How Too Many Rules at Work Keep You from Getting Things Done | Yves Morieux | TED Talks

譯者: xueling Sun 審譯者: MQ L

Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize [winner] in economics, once wrote:

諾貝爾經濟學獎得主 保羅·克魯曼曾經寫道：

"Productivity is not everything, but in the long run,

「生產力不是一切，但長期而言，

it is almost everything."

它幾乎等於一切。」

So this is serious.

所以這不是開玩笑的。

There are not that many things on earth that are "almost everything."

地球上還沒有太多事情 可說是「幾乎等於一切」。

Productivity is the principal driver of the prosperity of a society.

生產力是促進社會繁榮的主要驅動力。

So we have a problem.

所以我們遇到麻煩了。

In the largest European economies,

在最大的歐洲經濟體系裡，

productivity used to grow five percent per annum

生產力曾經每年成長5%，

in the '50s, '60s, early '70s.

在'50年代、'60年代、'70年代早期。

From '73 to '83: three percent per annum.

而在'73年到'83年：每年3%。

From '83 to '95: two percent per annum.

'83到'95年：每年2%。

Since 1995: less than one percent per annum.

1995年後：每年不到1%。

The same profile in Japan.

同樣的狀況發生在日本。

The same profile in the US,

同樣的狀況也發生在美國，

despite a momentary rebound 15 years ago,

儘管15年前有過短暫的復甦，

and despite all the technological innovations

以及我們有這麼多新科技的加持，

around us: the Internet, the information,

包含網際網路、資訊科技、

the new information and communication technologies.

以及新的資訊傳播科技。

When productivity grows three percent per annum,

當生產力以每年3%成長時，

you double the standard of living every generation.

每一代的生活水準都往上加一倍。

Every generation is twice as well-off as its parents'.

每一代都是他們父母輩的兩倍富裕。

When it grows one percent per annum,

而當成長率降到1%時，

it takes three generations to double the standard of living.

需要經歷三代，生活水準才會加倍。

And in this process, many people will be less well-off than their parents.

在這過程中，許多人會比父母輩貧窮。

They will have less of everything:

他們在各個層面上，都擁有的較少：

smaller roofs, or perhaps no roof at all,

住比較小的房子、或者根本沒房子住，

less access to education, to vitamins, to antibiotics, to vaccination --

較受限的教育機會，甚至更難取得 維他命、抗生素、疫苗接踵 --

to everything.

幾乎所有一切。

Think of all the problems that we're facing at the moment.

想想這些現在我們正在面對的問題。

All.

我們全部。

Chances are that they are rooted in the productivity crisis.

事情可能是他們正陷於 生產力危機之中。

Why this crisis?

為何會有這個危機?

Because the basic tenets about efficiency --

因為關於效率的基本指導原則 --

effectiveness in organizations, in management --

也就是組織和管理的作用 --

have become counterproductive for human efforts.

已經成為降低人類工作生產力的元凶。

Everywhere in public services -- in companies, in the way we work,

在每一個公家機關、私人企業 影響著我們工作的方式，

the way we innovate, invest -- try to learn to work better.

影響著我們創新、發明新東西、 試著學習將工作做好的方式。

Take the holy trinity of efficiency:

以效率教條神聖的「三位一體」為例：

clarity, measurement, accountability.

條理分明、衡量指標、專人專責。

They make human efforts derail.

這些都讓人類的努力付出脫軌。

There are two ways to look at it, to prove it.

我們可以透過兩種方式 來看這件事、並證明它。

One, the one I prefer,

第一種，我個人偏好，

is rigorous, elegant, nice -- math.

嚴謹的、優美的、可愛的--數學。

But the full math version takes a little while,

但完整的數學分析需要好些時間，

so there is another one.

所以有另一種方式，

It is to look at a relay race.

就是從接力賽來看。

This is what we will do today.

這是今天我們要用的方式，

It's a bit more animated, more visual and also faster -- it's a race.

更加栩栩如生、更視覺化、 也更快 -- 它是賽跑

Hopefully, it's faster.

當然希望會更快。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

World championship final -- women.

世界冠軍戰 -- 女子組。

Eight teams in the final.

有8支隊伍進入冠軍戰。

The fastest team is the US team.

最快的隊伍是美國隊。

They have the fastest women on earth.

她們有全球最快的女子選手。

They are the favorite team to win.

她們是最有希望獲勝的隊伍。

Notably, if you compare them to an average team,

特別是，如果你和一個 平均水準的隊伍比較，

say, the French team,

例如法國隊，

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

based on their best performances in the 100-meter race,

以她們百米賽跑的最佳成績為基準，

if you add the individual times of the US runners,

如果你把美國選手的個人時間加進來，

they arrive at the finish line 3.2 meters ahead of the French team.

她們到達終點線時， 可以領先法國隊3.2公尺。

And this year, the US team is in great shape.

而今年，美國隊狀況極佳。

Based on their best performance this year,

以她們今年的最佳成績為基準，

they arrive 6.4 meters ahead of the French team,

可以領先法國隊6.4公尺，

based on the data.

數據上看來如此。

We are going to look at the race.

我們等等來看這場比賽，

At some point you will see, towards the end,

在某個時間點你會看到，逼近終點時

that Torri Edwards, the fourth US runner, is ahead.

美國隊第四棒選手 托里·愛德華絲仍然領先。

Not surprising -- this year she got the gold medal in the 100-meter race.

並不令人感到意外 -- 今年她拿下百米金牌。

And by the way, Chryste Gaines, the second runner in the US team,

順道一提，美國隊第二棒的 克萊斯特·蓋恩斯

is the fastest woman on earth.

是全世界最快的女子選手。

So, there are 3.5 billion women on earth.

所以，地球上有35億個女人，

Where are the two fastest? On the US team.

最快的兩個在哪裡? 在美國隊裡。

And the two other runners on the US team are not bad, either.

而美國隊另外兩個選手當然也不差啦。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So clearly, the US team has won the war for talent.

所以很清楚地，美國隊 是人才爭奪戰中的贏家。

But behind, the average team is trying to catch up.

但在她們背後，平均水準 的隊伍正試著迎頭趕上。

Let's watch the race.

我們來看看比賽。

(Video: French sportscasters narrate race)

(影片：法國播報員講述比賽內容)

(Video: Race narration ends)

(影片：比賽播報結束)

Yves Morieux: So what happened?

所以發生了什麼事?

The fastest team did not win; the slower one did.

最快的隊伍並未取得勝利， 比較慢的隊伍贏了。

By the way, I hope you appreciate

對了，希望你們喜歡

the deep historical research I did to make the French look good.

我為了讓法國隊看起來不錯 所做的深入歷史研究。

(Laughter)

(笑聲) (掌聲)

But let's not exaggerate -- it's not archeology, either.

不過我們不用言過其實-- 畢竟這也不是考古學。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But why?

但為什麼?

Because of cooperation.

因為合作。

When you hear this sentence:

當你聽到這句話：

"Thanks to cooperation, the whole is worth more than the sum of the parts."

「謝謝合作，整體的力量 大於個體的總和。」

This is not poetry; this is not philosophy.

這不是詩歌、也不是哲學。

This is math.

這是算數。

Those who carry the baton are slower,

那些拿著接力棒的人 本身跑得比別人慢，

but their baton is faster.

但她們的接力棒卻比別人的快。

Miracle of cooperation:

合作的神奇之處：

it multiplies energy, intelligence in human efforts.

它將人類努力的能量和智慧相乘。

It is the essence of human efforts:

它是人類所努力付出的本質：

how we work together, how each effort contributes to the efforts of others.

我們如何一起工作、我們的付出 如何為別人的付出帶來貢獻。

With cooperation, we can do more with less.

透過合作，我們可以用 更少資源完成更多事情。

Now, what happens to cooperation when the holy grail --

接下來，看看這些聖杯--

the holy trinity, even --

或者說，這三位一體--

of clarity, measurement, accountability --

條理分明、衡量指標、專人專責 -- 當它們出現時

appears?

對合作產生什麼影響?

Clarity.

「條理分明」

Management reports are full of complaints about the lack of clarity.

管理報告充滿對於缺乏條理的抱怨。

Compliance audits, consultants' diagnostics.

合規性審計、顧問診斷。

We need more clarity, we need to clarify the roles, the processes.

我們需要更多條理， 我們需要澄清角色和流程。

It is as though the runners on the team were saying,

這很困難，這就像接力賽的選手們說：

"Let's be clear -- where does my role really start and end?

「我們講清楚...我的角色到底 從哪裡開始、到哪裡結束?

Am I supposed to run for 95 meters, 96, 97...?"

我應該要跑95公尺 還是96、97...?」

It's important, let's be clear.

這很重要，所以我們說清楚。

If you say 97, after 97 meters,

如果你說97，那麼97公尺後，

people will drop the baton, whether there is someone to take it or not.

她們就會直接放掉接力棒， 不管是否有人接住。

Accountability.

「專人專責」

We are constantly trying to put accountability

我們不斷試著把責任

in someone's hands.

放進某人的手裡。

Who is accountable for this process?

誰要對這個流程負責?

We need somebody accountable for this process.

我們需要能對這個流程負責的人。

So in the relay race, since passing the baton is so important,

所以在接力賽中，因為 傳遞接力棒這麼重要，

then we need somebody clearly accountable for passing the baton.

我們得找個人非常清楚地 負責傳遞接力棒。

So between each runner,

所以在每兩個選手之間，

now we will have a new dedicated athlete,

我們需要一個新的專職運動員，

clearly dedicated to taking the baton from one runner,

專門從一個選手手中接過接力棒，(笑聲)

and passing it to the next runner.

然後把它傳遞給下一個選手。

And we will have at least two like that.

而且我們需要至少兩個。

Well, will we, in that case, win the race?

好，如果是這樣，我們能贏得比賽嗎?

That I don't know, but for sure,

我不知道，但可以確定的是，

we would have a clear interface,

我們會有個清楚的交界，

a clear line of accountability.

清楚的責任劃分。

We will know who to blame.

我們會知道輸了該怪誰，

But we'll never win the race.

但我們永遠贏不了比賽

If you think about it, we pay more attention

如果你仔細想想，我們把較多注意力

to knowing who to blame in case we fail,

放在找出失敗時要怪罪的人，

than to creating the conditions to succeed.

而不是創造成功的條件。

All the human intelligence put in organization design --

所有人類投入在組織設計--

urban structures, processing systems --

還有都市結構、處理系統--的智慧，

what is the real goal?

真正的目標是什麼?

To have somebody guilty in case they fail.

讓有人會在失敗時感到罪惡。

We are creating organizations able to fail,

我們正在創造有能力失敗的組織，

but in a compliant way,

但與此並存的，

with somebody clearly accountable when we fail.

是在失敗時能有人清楚地負責。

And we are quite effective at that -- failing.

而我們總能相當有效地在--失敗。

Measurement.

「衡量指標」

What gets measured gets done.

衡量什麼，人們就做什麼。

Look, to pass the baton, you have to do it at the right time,

聽著，要傳遞接力棒， 必須要在正確的時機、

in the right hand, at the right speed.

用正確的手、正確的速度。

But to do that, you have to put energy in your arm.

要做到這樣，你得將精力放在手上，

This energy that is in your arm will not be in your legs.

而這些在你手上的精力， 無法同時放在你腳上。

It will come at the expense of your measurable speed.

這會對你能測得的速度造成一些損耗。

You have to shout early enough to the next runner

你也得在傳遞接力棒前

when you will pass the baton, to signal that you are arriving,

及早向下一棒喊叫， 做為你已經接近的訊號，

so that the next runner can prepare, can anticipate.

讓她得以準備、預期你到達的時間。

And you have to shout loud.

你必須大聲喊叫，

But the blood, the energy that will be in your throat

但你的血液和精力會被放在喉嚨裡，

will not be in your legs.

而不是在腳上。

Because you know, there are eight people shouting at the same time.

因為你知道，會有8個人同時喊叫，

So you have to recognize the voice of your colleague.

所以你得認出隊友的聲音。

You cannot say, "Is it you?"

你不能說：「是妳嗎?」

Too late!

來不及了！

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now, let's look at the race in slow motion,

接下來，我們來看看比賽的慢動作，

and concentrate on the third runner.

並將注意力放在第三棒的選手。

Look at where she allocates her efforts,

看看她如何分配自己的氣力、

her energy, her attention.

精力和注意力。

Not all in her legs -- that would be great for her own speed --

並非全在雙腳上-- 那只對自己的速度有幫助--

but in also in her throat, arm, eye, brain.

而是同時在喉嚨、手臂、眼睛和大腦。

That makes a difference in whose legs?

這對誰的雙腳有所幫助?

In the legs of the next runner.

下一棒的雙腳。

But when the next runner runs super-fast,

但當下一棒得以用超快速度前進時，

is it because she made a super effort,

是因為她自己花了超多力氣，

or because of the way the third runner passed the baton?

還是因為第三棒有效地傳遞接力棒?

There is no metric on earth that will give us the answer.

世上沒有任何衡量方式 可以告訴我們答案。

And if we reward people on the basis of their measurable performance,

而如果我們以量化的績效指標 為基準給予人們獎勵，

they will put their energy, their attention, their blood

她們就會將她們的精力、注意力、血液

in what can get measured -- in their legs.

放在能被衡量的地方--她們的雙腳。

And the baton will fall and slow down.

然後接力棒會掉落，速度會慢下來。

To cooperate is not a super effort,

合作並不是一個超大量的付出，

it is how you allocate your effort.

而是如何分配自己的付出。

It is to take a risk,

它是一種風險的承擔，

because you sacrifice the ultimate protection

犧牲客觀的個人量化績效指標

granted by objectively measurable individual performance.

所給予你的終極保護，

It is to make a super difference in the performance of others,

這是為了讓別人的表現 能有很大的不同，

with whom we are compared.

那些被拿來和我們比較的人。

It takes being stupid to cooperate, then.

如此說來，合作是件很笨的事，

And people are not stupid; they don't cooperate.

不笨的人就不會想合作。

You know, clarity, accountability, measurement were OK

你知道，條理分明、專人專責、衡量指標

在世界比較簡單時尚可運作，

when the world was simpler.

But business has become much more complex.

但今天的商業情勢遠比過去複雜。

With my teams, we have measured

我和我的團隊針對

the evolution of complexity in business.

商業複雜度的演化進行了評估。

It is much more demanding today to attract and retain customers,

今天許多事情遠比以往更吃力， 包含吸引並留住客戶、

to build advantage on a global scale,

建立全球化的優勢、

to create value.

還有創造價值。

And the more business gets complex,

而商業情勢越複雜，

the more, in the name of clarity, accountability, measurement

我們就越以條理分明、 專人專責、衡量指標為名，

we multiply structures, processes, systems.

將架構、流程、系統一直往上疊加。

You know, this drive for clarity and accountability triggers

你知道的，條理分明、 專人專責的推動，

a counterproductive multiplication of interfaces, middle offices,

很容易造成生產力降低的疊加效應， 因為它會產生許多介面、中間部門

coordinators that do not only mobilize people and resources,

和協調角色，他們不全然 讓人們和資源更加活化，

but that also add obstacles.

往往還會增加阻礙。

And the more complicated the organization,

而組織架構越複雜，

the more difficult it is to understand what is really happening.

就越難瞭解真正發生了什麼事情。

So we need summaries, proxies, reports,

所以我們需要許多 摘要簡報、代理人、報告、

key performance indicators, metrics.

關鍵績效指標(KPI)和各種衡量方式。

So people put their energy in what can get measured,

所以人們會將精力 放在能被衡量的部分，

at the expense of cooperation.

犧牲彼此的合作。

And as performance deteriorates,

而當組織績效惡化時，

we add even more structure, process, systems.

我們甚至增加更多的 架構、流程、系統。

People spend their time in meetings,

人們花更多時間在開會、

writing reports they have to do, undo and redo.

寫報告說明他們要做什麼、 不做什麼、需重做什麼。

Based on our analysis, teams in these organizations

根據我們的分析，這些組織裡的團隊

spend between 40 and 80 percent of their time wasting their time,

大約浪費掉40%到80%的時間，

but working harder and harder, longer and longer,

得到的卻是越來越辛苦的工作、 越來越長的工時、

on less and less value-adding activities.

越來越少真正有價值的活動。

This is what is killing productivity,

就是這些東西殺了生產力、

what makes people suffer at work.

讓人們在工作中感到痛苦。

Our organizations are wasting human intelligence.

我們的組織正在浪費人類的智慧，

They have turned against human efforts.

和人類的努力付出背道而馳。

When people don't cooperate,

當大家不合作時，

don't blame their mindsets, their mentalities, their personality --

不要怪他們觀念、心態、個性不佳--

look at the work situations.

先看看工作環境吧。

Is it really in their personal interest to cooperate or not,

它是否讓人們有合作的興趣?

if, when they cooperate, they are individually worse off?

如果他們合作會讓個人表現變差，

Why would they cooperate?

那他們為什麼要合作?

When we blame personalities

當我們怪罪人們的個性，

instead of the clarity, the accountability, the measurement,

而非條理分明、專人專責、 衡量指標這三大元兇時，

we add injustice to ineffectiveness.

就沒有真正公平地 看待效率低落這件事。

We need to create organizations

我們需要創造一種組織，

in which it becomes individually useful for people to cooperate.

讓互相合作變成對個人有益。

Remove the interfaces, the middle offices --

去掉那些介面、中間部門--

all these complicated coordination structures.

這些複雜的協調用架構。

Don't look for clarity; go for fuzziness.

不要尋求條理分明；接受模糊地帶。

Fuzziness overlaps.

模糊地帶會有所重疊。

Remove most of the quantitative metrics to assess performance.

去除衡量績效的大部分量化指標。

Speed the "what."

快速通過問「你做了什麼」的階段。

Look at cooperation, the "how."

把眼光放在合作，「怎麼做」的觀點。

How did you pass the baton?

你怎麼傳遞接力棒?

Did you throw it, or did you pass it effectively?

你是把它丟出去，還是有效地傳遞它?

Am I putting my energy in what can get measured --

我是將精力放在可以被衡量的部分--

my legs, my speed -- or in passing the baton?

我的雙腳、我的速度-- 還是放在接力棒的傳遞?

You, as leaders, as managers,

在座各位，身為領導人、身為管理人，

are you making it individually useful for people to cooperate?

你們是否讓人們覺得合作 對他們個人有所幫助?

The future of our organizations,

我們的組織、

our companies, our societies

公司、社會的未來，

hinges on your answer to these questions.

和你們針對這些問題的回答密不可分。

Thank you.

謝謝各位。

(Applause)

(掌聲)