盡管全世界的頭條新聞都被奧密克戎、通貨膨脹、勞動力短缺和全球供應鏈瓶頸等負面新聞所占據,到處都充斥著悲觀情緒,然而很多商界領袖仍對2022年的前景持樂觀態度。他們認為,當前世界形勢變化不斷,對于企業來講卻是不可多得的良機,應該加大力度應對氣候變化,推進環境、社會和公司治理(ESG)。疫情期間,靈活多樣的工作模式也已成為新范式,企業也應借此機會提高生產率、改善員工福祉,從而實現優化升級,走向成功。
溫斯頓·丘吉爾在二戰期間說過一句至理名言:“危機也是機遇,永遠不要浪費?!敝販剡@句話,正符合現在的情境。至少,在《財富》雜志CEO達沃斯晚宴上,眾人達成了此共識。今年,一年一度的瑞典達沃斯世界經濟論壇因新冠肺炎疫情而推遲,而達沃斯晚宴改在線上舉行。來自各行各業的幾十位企業高管參加了這次活動,對今年企業面對的主要機遇和挑戰展開了討論。
最近,《財富》雜志和德勤會計師事務所對企業高管進行了一次問卷調查,調查結果與本次線上活動中CEO們的擔憂不謀而合。問卷調查中,71%的受訪者表示,勞動力短缺和勞動技能落后可能是企業在2022年面臨的最大障礙,第二大障礙則是新冠疫情(56%受訪者表示)。
德勤CEO喬?烏庫佐格魯(Joe Ucuzoglu)表示:“勞動力市場競爭非常激烈,藍領和白領階層均如是。然而,這也有好處。有人預測,創新和新技術應用是減少就業的唯一罪魁禍首,但現在事實證明這是錯誤的。正相反,數字化轉型正在大力地拉動經濟增長,同時對優秀人才的需求也與日俱增?!?/p>
許多與會CEO一致認可,要應對未來的機遇和挑戰,首先應接受疫情給正常工作和運營帶來的種種變化。寵物和家畜用藥品和疫苗廠商碩騰(Zoetis)的CEO,克里斯汀·派克(Kristin Peck)說:“當前,我們被卷入疫情危機之中,不得不遠程辦公、靈活辦公。然而,這本身也是一個巨大的機遇,可以讓我們提高工作效率,招攬全球各地的人才,之前我們根本做不到這一點?!彼赋觯綦x會對人的心理健康帶來消極影響,如果采用這種工作模式,就需要解決這方面的問題。比如,一些企業安排領導層去“順道拜訪”員工,以保持和員工之間的聯系。她說,關鍵在于樂趣和新意,比如一家公司的CEO甚至抽出時間給員工的孩子讀故事,這既能讓孩子的父母松口氣,又有助于全面增進員工的家庭幸福感。
CEO們共同關注的另一個話題是,疫情的顛覆性影響,如何給企業帶來機會,以重新定義和重塑企業自身。關注這一話題的大部分企業都在減排和促進可持續發展上起領導作用,并大力推進環境、社會和公司治理(ESG)。貝寶(PayPal)總裁兼CEO丹尼爾?舒爾曼(Daniel Schulman)表示:“目前,我們面臨著巨大的機遇,作為CEO,作為一個企業,我們應該帶頭行動,負起責任,共襄善舉。這是一個千載難逢的良機,如果能將大家改變世界的愿望匯聚成一股強大的力量,我們就能為了偉大的目標而團結起來,而不會僅憑一腔孤勇單打獨斗?!?/p>
多數CEO認為,眾多企業可以在對抗氣候變化方面形成合力。正如美國銀行CEO布萊恩?莫伊尼漢(Brian Moynihan)所說,COP26氣候大會之后,“私企領域響應迅速”。
美國西方石油公司(Occidental Petroleum)CEO維基·霍盧布(Vicki Hollub)表示同意。她說:“雖然有些人對COP26感到失望,但我認為其也傳遞了很多積極的信號。商界比以往任何時候都更多地參與到這次COP會議中來,并且,問題的討論可謂一針見血,沒有浪費時間討論氣候變化到底是不是真的存在。因此我們意識到,必須開始采取一些行動了?!?/p>
對許多公司來說,“一些行動”的具體目標是,到2050年實現凈零排放。霍盧布說,這需要通過全球合作,耗費數萬億美元才能實現。聯合利華(Unilever)前CEO保羅?波爾曼(Paul Polman)著有《積極追求凈零排放:勇于使付出多于索取,企業才能茁壯發展》一書。他認為,未來8年是實現凈零排放的關鍵所在。據波爾曼表示,很不幸,氣候變化“仍行于無法控制之軌道”。企業很快就將面臨來自多方的巨大壓力,促使其采取減排行動。
波爾曼說:“很有意思的一點是,金融市場實際是目前助長氣候變化意識的真正驅動因素。金融市場正在迅速轉變關于應對氣候變化的看法,之前將其視為緩解風險的策略,而今則是一個巨大的機遇,這是好現象。這種轉變,與其說由道德,我倒更認為是由經濟利益所驅動的。眾所周知,它撼動了整個經濟系統。另一種驅動力量,信不信由你,實際上是企業自身的員工。現在,每家企業都有一位格蕾塔·桑伯格(Greta Thunberg)那樣的環保先鋒,也給CEO們施加著一定程度的壓力。如果CEO們接收到這些信號,就得大力推進環保行動。不出所料,第三種驅動力量是成本。因為負外部性超出企業的處理能力,所以在價值鏈上,其所有業務的成本都會增加。我們都很清楚,各國政府正日益傾向于重新把處理負外部性的問題拋回給企業自身。”
在財務方面,企業可以效仿歐萊雅(L'Oréal),針對關注氣候變化的消費者群體進行產品設計。歐萊雅的CEO尼古拉斯·希羅諾姆斯(Nicolas Hieronomus)說,盡管三分之二的消費者“宣稱”他們會選擇其他更環保可持續的品牌或產品,但只有大約10%的人實際會這樣做。希羅諾姆斯說:“消費者不想多花錢。而且我們已經意識到,更重要的一點是,他們不想在產品質量方面做任何讓步。我們正在研發的產品,與目前市面上有同等甚至更高的技術含量,而且更環??沙掷m,這才能真正滿足消費者的需求?!?/p>
但正如波爾曼所言,針對下一步的思考和行動,CEO們需要把格局打開,在2030年之前將排放量減半。在這次活動的尾聲,波爾曼向所有與會者發出呼吁,希望大家從現在開始,以身作則,一起做出更大的努力。
“那么,怎樣才算成功的企業、成功的領導者?”他問道?!笆紫龋枰獮樽约簩@個世界產生的影響負責。如果不負責任,就會出大問題,Facebook等公司就是反面教材。這意味著,現在那些積極投身于凈零計劃的CEO們,考慮的不止是凈值為零這么簡單了?!?/p>
“地球的承載力已經遠遠超出了其能承受的界限,我們正以超乎尋常的速度透支后代的資源。所以我們需要考慮資源、環境的再生、恢復、修復等問題,這意味著我們要親身參與更大范圍內的變革。我們會發現,作為一名CEO,能做的事情是有限的,但決不能被那些不愿做出改變的人拖后腿。因此我們需要像今天這樣,進一步拓展盟友關系,切實推動范圍更廣、更系統化的變革?!?波爾曼說。(財富中文網)
譯者:Transn
盡管全世界的頭條新聞都被奧密克戎、通貨膨脹、勞動力短缺和全球供應鏈瓶頸等負面新聞所占據,到處都充斥著悲觀情緒,然而很多商界領袖仍對2022年的前景持樂觀態度。他們認為,當前世界形勢變化不斷,對于企業來講卻是不可多得的良機,應該加大力度應對氣候變化,推進環境、社會和公司治理(ESG)。疫情期間,靈活多樣的工作模式也已成為新范式,企業也應借此機會提高生產率、改善員工福祉,從而實現優化升級,走向成功。
溫斯頓·丘吉爾在二戰期間說過一句至理名言:“危機也是機遇,永遠不要浪費?!敝販剡@句話,正符合現在的情境。至少,在《財富》雜志CEO達沃斯晚宴上,眾人達成了此共識。今年,一年一度的瑞典達沃斯世界經濟論壇因新冠肺炎疫情而推遲,而達沃斯晚宴改在線上舉行。來自各行各業的幾十位企業高管參加了這次活動,對今年企業面對的主要機遇和挑戰展開了討論。
最近,《財富》雜志和德勤會計師事務所對企業高管進行了一次問卷調查,調查結果與本次線上活動中CEO們的擔憂不謀而合。問卷調查中,71%的受訪者表示,勞動力短缺和勞動技能落后可能是企業在2022年面臨的最大障礙,第二大障礙則是新冠疫情(56%受訪者表示)。
德勤CEO喬?烏庫佐格魯(Joe Ucuzoglu)表示:“勞動力市場競爭非常激烈,藍領和白領階層均如是。然而,這也有好處。有人預測,創新和新技術應用是減少就業的唯一罪魁禍首,但現在事實證明這是錯誤的。正相反,數字化轉型正在大力地拉動經濟增長,同時對優秀人才的需求也與日俱增?!?/p>
許多與會CEO一致認可,要應對未來的機遇和挑戰,首先應接受疫情給正常工作和運營帶來的種種變化。寵物和家畜用藥品和疫苗廠商碩騰(Zoetis)的CEO,克里斯汀·派克(Kristin Peck)說:“當前,我們被卷入疫情危機之中,不得不遠程辦公、靈活辦公。然而,這本身也是一個巨大的機遇,可以讓我們提高工作效率,招攬全球各地的人才,之前我們根本做不到這一點?!彼赋?,隔離會對人的心理健康帶來消極影響,如果采用這種工作模式,就需要解決這方面的問題。比如,一些企業安排領導層去“順道拜訪”員工,以保持和員工之間的聯系。她說,關鍵在于樂趣和新意,比如一家公司的CEO甚至抽出時間給員工的孩子讀故事,這既能讓孩子的父母松口氣,又有助于全面增進員工的家庭幸福感。
CEO們共同關注的另一個話題是,疫情的顛覆性影響,如何給企業帶來機會,以重新定義和重塑企業自身。關注這一話題的大部分企業都在減排和促進可持續發展上起領導作用,并大力推進環境、社會和公司治理(ESG)。貝寶(PayPal)總裁兼CEO丹尼爾?舒爾曼(Daniel Schulman)表示:“目前,我們面臨著巨大的機遇,作為CEO,作為一個企業,我們應該帶頭行動,負起責任,共襄善舉。這是一個千載難逢的良機,如果能將大家改變世界的愿望匯聚成一股強大的力量,我們就能為了偉大的目標而團結起來,而不會僅憑一腔孤勇單打獨斗?!?/p>
多數CEO認為,眾多企業可以在對抗氣候變化方面形成合力。正如美國銀行CEO布萊恩?莫伊尼漢(Brian Moynihan)所說,COP26氣候大會之后,“私企領域響應迅速”。
美國西方石油公司(Occidental Petroleum)CEO維基·霍盧布(Vicki Hollub)表示同意。她說:“雖然有些人對COP26感到失望,但我認為其也傳遞了很多積極的信號。商界比以往任何時候都更多地參與到這次COP會議中來,并且,問題的討論可謂一針見血,沒有浪費時間討論氣候變化到底是不是真的存在。因此我們意識到,必須開始采取一些行動了?!?/p>
對許多公司來說,“一些行動”的具體目標是,到2050年實現凈零排放。霍盧布說,這需要通過全球合作,耗費數萬億美元才能實現。聯合利華(Unilever)前CEO保羅?波爾曼(Paul Polman)著有《積極追求凈零排放:勇于使付出多于索取,企業才能茁壯發展》一書。他認為,未來8年是實現凈零排放的關鍵所在。據波爾曼表示,很不幸,氣候變化“仍行于無法控制之軌道”。企業很快就將面臨來自多方的巨大壓力,促使其采取減排行動。
波爾曼說:“很有意思的一點是,金融市場實際是目前助長氣候變化意識的真正驅動因素。金融市場正在迅速轉變關于應對氣候變化的看法,之前將其視為緩解風險的策略,而今則是一個巨大的機遇,這是好現象。這種轉變,與其說由道德,我倒更認為是由經濟利益所驅動的。眾所周知,它撼動了整個經濟系統。另一種驅動力量,信不信由你,實際上是企業自身的員工?,F在,每家企業都有一位格蕾塔·桑伯格(Greta Thunberg)那樣的環保先鋒,也給CEO們施加著一定程度的壓力。如果CEO們接收到這些信號,就得大力推進環保行動。不出所料,第三種驅動力量是成本。因為負外部性超出企業的處理能力,所以在價值鏈上,其所有業務的成本都會增加。我們都很清楚,各國政府正日益傾向于重新把處理負外部性的問題拋回給企業自身?!?/p>
在財務方面,企業可以效仿歐萊雅(L'Oréal),針對關注氣候變化的消費者群體進行產品設計。歐萊雅的CEO尼古拉斯·希羅諾姆斯(Nicolas Hieronomus)說,盡管三分之二的消費者“宣稱”他們會選擇其他更環??沙掷m的品牌或產品,但只有大約10%的人實際會這樣做。希羅諾姆斯說:“消費者不想多花錢。而且我們已經意識到,更重要的一點是,他們不想在產品質量方面做任何讓步。我們正在研發的產品,與目前市面上有同等甚至更高的技術含量,而且更環??沙掷m,這才能真正滿足消費者的需求?!?/p>
但正如波爾曼所言,針對下一步的思考和行動,CEO們需要把格局打開,在2030年之前將排放量減半。在這次活動的尾聲,波爾曼向所有與會者發出呼吁,希望大家從現在開始,以身作則,一起做出更大的努力。
“那么,怎樣才算成功的企業、成功的領導者?”他問道?!笆紫龋枰獮樽约簩@個世界產生的影響負責。如果不負責任,就會出大問題,Facebook等公司就是反面教材。這意味著,現在那些積極投身于凈零計劃的CEO們,考慮的不止是凈值為零這么簡單了?!?/p>
“地球的承載力已經遠遠超出了其能承受的界限,我們正以超乎尋常的速度透支后代的資源。所以我們需要考慮資源、環境的再生、恢復、修復等問題,這意味著我們要親身參與更大范圍內的變革。我們會發現,作為一名CEO,能做的事情是有限的,但決不能被那些不愿做出改變的人拖后腿。因此我們需要像今天這樣,進一步拓展盟友關系,切實推動范圍更廣、更系統化的變革?!?波爾曼說。(財富中文網)
譯者:Transn
While there’s plenty of doom and gloom to be found in the headlines about omicron, inflation, labor shortages, and the global supply chain, there are plenty of business leaders ready to be optimistic in 2022. The world being in such a state of flux is the perfect time for companies to reinvent themselves and find success through increased efforts in combating climate change, furthering their ESG work, and boosting productivity and employees’ wellbeing through the hybrid work models that have become standard during the pandemic.
It’s the perfect time to heed the wise words that are attributed to Winston Churchill during World War II: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” At least, that’s the consensus that came out of Fortune’s CEO Davos Dinner, which took place virtually this year after the annual World Economic Forum in Sweden was postponed due to the pandemic. The event featured dozens of executives from a wide array of industries discussing the top opportunities and challenges they’re facing this year.
The concerns expressed by these CEOs mirrored the results of Fortune?and Deloitte’s latest survey of top executives, in which 71% of respondents said that the labor and skills shortage would likely be the biggest hindrance to operations in 2022, followed by the pandemic (56%).
“It is an incredibly competitive labor market and that's across the blue collar and the white collar,” said Deloitte CEO Joe Ucuzoglu. “It's somewhat fascinating. It's proving wrong some of these prognostications that all the innovation and the deployment of new technologies would be this big net destroyer of jobs. What we're seeing is that the opposite is happening, that digital transformation is driving a ton of growth. It is creating a need for more great people.”
One solution, as agreed upon by many of the CEOs in attendance, is to embrace the changes in normal work operations that were caused by the pandemic. “This crisis we were put in, to go remote and hybrid, is actually itself a huge opportunity to increase productivity, to access talent geographically across the world that we hadn't been able to do,” said Kristin Peck, CEO of Zoetis Inc. She also noted that this model needs to address the negative mental health aspects that come with isolation, pointing out that some businesses have scheduled “drop bys” with leadership to stay connected. Fun and creativity are key, she said—one company’s CEO even carves out time to read stories to the children of his employees as a means of giving parents a break and boosting overall family wellness.
Another common theme in the discussions was how the pandemic’s disruption offered companies the chance for redefining and reinventing themselves. This idea is tied closely to businesses leading the way on reducing emissions and increasing sustainability, as well as bolstering their ESG efforts. “We have a tremendous opportunity as CEOs and businesses to be a force for good, to take and seize the leadership moment that we have in front of us,” said PayPal President and CEO Daniel Schulman. “Bringing our desires to change the world together at scale, so we're not all doing it individually but we rally around some very big ideas and come together, it's a huge opportunity.”
The area that most CEOs agreed that they could be a force for good was climate. In the wake of the COP26 climate conference, “the private sector is moving fast,” as Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan put it.
Occidental Petroleum leader Vicki Hollub agreed. “While some people were disappointed with COP26, I thought there were a lot of positives,” she said. “The business community was more involved in this COP than any before. And there was no discussion about whether climate change is real or not so, finally, we're all to the point. We know we have to do something about it.”
For many companies, that “something” is aiming to have net-zero emissions by 2050, efforts that, according to Hollub, will take worldwide collaboration and trillions of dollars. It’s really the next eight years that are crucial, according to Paul Polman, the former CEO of Unilever and author of Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take. Unfortunately, climate change is “still on an uncontrolled trajectory,” he said, and soon businesses will be under intense pressure to act from a number of forces.
“The real driver of climate change awareness right now is actually, interestingly, the financial market, which is rapidly moving from seeing it as a risk mitigation to an enormous opportunity, which is a good sign,” he said. “I don't think it's driven by morality. It's really driven by financial returns, which we know moves an economic system at scale. The second force, believe it or not, is actually your own employees. Every company now has a Greta Thunberg and the level of pressure that CEOs get, if they are perceptive to them, to move faster on this. The third, not surprisingly, is the cost. There is not a business in the world that doesn't have cost increases in the value chain because of our inability to deal with these negative externalities. And we all know very well that governments increasingly are putting these negative externalities back on our business.”
On the financial end, companies could look to follow L'Oréal’s lead in designing products for the climate-minded consumer. The cosmetics company’s CEO, Nicolas Hieronomus, said that while two-thirds of consumers “declare” that they will change brands or products in favor of something more sustainable, only about 10% follow through. “They do not want to pay more and more importantly, we've learned, they do not want to sacrifice anything in terms of product quality,” he said. “We are coming up with products that are as good as and sometimes even better than the state of the art and are more sustainable and that triggers real demand.”
But, as Polman argued, CEOs need to think—and act—on a much bigger scale to halve emissions by 2030. As this event ended, he challenged the attendees to work together to do more now, and lead by example.
“So what are the successful companies, the successful leaders?” he asked. “First of all, the ones that take responsibility for the total impact that they have in the world. We can take a lesson from Facebook and many others of how it can go wrong if you don't. The CEOs that think net positive—that means not any more net zero.
“We are way beyond the planetary boundaries. We are borrowing from future generations at a speed that is beyond normal, so you need to think regenerative, restorative, reparative, and that means you’re actually a part of the broader transformation. You're discovering you can only do so much as a CEO, but you cannot let yourself be dragged down by the ones that are not moving. You need create to these broader coalitions to really drive these broader systems.”