5大秘訣打造最佳團隊
????? 尋求非傳統的多樣化 ????P.J.佩雷拉在舊金山為自己的廣告公司Pereira & O'Dell招募員工時注重的是超越性別與種族的多樣化。他招聘的依據是求職者的個人背景。他曾聘用過一位釀酒行業的資深人士、一位音樂制作人、一位好萊塢編劇,甚至還有一位曾經做過面包師的捕鯊手。通過將不同觀點融為一爐,這個團隊往往能夠找出意想不到的聯系,誕生各種新穎的創意。這種組合為P ereira & Dell制作出許多優秀廣告作品,幫助公司贏得了許多大牌客戶,如租房服務網站Airbnb、英特爾(Intel)和Skype等。佩雷拉說道:“幫助一家公司最簡單的方法便是跳出固有思維模式,召集一批有著不同生活經歷的人。” ????一項圍繞“思想多樣化”的新研究為佩雷拉的理念提供了依據。研究顯示,由具有不同背景和認知方式的人組成的團隊更愿意分享觀點,能夠做出更好的決定,帶來更多的創新。伍利說:“事實一次次證明,多樣化是使團隊能夠解決棘手難題的關鍵要素。” ????? 坦率 ????和諧并非人們所說的那么美好。團隊成員之間的交流過于彬彬有禮,從來不會發生爭論,一團和氣,這種情況對團隊反而有害。不夠坦率難免會削弱決策的效果,創造出一種政治化的文化。在這種環境中,人們只會隱藏自己的真實想法。 ????咨詢公司Ferrazzi Greenlight的CEO基斯?法拉奇說:“對股東價值影響最大的做法是回避沖突。”這家公司對50家大公司進行研究發現,績效最高的團隊同時也是最坦率的團隊。 ????受到《星球大戰》(Star Wars)的啟發,他建議許多大客戶任命一名團隊成員擔任“尤達大師”。尤達大師是《星球大戰》中的角色,每當發現有些事情沒有說破的時候,他都會直言不諱地說出來。 ????Ferrazzi Greenlight的一位客戶是原湯姆森-路透(Thomson-Reuters)的CEO德文?維尼格。2008年公司合并之后,維尼格希望讓高管團隊變得更加坦率。他在開會時會采取個人簽到的方式,還舉行過宴會,讓團隊成員分享自己之前經歷過的挑戰。這種做法的出發點是:如果人們對彼此加深了解,他們便更有可能坦誠說出自己的真實想法。 ????最終,他的團隊成員都打開了心扉,并形成了一種全新的氛圍,團隊成員可以挑戰彼此——甚至可以批評維尼格。后來,維尼格擔任eBay全球市場總裁后,也采用了同樣的方式。 ????? 保留行之有效的做法 ????傳統觀念可能讓高管相信,做一些改變是好事,比如重新安排團隊的成員,或者引進新鮮面孔。但伍利表示,這些措施卻可能給團隊帶來傷害。 ????伍利說:“如果你已經有一個高績效團隊,要努力保持團隊的完整。調動其中任何一個人,都可能摧毀這個團隊的價值。” ????伍利提到了美國聯邦航空管理局(Federal Aviation Administration)對1974年至1990年期間發生的大型空難進行的研究。研究發現,73%的空難都發生在副機師與機長一起工作的第一天。 ????這種現象并不屬于航空學的范疇,但在全食超市(Whole Foods Market),高管團隊的延續性給公司帶來了回報。公司七名高管一起共事了至少18年,公司聯席CEO約翰?麥基把這種關系比喻成經營一段漫長的婚姻。高管們會開誠布公地談論問題,甚至能夠預料到一個人對于一個創意或一項決定的反應。麥基說:“我們步調一致,共同進退。”(財富中文網) ????譯者:劉進龍/汪皓???? |
????? Seek out non-traditional diversity ????When P.J. Pereira puts together teams for his San Francisco ad agency Pereira & O'Dell, he looks for diversity that goes beyond gender and race. He hires people based on their personal backgrounds. He has hired a wine industry veteran, a music producer, a Hollywood screenwriter – even a baker-turned-shark-wrestler. By combining different perspectives in one room, the team usually finds unexpected connections and original ideas. The combination has led to award-winning campaigns for Pereira & Dell and helped to land notable clients like Airbnb, Intel (INTC) and Skype. "The simplest way to help a company think outside the box," says Pereira, "is to bring in people who have lived in different boxes." ????Pereira's philosophy is backed by new research popping up around the idea of "thought diversity," showing that teams of people with various backgrounds and cognitive styles are more willing to share ideas, make better decisions and deliver more innovation. "It is turning up over and over again as being the key ingredient for allowing teams to solve tough problems," says Woolley. ????? Be forthright ????Harmony isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Teams suffer when the conversation is too polite, the debate muted and members don't challenge each other --or their leaders. That lack of candor will inevitably debilitate decision-making and create a politicized culture, where people only speak their minds in private. ????"The No. 1 erosion to shareholder value is conflict avoidance," says Keith Ferrazzi, CEO of consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight. The firm studied 50 large companies and found the highest-performing teams were the most forthright. ????He advises many large clients to appoint a team member to be a "Yoda," inspired by the Star Wars character who will notice and speak up when something is left unsaid. ????One client, former Thomson-Reuters (TRI) CEO Devin Wenig, worked to make his executive team more candid, following the company's 2008 merger. He started team meetings with personal check-ins and hosted dinners where teams share stories about past personal challenges. The idea: when people get to know each other better, they're more likely to be honest about what they really think. ????Eventually, his team opened up and established an environment where they could call each other out—even criticizing Wenig himself. Wenig has gone on to use the same approach as president of eBay's global marketplaces (EBAY). ????? Keep what works ????Common wisdom might lead executives to believe it's a good thing to shake things up, perhaps rearranging individuals on teams or bringing in fresh faces. But those moves can actually hurt a team, says Woolley. ????"If you have a high performing team, try to keep them together," says Wooley. "If you move someone you may actually destroy value." ????Wooley points to a study by the Federal Aviation Administration that looked at major airline accidents between 1974 and 1990. The study found that 73% of errors occurred the first day of a first officer and a captain working together. ????It's not aviation science, but team continuity has paid off for the executive team at Whole Foods Market. (WFM) All seven executives have worked together for at least 18 years, something that co-CEO John Mackey compares to caring for a long marriage. Executives talk problems out and can even anticipate how one person will respond to an idea or a decision. "We're synced up and we flow along," he says. |