4 ways to build a human company in the age of machines | Tim Leberecht

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: SF Huang

Half of the human workforce is expected to be replaced

未來的二十年，有一半的人力

by software and robots in the next 20 years.

預期將會被軟體和機器人取代。

And many corporate leaders welcome that as a chance to increase profits.

很多企業家把它視為 增加營收的好機會。

Machines are more efficient;

因為機器更有效率；

humans are complicated and difficult to manage.

人類卻是複雜且難以管理的。

Well, I want our organizations to remain human.

我希望我們的組織能保留住人力，

In fact, I want them to become beautiful.

事實上，我希望它們 變得出色、美麗。

Because as machines take our jobs and do them more efficiently,

由於機器可以取代我們 更有效率地工作，

soon the only work left for us humans will be the kind of work

很快，人類能做的工作

就只剩下那些需要做得出色、漂亮， 而非高效率的工作了。

that must be done beautifully rather than efficiently.

To maintain our humanity in the this second Machine Age,

要想在第二次機器時代保持人性，

we may have no other choice than to create beauty.

除了創作出美麗的事物外， 我們別無選擇。

Beauty is an elusive concept.

「美」是一種難以捉摸的概念。

For the writer Stendhal it was the promise of happiness.

作家司湯達說美是一種幸福的承諾，

For me it's a goal by Lionel Messi.

對我而言，梅西進球最美了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So bear with me

所以，請容許我

as I am proposing four admittedly very subjective principles

提出四個相當主觀的原則，

that you can use to build a beautiful organization.

讓各位可據以建構出美麗的組織。

First: do the unnecessary.

第一，做非必要的事。

[Do the Unnecessary]

[做非必要的事]

A few months ago, Hamdi Ulukaya,

幾個月前，漢第‧烏魯咖亞，

the CEO and founder of the yogurt company Chobani,

Chobani 優格公司的 創辦人兼執行長，

made headlines when he decided to grant stock to all of his 2,000 employees.

因將股份贈與全數 2000 名員工，而登上頭條。

Some called it a PR stunt,

有人說這是公關噱頭，

others -- a genuine act of giving back.

有人則認為這是真誠的回饋。

But there is something else that was remarkable about it.

但這件事還有其獨特之處。

It came completely out of the blue.

這消息來得相當突然。

There had been no market or stakeholder pressure,

因為並無市場或股東的施壓，

and employees were so surprised

所以當員工們聽到消息時，

that they burst into tears when they heard the news.

驚訝到喜極而泣。

Actions like Ulukaya's are beautiful because they catch us off guard.

像烏魯咖亞這類的行為之所以為美， 乃因其出乎大家意料之外。

They create something out of nothing

因為他們完全沒必要這麼做，

because they're completely unnecessary.

但他們卻還是無中生有， 創造出有意義的東西。

我曾在一家公司工作，

I once worked at a company

that was the result of a merger

它是由一家大型科技資訊外包廠商，

of a large IT outsourcing firm and a small design firm.

和一家小型設計公司合併而成的。

We were merging 9,000 software engineers

我們把 9000 名軟體工程師

with 1,000 creative types.

和 1000 名創意工作者整合在一起。

And to unify these immensely different cultures,

為了融合這兩種截然不同的文化，

we were going to launch a third, new brand.

我們打算建立全新的第三品牌。

And the new brand color was going to be orange.

新品牌的商標是橙色的，

And as we were going through the budget for the rollouts,

當我們討論新品問世的預算時，

we decided last minute

在最後關頭，

to cut the purchase of 10,000 orange balloons,

我們決定刪掉

原本要發給全球員工的 一萬顆橙色氣球的預算。

which we had meant to distribute to all staff worldwide.

They just seemed unnecessary and cute in the end.

氣球看起來沒有必要，只是很可愛。

I didn't know back then

當時我並不知道，

that our decision marked the beginning of the end --

當下的這個決定， 為合併的破局揭開了序幕──

that these two organizations would never become one.

這兩家公司永遠不可能合而為一。

And sure enough, the merger eventually failed.

果然，這次合併以失敗告終。

Now, was it because there weren't any orange balloons?

是因為當時沒有買氣球嗎？

No, of course not.

不，當然不是。

But the kill-the-orange-balloons mentality permeated everything else.

但是，刪掉氣球預算的這種心態， 蔓延到其它事情上。

You might not always realize it, but when you cut the unnecessary,

你可能沒有意識到， 你以為只是砍掉了不必要的東西，

you cut everything.

但實際上，你砍掉了一切。

Leading with beauty means rising above what is merely necessary.

追隨美麗，得超越必需。

So do not kill your orange balloons.

所以，不要刪掉你的橙色氣球。

The second principle:

第二個原則：

create intimacy.

創造親密感。

[Create Intimacy]

[創造親密感]

Studies show that how we feel about our workplace

研究顯示，我們對工作場所的感受，

very much depends on the relationships with our coworkers.

取決於我們和同事間的人際關係。

And what are relationships other than a string of microinteractions?

除了一連串的微互動， 人際關係還包括什麽呢？

There are hundreds of these every day in our organizations

在組織中，每天會發生 好幾百次的人際互動，

that have the potential to distinguish a good life from a beautiful one.

能夠顯示出良好和美好生活的不同。

The marriage researcher John Gottman says

婚姻研究者約翰‧哥德曼說，

that the secret of a healthy relationship

健康關係的秘訣，

is not the great gesture or the lofty promise,

不在於高調地表態或崇高的承諾，

it's small moments of attachment.

而在於生活中俯拾皆是的小感動。

In other words, intimacy.

換句話說，就是親密感。

In our networked organizations,

在我們的網絡組織中，

we tout the strength of weak ties

我們吹捧弱連接的力量，

but we underestimate the strength of strong ones.

但低估了強連接的力量。

We forget the words of the writer Richard Bach who once said,

我們忘記了作家李察‧巴哈說過的話：

"Intimacy --

「親密──

not connectedness --

不是連通──

intimacy is the opposite of loneliness."

親密是孤獨的反面。」

So how do we design for organizational intimacy?

所以我們該如何設計組織的親密性？

The humanitarian organization CARE

有一個叫 CARE 的人道組織，

wanted to launch a campaign on gender equality

想要在印度北部的村莊

in villages in northern India.

發起性別平等運動。

But it realized quickly

但他們很快就意識到，

that it had to have this conversation first with its own staff.

需要先與內部成員展開對話。

So it invited all 36 team members and their partners

所以他們邀請了 36 位團隊成員和他們的搭檔，

to one of the Khajuraho Temples,

到以性愛雕像聞名於世的

known for their famous erotic sculptures.

克久拉霍神廟群之一去聚會。

And there they openly discussed their personal relationships --

他們在那裡坦誠地討論 他們的私人關係，

their own experiences of gender equality

分享自身經歷的性別平等體驗，

with the coworkers and the partners.

與同事和搭檔開誠布公。

It was eye-opening for the participants.

這令參與者們深受啟發，

Not only did it allow them to relate to the communities they serve,

不僅幫助他們與所服務的社區 建立起連結關係，

it also broke down invisible barriers

更打破了成員彼此間無形的屏障，

and created a lasting bond amongst themselves.

建立起持久的連結鏈。

Not a single team member quit in the next four years.

在接下來的四年中， 沒有一個成員退出。

So this is how you create intimacy.

所以，這就是如何建立親密關係。

No masks ...

沒有面具，

or lots of masks.

或者，需要很多面具──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

When Danone, the food company,

當達能食品公司想要

wanted to translate its new company manifesto into product initiatives,

把新的公司宣言落實到產品精神，

it gathered the management team

他們召集了管理團隊

and 100 employees from across different departments,

和 100 名來自不同部門、

不同資歷等級和地區的員工，

seniority levels and regions

for a three-day strategy retreat.

舉辦一場為期三天的戰略靜思會議。

And it asked everybody to wear costumes for the entire meeting:

他們要求每個人在會議期間 都要這麽打扮：

wigs, crazy hats, feather boas,

假髮、誇張的帽子、羽毛圍巾、

huge glasses and so on.

巨型眼鏡等。

And they left with concrete outcomes

他們熱情洋溢

and full of enthusiasm.

並且創造出具體、實質的成果。

And when I asked the woman who had designed this experience

我詢問設計這個活動的女士，

why it worked,

為什麽活動能這麽成功？

she simply said, "Never underestimate the power of a ridiculous wig."

她只簡單地回說：「永遠不要低估 滑稽假髮的神奇力量。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Because wigs erase hierarchy,

因為假髮消除了階級觀念，

and hierarchy kills intimacy --

而階級會扼殺親密感──

both ways,

不管對執行長還是實習生，

for the CEO and the intern.

都是如此。

Wigs allow us to use the disguise of the false

假髮可以讓我們透過偽裝

來展示真實的自己。

to show something true about ourselves.

And that's not easy in our everyday work lives,

在我們日常工作生活中 是不容易做到的，

because the relationship with our organizations

因為我們組織中的人際關係，

is often like that of a married couple that has grown apart,

常像日漸疏遠的夫妻一樣，

suffered betrayals and disappointments,

充滿著背叛和失望，

and is now desperate to be beautiful for one another once again.

而現在不顧一切的想要重修舊好。

And for either of us the first step towards beauty involves a huge risk.

對每個人來說，邁向追尋美麗的 第一步，隱含著巨大的風險。

The risk to be ugly.

醜陋的風險。

[Be Ugly]

[醜陋]

So many organizations these days are keen on designing beautiful workplaces

現在很多組織想要 設計美麗的辦公區，

that look like anything but work:

讓它們看起來不像辦公場所：

vacation resorts, coffee shops, playgrounds or college campuses --

而是像度假村、咖啡店、 遊樂場、大學校園。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Based on the promises of positive psychology,

基於正向心理的考量，

we speak of play and gamification,

我們把工作訴諸於玩耍、遊戲，

and one start-up even says that when someone gets fired,

甚至有初創公司在解雇員工的時候，

they have graduated.

說他們是「畢業」了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That kind of beautiful language only goes "skin deep,

這些美麗的語言只是 「表面、膚淺的，

but ugly cuts clean to the bone,"

但醜陋，可以讓我們 看到事實的真相。」

as the writer Dorothy Parker once put it.

作家多蘿西‧帕克曾這麽說：

To be authentic is to be ugly.

「想要展現真實面， 得先擁抱醜陋面。」

It doesn't mean that you can't have fun or must give in to the vulgar or cynical,

這不是說要你不能開心， 或者表現粗俗或冷嘲熱諷，

but it does mean that you speak the actual ugly truth.

而是要你說出醜陋的真相。

Like this manufacturer

就像這家製造商，

that wanted to transform one of its struggling business units.

想要改善瀕臨危機的事業單位，

It identified, named and pinned on large boards all the issues --

他們找出阻礙業績表現的問題、 列舉原因並歸咎癥結所在，

and there were hundreds of them --

that had become obstacles to better performance.

將其貼在大型牆板上，

這些項目多達好幾百個。

They put them on boards, moved them all into one room,

他們把這些板子全搬到一個

which they called "the ugly room."

他們稱為「醜陋之屋」的房間。

The ugly became visible for everyone to see --

這些醜陋被攤在陽光下， 每個人都可以看到──

it was celebrated.

但他們讚揚它。

And the ugly room served as a mix of mirror exhibition and operating room --

這個醜陋之屋兼具 真相展示與手術室的功能──

a biopsy on the living flesh to cut out all the bureaucracy.

藉由發掘真相來切除根治 所有的官僚體制。

The ugliest part of our body is our brain.

我們身體中最醜陋的部分 是我們的大腦。

Literally and neurologically.

實質上與神經學而言，都是如此。

Our brain renders ugly what is unfamiliar ...

我們的大腦能把醜陋變成 我們不熟悉的新奇事物……

modern art, atonal music,

像是現代藝術、無調性音樂、

jazz, maybe --

爵士樂，也許──

VR goggles for that matter --

虛擬實境眼鏡也是──

strange objects, sounds and people.

奇特的事物、聲音和人。

But we've all been ugly once.

但我們每個人都曾醜陋過，

We were a weird-looking baby,

我們曾經都是外表奇怪的嬰兒，

a new kid on the block, a foreigner.

社區來的新小朋友，或者外來者。

And we will be ugly again when we don't belong.

當我們沒有歸屬感時， 我們會再次變得醜陋。

The Center for Political Beauty,

柏林有一個叫「政治美麗中心」的

an activist collective in Berlin,

社會活動團體，

recently staged an extreme artistic intervention.

近期上演了一齣極致的 藝術介入活動。

With the permission of relatives,

他們經過家屬同意，

it exhumed the corpses of refugees who had drowned at Europe's borders,

挖掘出歐洲邊境溺斃的難民遺體，

transported them all the way to Berlin,

並將它們運送到柏林，

and then reburied them at the heart of the German capital.

然後再把挖出來的遺體 葬在德國首都的中心。

The idea was to allow them to reach their desired destination,

這個計劃想讓死者 即便是在過世之後，

if only after their death.

依舊能抵達他們 曾經渴望的目的地。

Such acts of beautification may not be pretty,

這種美化的行為可能不太優雅，

but they are much needed.

但它們迫切需要。

Because things tend to get ugly when there's only one meaning, one truth,

因為當事情只有 一種意義、一個真相、

only answers and no questions.

只有答案、而沒有問題的話， 那事情通常是醜陋的。

Beautiful organizations keep asking questions.

美麗的組織會持續提出問題。

They remain incomplete,

他們會維持不完整的狀態，

which is the fourth and the last of the principles.

這是第四個，也是最後一個原則。

[Remain Incomplete]

[維持不完整]

Recently I was in Paris,

最近我在巴黎，

and a friend of mine took me to Nuit Debout,

我一個朋友帶我去參加 Nuit Debout 的活動，

which stands for "up all night,"

意思是「不眠之夜」，

the self-organized protest movement

始於抗議法國勞基法提案而產生的

that had formed in response to the proposed labor laws in France.

一個自組性的抗議活動。

Every night, hundreds gathered at the Place de la République.

每天晚上，都有幾百人 聚集在共和國廣場上，

Every night they set up a small, temporary village

每晚都會成立一個小的臨時聚落，

to deliberate their own vision of the French Republic.

討論他們自己理想中的 法蘭西共和國。

And at the core of this adhocracy

這個臨時會的核心是一個全體大會，

was a general assembly where anybody could speak

在大會上，每個人都可以用

using a specially designed sign language.

一種特別設計的手語 來表達自己的想法。

Like Occupy Wall Street and other protest movements,

就像占領華爾街 及其他抗議運動一樣，

Nuit Debout was born in the face of crisis.

不眠之夜也是在面對危機時誕生的。

It was messy --

它很混亂──

full of controversies and contradictions.

充滿爭論和矛盾。

But whether you agreed with the movement's goals or not,

不管你是否認同他們的抗議訴求，

every gathering was a beautiful lesson in raw humanity.

每次集會都是一次 原始人性的美麗課堂。

And how fitting that Paris --

不管巴黎──

這個美好的理想城市──

the city of ideals, the city of beauty --

它的舞台有多麼的光鮮亮麗。

was it's stage.

It reminds us that like great cities,

它提醒我們， 就像其他偉大的城市一樣，

the most beautiful organizations are ideas worth fighting for --

最美好的組織， 是值得為之奉獻理想的──

even and especially when their outcome is uncertain.

即使、尤其是當結果不明確時。

They are movements;

他們是群眾運動；

they are always imperfect, never fully organized,

他們永遠不完美， 永遠不會組織完整，

so they avoid ever becoming banal.

所以它們可以避免變得平庸。

They have something but we don't know what it is.

他們擁有一些我們不懂的地方。

They remain mysterious; we can't take our eyes off them.

它們保持著神秘感， 我們的目光無法離開它們。

We find them beautiful.

我們覺得它們很美。

So to do the unnecessary,

所以，做非必要的事、

to create intimacy,

創造親密感、

to be ugly,

變醜陋、

to remain incomplete --

維持不完整──

these are not only the qualities of beautiful organizations,

它們不只是美麗組織的特徵，

these are inherently human characteristics.

它們也是人類天生的性格。

And these are also the qualities of what we call home.

這也是我們稱之為「家」的特徵。

And as we disrupt, and are disrupted,

當我們處於混亂中或被擾亂時，

the least we can do is to ensure

起碼我們能確保

that we still feel at home in our organizations,

我們在組織中仍保有家的感覺，

and that we use our organizations to create that feeling for others.

如此我們亦可以在組織中， 為他人營造同樣的感受。

Beauty can save the world when we embrace these principles

當我們擁抱這些原則並為之努力，

and design for them.

美麗就能拯救這個世界。

In the face of artificial intelligence and machine learning,

在面臨人工智慧和 機器學習時代的來臨，

we need a new radical humanism.

我們需要一種全新的人本主義。

We must acquire and promote a new aesthetic and sentimental education.

我們必須學習並發展 新的審美和感性教育。

Because if we don't,

因為如果我們不這麽做，

we might end up feeling like aliens

我們可能覺得自己像個外星人一樣，

in organizations and societies that are full of smart machines

在充斥著智慧型機器的 組織、社會中格格不入，

that have no appreciation whatsoever

因為機器不懂得欣賞做不必要的事、

for the unnecessary,

the intimate,

創造親密感、維持不完整性，

the incomplete

and definitely not for the ugly.

更對醜陋無動於衷。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）