How to Claim Your Leadership Power | Michael Timms | TED

譯者: 麗玲 辛

Are there any other parents here

在座有父母

who have struggled to get your kids out the door on time?

也曾經苦惱，怎麼讓小孩準時出門嗎？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So, you know, right?

所以，你知道囉？

It's like herding kittens.

這跟牧養一群貓一樣難搞。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

My wife and I would start nagging our three daughters

我老婆和我常常在該出門前

很早就開始催促三個女兒，

long before it was time to leave,

but that obviously wasn't working

但顯然這樣完全沒用，

because we were always late for everything.

因為我們總是遲到。

But one day was a complete Gong Show.

但某天真是完全失控。

Five minutes before we needed to leave for an important event,

就在我們該出發 參加一個重要活動的前五分鐘，

I found my oldest daughter on the porch reading,

我發現大女兒在門廊上看書，

my middle daughter was playing the piano,

二女兒在彈鋼琴，

and my youngest daughter wasn't wearing any socks.

而小女兒竟然還沒穿襪子。

So I told them, "Stop reading, stop playing the piano,

於是我告訴她們： 「不要看書了，不要彈琴，

put on your socks, and everybody get in the car."

穿上襪子！所有人上車！」

Five minutes later, nobody was in the car.

五分鐘後，還是沒有人上車。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

On my way to help my youngest daughter with her socks,

我一邊幫小女兒穿襪子，

卻發現大女兒還在門廊上看書。

I noticed my oldest daughter was still on the porch reading.

Now I'm starting to lose it.

這時我開始有點失控。

Her response?

她的回應？

"I didn't hear you."

「我沒聽到你說話啊。」

But before I could say a word, I heard the piano start playing again.

我還沒來得及開口， 我聽到鋼琴又開始彈。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And that's the story of how I lost my mind.

這就是我那天為什麼會抓狂。

完。

The end.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I just wanted my daughters to take a little ownership

我只是希望我的女兒們

能對準時出門這件事負起一點責任。

for getting out the door on time.

But then I remembered something I teach management teams.

但後來我想起我教給 管理團隊的一件事情。

You can't inspire accountability in others

你不能期望別人負責，

until you model it yourself.

除非你自己先做給他們看。

That's when I realized I wasn't taking any accountability for this problem,

那時我意識到，我並沒有 為這個問題承擔任何責任，

完全把錯怪在女兒身上。

I was blaming it totally on my daughters.

So I tried a different approach and looked in the mirror.

所以我嘗試了不同的方法，自我反省。

What was I doing, or not doing,

我是不是有做、或者沒做某些事情，

that may be contributing to this problem?

導致了這個問題？

Then it hit me.

然後我明白了。

I knew when they needed to be done breakfast, dressed,

我知道她們該在早餐後

穿好衣服，打扮好，準備出門。

groomed and ready to leave.

But did they?

但她們知道嗎？

I also knew what time it was,

我知道時間，

but there were no clocks in their bathrooms,

但她們的浴室裡沒有時鐘，

which I discovered is like a different dimension from my girls

對她們來說，那空間是 完全沒有時間感的地方。

where time ceases to exist.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Solution.

解決方法：

I put big clocks everywhere

我到處掛了大時鐘，

and posted the schedule in a common area.

也在公共區域張貼了時間表。

And you know what?

你知道嗎？

It actually worked.

這真的有用。

Now we're not perfect at getting out the door in time,

現在我們離開家的時間不能說完美，

但比以前好多了。

but it's much better than it was.

I had fallen into the same trap

我之前落入了

that many people in leadership positions fall into,

許多領導者都會掉入的陷阱，

which is blaming other people for a problem

那就是問題出現時，責怪他人，

without considering my part in it.

卻沒有先考量自己的責任。

While working with leadership teams,

與領導團隊一起工作時，

我發現了三個強大習慣， 能提升他人的表現。

I discovered three powerful habits that elevate the performance of others.

I call it the three habits of personal accountability.

我稱之為個人問責的三個習慣。

Habit one: Don't blame.

習慣一：不要責怪。

Habit two: Look in the mirror.

習慣二：反省自己。

Habit three: Engineer the solution.

習慣三：創造解決方案。

This sequence of habits has an almost magical effect on other people's behavior.

這一連串的習慣對他人的行為 有著近乎神奇的影響力。

And you get better results.

你會得到更好的結果。

But this isn't just for CEOs and managers.

但這不僅僅適用於執行長和經理人。

We're all trying to help others be better, right?

我們都在試圖幫助他人 變得更好，對吧？

As a parent, a coworker or a volunteer.

身為家長、同事或志工。

Here's why these habits work.

以下說明為什麼這些習慣有效。

Habit one: Don't blame.

習慣一：不要責怪。

Think about the last time you blamed someone for something.

想想上次因為某事責怪別人的情況。

How did it turn out?

結果如何？

Probably not well.

可能並不理想。

That's because our brains interpret blame

這是因為大腦將責怪看待成

the same way they interpret a physical attack.

如同身體受到攻擊。

Blame triggers the fight-or-flight response,

責怪觸發了「戰或逃」的反應，

which effectively shuts down our prefrontal cortex,

這實際上會關閉了大腦中

which is the problem-solving part of our brain.

負責問題解決的前額葉皮層。

So when I was getting angry at my daughters,

所以當我對女兒發火時，

it wasn't motivating them.

這並沒有激勵她們，

It was actually impairing their brain function.

實際上反而阻礙了她們的大腦行動。

Researcher Dr. Amy Edmondson studied hospital teams

研究人員艾米·埃德蒙森博士 研究了醫院團隊，

to see how culture affects people's willingness

看看職場文化如何影響

to report medical errors.

人們提報醫療錯誤的意願。

She expected that the high-performing teams would make fewer mistakes,

她原本預期高效團隊會犯更少錯誤，

but to her surprise,

但令她驚訝的是，

they reported more errors.

他們提報的錯誤更多。

Why?

為什麼？

Because when people aren't blamed for problems,

因為當人們不會因問題受責怪時，

they're more willing to admit their mistakes and learn from them.

他們更願意承認 自己的錯誤，並從中學習。

But in cultures of blame, people hide problems

但在責怪的文化中，

人們會隱藏問題或指責他人。

or point their finger at someone else.

No one is going to take accountability

如果人們認為承擔責任會被責怪，

if they think they're going to be blamed for doing so.

就沒人會站出來負責。

Blame destroys teamwork,

責怪會破壞團隊合作、

problem solving,

問題的解決、

learning and initiative.

學習和主動性。

In other words, blame kills accountability.

換句話說，責怪會扼殺問責。

So what should we do instead?

那麼，我們應該怎麼做呢？

Habit two: Look in the mirror.

習慣二：反省自己。

Most of us are really good at noticing other people's mistakes,

大多數人都很擅長注意到別人的錯誤，

but we're not so good at noticing how we contribute to problems.

但卻不擅長注意自己如何造成問題。

One time, my assistant helped me mail out hundreds of expensive marketing packages

有一次，我的助理幫我郵寄了 數百封昂貴的行銷包裹

to prospective clients.

給潛在客戶。

Three weeks later, no responses.

三個星期後，一點回應也沒有。

So I checked one of the cover letters.

我檢查了其中一封信。上面寫著：

It read, "Dear Mr. Smith,

「親愛的史密斯先生，

[insert company name here.]"

[這裡插入公司名稱]」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

She missed one of the variable fields in every letter.

每封信，她都漏掉了一個可變欄位。

Thousands of dollars down the drain.

好幾萬元白白浪費掉了。

Now, she felt awful and said, "This is totally my fault."

她感到非常抱歉，說： 「這完全是我的錯。」

I was thinking, "You are darn right this is totally your fault."

我當時想，「當然，這全是你的錯。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But then I looked in the mirror

但，然後我反省了自己，

我意識到我並沒有像其他範本

and I realized I didn't highlight any of the variable fields in yellow

like they are in all our other templates.

用黃色標出所有的可變欄位。

If I had, she couldn't have missed it.

如果我有這麼做，她就不會漏掉。

Now I'm not saying that every problem is my fault.

我並不是說每個問題都是我的錯。

But if I look closely enough at my problems,

但如果我仔細檢查我的問題，

I can usually discover how my actions or inactions

我通常會發現我的行動 或某個沒做的行動

contributed to them in some way.

在某種程度上促成了這些問題。

This is a profound insight

這是一個深刻的見解，

because if I can see my part in a problem,

因為如果我能看出 自己在問題中的角色，

I can do something about it.

我就可以採取行動解決問題。

The next time you encounter a problem, try this.

下次你遇到問題時，試試這樣做。

Ask yourself: How may I have contributed to this problem?

問自己：我有可能在什麼情況下 導致了這個問題？

I taught these principles to a construction company,

有一次，我教一家建築公司這些原則，

幾週後，我後續追蹤有什麼改變。

and followed up a few weeks later to see how things had changed.

A project manager told me the following story.

一位項目經理告訴我以下的故事。

"Our general manager is a total blamer,

「我們總經理只會罵人，

and team meetings usually turn into blame sessions.

團隊會議通常會變成指責大會。

But the week after you taught us these principles,

但在你教我們這些原則的一週後，

that meeting went very differently.

那次會議很不一樣。

When our general manager identified a problem,

當總經理指出一個問題時，

he was about to lay into the person who he thought was responsible.

他正要痛罵那個他認為該負責的人。

But then he stopped,

但他停了下來，

put his head in his hand for a moment,

把頭埋在手裡一會兒，

then looked up and said,

然後抬起頭說，

'This is how I think I contributed to the problem.'

「我認為我對這個問題也有責任。」

The mood in that meeting changed instantly.

會議的氣氛瞬間改變了。

And then I saw something I have never seen before.

然後，我看到我從未見過的情況。

Other people began raising their hand saying,

其他人開始舉手說，

'No, boss, it wasn't just your fault.

「老闆，不只是你的錯，

This is how I think I contributed to the problem.'"

我認為我對這個問題也有責任。」

When leaders acknowledge their part in problems first

當領導者率先認知到 自己在問題中的角色時，

it makes it safe for everybody else to do the same.

其他人感到安心，也會這麼做。

And if nobody else follows suit,

如果沒有人跟進，

then you've earned the moral authority to ask,

那你就有了道德權威去問，

"And how may you have contributed to this problem?"

「那麼，你認為 你對這個問題有什麼責任？」

Before others will allow us to hold them accountable,

在我們要求別人負責之前，

they must first see us hold ourselves accountable.

他們必須首先看到 我們自身如何擔起責任。

Now what if the cause of your problem isn't what you think it is?

如果問題的原因不是你想的那樣呢？

Habit three: Engineer the solution.

習慣三：創造解決方案。

When bad things happen,

當糟糕的事情發生時，

our brains are hardwired

我們的大腦會自動想責怪 離問題最近的人，

to blame the person closest to the mess and ignore other causes.

而忽略其他原因。

Fortunately, there's a fix.

幸運的是，有一個解救方法

It's called "systems thinking,"

叫「系統思維」，

which is noticing how environment and processes influence behavior.

即注意環境和流程如何影響行為。

Systems thinking emerged toward the end of World War II,

系統思維在二戰結束時興起，

when the US Air Force noticed

當時美國空軍注意到

that a lot of their planes were crashing without any mechanical problems.

很多飛機在沒有 機械問題的情況下墜毀。

Their conclusion?

他們的結論是，

"Our pilots are idiots."

「我們的飛行員是白癡。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So they engaged some consultants

於是他們聘請了一些顧問

to help them select less error-prone pilots.

來幫他們挑選不易出錯的飛行員。

When the consultants investigated,

當顧問們調查時，

they discovered they didn't have a pilot problem.

他們發現並不是飛行員的問題，

They had a cockpit problem.

而是駕駛艙的設計問題。

For instance, pilots confused gear handles that looked and felt the same

例如，如果不同的操縱桿 看起來、摸起來都一樣，

if they were located right beside each other.

又放在相鄰的位置， 飛行員就很容易搞混。

Or they mixed up controls

或者，如果控制裝置 在不同型號的飛機裏位置不同，

if they were in a different position, in a different model of plane.

飛行員也會搞混。

Design better cockpits, the consultants concluded,

顧問們得出的結論是，

and you'll have fewer crashes.

改善駕駛艙設計，墜機事故就會減少。

So the US Air Force engineered the solution

所以美國空軍藉由簡化駕駛艙設計

by simplifying cockpit design.

解決了這個問題。

Similarly, when I stopped blaming my daughters,

同樣，當我停止責怪女兒時，

I noticed the environmental factors that were influencing their behavior.

我注意到影響她們行為的環境因素。

I engineered the solution by putting up clocks and a schedule

我掛上時鐘和時間表，創立解決方案，

so they had the information they needed to take the initiative.

這樣她們就有必要的資訊， 可以採取主動。

Instead of asking, "Whose fault is this?"

與其問「這是誰的錯？」

Ask: "Where did the process break down?"

不如問：「流程在哪裡出了問題？」

This question is your secret weapon to short-circuit the blame game

這個問題是讓你打斷責怪遊戲，

and find sustainable solutions to your problems.

並找到永續解決方案的秘密武器。

Remember,

記住，

you can't inspire accountability in others

你不能期望別人負責，

until you model it yourself.

除非你自己先做給別人看。

The next time you encounter a problem,

下次遇到問題時，

test this sequence of habits and watch it change your outcomes.

試試這一連串的習慣， 看看這會如何改變結果。

Don't blame.

不要責怪，

Look in the mirror. And engineer the solution.

反省自己，並創造解決方案。

Be the change

要想改變他人，先改變自己。

that you want to see in others.

Our world is in desperate need of more people

我們的世界急需更多

who take ownership of problems and solutions.

能擔起責任，解決問題的人。

In our workplaces,

在職場、

our homes and in our society.

家庭和社會中。

And the secret is,

而秘訣在於，

as you model these behaviors,

當你展現這些行為時，

so will those around you.

周圍的人也會這樣做。

It's kind of magic.

就像魔法一樣。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）