The career advice you probably didn't get | Susan Colantuono

翻译人员: chunhua zhang 校对人员: FBC GLOBAL

Women represent

女性占据

50 percent of middle management

50%的中层管理

and professional positions,

和专业职位，

but the percentages of women at the top of organizations

但在企业高层职务中女人所占的百分比

represent not even a third of that number.

甚至还不到上述数字的三分之一。

So some people hear that statistic and they ask,

因此一些人听到这个统计数据后就会问，

why do we have so few women leaders?

为什么女性领导者如此之少？

But I look at that statistic

但是我看着这个统计数据

and, if you, like me, believe

并且，如果你跟我一样，相信

that leadership manifests at every level,

那上面显示的各级别领导人数，

you would see that there's a tremendous,

你会看到中管管理

awesome resource of leaders

有着数量惊人的

who are leading in middle management,

杰出女性领导者，

which raises a different question:

由此你会提出另一个问题：

Why are there so many women

为什么有这么多女性

mired in the middle

卡在中层？

and what has to happen

她们怎样

to take them to the top?

才能升到高层？

So some of you might be some of those women

你们中的一些人可能正是

who are in middle management

那些正在寻求升职的

and seeking to move up in your organization.

女性中层管理者。

Well, Tonya is a great example of one of these women.

嗯，汤娅是这些女性中一个典型例子。

I met her two years ago.

我两年前认识她。

She was a vice president in a Fortune 50 company,

那时她是一家财富50强企业的副总裁，

and she said to me with a sense of deep frustration,

她怀着一种深深的挫败感对我说：

"I've worked really hard to improve my confidence

“我很努力去提升我的自信

and my assertiveness and develop a great brand,

和魄力，并且将自己 打造成一个很棒的品牌，

I get terrific performance evals from my boss,

我从上司那里得到了很好的评价，

my 360s in the organization let me know

公司的360度测评让我知道

that my teams love working for me,

我的团队很喜欢为我工作，

I've taken every management course that I can here,

我参加了公司所有管理课程，

I am working with a terrific mentor,

我跟一个很优秀的导师一起工作，

and yet I've been passed over

但是我已经错失了

twice for advancement opportunities,

两次升职机会，

even when my manager knows

尽管我的经理知道

that I'm committed to moving up

我一直致力于升职

and even interested in an international assignment.

并且愿意接受海外派遣。

I don't understand why

我不明白为什么

I'm being passed over."

我会错失晋升的机会。“

So what Tonya doesn't realize

汤娅没有意识到的

is that there's a missing 33 percent

是对于女性来说

of the career success equation for women,

在事业成功方程式中有一个失踪的33%，

and it's understanding what this missing 33 percent is

并且要想理解这个失踪的33%是什么。

that's required to close the gender gap at the top.

这就需要减小高层中的性别差异。

In order to move up in organizations,

为了在组织中获得晋升，

you have to be known for your leadership skills,

你必须要显现你的领导才能，

and this would apply to any of you,

这也适用于你们中的所有人，

women or men.

不管是女性还是男性。

It means that you have to be recognized

这意味着你必须

for using the greatness in you

运用你的长处去获得认可，

to achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes

并让别人发挥优势

by engaging the greatness in others.

去获得和维持非凡的成果。

Put in other language,

换句话说，

it means you have to use your skills

它意味着你必须使用你的技巧、

and talents and abilities

天赋和才能，

to help the organization achieve

帮助企业实现

its strategic financial goals

战略财务目标，

and do that by working effectively with others

并且通过与企业内外的人

inside of the organization and outside.

有效地合作，以达到上述目标。

And although all three of these elements

虽然领导能力中的这三个要素

of leadership are important,

都很重要，

when it comes to moving up in organizations,

但当涉及到在组织中获得晋升时，

they aren't equally important.

它们的重要性是不一样的。

So pay attention to the green box

接下来请注意

as I move forward.

绿色柱条。

In seeking and identifying

在寻找和确定

employees with high potential,

拥有高潜能——

the potential to go to the top of organizations,

那种能做到企业高层的潜能 ——的员工时，

the skills and competencies

技巧和能力，

that relate to that green box

也就是图中的绿色柱条，

are rated twice as heavily

它们的重要性

as those in the other two elements of leadership.

是领导能力中其它两个要素的两倍。

These skills and competencies

这些技巧和能力

can be summarized as business,

可以总结为商业、

strategic, and financial acumen.

战略和财务智慧。

In other words, this skill set has to do

换句话说，这套技能必须要与

with understanding where the organization is going,

理解企业发展方向、

what its strategy is,

发展战略、

what financial targets it has in place,

财务目标相结合，

and understanding your role

并且要理解

in moving the organization forward.

你在企业发展过程中所扮演的角色。

This is that missing 33 percent

这就是女性的事业成功方程式中

of the career success equation for women,

那迷失的33%，

not because it's missing in our capabilities

不是因为我们的才能

or abilities,

不足，

but because it's missing in the advice

而是因为

that we're given.

没能得到合理的建议。

Here's what I mean by that.

接下来我举个例子。

Five years ago, I was asked to moderate

5前年，我应邀主持

a panel of executives,

一场高管会议，

and the topic for the evening was

当晚的主题是

"What do you look for in high-potential employees?"

“对于高潜力的员工， 你最看着他们的哪些特点？“

So think about the three elements of leadership

想一想我根据他们所说

as I summarize for you what they told me.

为你们总结出来的三个领导力要素。

They said, "We look for people

他们说，“我们寻找那些

who are smart and hard working and committed

聪明、勤奋、坚定、

and trustworthy and resilient."

可靠和抗压力强的员工。“

So which element of leadership does that relate to?

这与哪个领导力要素相关呢？

Personal greatness.

个人的卓越能力。

They said, "We look for employees

他们说，“我们寻找那些

who are great with our customers,

能够与客户融洽相处，

who empower their teams,

能够增强团队力量，

who negotiate effectively,

能够有效谈判，

who are able to manage conflict well,

能够妥善处理冲突的员工，

and are overall great communicators."

总的来说就是非常善于沟通的人。“

Which element of leadership does that equate to?

这又是哪个领导力要素呢？

Engaging the greatness in others.

帮助他人发挥优势。

And then they pretty much stopped.

这时他们默不作声。

So I asked,

因此我就问，

"Well, what about people

“嗯，那你们怎么看待

who understand your business,

那些了解公司业务，

where it's going,

知道公司走向，

and their role in taking it there?

并且知道自己在其中 扮演什么角色的人呢？

And what about people who are able

你们怎么看待那些能够

to scan the external environment,

审视外部环境，

identify risks and opportunities,

识别危险和机遇，

make strategy or make strategic recommendations?

制定策略或者提出战略性建议的人呢？

And what about people who are able

以及如何看待那些

to look at the financials of your business,

面对公司财务报表

understand the story that the financials tell,

能理解它所透露出来的讯息，

and either take appropriate action

然后采取适当行动

or make appropriate recommendations?"

或者提出适当建议的人呢？“

And to a man, they said,

对于男性，他们表示，

"That's a given."

“这些都是理所当然的。“

So I turned to the audience

因此我转向现场的

of 150 women and I asked,

150位女性观众，然后问她们，

"How many of you have ever been told

“你们当中有多少人曾经被告知过

that the door-opener for career advancement

职场晋升的敲门砖

is your business, strategic and financial acumen,

是你的商业、战略和财务智慧，

and that all the other important stuff

然后其它的重要能力

is what differentiates you in the talent pool?"

都只是将你与人才库中的 其他人区分出来而已？"

Three women raised their hand,

只有三位女性举手，

and I've asked this question of women

而这五年来这个问题我也

all around the globe in the five years since,

问过全球各地女性，

and the percentage is never much different.

得到的答复都差不多。

So this is obvious, right?

这很明显，对吧？

But how can it be?

但是为什么会这样呢？

Well, there are primarily three reasons

嗯，主要有三个原因可以解释

that there's this missing 33 percent

为什么给女性关于成功职业的建议中

in the career success advice given to women?

有一个失踪的33%。

When organizations direct women

当企业给女性

toward resources

提供指导时，

that focus on the conventional advice

一般都集中在传统的建议，

that we've been hearing for over 40 years,

我们已经听了超过40年的那种建议，

there's a notable absence of advice that relates

而对于那些跟商业、战略和财务目标

to business, strategic and financial acumen.

有关的建议则很少提到。

Much of the advice is emphasizing

大多数建议都是强调

personal actions that we need to take,

那些我们需要采取的个人行动，

like become more assertive, become more confident,

比如说变得更加坚定、更加自信，

develop your personal brand,

打造自己的个人品牌，

things that Tonya's been working on,

也就是汤娅一直 在努力实现的那些目标，

and advice about working with other people,

以及一些关于如何 与其他人共事的建议，

things like learn to self-promote,

比如说学会自我推销、

get a mentor, enhance your network,

找一个导师、增强你的人际网络。

and virtually nothing said

事实上没人说过

about the importance of business, strategic

商业、策略

and financial acumen.

和财务智慧的重要性。

This doesn't mean that this advice is unimportant.

但这并不意味着这个建议不重要。

What it means is that this is advice

而是意味着这个建议

that's absolutely essential for breaking through

是从职业生涯开端向中层管理

from career start to middle management,

突破所必需的建议，

but it's not the advice

但它不是那种

that gets women to break through

能让女性

from the middle, where we're 50 percent,

从中层管理—— 这个女性占据50%份额的位置——

to senior and executive positions.

向高管职位突破的建议。

And this is why conventional advice to women

这就是为什么这些给女性的传统建议

in 40 years hasn't closed the gender gap at the top

在这40年间并没有缩小 高层职位上的性别差异，

and won't close it.

而且将来也不会缩小。

Now, the second reason

接下来，第二个原因

relates to Tonya's comments

跟为什么汤娅

about having had excellent performance evals,

在上级那里得到很好的评价、

great feedback from her teams,

从团队里得到不错的反馈、

and having taken every management training program

并且参加了所有能参加的管理课程，

she can lay her hands on.

却得不到晋升有关。

So you would think that she's getting

你可能会认为她

messages from her organization

通过人才发展系统

through the talent development systems

和绩效管理系统

and performance management systems

从公司获得了信息，

that let her know how important it is

让她知道发展商业、策略和财务智慧

to develop business, strategic and financial acumen,

是多么重要，

but here again, that green square is quite small.

但是你看，绿色柱条还是非常小。

On average,

平均来说，

talent and performance management systems

在我工作过的那些组织里的

in the organizations that I've worked with

人才和绩效管理系统

focus three to one

对于另外两项领导能力要素

on the other two elements of leadership

的重视

compared to the importance of business,

是商业、

strategic and financial acumen,

策略和财务智慧的三倍，

which is why typical talent and performance systems

这就是为什么传统的 人才和绩效管理系统

haven't closed and won't close

过去并没有，而且将来也不会缩小

the gender gap at the top.

高层管理中的性别差异。

Now, Tonya also talked about working with a mentor,

汤娅也谈到过跟导师一起工作，

and this is really important to talk about,

这个真的很重要，

because if organizations,

因为如果组织的

talent and performance systems

人才和绩效管理系统

aren't giving people in general

没有给大家提供

information about the importance of

关于商业、策略和财务智慧

business, strategic and financial acumen,

重要性的信息，

how are men getting to the top?

那么男性又是如何获得提升的呢？

Well, there are primarily two ways.

主要来说有两种方式。

One is because of the positions

一个是因为

they're guided into,

他们会被引导进入这些职位，

and the other is because of informal mentoring

另一个是私下的指导

and sponsorship.

和支持。

So what's women's experience

关于指导，

as it relates to mentoring?

女性又有怎样的体验呢？

Well, this comment from an executive

最近与我共事的

that I worked with recently

一位主管

illustrates that experience.

向我介绍了他的经验。

He was very proud of the fact that last year,

他感到很自豪，因为去年

he had two protégés: a man and a woman.

他收了两个徒弟：一男一女。

And he said, "I helped the woman build confidence,

他说：“我帮这个女徒弟建立自信，

I helped the man learn the business,

帮这个男徒弟学习业务，

and I didn't realize that I was treating them

我没有意识到我教他们的东西

any differently."

有任何不同。“

And he was sincere about that.

他说的是实话。

So what this illustrates is that

所以这说明

as managers, whether we're women or men,

作为主管，不管我们是女是男，

we have mindsets about women and men,

我们都对于女性和男性、

about careers in leadership,

对于他们的领导能力有不同的心态，

and these unexamined mindsets

而这些未经检验的心态

won't close the gender gap at the top.

不可能缩小高层管理中的性别差距。

So how do we take this idea

那我们要如何看待

of the missing 33 percent

失踪的33%

and turn it into action?

并采取措施呢？

Well, for women, the answer is obvious:

对于女性来说，答案很明显：

we have to begin to focus more

我们必须开始集中更多精力

on developing and demonstrating

发展和展现那些

the skills we have

我们已有的、

that show that we're people who understand

能显示出我们是那种理解

our businesses, where they're headed,

企业业务和发展走向

and our role in taking it there.

以及自己定位的技能。

That's what enables that breakthrough

这样，我们才能

from middle management

从中层管理

to leadership at the top.

向高层突破。

But you don't have to be a middle manager to do this.

我们不用等到中层管理才这样做。

One young scientist that works in a biotech firm

有一个生物技术公司的青年科学家

used her insight about the missing 33 percent

利用她对失踪的33%的了解

to weave financial impact data

将财务影响数据编进了

into a project update she did

她做的一个项目更新报告里，

and got tremendous positive feedback

然后获得了管理层

from the managers in the room.

极大的正面反馈。

So we don't want to put 100 percent

我们不想将责任

of the responsibility on women's shoulders,

100%的压在女性肩膀上，

nor would it be wise to do so, and here's why:

这样做也不理智，原因如下：

In order for companies to achieve

为了让公司达到

their strategic financial goals,

战略性财务目标，

executives understand that they have to have

主管们明白他们必须

everyone pulling in the same direction.

让所有人向同一个方向使劲。

In other words, the term we use in business is,

换句话说，用商业术语来说就是，

we have to have strategic alignment.

我们必须要有战略一致性。

And executives know this very well,

主管们很清楚这一点，

and yet only 37 percent,

但是根据世界大型企业联合会的最新报告，

according to a recent Conference Board report,

只有37%的主管

believe that they have that

相信他们拥有

strategic alignment in place.

战略一致性。

So for 63 percent of organizations,

所以有63%的组织，

achieving their strategic financial goals

对于能不能达到他们的战略财务目标

is questionable.

还存有疑问。

And if you think about what I've just shared,

想一下我刚才所说的，

that you have situations where at least 50 percent

如果你有至少50%的

of your middle managers

中层管理

haven't received clear messaging

没有收到明确的信息，

that they have to become focused on the business,

不知道他们必须专注于业务和

where it's headed, and their role in taking it there,

它的走向以及他们在其中扮演的角色，

it's not surprising that that percentage

那么也就不必惊讶

of executives who are confident about alignment

为什么对于战略一致性 有信心的主管的比例

is so low,

会如此的低，

which is why there are other people

这也是为什么他们

who have a role to play in this.

需要别人的帮忙。

It's important for directors on boards

对于董事会来说

to expect from their executives

很期待在每年的会议上

proportional pools of women when they sit down

看到一定比例的

once a year for their succession discussions.

女性主管。

Why? Because if they aren't seeing that,

为什么呢？因为如果不是这样的话，

it could be a red flag

那可能就是一个危险信号，

that their organization isn't as aligned

说明他们组织的一致性

as it could potentially be.

不如预期理想。

It's important for CEOs

对于首席执行官来说，

to also expect these proportional pools,

这一比例也很重要，

and if they hear comments like,

如果他们听到类似于

"Well, she doesn't have enough business experience,"

“她没有足够的商业经验”这样的评论，

ask the question,

那么就要问

"What are we going to do about that?"

“我们要怎样去解决这个问题？”

It's important for H.R. executives

对于人事主管们来说

to make sure that the missing 33 percent

确保失踪的33%

is appropriately emphasized,

被适当地强调很重要，

and it's important for women and men

而对于处在管理职位上的

who are in management positions

女性和男性来说

to examine the mindsets we hold

审视我们

about women and men, about careers and success,

对于女性和男性、事业和成功 所持有的不同心态也很重要，

to make sure we are creating a level playing field

确保我们是在为所有人

for everybody.

创造一个平等的竞争环境。

So let me close with the latest chapter

让我用汤娅故事的最新章节

in Tonya's story.

来结束今天的演讲。

Tonya emailed me two months ago,

2个月前，汤娅给我发了邮件，

and she said that she had been interviewed for a new position,

她说她当时面试了一个新职位，

and during the interview, they probed

面试中，他们考察了

about her business acumen

她的商业才智

and her strategic insights into the industry,

和她对于行业的战略观点，

and she said that she was so happy to report

她说她很高兴地向我报告

that now she has a new position

现在她有了一个新职位，

reporting directly to the chief information officer

直接向公司首席信息官

at her company.

报告。

So for some of you, the missing 33 percent

所以对你们中的一些人来说，失踪的33%

is an idea for you to put into action,

是一个让你付诸行动的想法，

and I hope that for all of you,

并希望对你们所有人都有所帮助，

you will see it as an idea worth spreading

你会看到它是一个值得传播的想法，

in order to help organizations be more effective,

它可以帮助组织提高效率，

to help women create careers that soar,

帮助女性获得升迁，

and to help close the gender gap at the top.

以及帮助缩小高层管理中的性别差距。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）