Sophie Williams: The rigged test of leadership | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

I spend most of my time talking and thinking and writing

我大部分的時間在談、在想、在寫

about women's experiences in UK and US workplaces,

女性在英美工作場所的經歷，

particularly, Black women's experiences.

特別是黑人女性的經歷。

And so for me, understanding the glass cliff --

所以，對我來說，了解玻璃懸崖——

the situation that underrepresented leaders find themselves in

來自未被充分代表之族群的 領導者在接下領導職位時

when they take on leadership positions,

常會陷入這種情況中，

only to find that their chances of success

發現他們的成功機會

have been limited before they even begin --

在開始著手之前就已受限——

really was an eye-opener.

真的讓我開了眼界。

Now, I'm aware that for a lot of people,

我知道很多人是第一次 聽到玻璃懸崖這個詞。

this might be the first time you're hearing about the glass cliff.

所以我認為，最好的入門方式，

And so I think the easiest way into the conversation

is by starting with the glass ceiling,

就是從玻璃天花板談起，

that invisible but seemingly impossible-to-break-through barrier

它是種看不見但似乎 無法穿過的障礙，

that sits above the heads of women in business

在企業中，它就擋在女性的頭上，

and stops them from reaching the absolute pinnacles

讓她們無法達到

專業能力的頂峰。

of their professional capabilities.

We talk a lot about the glass ceiling being there

我們常常在談玻璃天花板的存在

and what it's like to live and to work underneath it.

以及在玻璃天花板底下 生活、工作的滋味。

But we don't really talk about what happens to those people

但我們通常不會談到

設法穿過玻璃天花板的人 後來發生了什麼事。

who do manage to break through.

I feel like we maybe have this shared imagination

我覺得也許我們大家有這樣的想像：

that if someone were able to break through the glass ceiling,

如果有人能穿過玻璃天花板，

it would be onwards and upwards from there, the sky's the limit.

之後就是向前走、 向上爬，不再受限。

But in reality, that's not what often happens,

但現實的狀況通常不是如此。

because all too often, when somebody does break through the glass ceiling,

因為，通常穿過玻璃天花板的人

they find themselves in a new, dangerous position.

會發現自己處在 一個危險的新位置上。

他們會發現自己搖搖晃晃地 走在玻璃懸崖的邊緣。

They find themselves teetering on the edge of the glass cliff.

So I'm going to talk about underrepresented people a lot in this,

今天我會談很多 未被充分代表的族群，

and that can mean so many different things

在不同時間、不同情境中， 對不同的人而言，

to different people in different moments and different contexts.

這個族群會有許多不同的意義。

But I'm talking about those people who are most underrepresented

但我要談的對象

是在企業最高層當中 最未被充分代表的族群。

at the most senior levels of business.

So that is women,

就是女性

and that's racially marginalized people --

和在種族方面被邊緣化的人，

基本上，就是白種男性以外的人。

essentially, anybody who's not both white and male.

And so the story often goes

故事通常是這樣的：

that when underrepresented people take over a business,

當未被充分代表的族群接管了企業，

that business seems to start to fail.

那間企業似乎就會開始走下坡。

And that's really strange,

那真的很奇怪，

and if that's true, that's worth looking into.

如果屬實，就值得探究。

And so "The Times" newspaper did look into it.

《泰晤士報》也確實去探究了。

And they released an article with the headline,

他們刊出了一篇文章，標題是：

"Women on the Board: A Help or a Hindrance?"

「女性進入董事會： 是助力還是阻力？」

And they said what I've just told you,

他們說的就是我剛才說的，

that when women take over businesses at those most senior levels --

當女性接手企業最高層的職位——

board member, CEO --

董事會成員、執行長——

that those businesses seem to find themselves in a moment of trouble.

那些企業似乎就會遇上麻煩。

And so, they concluded that women on the board were, in fact,

於是，他們下了結論，

女性進入董事會其實對企業有害。

bad for business.

And they were right.

他們是對的。

But just in one small way.

但只對了一個小地方。

In 100 other, much bigger, much more important ways,

在另外其他一百個更重要地方， 他們都錯得很徹底。

they were absolutely wrong.

But we can start with where they were right.

但我們就從他們對的地方開始吧。

They were right that the research does show

他們說的沒錯，研究確實顯示，

that when underrepresented people do take on those most senior roles,

未被充分代表的族群 去擔任最高層的角色，

that businesses do seem to be in a moment of trouble.

企業似乎確實會遇到麻煩。

但並不是說他們希望你認為——

But it’s not like they want you to think --

It's not that we've, you know, stomped our way into boardrooms,

並不是說我們大步走進董事會 會議室，環顧四周之後心想：

only to look around and think,

"Oh, God, I don't know what I'm doing here."

「喔，天，我不知道 我在這裡幹嘛。」

It's not that at all.

完全不是這樣的狀況。

But the reason you might think that

但你可能會誤解成這樣，

is that they haven't told you the beginning of the story.

是因為他們尚未告訴你故事的開端。

And the beginning of the story is what we need to understand

我們得要了解故事的開端，

if we want to see what's stopping more people who aren't both white and male

才能了解是什麼因素 讓白種男性以外的人

from being successful when they take on leadership roles.

在接下領導職之後無法成功。

So, there's a piece of research from the University of Exeter.

艾希特大學做了一項研究。

They looked at FTSE 100 companies,

他們研究了富時的前一百大企業，

and when they appointed female leaders,

這些企業決定指派 女性擔任領導人時

those businesses were much more likely than average

就特別有可能

to have already been in a consistent period

它們已經持續有

of five months of poor performance.

五個月的表現都很不佳。

And that poor performance can look like all kinds of things.

這裡所謂的表現不佳有很多形式。

It could be a reputational scandal

可能是捲入有損名舉的醜聞，

where the tarnish is likely to be passed on to the new leader.

汙名可能會隨續傳給 新接任的領導人。

It could be a hit to market valuations or to profit.

可能是企業的市值或利潤重挫。 但不論是什麼形式，

But whatever that was,

these businesses were all much more likely than average

這些企業都非常有可能

to have already been in a consistent period of poor performance

已經有一段時間一直表現不佳了，

是發生在新領導人被任命之前。

before that new leader was appointed.

And this isn't a single piece of research,

這類研究並不只這一篇，

and it's not even limited to a single country.

而且在其他國家也有。

Researchers at the University of Utah did a really similar thing,

猶他大學的研究者做了類似的研究，

but they didn't just look at the appointment of women.

但他們探究的不只是女性的任命。

They looked at the appointment of women and racially marginalized men.

除了女性，還有在種族方面 被邊緣化的男性。

And they looked at Fortune 500 companies over a 15-year period --

他們研究了財富雜誌五百大企業 在十五年間的資料——

so, a huge data set --

資料量很大——

and they found exactly the same.

他們的發現完全一樣。

Those businesses that appointed underrepresented leaders

指派未被充分代表的族群 去接下任領導職的企業

were much more likely than average

非常有可能

to already be in a period of poor performance.

已經有一段時間的表現都不佳了。

So maybe you're listening to this and you're thinking, "Well, so what?

也許你聽了這些之後，會想：

「那又怎樣？

So long as these people are getting an opportunity,

只要這些人能得到機會，

why does it matter if the businesses aren't in perfect condition

誰在乎這些人就職之前 企業是不是在理想狀態？」

before these people arrive?"

Well, one of the reasons it matters

要在乎這件事的理由之一 就是我們會接收到的說法。

is the narrative that that pushes back to us.

If an underrepresented person takes on a role

如果未被充分代表的 族群接下了職務，

and their chances of being successful are limited before they even begin,

且他們的成功機會在還沒 就任之前就已經受限了，

if they do fail, if they do fall off that cliff,

如果他們真的失敗了， 真的掉下了懸崖，

我們接收到的訊息就是：

the message that we get back is:

"Well, of course they did.

「他們當然會失敗。

Someone like that -- that's not the right kind of person

那樣的人——不是對的人，

to run a successful business."

不可能成功經營企業。」

And so that message compounds, and we just internalize it.

這類訊息不斷加疊起來， 我們就會把它內化。

So I think all of this logically leads us to two questions,

因此，我們會問 這兩個問題也很合邏輯，

the first of which is:

第一個問題是：

Why is this happening?

為什麼會發生這種事？

Why are businesses that are in trouble

為什麼遇到困難的企業

more likely to appoint an underrepresented leader?

比較有可能會指派未被充分 代表的族群去當領導人？

Well, it could be that, in patriarchal societies,

有可能，在父權社會裡，

women are viewed as caregivers, as nurturers,

女性會被視為是照護者、養育者，

and so research has shown that when a business is in trouble,

研究發現，當企業遇到麻煩時，

women are often appointed to lead,

通常會指派女性來領導，

not for their ability to make transformational change,

不是因為她們有能力做轉型改變，

but because of their perceived soft skills,

而是因為她們被認定具有軟技能，

for their ability to reengage that workforce

有能力可以重新連結

所有員工並讓他們重新找到動力。

and to get them back motivated again.

But importantly,

但重要的是

because she's not hired for her ability to make transformational change,

她們不是因為 做轉型改變的能力而被僱用，

research shows that she's often not given the tools or the time necessary

研究發現，她們無法得到

促成轉型改變所必要的工具或時間。

to make that change.

And so her chances of falling off that cliff

所以她們掉下懸崖的可能性

在她們開始著手之前就很高了，

are increased before she even begins

because of the limitations of the imaginations

因為指派她們的人

of the people who have brought her in.

想像力十分受限。

The second reason, to paraphrase Kristin Anderson,

第二個理由，讓我引述 克莉絲汀·安德森的話，

who's a psychology professor at the University of Houston,

她是休士頓大學的心理學教授，

is that in business, women might be seen as more disposable, more expendable,

她說，在企業裡，

女性可能更會被視為 可丟棄的消耗品，

and that means they make really good scapegoats.

那就表示她們是很好的代罪羔羊。

In that case, if your business isn't doing well,

這樣的話，如果你的企業狀況不好，

bringing in a female leader could be a real win-win scenario.

讓女性接手領導人的位置

可能會帶來雙贏。

If she comes in and is able to make that transformational change, then great,

如果她接手之後促成了轉型改變，

那很棒，你的企業就轉型了。

your business is transformed.

But if she's not,

但如果沒成功，

all of the blame is able to be put onto her shoulders,

所有的責難都可以推給她來扛，

and she's able to get pushed out of the business,

且可以把她踢出企業，

pushed over that cliff.

推下懸崖。

Importantly, the research then shows

重要的是，研究接著發現，

that she's more likely than not to be replaced by a white man,

她更有可能會被白種男性取代，

這步棋就是所謂的「救星效應」。

a move known as the "savior effect."

And that savior effect signals to us, to shareholders, investors, employees,

救星效應會傳遞訊息給我們，

給股東、投資者、員工，

that the business is back in a safe pair of hands.

表示企業已經交到 讓人放心的人手上。

It’s back to business as usual.

一切回到往常。

And really importantly, that new white male safe pair of hands

且，非常重要的是， 那位讓人放手的白種男性

is more likely to be given both the tools and the time necessary

比較有可能得到必要的工具和時間，

to succeed where the underrepresented person has failed.

讓他可以成功，

完成未被充分代表的族群 沒做到的任務。

So up until now, we've been talking about what happens

到目前為止，

我們已經談到了

如果你是在種族方面 被邊緣化的人會怎麼樣，

when you are a racially marginalized person

or a woman.

或女性。

But as I said, the majority of my work looks at Black women.

但，我說過，我的工作 主要在探討黑人女性。

So what happens when we do take that more intersectional look,

所以這種更交錯的狀況 又會是什麼情形？

when we think about the experiences of people

如果擁有不只一種， 而是兩種被邊緣化的身分，

with not just one but two marginalized identities?

會遇到什麼經歷？

As you might imagine, it's not the best story.

各位可以想見， 不會是多美好的故事。

If a new Black woman takes over the most senior role in the business --

如果企業中最高的職位 被一名黑人女性接下來，

board member, CEO --

董事會成員、執行長——

we can safely assume two things.

有兩個假設大概八九不離十。

The first thing that we can assume, as we've discussed,

第一，我們可以假設， 如先前所討論的，

企業的狀況可能不會很好。

is the business might not be in great shape.

And the second thing that we can assume

第二，我們還可以假設，

is that she's likely to be managing a large team of white men,

她要管理的人很可能都是白種男性，

that leadership layer just below her,

也就是她下面那一階層的主管，

her closest cohort.

她最親近的團隊。

And we can assume that because in 2019,

我們可以這樣假設， 是因為在 2019 年，

the Lean In Foundation reported that white men make up about 30 percent

挺身而進基金會的報告指出，

初級主管團隊中大約 有 30% 是白種男性。

of that entry-level junior cohort.

But by the time we get to the C-suite,

但到了高層主管團隊，

比例爆增到 68%。

that's actually ballooned up to 68 percent.

That means white men are the only group whose representation grows

意即，只有白種男性

代表性會隨著年資成長。

as they become more senior.

Or, to put it a different way:

或者，換種說法：

they're the only group who experienced the opposite of the glass ceiling.

只有這個族群

經歷過「玻璃天花板的相反」。

Instead of looking up and not being able to see themselves reflected back at all,

他們向上看時，不但完全不會 看到自己的身影被反射回來，

他們向上看時，只會看到 他們自己進入最高層。

they look up and see nothing but themselves at the most senior levels.

That is, of course, until they don't,

當然，也不是永遠如此，

until they have a new boss who's somebody like a Black woman.

也會遇到一名黑人女性 空降成為他們的老闆。

And the reason this matters is there's research from the University of Texas

這點之所以很重要，

是因為德州大學和密西根 大學做了一項研究，

and the University of Michigan,

and they looked at what happens to that group of men

他們研究的是， 這群男性非常習慣身邊

who are so used to seeing themselves directly mirrored back

都是和自己同樣的族群，會如何面對

when they get a new boss who doesn't mirror

新來的老闆既不是男性 也不是白人的狀況。

both their whiteness and their maleness.

And what they found was amazing.

他們的發現很驚人。

They found that as soon as they get a boss

他們發現，當非男性非白種人 當上了這些男性的老闆時，

who doesn't directly mirror them in both of those ways,

they report feeling less personally connected to the business,

這些男性回報說他們會覺得 他們個人和企業的連結變弱了，

less able to personally identify with it

個人對企業的認同也下降了，

and less personally invested in it.

個人對企業的投入也會變少。

And that means that their work performance suffered;

那就表示他們的工作表現 會變差；把工作做得更糟。

they did worse at their jobs.

Now, if a business is already in trouble,

如果企業已經遇到麻煩，

even the greatest leader is not going to solve it single-handedly.

再厲害的領導者也無法靠自己解決。

She needs her team, particularly her senior team.

她需要她的團隊， 特別是高層主管團隊。

And so if they've stopped doing their jobs properly,

如果他們不再能把自己的工作做好，

all they're doing is continuing to push her towards the edge of that cliff.

他們的所作所為都只是持續 把她推向懸崖的邊緣而已。

The second thing that same piece of research found was that

同樣這項研究還有另一個發現：

they stopped doing a really important part of any manager's job,

他們會停止去做主管工作中 很重要的一部分：

and that's managing their teams.

管理他們的團隊。

They stopped developing, mentoring,

他們不再去培養、指導，

working with the people who was their job to take care of.

不再去帶他們有職責應該要帶的人。

But they didn't stop doing that equally.

但他們並非平等地停止做這些事。

No, they mostly stopped helping, working with, developing

他們主要會停止協助、帶領、培養

anyone in that team who was also racially marginalized.

團隊中在種族方面被邊緣化的成員。

And so in that way, the glass cliff bites twice.

這麼一來，玻璃懸崖 會造成雙重傷害。

We're not only pushing the existing leader closer to the edge of their cliff,

不僅是既有的領導者 被推向懸崖的邊緣，

we're stopping what could be this new cohort of underrepresented leaders

同時也讓新主管團隊中未被 充分代表的族群無法向上爬，

from coming up,

because we're not giving them the same support, guidance, mentorship, development

因為他們得到的支持、

引導、指導、培養

that the rest of their colleagues are getting.

都和其他同事不同。

So I'm telling you this because I want you to be a part of making this change.

我告訴各位這些，

是希望各位也能一同參與改變。

And that might sound impossible.

聽起來似乎不可能，你可能會想：

You might be thinking,

「我無法改變企業、 慈善機構、政府，

"Well, I can't change businesses or charities, governments,

any of the places where we see the glass cliff playing out."

任何可以看到玻璃懸崖的地方。」

但——先聽我說完——

But -- and stay with me for a second --

you can, because none of those things are real.

你可以，

因為這些都不是真的。

Businesses, government, charities -- all of these things

企業、政府、慈善機構–—都只是

are just groups of people who've come together to do something.

一群人聚在一起做某件事。

And we're a group of people who have come together to do something,

而我們也是一群人 聚在一起做某件事，

and so we can make that change.

所以我們能做出改變。

We can look at our own conscious and unconscious biases,

我們可以反思我們自己 有意識和無意識的偏見，

and we can decide that we see the value in all people all of the time,

我們可以決定隨時隨地 去看所有人的價值，

not just some people,

不只是某些人而已，

when we have a problem that they might be able to solve,

特別是當我們有問題， 而他們有可能解決時，

or something that we might be able to blame them for.

或者我們可能將某事 怪罪他們的時候。

So, as Angela Davis says,

安吉拉·戴維斯說過，

we have to “... act as though [it’s possible to change] the world.

我們要「想著可能改變世界， 來採取相應行動

And you have to do it all of the time."

時時刻刻都得這麼做。」

And so that's what I'm asking you to do.

這就是我希望各位能做的。

I'm asking you to look at yourself

請各位自省一下，

and to decide that you are not going to be part of pushing anybody else

下定決定不要參與

將任何人推向懸崖邊緣的行為。

closer towards the edge of their own cliff.

And I want you to know that I'm going to be right alongside you,

我也希望各位知道，

我會與你們同在，

trying to do the same.

試著做同樣的事。