The Power of Purpose in Business | Ashley M. Grice | TED

翻译人员: Tiantian Yang 校对人员: Helen Chang

In 2019,

在2019年

I took a 9am flight from Atlanta to New York City.

我乘坐从亚特兰大到纽约的9点的班机。

I was the first person to board that day.

那一天我是第一个登机的人，

So as I death-gripped my phone to step over that little crack

所以当我死死紧握我的手机跨过那条

that leads to the runway,

通向跑道的缝隙时，

I caught a glimpse of the flight attendant.

我看了一眼空乘。

Head in her hand, like this, eyes closed.

她的脸就像这样，眼睛紧闭。

The moment she heard me, she looked up,

当她听到我的声音时， 朝我看过来，

she put a smile on her face and she said, "Good morning."

脸上出现了一丝笑容， 然后开口“早上好”。

"This is not your first flight of the day, is it?" I asked.

”这不是你今天的第一趟，对吗？“ 我问。

"No," she said,

”不是的，“她回答，

"it had been a really early one."

“飞过很早的一班了。”

I made some silly sleep joke and she laughed,

我讲了一些土味又乏味的玩笑， 她开怀大笑,

and I went to go sit in my seat.

之后我去自己的座位坐下。

She couldn't have been more than 25 years old.

她的年龄应该不超过25岁。

During the flight, we exchanged pleasantries,

在飞行过程中， 我们又寒暄了一番,

and at one point she came to offer me a snack,

当时她还给了我一些零食，

and she asked me what I was going to New York to do.

问我去纽约做什么。

I said that I was going to deliver a speech

我说我去那里发表一场演讲，

and that honestly, I was cutting it kind of close.

说真的，我感觉时间很紧迫。

"No time for lunch?" she asked.

“没有时间吃午餐吗？” 她问。

“No time for lunch,” I said,

”没时间吃。“ 我回答，

and I took a bag of almonds

然后我拿了一包扁桃仁，

and I tucked it into the pocket of my backpack.

把它塞进背包的口袋里。

After the flight landed,

飞机降落之后，

I was on my way out of the plane, and she stopped me for a moment,

我在走出飞机的过程中， 她将我拦了下来，

and she handed me a plastic bag.

递给我一个塑料袋。

It was about this big and it was weirdly heavy.

大概就像这么大的袋子，很重。

She said, "I know you didn't have a lot of time today, so I packed you this.

她说，“我知道你今天没有太多时间， 所以我为你打包了一些吃的。

Good luck."

一切顺利。”

That was nice.

这件事充满了善意。

So as I'm walking through LaGuardia with my bag and my bag,

当我背着这两个包包 穿过拉瓜迪亚机场的时候，

I peer inside

我看了看包里面，

and there are about 30 packets of almonds inside that bag.

包包里有30包扁桃仁，

It was a bag of bags.

简直就是个装满小包包的包包。

And when I was in the taxi on the way to the speech,

当我坐上去演讲地的出租车时，

I found this little note tucked inside:

我发现了被塞进包内的这张小纸条，

“Ms. Grice, thank you for coming on

“格蕾丝女士，感谢你

带着温暖的微笑和善意的言辞 来到这趟旅程中。

and putting a smile on our faces with your sweet words.

You have been so kind,

你如此友善,

and we are very lucky to have you as a loyal Delta customer.

能拥有你这样的客户是达美航空的的荣幸。

Thank you.

谢谢。

I know you are gluten-free

我知道你需要无麸质饮食，

so here are some almonds for the road!

请带上这些扁桃仁路上吃。

Thank you for your kindness!

谢谢你的友善相待！

It goes a long way!

这举动大大地鼓舞了我！

Sarah, Delta flight attendant."

达美航空乘务员，莎拉。”

Now reading this, my heart gave a little jolt.

读到这些， 我的心轻颤了一下。

My day job is to help companies excavate and execute their purpose.

我的日常工作是帮助公司发掘和实现目标。

And this little note on this little napkin was purpose in action,

然而这张小纸条上的短信息 就是将目标付诸行动的范例，

specifically that airline’s purpose.

非常明确地针对于航空公司的目标。

And I know because I had helped to articulate it over 15 years before.

我如此断言是因为我在过去 15年中就致力于做出明确的判断。

In 2003, purpose was just one element

2003年，企业目标只是达美航空

of a much larger strategic transformation that Delta Airlines undertook.

进行战略切换的一个很小的组成部分。

It was a company still reeling from the aftereffects of 9/11

这是家仍在遭受 9/11 后遗症影响的公司，

and one looking for a North Star to guide them through

还在寻找指引前路的明星，

would eventually become Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

终将循第 11 章破产。 （注明：美国破产法第11章是破产）

But in 2019,

但是到了 2019 年，

for a flight attendant who was maybe in elementary school

(2001/9/11 发生事件) 当时可能还在上小学的空姐

at the time that purpose was articulated,

明确地践行了企业目标，

it was some almonds for a hungry customer.

把扁桃仁给了腹中空空的乘客。

It may be that Sarah never saw that purpose line we articulated,

可能莎拉并没有看到 公司对于企业目标的明确表述，

but no matter, she didn't need to,

但是没关系，她不需要，

because purpose was alive and well at Delta.

因为在达美航空的企业目标是 脱离了纸面教条的活生生的行动指南，

It had become muscle memory.

已变成了自然而然的肌肉记忆，

It had become cultural norm.

已变成了一个浸淫企业的文化内核。

Now let me be clear in what I'm talking about here,

让我清楚阐明我在这里所说的。

I'm talking about embedding purpose.

我说的是嵌入式目标；

I'm not talking about your mission,

不是说使命，

which is what you do every day,

使命你每天得做的事；

or your vision, which is where you are headed.

也不是说愿景，愿景是你所朝的方向。

Both mission and vision are important corporate drivers,

使命和愿景是企业驱动力的重要组成部分，

but they play a different role in purpose.

但是它们对于目标扮演着不同的角色。

And mission and vision will change with changes in leadership,

使命和愿景会随着领导、

corporate contacts, competitive landscape, merger and acquisition.

联系人、竞争愿景、并购的变化而变化。

They are important, but they are also temporal.

它们很重要， 但是它们效力有时间范围。

In my experience,

基于我的经验，

they often have a time horizon of, say, three to five years.

它们的时间范围通常3年到5年。

But purpose is your "why."

目标关乎到“为什么”。

It is found at the intersection of who you are at your very best

研究发现目标就是当你达到最佳状态时

and the role in the world that you are meant to play.

与你在这个世界所充当角色之间的交集。

It comes from your ethos.

这来自于你的自我意识，

It is married to your aspiration,

与你的志向相联系。

and because it is ethotic, it is also timeless.

因为目标关乎信念，它是永恒的。

Now, there are plenty of data out there to say

如今，有许多资料表明

that well-embedded purpose across organizations brings immense value.

完整的嵌入式目标 能给组织带来极大的价值。

Studies that will link well-embedded purpose

研究发现良好嵌入式目标

to elevated total shareholder return over 10 years,

对于提高整体股东的回报超过10年，

increased employee engagement, retention,

还能提高员工的参与，留住员工，

even higher levels of productivity.

带来甚至更高的生产水平。

Because of all this data,

因为这些数据的效果，

it is rare in my work that a CEO will come to me and say,

在我的职业生涯中， 很少会有管理者问我，

"Ashley, what is purpose" or "Why do I need to do it?"

“阿什莉，什么是目标？“ 或者“为什么要有目标”？

Instead, what they will ask is "When I have my purpose,

相反地，他们会问， “当我有了目标后，

how do I embed it across my organization so well

如何将目标好好地融入到组织行为中

that it brings the most value,

以实现最大价值，

that it becomes muscle memory?"

变成肌肉记忆？”

As I've been doing this work for almost 20 years at this point,

因为我在这一行有几乎20年的从业经历，

I have a ready answer.

答案早已在我心中。

First, I tell them it needs to be authentic.

首先，我告诉他们目标必须真真实实。

Purpose that is rooted in your ethos,

目标根植在公司理念之上，

distinctive to your brand,

让你的品牌具有独特性，

meaningful to all of your stakeholders

为所有股东带来收益，

and consistent with your values

持续性对价值产生影响，

is authentic.

是真真实实的。

Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, the CEO of Optus,

凯莉·拜尔·罗斯马林 是奥普特斯电信公司的首席执行官，

a Sydney, Australia-based telecommunications company,

这是一家来自澳洲悉尼的电信公司，

can speak to her company’s purpose --

能准确说出公司目标——

powering optimism with options -- with conviction,

用信念为选择注入乐观的力量——

because it is authentic.

因为这目标真真实实。

Optus is, by its very nature, a challenger brand,

奥普特斯电信公司从性质上来说， 是一家行业内的挑战者，

and it is a brand synonymous with a brand platform of positivity

它的品牌代表着积极意义的一系列价值内核，

since options breed action

因为选择带来行动，

and optimism breeds hope.

乐观注入希望。

How they pull their internal relations together

他们怎样由内到外推动内部合作

with their external reach-out to customers

以达到改善对客户的外部服务，

is very consistent and incredibly authentic.

非常一致且非常真实。

Now on the other end of the authenticity scale,

在真实尺度的另一头，

I once worked with a CEO

我曾经和一位首席执行官合作，

who really wanted purpose to be about environmental sustainability.

他非常希望目标能够永续环境。

"That is great," I said,

“太棒了，”我说，

"except for your company struggles to even recycle in your offices.

“然而，你的公司 连办公室里的回收都做不好。

I know, I've been there."

我知道，我去过你们公司。“

While they admire the aspiration,

佩服愿望之余，

if we had come up with a purpose line

要是仅仅依据

that was solely about environmental sustainability,

环境永续来画出目标线，

it would have been dead on arrival.

一定会胎死腹中。

Specifically with employees.

尤其是对于员工来说。

Secondly, I tell CEOs that they must be critical

第二，我跟首席执行官们说他们必须对于

in excavating purpose from the inside out.

由内到外挖掘企业目标的过程必须严格。

Purpose is uncomfortable.

目标让人不舒服，

It should be,

理应如此，

because you are introducing a tension between idealism and realism:

因为它在理想与现实当中引入张力；

who you really want to be and who you are capable of being,

在想做什么与能做什么之间，

today and in the future,

在当下与未来之间，

based on competencies and ethos.

建立在能力与信念之上。

And purpose can be particularly discomforting

有目标让人格外不适，

because even once you have it,

因为一旦你有目标了，

it takes a while to implement it.

那就得花时间来实现。

In fact, you may set your purpose once

实际上，定下目标是一时的，

and spend your entire career living up to it.

实现它可能是一世的。

Now, purpose is particularly uncomfortable for companies

企业目标对那些有变革压力的公司来说

who are on a forced evolution of change,

尤其让人焦虑，

companies in industries like oil and gas, for example,

比如在石油天然气行业的公司，

or for companies who maybe have bad behaviors they need to leave behind.

或者对于有不良过去急需摆脱的 黑历史的公司而言也是如此。

Finally, I tell CEOs that purpose must apply

作为结论，我告诉首席执行官们 企业目标必须应用于

to the whole of the organization.

整个组织行为当中。

Purpose is not a CEO vanity project.

企业目标不是首席执行官手里作秀的花瓶。

Sure, it may help cement the legacy of the CEO

它肯定会加深

提出明确企业目标的首席执行官 给公司带来的后续影响。

who is in charge at the time it's articulated,

but it's not about them,

但个人不是关键，

it’s not about him or her.

不管是他还是她，

It’s about the value the company brings.

重要的是带来的企业价值，

It is about the role in the world that it’s meant to play.

是公司打算在这个世界上 承担什么角色的体现。

Now purpose at the C-suite level should be a unifying construct

在公司决策层层面的企业目标 应该是致力于成为

that brings together mission and vision

连接公司使命与愿景的桥梁，

and influences your strategic agenda.

并且影响战略议程。

It should help CEOs think about how they redefine metrics for success,

它要能帮助首席执行官们思考 怎么重新定义成功的指标，

what types of topics they may want to speak with analysts about,

在商业分析的时候 他们想要讲什么样的故事，

or maybe most importantly,

或者最重要的是

how the board ought to hold them accountable as managers.

董事会应该如何责成管理者负责。

Purpose at the middle-management level

对于中层管理者来说，

is about much needed clarity and authority.

目标更多的与明确性和权威性有关。

The middle-management layer of any organization

任何组织的中层管理者

is often the most difficult to motivate

经常都是最难推动的群体，

because they have so many different stakeholders to please.

因为他们得要取悦众多的利益相关者。

But by bringing clarity

但在明晰引入

with purpose-driven expectations and guardrails,

目标驱动型的期望和防护之后，

it allows middle managers to understand which battles to pick

中层经历们就会知道要打什么样的仗，

and that the micro decisions they make on a daily basis

所有每天的零零散散的 各种小去决策加起来

affect the company [as] a whole.

会影响公司整体的经营。

Finally, front-line employee purpose helps employees at that level ensure

最后，基层员工的目标帮助他们确定

that they are seen.

他们的工作能被看到。

When purpose is excavated and executed top floor to shop floor,

当目标是被从上到下的方式 发掘和执行的时候，

those on the shop floor understand that their work matters

在基层的人明白他们工作的意义，

and how it adds up to the overall value for the company.

并且知道对于公司整体价值的加成作用。

Well-embedded front-line purpose is the tenet behind that legendary story

良好的基层嵌入式目标是

肯尼迪总统与美国宇航局清洁工之间

of John F. Kennedy and the NASA janitor

发生于1962年的传奇故事的核心。

back in 1962.

You know, the one where JFK supposedly asked the janitor,

据说肯尼迪问清洁工：

"What do you do for NASA?"

“你会为美国宇航局做些什么？”

And the janitor said,

清洁工回答：

"I'm putting a man on the moon."

“我帮他们登月。“

In this story, the janitor understood that his role was to prepare the building

在这个故事里， 清洁工清楚自己的角色就是为

for the engineers who were going to come in and crank on the math.

做研究的工程师打扫干净大厦。

But he also understood the importance of that role

他也很明白他的工作总体是为了

to the overall vision and objectives of NASA.

宇航局的全局愿景而服务的。

That janitor understood his role in the universe,

他清楚自己的工作 在浩瀚宇宙探索中的全部意义，

so to speak.

可以這麼說。

So many iconic business stories begin on the back of a cocktail napkin.

很多商业奇闻都是从 鸡尾酒餐巾的传递开始的。

But it wasn't just this napkin or even the nuts

小餐巾或者扁桃仁可不是

that caused me pause that day.

让我那天心跳停了一拍的东西。

It was the sentiment behind it.

是它们背后流露的真情。

It was the idea if you execute purpose across culture

如果将目标贯穿于企业文化

and strategy and brand consistently for years,

和战略以及品牌建设中，并且长期坚持，

it does become muscle memory.

就能形成肌肉记忆。

It becomes a cultural norm.

成为一种文化模式。

And it is that norm that encourages an employee to make a gift,

这种模式激励员工展现天赋，

which becomes a story

留下传说，

which then a very loyal customer tells to the world.

由一位达美的忠实客户向世界讲述。

So since I am here, Sarah,

所以今天我想说，“莎拉，

thank you for your kind words that day,

谢谢你那天的良言善语

and for the almonds.

和扁桃仁。

You helped make it a great day

你让我度过了很棒棒的一天，

because you were right,

你是对的，

I was hungry.

我肚子饿了。“

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）