What baby boomers can learn from millennials at work -- and vice versa | Chip Conley

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

It was my third day on the job at a hot Silicon Valley start-up

那是我在矽谷一間 熱門新興公司工作的第三天，

in early 2013.

時間是 2013 年初。

I was twice the age of the dozen engineers in the room.

辦公室中，十多位工程師 年齡都只有我的一半。

I'd been brought in to the company

公司找我來，是因為我在 我的領域經驗豐富又專業，

because I was a seasoned expert in my field,

but in this particular room,

但在這間辦公室中，

I felt like a newbie amongst the tech geniuses.

我感覺自己好像科技天才中的新手。

I was listening to them talk

我在聽他們說話，

and thinking that the best thing I could do was be invisible.

心裡想著，我能做的 最好選擇就是當隱形人。

And then suddenly, the 25-year-old wizard leading the meeting stared at me

突然，主導會議的 二十五歲奇才瞪著我看，

and asked, "If you shipped a feature and no one used it,

他問：「如果你運送（推出）了 一項功能，卻沒人用它，

did it really ship?"

它真的運送（推出）了嗎？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"Ship a feature"?

「運送出一項功能」？

In that moment, Chip knew he was in deep ship.

當下，奇普就知道他深陷 麻煩（音近：運送）了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I had no idea what he was talking about.

我完全不懂他在說什麼。

I just sat there awkwardly,

我只能很尷尬地坐在那裡，

and mercifully, he moved on to someone else.

他很有慈悲心地轉向其他人。

I slid down in my chair,

我從我的椅子滑下去，

and I couldn't wait for that meeting to end.

我等不及會議結束了。

That was my introduction to Airbnb.

我在 Airbnb 的日子是這樣開始的。

I was asked and invited by the three millennial cofounders

三位千禧世代的共同創辦人

to join their company

邀請我加入他們的公司，

to help them take their fast-growing tech start-up

協助他們把他們這間 快速成長的科技新興公司

and turn it into a global hospitality brand,

轉變成一個全球餐旅品牌，

as well as to be the in-house mentor for CEO Brian Chesky.

同時也要擔任執行長 布萊恩切斯基的內部導師。

Now, I'd spent from age 26 to 52 being a boutique hotel entrepreneur,

我從 26 歲到 52 歲這段時間， 都是精品飯店的企業家，

and so I guess I'd learned a few things along the way

所以我想這一路上 我多少學了點東西，

and accumulated some hospitality knowledge.

也累積了一些餐旅方面的知識。

But after my first week,

但在我的第一週之後，

I realized that the brave new home-sharing world

我就發現住房共享的美好新世界，

didn't need much of my old-school bricks-and-mortar hotel insights.

不太需要我的老派實體飯店洞見。

A stark reality rocked me:

赤裸裸的現實撼動了我：

What do I have to offer?

我能提供什麼？

I'd never been in a tech company before.

我以前從來沒有待過科技公司。

Five and a half years ago, I had never heard of the "sharing economy,"

五年半前，我還沒有 聽過「共享經濟」，

nor did I have an Uber or Lyft app on my phone.

我的手機上也沒有 Uber 或 Lyft 的應用程式。

This was not my natural habitat.

這不是我天然的棲息地。

So, I decided at that moment that I could either run for the hills,

所以當下我就決定， 我可以選擇躲到山上去，

or cast judgment on these young geniuses,

或是對這些年輕天才做出評斷，

or instead, turn the judgment into curiosity

或是，換個方式， 把評斷轉為好奇，

and actually see if I could match my wise eyes with their fresh eyes.

真正去了解，我很廣的見識 是否能搭配他們很新的見識。

I fancied myself a modern Margaret Mead amongst the millennials,

我想像我自己是千禧世代中的

現代瑪格麗特米德 （研究現代人類形成過程的學者），

and I quickly learned that I had as much to offer them

我很快就發現，

我能給他們的很多， 不少於他們能給我的。

as they did to me.

The more I've seen and learned about our respective generations,

關於我們各自的世代， 當我看得越多且學得越多，

the more I realize that we often don't trust each other enough

我就越發現我們通常 沒有給彼此足夠的信任，

to actually share our respective wisdom.

無法真正分享我們各自的智慧。

We may share a border,

在我們可能可以 分享一個共同邊界，

but we don't necessarily trust each other enough

但我們對彼此的信任不見得有高到

to share that respective wisdom.

可以分享各自的智慧。

I believe, looking at the modern workplace,

就現代工作場所來說，我相信，

that the trade agreement of our time

我們時代的貿易協定

is opening up these intergenerational pipelines of wisdom

開啟了世代間的智慧流通管道，

so that we can all learn from each other.

讓我們都能向彼此學習。

Almost 40 percent of us in the United States

在美國，幾乎 40% 的人

have a boss that's younger than us,

為比自己年輕的老闆工作，

and that number is growing quickly.

那個數字還在快速成長。

Power is cascading to the young like never before

權力開始移交到年輕人手上， 這是前所未有的，

because of our increasing reliance on DQ:

因為我們越來越仰賴 DQ，

digital intelligence.

即數位智慧。

We're seeing young founders of companies in their early 20s

我們會看到二十初頭的 年輕人創立公司，

scale them up to global giants by the time they get to 30,

在三十歲時把公司發展成全球巨人，

and yet, we expect these young digital leaders

但是，我們卻期待 這些年輕的數位領導人

to somehow miraculously embody the relationship wisdoms

很神奇地以某種方式 去體現關係智慧，

we older workers have had decades to learn.

這在我們年長工作者 要花數十年才學習的到。

It's hard to microwave your emotional intelligence.

你的情緒智慧很難速成。

There's ample evidence that gender- and ethnically diverse companies

有很大量的證據顯示，

性別和人種多樣性高的公司， 效益會比較高。

are more effective.

But what about age?

但年齡呢？

This is a very important question, because for the first time ever,

這是個很重要的問題， 因為這是史上頭一遭，

we have five generations in the workplace at the same time, unintentionally.

我們在工作場所中

同時有五個世代， 且不是刻意造成的。

Maybe it's time we got a little more intentional

也許，該是我們稍微刻意一點 想辦法合作的時候了。

about how we work collectively.

There have been a number of European studies

有不少歐洲研究指出，

that have shown that age-diverse teams are more effective and successful.

年齡多樣性高的團隊 比較有效益也比較成功。

So why is that only eight percent of the companies

所以，為什麼本身就有多元共容 計畫的公司當中，只有 8%

that have a diversity and inclusion program

have actually expanded that strategy

會真的將那項策略再擴展，

to include age as just as important of a demographic as gender or race?

將年齡納入，

成為和性別及種族同等重要的 人口統計變數？

Maybe they didn't get the memo:

也許他們沒有收到備忘錄： 世界正在變老！

the world is getting older!

One of the paradoxes of our time

我們這個時代的矛盾之一，

is that baby boomers are more vibrant and healthy longer into life,

就是嬰兒潮世代比較充滿生氣

且在人生中健康的時期較長，

we're actually working later into life,

我們在人生中的工作時期也比較長，

and yet we're feeling less and less relevant.

但我們卻覺得自己越來越不重要。

Some of us feel like a carton of milk -- an old carton of milk --

我們有些人覺得自己像是 紙盒牛奶——老式紙盒牛奶——

with an expiration date stamped on our wrinkled foreheads.

我們滿是皺紋的前額上 印著有效期限。

For many of us in midlife, this isn't just a feeling,

對許多我們中年人來說， 這不只是一種感覺，

it is a harsh reality, when we suddenly lose our job and the phone stops ringing.

當我們突然丟了飯碗， 不再有人打電話來時，

它就是個嚴酷的現實。

For many of us, justifiably, we worry that people see our experience

對我們許多人來說， 我們情有可原，當然會擔心

別人把我們的經驗 視為是負債，而不是資產。

as a liability, not an asset.

You've heard of the old phrase -- or maybe the relatively new phrase --

你們應該聽過一句老的諺語—— 或者也許相對算是新的諺語——

"Sixty is the new forty, physically."

「六十歲就是新的四十歲， 身體上來說。」

Right?

對吧？

When it comes to power in the workplace today,

就現今工作場所中的權力來說，

30 is the new 50.

三十歲就是新的五十歲。

All right, well, this is all pretty exciting, right?

好，這些都很讓人興奮，對吧？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Truthfully, power is moving 10 years younger.

說真的，權力正在 轉移給年輕十歲的人。

We're all going to live 10 years longer.

我們的壽命都會再多十年。

Do the math.

自己算算看。

Society has created a new 20-year irrelevancy gap.

社會創造出了一個新的 「不合時宜的二十年差距」。

Midlife used to be 45 to 65,

以前，45 歲到 65 歲算是中年，

but I would suggest it now stretches into a midlife marathon 40 years long,

但我認為，現在它已經延長成了

為期四十年的中年馬拉松， 從 35 歲到 75 歲。

from 35 to 75.

But wait -- there is a bright spot.

但，等等——有個值得高興之處。

Why is it that we actually get smarter and wiser about our humanity as we age?

為什麼隨著年齡增長，在人文方面

我們會變得更聰明更有智慧？

Our physical peak may be our 20s,

我們的身體也許 在二十多歲達到高峰，

our financial and salary peak may be age 50,

我們的財務和薪水 也許在五十歲達到高峰，

but our emotional peak is in midlife and beyond,

但我們的情緒高峰， 會出現在中年和中年之後，

because we have developed pattern recognition about ourselves and others.

因為我們已經發展出了 對於自己以及他人的模式辨識。

So how can we get companies to tap into that wisdom

所以，我們要如何讓公司去發掘

中年人的那種智慧，

of the midlife folks,

just as they nurture their digital young geniuses as well?

同時也繼續培育 他們的數位年輕天才？

The most successful companies today and in the future

現今以及未來最成功的公司，

will actually learn how to create a powerful alchemy of the two.

會學習如何創造出一種 兩者兼具的強大煉金術。

Here's how the alchemy worked for me at Airbnb:

以下是在 Airbnb 中， 這種煉金術如何套用在我身上：

I was assigned a young, smart partner,

有一個聰明的年輕人 被指派做我的搭擋，

who helped me develop a hospitality department.

她協助我開發一個餐旅部門。

Early on, Laura Hughes could see that I was a little lost in this habitat,

先前，蘿拉休斯看得出來 我在這個棲息地有一點迷失，

so she often sat right next to me in meetings

於是在開會時， 她通常會坐在我旁邊，

so she could be my tech translator,

扮演我的技術翻譯員，

and I could write her notes and she could tell me, "That's what that means."

我可以寫紙條給她，她就能 告訴我：「那個意思是這個。」

Laura was 27 years old,

蘿拉 27 歲，

she'd worked for Google for four years

她在 Google 工作了四年，

and then for a year and a half at Airbnb when I met her.

接著到 Airbnb 工作， 我認識她時她已做了一年半。

Like many of her millennial cohorts,

她和她的許多千禧世代同伴一樣，

she had actually grown into a managerial role

在還沒有受過任何 正式領導力訓練之前，

before she'd gotten any formal leadership training.

就漸漸扮起了管理角色。

I don't care if you're in the B-to-B world,

我不在乎你是在 B2B 的世界、

the B-to-C world, the C-to-C world or the A-to-Z world,

B2C 的世界、C2C 的世界， 或 A2Z 的世界，

business is fundamentally H-to-H:

基本上，商業就是 H2H 的：

human to human.

也就是：人對人。

And yet, Laura's approach to leadership

然而，蘿拉的領導方式

was really formed in the technocratic world,

真的是在科技世界中形成的，

and it was purely metric driven.

它完全是指標驅動。

One of the things she said to me in the first few months was,

在前幾個月，她跟我說：

「我很喜歡你的一點， 就是你的領導方式

"I love the fact that your approach to leadership

is to create a compelling vision that becomes a North Star for us."

是要創造出一個令人信服的遠景， 成為我們的北極星。」

Now, my fact knowledge,

我的事實知識就是

as in, how many rooms a maid cleans in an eight-hour shift,

女佣在八小時的班當中 要打掃多少間房間，

might not be all that important in a home-sharing world.

這種知識在住房共享的世界裡 可能沒什麼重要性。

My process knowledge of "How do you get things done?"

我的流程知識則是 「你要如何把事情完成」，

based upon understanding the underlying motivations of everybody in the room,

它的依據是要了解房間中 每個人背後的動機，

was incredibly valuable,

這種知識就很珍貴， 因為在這種公司裡，

in a company where most people didn't have a lot of organizational experience.

大部分的人都沒有很多組織經驗。

As I spent more time at Airbnb,

隨著我在 Airbnb 待得越久，

I realized it's possible a new kind of elder was emerging

我了解到，在工作場所是有可能

會有一種新的長者出現的。

in the workplace.

Not the elder of the past, who actually was regarded with reverence.

並不是過去的那種 被視為尊敬對象的長者。

No, what is striking about the modern elder is their relevance,

不是，現代長者的特色

是他們的相關性，

their ability to use timeless wisdom and apply it to modern-day problems.

他們有能力可以 應用不受時代影響的智慧，

來解決現代的問題。

Maybe it's time we actually valued wisdom as much as we do disruption.

我們花了很多心力 在打破傳統商業模式，

也許該是我們用同等心力 來珍視智慧的時候了。

And maybe it's time -- not just maybe, it is time --

也許該是—— 不只是也許，該是——

for us to definitely reclaim the word "elder"

該是我們明確改造「長者」這個詞，

and give it a modern twist.

把它扭轉成現代的定義。

The modern elder is as much an intern as they are a mentor,

現代長者既是實習生，又是導師，

because they realize, in a world that is changing so quickly,

因為他們知道， 在改變這麼快速的世界裡，

their beginners' mind and their catalytic curiosity is a life-affirming elixir,

他們的初心以及他們帶有 催化作用的好奇心，

正是使人上進的萬靈丹，

not just for themselves but for everyone around them.

不只是他們自己， 他們周圍的人也能受益。

Intergenerational improv has been known in music and the arts:

在音樂和藝術領域一直都有 為人所知的兩世代即興演出：

think Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

比如，東尼班奈特和女神卡卡，

or Wynton Marsalis and the Young Stars of Jazz.

或是溫頓馬沙利斯，

和爵士的年輕新星。

This kind of riffing in the business world is often called "mutual mentorship":

在商業中，這種快速流動

通常就叫做「互為導師關係」：

millennial DQ for Gen X and boomer EQ.

千禧世代的數位智慧

與 X 世代和嬰兒潮世代的 情緒智慧交流。

I got to experience that kind of intergenerational reciprocity with Laura

我有緣體驗到和蘿拉

及我們的明星資料科學團隊

and our stellar data science team

進行兩世代的互惠，

when we were actually remaking and evolving

那時我們真的是在重建和改進

the Airbnb peer-to-peer review system,

Airbnb 的對點對檢審系統，

using Laura's analytical mind and my human-centered intuition.

用的是蘿拉的分析頭腦，

和我的以人為中心的直覺。

With that perfect alchemy of algorithm and people wisdom,

那種煉金術結合了

演算法和人的智慧，靠著它，

we were able to create and instantaneous feedback loop

我們得以創造出一個 即時的回饋意見迴圈，

that helped our hosts better understand the needs of our guests.

協助我們的屋主更了解 我們的客戶需要什麼。

High tech meets high touch.

高科技遇見高接觸。

At Airbnb, I also learned as a modern elder

在 Airbnb，我這個現代長者也學到了

that my role was to intern publicly and mentor privately.

我的角色是要當公開的實習生

和私下的導師。

Search engines are brilliant at giving you an answer,

搜尋引擎很擅長給你答案，

but a wise, sage guide can offer you just the right question.

但有智慧、賢明的引導者 能提供你對的問題。

Google does not understand, at least not yet,

Google 無法，至少目前還無法，

nuance like a finely attuned human heart and mind.

像非常有理解力的人心及人腦 那樣了解細微的差別。

Over time,

隨著時間，

to my surprise,

出乎我的意料，

dozens and dozens of young employees at Airbnb sought me out

Airbnb 數十位年輕員工來找我，

for private mentoring sessions.

希望我私下開課教導他們。

But in reality, we were often just mentoring each other.

但在現實中，我們通常 都在當彼此的導師。

In sum, CEO Brian Chesky brought me in for my industry knowledge,

總結一下，執行長布萊恩切斯基

是因為我的產業知識 而把我納入旗下，

but what I really offered was my well-earned wisdom.

但我真正貢獻的卻是 我靠努力得來的智慧。

Maybe it's time we retire the term "knowledge worker"

也許該是把「知識工作者」 這個詞丟掉的時候了，

and replaced it with "wisdom worker."

把它改成「智慧工作者」。

We have five generations in the workplace today,

現今，在工作場所， 同時有五個世代的人，

and we can operate like separate isolationist countries,

我們可以像是分別的 孤立主義國家那樣運作，

or we can actually start to find a way to bridge these generational borders.

或者，我們可以開始想辦法

建立橋樑，跨越世代的界線。

And it's time for us to actually look at how to change up the physics of wisdom

該是我們思考如何改變 智慧物理的時候了，

so it actually flows in both directions,

讓智慧能夠雙向流動，

from old to young and from young to old.

從老人到年輕人， 從年輕人到老人。

How can you apply this in your own life?

你要如何把它用到 你自己的人生中？

Personally, who can you reach out to

就個人來說，你能找到誰

to create a mutual mentorship relationship?

來建立一段「互為導師的關係」？

And organizationally, how can you create the conditions

就組織來說，你要如何創造條件，

to foster an intergenerational flow of wisdom?

來促進世代間的智慧交流？

This is the new sharing economy.

這就是新的共享經濟。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）