Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper: The best career path isn't always a straight line | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Judy Huang 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

Helen Tupper: When we met at university 20 years ago,

海倫•塔伯：二十年前 我們在大學第一次見面時，

我們居然成了朋友。

we made for unlikely friends.

I'm an extrovert who gets involved in everything

我很外向，什麼事都要插一手，

and talks to anyone,

可以和任何人說上話。

莎拉•艾利斯： 而我是一個内向的人，

Sarah Ellis: ... and I'm an introverted ideas person

我覺得外向的人很有活力， 但有點讓人害怕。

who finds extroverts energizing but a bit intimidating.

HT: Despite our differences, we both had an ambition to climb the ladder

海：僅管我們不同， 我們都有往上爬的雄心，

and have a successful career.

希望事業成功。

SE: We were motivated by how far and how fast we could progress,

莎：我們都希望 前進地越遠越快越好，

and we thought that our route to the top would look something a bit like this.

而且我們認為 通往頂峰的路會像這樣（階梯圖）。

And in those first few years of work,

在開始工作的前幾年，

we were all about promotions and pay rises.

我們只對升職和漲薪水感興趣。

We were preoccupied by the positions that we held

我們只在意我們的職位，

and how senior our job titles sounded.

以及這個職稱聽起來有多資深。

And on the surface, everything seemed to be on track.

表面上看來，一切都進展順利。

But we started to get the sense

但是我們逐漸意識到，

that the ladder might actually be holding us back.

階梯式的職涯其實可能是一種阻礙。

The obvious next step wasn't always the most appealing,

理所當然的下一步 不一定是最吸引人的，

and we were both excited about exploring opportunities

而我們都喜歡探索不同的機會，

that weren't necessarily based on what we'd done before.

不見得會按過去的軌跡去走。

It wasn't what we'd anticipated,

這並不在我們的預期之中，

but our careers had started to look and feel much more like this.

但是我們的職業生涯 開始變得更像這樣：

Squiggly.

不規則的曲線。

HT: A squiggly career is both full of uncertainty

海：一份曲線的職業生涯 充滿了不確定性，

and full of possibility.

也充滿了很多機會。

Change is happening all of the time.

變化隨時都會發生。

Some of it is in our control,

有些變化在我們的掌握之中，

and some of it's not.

有些不是。

Success isn't one-size-fits-all.

每個人成功的路徑不同，

Our squiggles are as individual as we are.

路徑彎曲的方式也因人而異。

And for me, that's meant a career

就我來說，我的職涯發展是這樣的：

where I've moved from working on foldable credit cards in one company --

我曾在一家公司發開折疊式信用卡，

they didn't catch on --

但它沒有成功，

to building and launching a loyalty app for another.

後來我到另一家公司發展會員APP。

And that one is still going.

目前我仍然在職。

SE: And I've moved from making magazines

莎：而我從製作雜誌，

to working on food waste,

轉到處理食物浪費方面的工作，

from a five- to a four-day week

從一週工作五天變成四天，

so I could spend more time on personal projects and volunteering.

讓我有更多的時間 做自己的事和當義工。

I've already had more jobs and worked in more organizations

我做過的工作和待過的公司

than my dad,

已經比我父親還多，

and he's been working for twice as long as I have.

而他的工作年資卻是我的兩倍。

And I'm the rule, not the exception.

而我是定律，不是例外。

HT: When we started to share the idea of squiggly careers with people,

海：當我們開始和別人分享 曲線式的職涯概念時，

we were surprised by how much it stuck.

我們很吃驚它被接受的程度。

It seemed to give people something

它似乎提供人們

that perhaps they didn't even know that they needed,

一個之前他們可能不知道的需求，

a way of describing both their experiences and their aspirations.

一種形容他們經歷和抱負的方式。

Someone even told us that they took our book,

有人甚至告訴我們，他帶著我們的書，

which has a big squiggle on the front of it,

──封面上有個很大的曲線圖形──

into a job interview,

去面試工作，

as a way of describing their career so far.

幫助他們描述 他們至今為止的職涯狀態。

But we underestimated one big problem:

但我們低估了一個大問題：

the legacy of the ladder is all around us.

階梯式的職涯足跡到處都是。

It's in the companies that we work in and the conversations that we have.

我們任職的公司、 與他人的談話之中隨處可見。

It sounds like being asked in a job interview,

如果在工作面試中被問到，

"Where do you see yourself in five years' time?"

「五年之後你希望自己在那裏?」

It's the uncomfortable question of how we reward and motivate people

這個問題讓人很不舒服， 它意味著我們是如何獎賞和鼓勵

who do a great job but don't want to be promoted.

那些表現優異但不想晉升的人。

And it's the unfairness of our learning being unlocked

而且讓學習受到職位高低的限制

by the level that we reach in an organization.

是不公平的。

SE: Career ladders were created as a way to manage and motivate

莎：階梯式的職涯形態 是被創造來管理和激勵

a whole new generation of workers --

1900年代早期新一代的雇員。

in the early 1900s.

And that world of conformity and control from over 100 years ago

一百多年前那種符合社會期待 和一切在掌握之中的世界

is unrecognizable today,

現在已經看不到了。

especially when we consider

尤其我們看到

only six percent of people in the UK now work nine-to-five.

現在只有6%的英國人 做朝九晚五的工作。

We can all expect to have five different types of career.

一個人有五種不同的職業並不奇怪，

And the World Economic Forum estimates

而且世界經濟論壇預估，

that 50 percent of the skills that we have right now

50%我們現在所擁有的技能

won't be relevant by 2025.

到2025年都用不上了。

HT: Ladders are limiting.

海: 階梯式的職涯形態是局限的。

They limit learning and they limit opportunity,

它局限了學習也局限了機會，

and if organizations don't lose the ladder,

如果公司組織不放棄階梯式的方式，

they will lose their people,

他們將會失去人才，

the people that are always adapting,

那些人才不斷在靈活適應，

that never stop learning

他們不會停止學習，

and who are open to the opportunities that come their way.

而且他們會把握任何出現的機會。

2020 disrupted the way that all of us work,

2020年把大家的工作方式都搞亂了，

and none of us know what will happen next.

而我們誰也不知道 接下來會發生什麼事。

But one thing we can be confident about

但我們可以確定的一件事是，

is that the ladder is a redundant concept of careers.

階梯式的生涯形態已經不必要了。

SE: Losing the ladder starts with redefining

莎：除去階梯式的形態，

our relationship with learning at work.

首先要重新定義 我們在工作中如何學習。

We all now have the chance to curate our own curriculums,

如今我們都有辦法 設計自己的學習課程，

and we can be really creative about what that looks like,

而且學習的方式可以五花八門，

whether it's the TED Talks that you're watching,

可以透過觀看TED演說，

the books and blogs you're reading,

閱讀書籍和部落格，

或聆聽 podcast。

the podcasts you're listening to.

學習變成一件很個人化的事。

Your learning is personal to you.

And the good news is, your development is no longer dependent on other people.

可喜的是，你的學習成長 不再需要依賴別人。

HT: Our learning can't be limited by the level we reach in an organization

海：我們的學習 不再受到職位的局限，

or only available to the fortunate few.

而且不再是少數幸運兒的權利。

It's not the responsibility of a single department,

學習不是某個部門的責任，

and it doesn't just happen when you go on a course.

也不是非去上課不可。

No one has a monopoly on wisdom.

智慧不再專屬某個人，

In squiggly careers, everybody is a learner,

在曲線式的職場裏， 每個人都是學習者，

and everybody is a teacher.

而且每個人都是老師。

We've been inspired by MVF,

MVF公司給了我們信心，

a global technology and marketing company who've introduced a program

這家全球科技和行銷公司 首創了一項計劃，

called "Connected Learning."

叫做「連結式學習」。

They blind-match their employees so that people can learn from each other

他們將員工隨意配對， 促使他們彼此互相學習，

without barriers like what job they do or who they know

打破障礙，讓學習不受到 工作和人事的限制。

getting in the way.

Their CEO, Michael Teixeira, told us,

他們的總裁馬克•迪希拉告訴我們，

"Everybody is in charge of their own learning here.

「在這裏每個人對自己的學習負責，

We all learn from each other and with each other,

我們都向別人學習，也彼此學習，

and we're much better off as a result."

這樣的結果對大家更好。」

SE: In squiggly careers, we need to change our perspective on progression.

莎：在曲線式的職涯裏， 我們需要改變我們對進步的看法。

The problem with career ladders is that they only go in one direction,

階梯式生涯的問題是， 它只朝一個方向，

and you can only take one step at a time.

而且你一次只能前進一步。

If progression purely means promotion,

如果進步指的只是晉升，

we miss out on so many of the opportunities

那我們錯失太多身邊的機會了。

that are all around us.

We need to stop asking only, "What job comes next?"

我們應該不只是問： 「下一份工作是什麼?」

and start asking, "What career possibilities am I curious about?"

而要開始問： 「我對什麼樣的職業機會感興趣？」

HT: Exploring our career possibilities increases our resilience.

海: 探索不同職業的可能性 會增加我們的韌性。

It gives us more options,

它給我們更多的選擇，

and you create more connections.

同時創造更多的機緣。

We see how we can use our strengths in new ways

我們會看到不同的方式 來發揮我們的長處，

and spot the skills that might be useful for our future.

也會發現對我們未來有用的技能。

We can all start exploring our career possibilities.

我們可以一起開始探索 職業生涯的可能性。

It might be an ambitious possibility that you don't feel ready for yet.

也許是一個你還不敢開始的大膽嘗試，

Or perhaps it's a pivot that feels interesting,

也許是一個你感興趣的轉折機會，

but just that bit out of reach.

只是你還沒那麼有把握。

Or maybe it's a dream that you've discounted.

或者是一個曾被你忽略的夢想。

The most important thing

最重要的是，

is that you give yourself the permission to explore.

你允許自己去探索。

SE: And this is not a one-way street.

莎：而這並不是單方面的努力。

We need support from the people that we work for

我們需要雇主和任職機構的支持。

and the organizations that we work in.

And we've seen how this can work in practice

我們看到這種概念 如何在庫克這家食品業公司實現，

at a food manufacturer called Cook.

They have something called the "Dream Academy."

他們有個東西叫做「夢想學院」。

And in this academy, their colleagues can explore any career

在這個學院裏，他們的雇員可以探索

任何他們有興趣的工作，

that they're intrigued by,

in or out of the organization,

不管是在公司內還是公司外，

and even rediscover abandoned ambitions.

甚至你可以重拾被你放棄過的想法。

It could be to try stand-up comedy,

也許是嘗試單口喜劇，

to write their first children's book,

寫生平第一本兒童書，

to move from marketing to finance,

從行銷轉到財務，

become the CEO.

或變成總裁。

Nothing is off the table.

沒有什麼是不可能的。

One employee said,

有個員工說，

"The Dream Academy didn't open doors for me.

「夢想學院並沒有為我打開門。

It helped me to have the confidence to open them for myself."

但它幫我建立信心， 為自己去開那些門。」

In career ladders,

在階梯式的職涯裏，

our identity can become about the titles that we've held,

我們的身分可能和我們的頭銜掛勾，

rather than the talents that we have.

而不是和我們的才能有關。

Everyone is talented,

每個人都有些才能，

and we can use those talents in many ways.

我們可以在很多方面運用這些才能。

We don't need to constrain our careers.

我們不必局限我們的職業。

In the words of my favorite band, Fleetwood Mac, "You can go your own way."

用我最喜歡的樂團 佛利伍麥克的話說：

「你可以走自己的路。」

HT: One of the things that sticks with me from my time at Microsoft

海：我還記得在微軟工作時的一件事，

is that I'd go into the office, and I'd see a sign that said,

當我走進辦公室時， 我會看到一個標語，

"Come as you are and do what you love."

「做你自己，做你所愛。」

And this was more than just words on a wall.

這不僅僅是寫在牆上的口號而已。

As a non-techie with a podcast on the side,

做為一個非科技人， 工作之餘玩podcast的我，

I certainly brought something different to the organization.

我確實為公司帶來不同的貢獻。

But my uniqueness was embraced,

而我的與眾不同是被接納的，

and there was no pressure to fit a perfect mold.

我沒有受到要成為某種樣子的壓力。

I felt like I could be open about what I wanted to do

我覺得我可以坦白地 表達我想做什麼，

and where I wanted to go,

我將來想去那裏，

even if that was different to everybody else.

即使我和其他人不一樣。

In squiggly careers, there is room for everybody to succeed.

在曲線的職場上， 每個人都有成功的可能。

And no two squiggles are the same.

而且沒有兩種曲線是完全一樣的。

The ladder has been holding us back for far too long.

階梯式的職涯形態已經束縛我們太久了。

But it's not easy to change something that's been around for over 100 years.

但要改變已經存在 一百多年的東西並不容易。

What we need now is more than a radical rethink.

我們現在需要的 不僅是思想上的徹底轉變。

We need a radical redo,

我們也需要做法上的徹底改變，

and change comes from action.

而改變來自行動。

SE: Together, we have an ambition to make careers better for everyone.

莎: 我們倆有共同的志向， 希望讓每個人的職業生涯更好。

And we've seen just what's possible when people let go of the ladder.

我們看到了放棄階梯式 職涯形態之後的可能性。

We see people who define their own success and take control of their careers.

我們看到有人開始定義自己的成功， 掌控自己的事業。

And we see organizations who benefit

我們也看到公司組織

從這些靈活、富好奇心、 自信而且不斷學習的員工身上受益。

from adaptable employees who are curious, confident and continually learning.

HT: We want to ask you to become an advocate for squiggly careers.

海: 我們希望你們也能成為 曲線式職涯的支持者。

You might be a manager who could help somebody to explore

也許你是位經理，你可以幫助別人探索

their career possibilities.

他們職業發展的可能性。

Or maybe you’re a mentor and you can give someone the confidence

或者你擅於指導別人， 你可以鼓勵別人

to see how they can use their talents in new ways.

讓他們看到用不同的方式 發揮自己的專長。

And now that we're all teachers,

既然我們大家都可以是老師，

let's share what we know so that everybody can succeed.

何不讓我們分享所知， 讓每個人都成功。

SE: It's finally time for us all to step off the ladder

莎：是時候了， 讓我們一起走下職業階梯，

and into the squiggle.

走進不規則的生涯曲線吧。