Build a tower, build a team | Tom Wujec

翻译人员: Jenny Yang 校对人员: Daisy Yang

Several years ago here at TED, Peter Skillman

几年前，在TED大会上， Peter Skillman

introduced a design challenge

介绍了一个设计挑战

called the marshmallow challenge.

叫做“棉花糖挑战”

And the idea's pretty simple:

是个非常简单的主意

Teams of four have to build the tallest free-standing structure

要求一组四人的团队搭建一个独立的最高建筑

out of 20 sticks of spaghetti,

材料是20根意大利面条

one yard of tape, one yard of string

一段胶带，一段绳子

and a marshmallow.

一块棉花糖

The marshmallow has to be on top.

棉花糖必须放在最上面

And, though it seems really simple, it's actually pretty hard

这虽然看似简单，其实并不容易

because it forces people

因为它要求人们

to collaborate very quickly.

迅速地合作

And so, I thought this was an interesting idea,

我觉得这是个有趣的主意

and I incorporated it into a design workshop.

我把它放到了设计专题讨论会上

And it was a huge success.

结果非常成功

And since then, I've conducted

从那以后， 我在全球

about 70 design workshops across the world

70多个设计专题讨论活动中

with students and designers and architects,

让学生们和设计者，建筑师

even the CTOs of the Fortune 50,

甚至财富50强的首席技术官

and there's something about this exercise

这个练习在很多方面给了我们

that reveals very deep lessons

深刻的启迪

about the nature of collaboration,

教会我们合作的特性

and I'd like to share some of them with you.

在这里我跟你们分享一些

So, normally, most people begin

通常， 人们总是从

by orienting themselves to the task.

讨论开始着手完成这个任务

They talk about it, they figure out what it's going to look like,

他们讨论一阵， 勾勒出结果会是什么样子

they jockey for power.

他们互相争论一番对错

Then they spend some time planning, organizing,

然后花费点时间计划，组织

they sketch and they lay out spaghetti.

他们画一下图纸然后拿出意大利面条

They spend the majority of their time

他们用了大量的时间

assembling the sticks into ever-growing structures.

把意大利面条组装得越来越高

And then finally, just as they're running out of time,

然后最后，时间快要用完了

someone takes out the marshmallow,

他们拿出棉花糖

and then they gingerly put it on top,

小心翼翼地将棉花糖放到最上面

and then they stand back, and -- ta-da! --

然后他们后退一步，哈哈

they admire their work.

他们欣赏着他们的成果

But what really happens, most of the time,

但是绝大多数时候，真正发生的是

is that the "ta-da" turns into an "uh-oh,"

“哈哈” 变成了“糟了”

because the weight of the marshmallow causes the entire structure

因为棉花糖的重量把整个结构

to buckle and to collapse.

给压散架了

So there are a number of people

有那么一些人

who have a lot more "uh-oh" moments than others,

他们的“糟了”时刻比其他人多

and among the worst are recent graduates of business school.

其中最糟的是新毕业的商学院学生

(Laughter)

(笑声)

They lie, they cheat, they get distracted

他们说谎，他们欺骗，很容易受干扰

and they produce really lame structures.

他们的建筑构造非常蹩脚

And of course there are teams

当然也有一些团队

that have a lot more "ta-da" structures,

他们创造了更多的“哈哈”时刻

and among the best are recent graduates of kindergarten.

其中最好的，就是新毕业的幼儿园小朋友

(Laughter)

(笑声)

And it's pretty amazing.

这个真是很神奇

As Peter tells us,

正如PETER告诉我们的

not only do they produce the tallest structures,

他们不但造出了最高的建筑

but they're the most interesting structures of them all.

而且他们搭建的结构也是最有趣的

So the question you want to ask is:

所以你会问

How come? Why? What is it about them?

这是怎么回事？他们到底有什么特点？

And Peter likes to say that

Peter喜欢这样说：

none of the kids spend any time

“因为没有任何孩子企图做

trying to be CEO of Spaghetti, Inc. Right?

意大利面条公司的总裁。” 是的

They don't spend time jockeying for power.

他们没在争夺权力上花任何时间

But there's another reason as well.

但是其中还有另一个原因

And the reason is that business students are trained

因为商学院的学生受过的专业训练是

to find the single right plan, right?

去寻找一个正确的计划

And then they execute on it.

然后他们按照计划执行

And then what happens is, when they put the marshmallow on the top,

然而事实是， 当他们把棉花糖放到顶部时

they run out of time and what happens?

他们用完了有限的时间，然后呢

It's a crisis.

危机就降临了

Sound familiar? Right.

听着很熟悉吧？是的。

What kindergarteners do differently

幼儿园的孩子的做法不一样

is that they start with the marshmallow,

他们从棉花糖开始

and they build prototypes, successive prototypes,

他们先建一个样板模型， 然后不断在模型上加建，

always keeping the marshmallow on top,

其间总是让棉花糖保持在最上面(不倒下来)

so they have multiple times to fix when they build prototypes along the way.

所以他们一直有很多机会去不断修正样板模型

Designers recognize this type of collaboration

于是设计者认识到这种合作是

as the essence of the iterative process.

这个互动过程中的重要因素

And with each version, kids get instant feedback

对每个版本，孩子都会迅速地得到反馈

about what works and what doesn't work.

他们知道什么行，什么不行

So the capacity to play in prototype is really essential,

所以把握雏形的能力是真正的关键

but let's look at how different teams perform.

让我们来看看不同的队伍是怎样表现的

So the average for most people is around 20 inches;

大多数人建的塔的平均高度是20英尺

business schools students, about half of that;

商学院学生， 大概是一半

lawyers, a little better, but not much better than that,

律师好一些， 但也好不到哪里去

kindergarteners, better than most adults.

幼儿园的孩子，比大多数的成年人要好

Who does the very best?

谁做得最好呢？

Architects and engineers, thankfully.

建筑师和工程师，谢天谢地。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

Thirty-nine inches is the tallest structure I've seen.

我见过的最高的塔是39英寸

And why is it? Because they understand triangles

为什么呢？因为他们懂得三角形

and self-reinforcing geometrical patterns

和自我巩固的几何模式

are the key to building

是建筑

stable structures.

稳定结构的关键

So CEOs, a little bit better than average,

总裁们比平均水平稍好一些

but here's where it gets interesting.

但是有趣的是

If you put you put an executive admin. on the team,

如果你在他们的小组里加一个行政助理

they get significantly better.

他们的成绩马上变得好很多

(Laughter)

(笑声)

It's incredible. You know, you look around, you go, "Oh, that team's going to win."

这真是令人难以置信， 你四处看看， 你说：“那个小组会赢。”

You can just tell beforehand. And why is that?

你很早就知道， 为什么呢？

Because they have special skills

因为他们有特殊的

of facilitation.

简化技巧

They manage the process, they understand the process.

他们管理流程， 他们懂得流程

And any team who manages

总之，任何一个小组积极管理并

and pays close attention to work

专注于工作本身的话

will significantly improve the team's performance.

小组的表现就有显著的提高

Specialized skills and facilitation skills

特殊技能以及善于使用简便的手法

are the combination that leads to strong success.

两者的结合带来了成功

If you have 10 teams that typically perform,

如果你有10个队参加这个活动

you'll get maybe six or so that have standing structures.

其中大概有6个队可以搭建可以直立的结构

And I tried something interesting.

我做了一个有趣的尝试

I thought, let's up the ante, once.

我想， 我们不妨来赌一次

So I offered a 10,000 dollar prize of software to the winning team.

所以我就提供了价值10万美元的软件给得胜的小组

So what do you think happened to these design students?

你猜猜那些学设计的学生们会有什么样的反应？

What was the result?

结果如何？

Here's what happened:

这就是结果

Not one team had a standing structure.

没有一个小组完成了一个站立的建筑

If anyone had built, say, a one inch structure,

哪怕任何一个小组完成一个一英寸的建筑

they would have taken home the prize.

他们就可以把奖杯捧回去

So, isn't that interesting? That high stakes

所以，很有意思的是

have a strong impact.

高额奖金会有很大的影响。

We did the exercise again with the same students.

之后我们在同样的学生中又重复了这个活动

What do you think happened then?

你猜猜结果怎样？

So now they understand the value of prototyping.

这回他们知道了做样版模型的价值

So the same team went from being the very worst

所以最差的那个小组

to being among the very best.

成为了最好的小组

They produced the tallest structures in the least amount of time.

他们用最少的时间完成了最高的建筑

So there's deep lessons for us

这些对我们都有很深的教育意义

about the nature of incentives and success.

揭示了奖励和成功的本质

So, you might ask: Why would anyone

所以，你也许会问：怎么会有人

actually spend time writing a marshmallow challenge?

花时间写这么一个棉花糖的挑战

And the reason is, I help create

原因是我可以用

digital tools and processes

电子工具和流程

to help teams build cars and video games

来帮助人们造汽车，电子游戏

and visual effects.

和模拟视觉效果

And what the marshmallow challenge does

而棉花糖的挑战教会我们

is it helps them identify the hidden assumptions.

识别隐藏着的一些假设

Because, frankly,

因为， 坦白说

every project has its own marshmallow, doesn't it?

每个项目都有它们自己的棉花糖

The challenge provides a shared experience,

这个挑战提供了可以分享的经验

a common language,

一种共同的语言

a common stance to build the right prototype.

处理问题的通用方法

And so, this is the value of the experience,

就是这个简单的练习

of this so simple exercise.

可以给我们提供的有价值的经验

And those of you who are interested

你们如果有兴趣

may want to go to MarshmallowChallenge.com.

可以去marshmallowchallenge.com网站

It's a blog that you can look at

这是一个你可以阅读的博客

how to build the marshmallows.

告诉你怎样搭建棉花糖建筑

There's step-by-step instructions on this.

那里有具体的步骤说明

There are crazy examples from around the world

还有来自世界各地的稀奇古怪的例子

of how people tweak and adjust the system.

人们怎样调整系统

There's world records that are on this as well.

那里有世界记录

And the fundamental lesson, I believe,

而我相信， 最根本的教意是：

is that design truly is

设计其实是

a contact sport.

一种交流运动

It demands that we bring all of our senses to the task,

它要求我们把我们所有的神志都放到任务中

and that we apply the very best of our thinking,

要求我们运用最佳的思维状态

our feeling and our doing

我们的感知我们的行动

to the challenge that we have at hand.

来迎接我们面对的挑战

And sometimes, a little prototype of this experience

而有的时候， 一个小小的样板模型的经验

is all that it takes to turn us

会帮助我们

from an "uh-oh" moment to a "ta-da" moment.

将“糟了” 的那一刻变成了“”哈哈”的一刻

And that can make a big difference.

那造成的结果是大不同的

Thank you very much.

谢谢你们

(Applause)

(掌声)