How to Manage Your Boss(如何管理你的老闆)
It's one of the most common questions I hear: 'How can I influence my boss? How can I manage up?'
我經常聽見有人問這樣一個問題﹕「怎麼才能影響我的老闆﹖怎樣才能讓上司聽從我的意見﹖」
My response disappoints people who are looking for a subtle, clever interpersonal strategy for manipulating a manager. I put the onus right back on the employee.
我的回答會令那些希望聽到一個巧妙睿智策略以便掌控老闆的人感到失望﹐因為我把球踢回給了下屬自己。
Anyone who wants to influence their boss has to start by accepting that the manager actually does want to do better. Many employees seem to think their bosses have no desire to improve. How do I know this? Because whenever I ask mid-level managers if they want to improve their management skills, and if they are open to suggestions, they say yes. Most of them genuinely seem to mean it. But when I ask if they think their bosses share that desire for improvement and feedback, they usually give me a skeptical look and shake their heads -- without realizing the contradiction of their response.
任何想要影響上司的人首先必須承認﹐上司自己也想把自己的工作做得更好。很多員工覺得﹐自己的老闆根本就是在原地打轉。但我為什麼會有這種觀點呢﹖因為我問過很多中層管理者是否願意提高管理技能﹐是否願意接受別人的建議。他們的回答是願意﹐而且絕大多數的態度都很真誠﹐並非敷衍了事。然而﹐當我問及他們認為自己的上司是否也渴望把自己的工作做得更好並獲得反饋意見時﹐這些管理者通常都面露疑色﹐大搖其頭﹐而根本沒有意識到這一態度的自相矛盾之處。
This discrepancy can be attributed to the fundamental attribution error, a concept I learned in a social psychology class I took in college. According to the theory, we tend to assume that other people's faults stem from internal, fundamental flaws. But we attribute our own faults to temporary environmental factors. For instance, when our boss manages poorly, we believe that he does it because he intends to and is inherently a bad leader. When we manage poorly, we're simply making a mistake because of the pressure we're under.
這一雙重標準可以用「基本歸因錯誤」(fundamental attribution error)理論來解釋﹐這是我在大學的社會心理學課上學到的。 根據該理論﹐人們往往會把別人犯的錯誤歸咎於其內在的劣根性﹐而把自己犯的錯誤歸咎於臨時性的外部因素。舉例而言﹐當上級管理不當時﹐我們會認為這是故意所為﹐他本來就當不了好領導﹔而當我們自己管理不當時﹐只會覺得這是因為壓力太大﹐犯了個錯誤而已。
Of course, this makes no sense. Until we realize and address our natural but dangerous biases, we won't be able to give our managers the benefit of the doubt and accept that they are really open to our suggestions for improvement. When we do that, we can move on to the second step of managing upward: Taking the right approach.
當然﹐這種想法毫無道理。我們必須瞭解並正確面對自己這種發自天性但很危險的偏見﹐否則就會無端懷疑上司的做法﹐也不會相信他們真的會接受建議並做出改進。邁出這一步後﹐我們就可以進入影響上司的第二個階段﹕採取正確的溝通方式。
The key to doing this second step right is mastering something I call the 'kind truth.' To understand the kind truth approach, it is helpful to look at the two most ineffective standard approaches.
做好第二步的關鍵是掌握一種我稱之為「善意真相」(kind truth)的東西。為理解這種做法﹐我們首先來看兩種最難產生效果的一般方式。
The 'activist' method is best demonstrated when a frustrated employee charges into the manager's office as a self-appointed representative of the people, defiant and determined to put the clueless leader in his place. This often works on television and in movies, but in reality it is usually ineffective. It puts the leader in an extremely difficult situation, forced to choose between defending himself in the face of an apparent revolt and cowering under pressure. Most leaders with any pride will choose to defend.
第一種是「激進」方式﹐比方說一個憤怒的員工衝進經理辦公室﹐把自己當作廣大員工的代言人﹐藐視權威﹐決心煞煞面前這個一頭霧水經理的威風。這種做法往往在電視劇和電影情節裏會發揮作用﹐但在現實中通常沒什麼效果﹐只會讓上級陷入一個左右為難的處境﹐逼他要麼在這種謀反行為面前採取自衛行動，要麼當縮頭烏龜﹐而大多數有自尊的領導會選擇自衛。
The other approach that doesn't work is the sycophantic method, whereby a well-intentioned employee ingratiates himself to the leader by regularly agreeing with him and telling him how wonderful he is, with the intention of one day slipping in helpful and subtle suggestions for improvement. This doesn't work because subordinates who suddenly find themselves in the good graces of a boss quickly realize that they like their new status. So they balk when it comes to being honest and putting their improved position at risk. And their boss isn't usually going to beg them to be tough on him, happy to have new friends.
另一種沒有效果的做法是「逢迎」方式﹐比方說一個善意的員工想讓自己的意見被上司所接受﹐因此曲意奉承﹐搞好關係﹐希望有朝一日能巧妙提出一些促使領導改進的建議。這種做法也很難奏效﹐因為那些因逢迎而得到上級青睞的下屬很快意識到﹐自己喜歡這種融洽的上下關係﹐所以在需要坦誠直言的時候反而縮手縮腳﹐生怕危及現狀。此外﹐上司通常也不會要求他們多提批評意見﹐而只是很高興結交了新的朋友。
The best approach, the kind truth method, involves honestly empathizing with the manager's situation, and expressing that empathy. By appreciating what the manager is facing and why he might be struggling, you open him up to hearing a well-intentioned suggestion about how he can do a better job.
最佳的做法是「善意真相」方式﹐這要求員工設身處地為上司考慮﹐並表達出這種感受。 當上級感覺到你理解他身處的環境和面臨的問題時﹐就會敞開心扉﹐接受善意的建議﹐改進自己的工作。
How do I know this works? Because for many years I used it and found myself rewarded for doing so by my superiors. I was the guy that people pushed into the CEO's office and said, 'You tell him!' Virtually every time I spoke the kind truth, I found that the CEO listened to me and heeded my advice. Over time I found that he started turning to me. He knew I wouldn't rant and rave at him, nor kiss up. Instead, I would offer candid, helpful advice.
我怎麼知道這種做法管用呢﹖因為多年來我對自己的上級一直採取這種溝通方式﹐並且獲益匪淺。我總是被大家推進總裁辦公室﹐讓我替他們說話。每次我都說出「善意真相」﹐而老闆總是會仔細地聽取並接受我的建議。經過一段時間﹐我發現他開始主動向我徵詢意見﹐因為他知道我不會衝他誇誇其談﹐大喊大叫﹐或是溜鬚拍馬﹐而是會提出真誠而有用的建議。
What if this approach doesn't work for you? What if you are punished or shunned for this? That is probably a good sign that it's time to polish your resume, without guilt or second thoughts, and find someone new who is open to being upwardly managed.
要是你用了這種方式但沒有效果怎麼辦﹖要是你因此受到報復和被孤立怎麼辦﹖這也許清楚表明，你現在可以毫無內疚或毫不猶豫地跳槽﹐另找一個能敞開心懷接受下屬意見的好東家。
