What productive conflict can offer a workplace | Jess Kutch

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

I am a labor organizer,

我是勞工組織者，

and in 2013, I cofounded an organization called coworker.org

2013 年，我與合夥人共創了 一個叫 coworker.org 的組織，

that uses technology to help people join with coworkers

用科技來協助人們與同事合作，

and organize for improvements in the workplace.

組織起來一同改善工作環境。

Now, there are two kinds of reactions to what I do.

對於我的工作， 一般人通常會有兩種反應。

Actually, no, there are three.

不，其實有三種。

The first is complete confusion about what organizing is.

第一種是對「組織」定義的全然困惑。

When my doctor asked what I do and I told him,

我的醫生問過我是做什麼 工作的，我告訴他時，

he thought I meant organizing, like, Marie Kondo-style.

他以為我指的是近藤麻理惠 （整理專家）做的那種組織。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

He was like, "Oh, that's so great, I could use some of that around here.

他說：「喔，很好， 我這裡的確需要整理組織一下。

I would love to clean up our patient files."

我想整理一下病人的檔案。」

And I had to explain to him that no, no, it's not that kind of organizing,

我得向他解釋，不，不， 不是那種組織（整理），

it's more like if you showed up to work tomorrow

比較像是：如果你明天來工作時，

and all the nurses in the office had gotten together

辦公室裡的所有護士集合起來

to ask for an across-the-board raise.

要求全體加薪。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"Oh," he replied, and he got really quiet.

他回了「喔」之後就安靜下來了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yeah, and that's the second kind of reaction:

是的，那是第二種反應：

the uncomfortable kind.

不舒服的反應。

People usually withdraw from the conversation

大家通常會不想繼續談下去，

and find someone else to talk to.

另外找人聊天。

Finally, there's the third reaction,

最後，還有第三種反應，

the excited one,

興奮的反應，

the, "Oh my God, yes! We need this!"

「我的天！我們需要這個！」的反應。

And someone always proceeds to tell me a story.

總是有人會上前與我分享故事。

It's always a story about a job or a coworker or a friend

故事通常都是關於工作、同事

who's enduring something awful at work.

或朋友在工作上忍受了糟透的事。

What I've noticed is that there is never a neutral response to what I do.

我注意到大家對我的工作 都不會有很中庸的反應。

You're either repelled by it,

若不是很排斥，

or you're struck with a lightning bolt of excitement.

就是會極度興奮。

So why does my work stir up such strong reactions?

所以，為什麼我的工作 會造成這些強烈的反應？

My hunch is that it's about conflict.

我直覺地認為和衝突有關。

If you have power in your workplace,

如果你在工作職場上擁有權力，

maybe as a CEO or a senior leader of some kind,

也許你是執行長或資深主管之類的，

you're going to feel uncomfortable with that power being challenged.

當你的權力被挑戰時，你會不舒服。

But if you lack power, or you know someone who lacks it and needs it,

但如果你沒有權力，或你認識 某個沒有權力但很需要它的人，

you might grab me by the shoulders and shake me, you're so pumped.

你可能會激動到 抓著我的肩膀一直搖我。

But really, we can all benefit from understanding

但其實如果我們能了解到 職場中的衝突能帶來什麼樣的影響，

what conflict can offer in our workplaces.

我們都能從中受益。

The power imbalance in our workplace is real,

職場中的權力失衡是真的，

and it's constantly changing.

且它經常在改變。

Power moves between us, depending on our roles and status.

權力會依據我們的 角色和地位在彼此間移動。

Now, sometimes this can feel like office politics, right?

有時，這感覺好像 辦公室政治，對吧？

Which is never fun.

這從來都不有趣。

But when we contest for power thoughtfully

但當我們在爭取權益時 如能夠深思熟慮

and together with our coworkers,

並團結同事的力量共同參與，

it can be incredibly productive.

就會產生不可思議的成效。

And it's that kind of productive conflict

那就是今天我想要 和大家談的有效益的衝突，

that I want to talk to you all about today,

the kind that can make some of us uncomfortable.

可能會讓某些人不舒服的那種衝突。

Business leaders should embrace

當員工和政策及決策產生衝突時，

when their workers conflict with policies and decisions,

企業領導者應要能接納，

both for what it teaches us

因為衝突不只能教我們一些事，

and for what it says about our commitment to each other.

也能表現出我們對彼此的承諾。

So what do I mean by "productive conflict"?

何謂「有效益的衝突」？

Well, let me tell you a story.

讓我先說個故事。

In 2016, a store employee for an outdoor retailer --

2016 年，有間戶外用品 零售店的店員——

I'll call her "Alex" --

稱她為艾莉克斯——

Alex approached her boss and asked for a raise.

艾莉克斯找她老闆要求加薪。

Now, she was told her pay was fairly standard for her position

她得到的答案是，以她的 職務來說，她的薪水合乎標準，

and that her boss didn't even have the authority to give such a raise.

且她的老闆並沒有權力幫她加薪。

And that was supposed to be the end of the conversation.

對談應該就這樣結束了。

Unhappy with that answer,

艾莉克斯對這個答案 感到不滿，回家後，

Alex went home, and she decided to create a campaign on coworker.org,

她決定在 coworker.org 上 發起一個活動，

asking the corporate office to give raises to store employees.

要求公司總部給店員加薪。

Within days, employees from around the country

幾天之內，全國各地的員工

began joining Alex's effort and sharing their own stories

開始加入艾莉克斯的活動，

分享他們自己收入的故事——

about what they were earning --

11, 12 dollars an hour --

十一或十二美金的時薪——

and how that wage was impacting their lives.

以及那樣的薪水如何影響他們的生活。

Some even shared that they had quit recently

還有人分享說他們最近

to work for competitors who paid more.

為了更高的薪水 跳槽到競爭對手的公司工作。

But here's the thing: they also shared that they didn't want to quit,

但重點來了：他們也 分享說他們不想辭職，

they liked their job, they believed in the company's mission,

他們喜歡他們的工作， 相信公司的使命，

but for them, the pay issue was a growing problem in their work lives.

但，對他們來說，薪水問題 對他們工作生活的影響越來越大。

Well, after weeks of this groundswell of employee activism,

在員工行動主義迅速發展了幾週之後，

the company decided to raise wages

公司決定要加薪，

by five to 15 percent in cities across the country.

幅度為 5% 至 15%， 全國各城市都一起實施。

And that's what I mean by productive conflict:

那就是我所謂有效益的衝突：

pushing up against the things that aren't working for us

當走頭無路時，

要對抗對我們而言行不通的事情。

when there exists no other path forward.

The other thing I learned in doing this work

從這項工作我還學到另一件事，

is that people engage in productive conflict

當員工在乎自己的工作和同事時，

when they care about their jobs and their coworkers.

他們就會參與有效益的衝突。

Now, that surprised me at first.

一開始，這點讓我很驚訝。

I expected the worst jobs, the worst workplaces,

我本來以為我們的網站上 大部分的員工行動主義

to have the most employee activism on our site,

都會和最糟糕的工作、 最糟糕的工作環境有關，

but the opposite is often true.

但結果卻相反。

When we come together, we can accomplish great things.

當我們團結合作， 便能成就了不起的事。

At one company,

有一間公司，

there are more than 50 campaigns by employees there

有超過五十個由員工發起的活動，

on issues ranging from dress code changes to legitimate safety concerns.

主題從改變服裝規定

到合理的安全考量都有。

And get this:

要知道：

that same company has the lowest voluntary turnover rate

在這個產業的各大連鎖店中，

這間公司的自願離職率最低。

of any major chain in its sector.

And it also has one of the higher productivity rates as well.

它的生產力也比其他同業較高。

Business leaders: you shouldn't fear conflict,

給企業主：你們不要害怕衝突，

and you shouldn't try to tamp down on it

當你的企業內出現衝突時，

the minute it bubbles up in your workforce.

也不要嘗試去壓制它。

While it can introduce uncertainties that can be difficult to manage,

雖然衝突可能會帶來 很難處理的不確定性，

those uncertainties are trying to tell you something

但那些不確定性其實也試圖在告訴你

about an underlying problem that needs your attention.

需要去注意那些潛藏的問題。

And I think this is especially important right now,

我想在現代這點特別地重要，

you know, as technology transforms nearly everyone's job

因為科技幾乎改變了所有人的工作，

and as the structures that contain our work

我們的工作所屬的架構

are changing at a pace not seen since the Industrial Revolution.

也在以工業革命之後 前所未見地快速改變。

We all need to be shaping and participating in the future of work.

我們都需要塑造和參與未來的工作。

We all need to be challenging and changing the parts of our work lives

我們工作生活中有問題的部分，

我們都得要去挑戰和改變它們。

that are broken.

So I hope the next time a coworker invites you

我希望下次同事邀請你

maybe to join a sign-on letter to your boss,

一起連署向你的老闆陳情時，

or a group of employees asks for a meeting

或有一群員工要求開會

to discuss their concerns about the new health care plan,

討論對新醫療保健計畫的想法時，

I hope you'll consider it an opportunity

我希望你能把它視為是一個

to build a better workplace,

打造更佳的工作環境、

a stronger business

更壯大的企業

and an economy that works for all of us.

及適用所有人的經濟體的大好機會。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）