财富精英励志演讲102:艰难的抉择(3)

 　　I took, of course, operational research and learning about system's problems, is what helped me understand the systemic nature of transformation¹ that was required at Hewlett Packard. When you learn about complex systems problems，you know that you cannot solve one of those problems by only acting² on or understanding one or two parameters³ of the problems. You have to understand all parameters of the problems, and how they interact with one another. All transformation is a system's problem. And so for me, when I came to Hewlett Packard, a company that was iconic, mythic, but also a company that was deeply troubled; a company that was lagging further and further behind that no longer was even among the top 25 innovators in the world. A company that had missed nine quarters in the row and the middle of biggest technology up-turning history, and yet employees were receiving record bonuses. A company that was so in love with its past it could not envision its future. I realized when I came to that company that this was a system's problem of deep complexity⁴. And if we were going to transform this company, it would not only take time, it would not only take the energy of tens of thousands of employees but it would also take us working on the strategy of the firm, the structure and processes of the firm. How we measured and rewarded performance and as well what I called the software of the company, the culture, the values and behavior. I call culture the software of the company because like a computer, the hardware won't work if the software isn't up to the task. And for all you, I am sorry quantitative⁵ types that things, values and organizational behavior and culture, all that is just soft stuff, it is the hardest stuff. And it is the software of the firm.

　　我学了运筹学的课程，学了系统的问题，这帮我在改造惠普时了解了系统性的本质。学习复杂的系统问题，就明白了要解决这些问题，不能单按照或了解问题的一两个变量，要了解问题的全部变量及其彼此之间如何互动。所有转换都关乎系统问题。对我来讲，我初到惠普的时候，惠普是一家具有象征意义，如神话传说般，却又面对重重困难的企业，是一家越来越落后的企业，不再属于全球领先的二十五名创新者之列。惠普正处在历史上最大的科技转型上升期，连续九个季度的业绩不如人意，但是员工却依然领着奖金。一家沉溺于往昔的公司是看不到未来的。我刚到任时就认识到这是 极为复杂的系统问题，要改造这家企业不单需要时间，也不仅需要数以万计员工投入精力，更需要改变企业的策略、结构、流程以及如何衡量和奖赏业绩，还有我称为企业软件的文化、价值观和行为。我把文化称为企业的软件是因为，正如计算机，如果软件不行，硬件也不能运作。而且像价值观、组织行为和文化这些不是最实质的东西，其实最实质的东西，是企业的软件。

1 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 parameters   

因素，特征； 界限； （限定性的）因素( parameter的名词复数 )； 参量； 参项； 决定因素

参考例句：

• We have to work within the parameters of time. 我们的工作受时间所限。
• See parameters.cpp for a compilable example. This is part of the Spirit distribution. 可编译例子见parameters.cpp.这是Spirit分发包的组成部分。

4 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

5 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。