changes to structure and process and procedure -- they are not easy. 这些组织架构、过程、 步骤的改变并不容易。
structure:n.结构;构造;建筑物;vt.组织;构成;建造; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的; procedure:n.步骤;手术;(商业、法律或政治上的)程序;
But in the end, 但最终,
I found that the most difficult thing to change is our own behavior. 我发现最难改变的 是我们自己的行为。
Let me try to illustrate. 让我试着更具体的描述:
If we want these teams to be fast, flexible, creative, like a mini-start-up, they have to be empowered and autonomous. 如果我们希望团队可以 更快、更弹性、更有创意, 就像是小型的创業团队, 那他们必须被授权并具自主性。
empowered:v.授权;给(某人)…的权力;(empower的过去分词和过去式)
But this means we cannot have leaders commanding their people what to do, when to do, how to do. 但这代表我们不能有主管下指令告诉别人该: 做什么、何时做、怎么做。
No micromanagers . 无需微观经理人。
micromanagers:微观管理者(micromanager的复数)
But it also means that each employee needs to become a leader, regardless of their formal title. 这也代表每个员工都必须是领导者, 不管他们工作的职称为何。
regardless:adj.不管的; v.不顾后果地; formal:adj.适合正式场合的; n.(美)须穿礼服的社交集会; (口)夜礼服;
It's about all of us stepping up to take initiative . 每个人都须积极、主动地 处理应对各种状况。
initiative:n.倡议;主动性;积极性;主动权;adj.起始的;
Now obviously, we also cannot afford to have all these teams running in different directions, because that would certainly lead to chaos . 当然我们无法承受多头马车的团队, 那一定会带来混乱。 那一定会带来混乱。
afford:v.给予,提供;买得起; chaos:n.混沌,混乱;
So we need alignment and autonomy at the same time , just like a flock of birds. 所以我们必须同时拥有共识且自主, 就像一群飞鸟一样。
at the same time:同时;另一方面;与此同时;
In an organizational setting, this requires new behaviors, and with each new behavior, there is giving up on something old as well. 在一个组织环境里 这需要一些新的行为。 每一个新行为也都代表了 要舍弃一些旧作法。
organizational:adj.组织的;编制的;
Leaders have to make sure that everyone in the organization is aligned around the overall purpose -- the why -- and the overall priorities -- the what. 领导者必须确认组织里的每一个人 有一致的整体目标──为什么, 有一致的整体顺序──做什么。
aligned:adj.对齐的;均衡的;v.结盟(align的过去式);使成一直线; overall:v.全部; n.外套; adj.全面的;
But then they have to let go and trust their teams to make the right decisions on how to get there. 然后他们必须放手,相信他们的团队 将做出对的决策以达成目标。
Now, creating alignment requires open and transparent communication. 达成共识需要公开且透明的沟通。
transparent:adj.透明的;显然的;坦率的;易懂的;
But you know how they say that information is a source of power? 大家常说资讯就是力量,
source:n.来源;水源;原始资料;
Well, for some managers, sharing information may feel as if they're giving up that source of power. 但对一些经理人而言, 分享资讯如同放弃权力。
And it's not just managers. 不只是经理人,
The teams need to communicate openly and transparently as well. 团队亦必须公开且透明的沟通,
transparently:adv.显然地,易觉察地;明亮地;
In these companies, the teams typically work in short sprints , and at the end of every sprint, they organize a demo session to share the output of what they've done, transparently. 在这些公司, 每一次专案的尾声, 他们都会有一场成果展示, 公开透明地分享他们产出的成果。
typically:adv.代表性地;作为特色地; sprints:n.短跑(sprint的复数);冲刺跑;v.奋力而跑(sprint的第三人称单数形式); demo:v.试用(尤指软件);演示;示范;n.试样唱片;录音样带; output:n.(人、机器、机构的)产量;输出;输出功率;输出量;v.输出;
And every day, each member of the team gives an update of what they are working on individually . 每天、每位团队成员, 都会更新他们目前各自的工作状况;
update:vt.使现代化;更新;n.现代化;更新的信息; individually:adv.个别地,单独地;
Now, all this transparency can be uncomfortable for people, because suddenly, there is no place to hide anymore. 这样的透明程度可能 会让有些人觉得不自在, 因为突然没有任何隐藏的空间。
transparency:n.透明,透明度;幻灯片;有图案的玻璃;
Everything we do is transparent for everyone. 大家做的每件事都是公开、透明的。
So, alignment is not easy, and providing autonomy is not so obvious , either. 所以达成共识并不容易, 提供自主权也不是一蹴可及。
obvious:adj.明显的;显著的;平淡无奇的;
One executive at another company likes to explain how he used to be a master of milestone-tracking . 另一家公司的一位主管, 曾以「进度管理专家」自诩;
executive:n.管理人员; adj.经营管理的; milestone-tracking:追踪及管理;
Now, today, to know how things are going, instead of looking at status reports, he needs to walk down to the team floors to attend one of their sessions . 而现今,若想掌握状况, 他不再是看进度报告, 他必须走进每一个团队 参加他们的活动;
sessions:n.会议;会期(session的复数);
And instead of telling people what to do, he looks for ways to help them. 不再是告诉别人该怎么做, 而是寻找幫助团队的方式。
That is radical change for someone who used to be a master of milestone-tracking. 对曾为「进度管理专家」的人来说, 这是一个重大的改变。
radical:n.自由基;激进分子;游离基;adj.根本的;彻底的;完全的;全新的;
But in the old world , this executive said, "I only had the illusion of control. 但这位主管说:「在旧的思维里, 我只拥有控制的假象,
old world:adj.古代世界的,古时的;从前的,以前的; illusion:n.幻觉,错觉;错误的观念或信仰;
In reality, many projects would run over time and over budget , anyway. 实际上,许多专案仍会 延迟、超出预算;
budget:n.预算,预算费;v.安排,预定;把…编入预算;adj.廉价的;
Now I have much more transparency, and I can course-correct much earlier if needed." 现在我拥有更高的掌握度, 必要的话,我可以及早修正事态。」
And middle managers need to change as well. 中阶经理人亦必须改变。
First of all , without the handovers and the PowerPoint, there's less of a need for middle managers. 首先,没有工作移交与简报, 将需要更少的中阶经理人。
First of all:adv.首先;
And in the old world, there was this idea of thinkers and doers . 在旧的思维里,
doers:n.实行家(doer的复数);
Employees would just follow orders. 员工只是执行着命令。
But now, instead of only managing other people, middle managers were expected to become player-coaches. 现在除了单纯管理员工, 中阶经理人更被期待扮演着 教练兼球员的角色。
So imagine, for the last 10 years, you have just been telling other people what to do, but now you're expected to do things yourself again. 想像一下:过去十年, 你只需要告诉别人做什么, 但现在你被期待要亲力亲为。
Clearly, this model is not for everyone, and some great people leave the company. 显然这样的模式 并不是所有人都能接受, 一些人才也因此离开了公司。
But the result is a new culture with less hierarchy . 但结果是带入了 降低官僚色彩的新职场文化。
hierarchy:n.层级;等级制度;
And all of this is hard work. 这些成果得来不易,
But it's worth it. 但这很值得。
The companies that I worked with, they were used to deploying new product features a few times per year. 我合作的那些公司, 以往他们一年仅能部署 几次的特色产品,
deploying:v.部署,调度(军队或武器);有效地利用;调动;(deploy的现在分词)
Now they have releases every few weeks, and without the handovers and the red tape, the whole organization becomes more efficient . 现在他们每隔几周就能做到; 无须工作会签、耗时的繁琐手续, 整个工作组织变得更有效率。
releases:n.释放; vt.释放; efficient:adj.有效率的;有能力的;生效的;
And finally , if you walk the halls of these companies today, you just feel a new energy. 最后,若你走进这些公司的大厅, 你能感受到一股新的能量。
finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
It feels as if you're walking the halls of a very large start-up . 就像走在一间 非常大型的新创公司里。
start-up:n.启动;adj.起动阶段的;开始阶段的(异体字startup);
Now, to be fair, these companies, they cannot claim victory yet. 平心而论,这些公司还不能自称已经成功。
claim:v.要求;声称;需要;认领;n.要求;声称;索赔;断言;值得;
But at least with this new model, they are much better prepared to respond to change. 但至少这样新的模式, 他们应对的能力更强。
respond:vi.回答;作出反应;承担责任;n.应答;唱和;
The world is getting faster and more complex, so we need to reboot our way of working. 世界愈来愈快、复合愈深, 我们必须重新调整工作的方式。
reboot:vt.重新启动;再发动;n.重新启动;
And the hardest part of that change is not in structure or process or procedure, and it's also not just senior executives taking charge. 而其中最难的, 不是改变架构、过程或步骤, 也不仅是让资深经理人负责掌理。
senior:adj.大;级别(或地位)高的;成人的;高级水平的;n.上级;上司;较…年长的人; executives:n.经理,主管领导,管理人员;领导层;行政部门(executive的复数)
Leaders will be all of those in the organization who embrace the change. 那些拥抱改变的人, 就是组织里的领导者。
embrace:n.拥抱,怀抱;v.拥抱;乐意采纳(思想、建议等);信奉;包括;
We all have to lead the change. 我们必须一同领导变革。
So the question is: 而那核心的问题是:
What are you willing to give up? 「你们愿意放弃什么？」
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （掌声）