????為員工創造溝通交流的機會

????公司上下的創造力和創新能力取決于員工彼此之間正式和非正式的溝通交流。出色的管理者會為這種溝通交流的發生提供機會。消費制造公司戈爾（W. L. Gore）和谷歌（Google）在這方面就做得很好。這兩家公司要求所有的新員工從入職第一天開始就與公司里的其他人建立關系，弄清楚工作如何開展。這樣一來，等到他們以后遇到問題的時候，很容易就能找到同事幫忙解決。

?????從意想不到的來源尋找創意

????“團隊和公司擁有不可逾越的嚴格界線”，這種想法已經過時。在尋求創新和新想法的過程中，員工必須跨越職責、行業和部門進行思考。我們可以以英國航空（British Airways）為例。曾經擔任這家公司品牌管理主管的哈米什?泰勒不斷要求英國航空的管理人員挑戰傳統思維，從各個地方尋找專家能手?！盀榱嗽陬^等艙設床位，英國航空找上了一位游艇設計師，他知道如何在有限的空間里打造豪華的陳設。為了改善排隊狀況，英國航空找上了迪士尼（Disney Corporation），因為后者的主題公園擁有完善的排隊等候系統。這些經驗教訓告訴我們，在推行公司變革時要跨越界線、解放思想，同時鼓勵員工們也投身其中。

????不要為了包容而包容

????有時，讓員工參與新項目和計劃的討論反而會誤入歧途。領導者讓員工就某個策略投票或者通過電子設備參加頭腦風暴會議，這本來是用心良苦的做法，但常常因為知識的差距而適得其反。在試圖獲得員工的集體智慧之前，請確保他們都了解公司正在嘗試解決的那個問題到底是什么。公司的關鍵目標是什么？市場有多大？競爭對手在做什么？客戶想要什么？員工還必須了解技術和財務上的限制，以便有效地進行權衡，找到前進的新道路。

?????不要想當然地認定員工一定會抵觸自上而下的決策

????例如，如果必須迅速行動以便趕上明確但短暫的機遇窗口期，或者必須砍掉某個效果不佳的項目，那么命令式的決策是合情合理的。實際上，如果理由明確的話，員工會歡迎這種迅速的行動。頂級領導者也可以建立簡單的規則，把自下而上的想法融入到公司策略中，以引導他們所鼓勵的企業家行為。

????新的競爭格局中將充滿那些懂得自上而下與自下而上之間這種微妙平衡、內外求索、提供自主權但同時又能避免混亂的公司。（財富中文網）

????本文作者黛博拉?安科納系麻省理工學院斯隆管理學院的組織管理學Seley杰出教授，麻省理工學院領導力中心主任。

????譯者：千牛絮

????Create opportunities for employees to network.

????Companywide creativity and innovation are dependent on employees connecting with each other both formally and informally. Good managers provide opportunities for this to happen. W. L. Gore, the consumer manufacturing company, and Google (GOOG) do this well. From day one, all new hires there are expected to create a network within the company and to figure out how things work. That way, when they encounter a problem down the road, they can easily call upon people throughout the company to help solve it.

????Seek ideas from unexpected places.

????The notion that teams and firms have rigid boundaries that can't be crossed is outdated. In the quest for innovation and new ideas, employees must look across functions, industries, and sectors. Consider the example of British Airways. Hamish Taylor, who was once the company's head of brand management, continually asked BA managers to challenge old assumptions and seek experts everywhere. "When seeking to create beds in first-class cabins, BA approached a yacht designer who knew how to create luxury furnishings in a confined space. When looking to improve queues, it approached the Disney Corporation (DIS), which had perfected queuing systems in its theme parks. The lesson is: Cross boundaries and update mental models to create organizational change and encourage employees to do the same.

?????Don't be inclusive just for the sake of it.

????Sometimes in a misguided attempt to get people involved in new projects and initiatives, leaders have employees vote on a strategy or participate in an electronic brainstorming session. It's a nice idea, but it often backfires because of gaps in knowledge. Before trying to pull on the collective intelligence of employees, make sure they all understand the problem your company is trying to solve. What are the firm's key goals? How big is the market? What is your competition doing? What does your customer want? People also need to get a handle on the technological and financial constraints in order to weigh in effectively and find new ways to move forward.

????Don't assume employees will revolt at the idea of a top-down decision.

????If for example, there is a need to move quickly due to a clear and short window of opportunity, or to weed out an unproductive project, some authoritative decision-making may be in order. In fact, employees may welcome some quick action if the rationale is clear. Top leaders can also create simple rules and synthesize bottom-up ideas into strategies to help guide the entrepreneurial actions they are encouraging.

????The new competitive landscape will be filled with firms that learn this delicate balance between top-down and bottom-up, looking in and looking out, providing autonomy but avoiding chaos.

????Deborah Ancona is the Seley Distinguished Professor of Management of Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the director of the MIT Leadership Center.