2023年经济学人 花样百出的企业团建有用吗

 

Business

商业版块

Bartleby

巴托比专栏

The corporate¹ summer camp

公司夏令营

Why had the executive retreat become so extravagant²?

为什么高管的休闲团建变得如此奢侈？

Ice baths, infrared³ saunas, white-water rafting, fly-fishing, archery workshops, whisky tastings, yoga at sunrise, shooting clay pigeons, go-kart races, mountain-biking in Norway, falconry in Ireland, climbing up a glacier⁴ in Alberta, singing “Kumbaya” around a campfire.

冰浴、红外线桑拿、漂流、飞钓、射箭工作坊、威士忌品酒会、日出瑜伽、飞碟射击、卡丁车比赛、挪威山地自行车骑行、爱尔兰放鹰狩猎、阿尔伯塔冰山攀登、围着篝火唱Kumbaya。

These seemingly disparate activities have one thing in common: all of them are real examples of the contemporary corporate off-site.

这些看似大相径庭的活动有一个共同点：这些都是当代企业户外团建的真实例子。

Your columnist⁵, a guest Bartleby, cringes at the idea of PowerPoint presentations followed by role-playing exercises and mandatory⁶ games.

您的巴托比专栏客座作家一想到要用PPT做展示，然后再进行角色扮演练习和强制参加各种游戏，就会不安地想要蜷缩起来。

She prefers to let the ties with her colleagues deepen in organic ways.

她更喜欢让自己与同事的关系顺其自然地加深。

Still, the executive retreat has become an annual business tradition.

尽管如此，高管休闲团建已经成为一年一度的企业传统。

The idea is that, by disconnecting employees from their day-to-day routine, companies can build camaraderie⁷ and foster creativity.

这种活动的初衷是让员工从日常工作中抽离出来，从而建立同事之间的情谊，并培养员工创造力。

And it has grown in importance.

这种活动的重要性也与日俱增。

A splashy, exciting getaway once a year may help retain executives in a tight labour market (and is cheaper than fatter monthly pay cheques).

每年进行一次大张声势的、令人兴奋的休假可能有助于在供不应求的劳动力市场留住高管(这比开出更高的月薪要更划算)。

In the era of remote work—without the thousands of micro-interactions that happen in the office—team-building trips have also gained a structural⁸ role.

在远程办公的时代--没有了办公室里数以千计的微互动--团建旅行也起到了结构性作用。

Suddenly, off-sites are no longer an afterthought but lodged⁹ near the heart of corporate HR strategy.

突然之间，异地办公不再是事后才想到的事情，而是被置于企业人力资源战略的核心。

Not participating is not an option; so what if co-workers end up meeting in person for the first time wearing flip-flops?

没有不参加这种选择，既然如此，让同事们穿着拖鞋第一次线下见见面怎么样？

It used to be barbecues and softball games.

曾经的团建活动是烧烤和垒球比赛。

Retreats moved things a notch¹¹ higher in style and expense.

但休闲团建的出现让活动的风格和花费都上了一个台阶。

Just three months after Steve Jobs left Apple and started another company in 1985, he whisked his employees to Pebble¹² Beach for their first off-site.

就在1985年，史蒂夫·乔布斯离开苹果公司并创办了另一家公司的三个月后，他立刻带着员工去了圆石滩，作为第一次户外团建。

As corporate psychology¹³ boomed in the 1990s, team-building retreats became entrenched¹⁴.

随着企业心理学在20世纪90年代蓬勃发展，团建休闲活动变得深入人心。

By 2015 Uber was reportedly offering Beyoncé $6m to perform for its employees (no, not the drivers) at a corporate event in Las Vegas (the pop star was apparently¹⁵ paid in the then-hot startup’s stock rather than cash).

据报道，2015年，优步花了600万美金请碧昂斯在拉斯维加斯的一次公司活动上为员工(不，司机不包括在内)表演(给这位流行歌星的支付方式显然是当时还炙手可热的初创公司股票，而不是现金)。

WeWork, an office-rental firm with tech pretensions¹⁶, used to host raucous¹⁷ summer retreats around the world; employees were encouraged to dance the night away to electronic music.

WeWork是一家以技术为幌子的办公室租赁公司，它过去曾在世界各地举办喧闹的夏季休闲团建活动，鼓励员工们随着电子音乐彻夜跳舞。

Given Uber’s lacklustre ride since its initial public offering in 2019, current management has gone easy on A-listers.

鉴于优步自2019年首次公开募股以后表现平平，目前的管理层不再大手笔地请一线明星了。

WeWork revised its staff-entertainment policies after its party-loving founder¹⁸ and CEO, Adam Neumann, was forced out in the wake of its abortive¹⁹ IPO later that year.

WeWork的IPO计划流产后，其创始人兼CEO兼派对爱好者亚当·诺伊曼在当年晚些时候被迫离职，之后WeWork修改了员工娱乐政策。

But the trend for the corporate getaway has, if anything, intensified²⁰.

但企业团建休假的趋势不减反增。

To stand out, companies try to make their retreats as bespoke²¹ and exotic as possible.

为了凸显自己，公司试图让他们的休息团建尽可能地独特和新奇。

Those firms that cannot afford pop stars can have an astronaut regale²² executives with tales of life in space—not Queen Bey, exactly, but potentially enthralling²³ to the nerdier elements of the workforce²⁴.

请不起流行歌星的公司可以让宇航员为高管们讲述太空生活的趣事，这确实比不上碧昂丝，但可能会让员工中的科技宅们感到心潮澎湃。

Many organisers opt¹⁰ for the great outdoors, perhaps in the belief that the sublime²⁵ will unleash²⁶ authenticity²⁷.

许多组织者选择了伟大的户外，也许是因为他们相信，壮丽的大自然会让人返璞归真。

Wineries around the world are now expanding to accommodate retreats featuring winemaking lessons; employees stomp²⁸ grapes.

世界各地的葡萄酒庄现在都在扩大规模，来满足以酿酒课程为特色的休闲团建需求，员工会在那里踩葡萄。

A Montana ranch²⁹ offers corporate clients paintball, flag-capturing and dummy-cattle-roping.

蒙大拿州的一个牧场为企业客户提供彩弹射击、夺旗比赛和套假牛项目。

Butchershop, a brand-strategy agency, held its second summit in Costa Rica; activities included zip-lining, horseback riding through the jungle and jumping off a cliff into the water.

品牌战略机构Butchershop在哥斯达黎加举行了第二次峰会，活动包括高空滑索、骑马穿越丛林和悬崖跳水。

A sure-fire way for a business to make its retreat memorable³⁰ is to thrust participants into adversity.

对于企业来说，一个百分百能让休息团建变得刻骨铭心的方法就是将参与者推入绝境。

Battling the elements together is supposed to foster team spirit, but zealous³¹ organisers have occasionally been known to overdo³² it.

共同对抗自然考验本应培养团队精神，但狂热的组织者偶尔会玩过了头。

One large European company sent executives to the Arctic Circle in midwinter.

一家欧洲大型公司在隆冬时节将高管送往北极圈。

They endured frigid³³ temperatures for days, without a fresh change of clothes.

他们忍受了好几天的严寒，还没有新的换洗衣服。

Walking on hot coals—an ancient ritual recast as a team-building exercise—led to the injury of 25 employees of a Swiss ad agency in Zurich.

在热煤碳上行走--从一种古老仪式改编而成的团建练习--导致瑞士苏黎世一家广告公司的25名员工受伤。

It is unclear what many days away achieves, except for straining the expense budget and consuming valuable time.

目前还不清楚，除了消耗支出预算和宝贵的时间之外，外出休假几天还达成了什么效果。

Returning to your desk with frostbite or burnt feet is unlikely to boost your productivity.

带着冻伤或脚部烧伤回到办公桌前不太可能会提高你的工作效率。

Even if you escape injury you may have lost esteem³⁴ for the co-worker who drank too much and delivered a maudlin³⁵ monologue³⁶.

即使你侥幸没有受伤，在同事喝了太多，然后发表了一段幽怨煽情的独白后，你也可能丧失了对他的敬重之情。

Walking on fire with colleagues may be meant to encourage spiritual healing and to put employees and bosses on equal—and equally uncomfortable—footing.

与同事一起在火焰上行走可能是为了促进精神上的治愈，并让员工和老板处于平等的--平等的难受--地位。

Yet it is walking through metaphorical³⁷ fire which actually causes teams to bond.

但真正让团队建立情感纽带的是一起在比喻义的火焰上行走。

That happens not at a corporate retreat but after years of working together.

这不会发生在企业休闲团建活动上，而是发生在多年的并肩作战之后。

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

3 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

4 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

5 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

6 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

7 camaraderie   

n.同志之爱，友情

参考例句：

• The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
• Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板，偶尔才和下属互动一下；有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。

8 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

9 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

11 notch   

n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级

参考例句：

• The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
• He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。

12 pebble   

n.卵石，小圆石

参考例句：

• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。
• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。

13 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

14 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

15 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

16 pretensions   

自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力

参考例句：

• The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。
• The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

17 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

18 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

19 abortive   

adj.不成功的，发育不全的

参考例句：

• We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功，不得不放弃。
• Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。

20 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 bespoke   

adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求

参考例句：

• His style of dressing bespoke great self-confidence. 他的衣着风格显得十分自信。
• The haberdasher presented a cap, saying,"Here is the cap your worship bespoke." 帽匠拿出一顶帽子来说：“这就是老爷您定做的那顶。” 来自辞典例句

22 regale   

v.取悦，款待

参考例句：

• He was constantly regaled with tales of woe.别人老是给他讲些倒霉事儿来逗他开心。
• He loved to regale his friends with tales about the many memorable characters he had known as a newspaperman.他喜欢讲些他当记者时认识的许多名人的故事给朋友们消遣。

23 enthralling   

迷人的

参考例句：

• There will be an enthralling race tomorrow. 明天会有场吸引人的比赛。
• There was something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence. 在这样地施加影响时，令人感到销魂夺魄。

24 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

25 sublime   

adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的

参考例句：

• We should take some time to enjoy the sublime beauty of nature.我们应该花些时间去欣赏大自然的壮丽景象。
• Olympic games play as an important arena to exhibit the sublime idea.奥运会，就是展示此崇高理念的重要舞台。

26 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。

27 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

28 stomp   

v.跺（脚），重踩，重踏

参考例句：

• 3.And you go to france, and you go to stomp! 你去法国，你去看跺脚舞！
• 4.How hard did she stomp? 她跺得有多狠？

29 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

30 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

31 zealous   

adj.狂热的，热心的

参考例句：

• She made zealous efforts to clean up the classroom.她非常热心地努力清扫教室。
• She is a zealous supporter of our cause.她是我们事业的热心支持者。

32 overdo   

vt.把...做得过头，演得过火

参考例句：

• Do not overdo your privilege of reproving me.不要过分使用责备我的特权。
• The taxi drivers' association is urging its members,who can work as many hours as they want,not to overdo it.出租车司机协会劝告那些工作时长不受限制的会员不要疲劳驾驶。

33 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

34 esteem   

n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

35 maudlin   

adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的

参考例句：

• He always becomes maudlin after he's had a few drinks.他喝了几杯酒后总是变得多愁善感。
• She continued in the same rather maudlin tone.她继续用那种颇带几分伤感的语调说话。

36 monologue   

n.长篇大论，（戏剧等中的）独白

参考例句：

• The comedian gave a long monologue of jokes.喜剧演员讲了一长段由笑话组成的独白。
• He went into a long monologue.他一个人滔滔不绝地讲话。

37 metaphorical   

a.隐喻的，比喻的

参考例句：

• Here, then, we have a metaphorical substitution on a metonymic axis. 这样，我们在换喻（者翻译为转喻，一种以部分代替整体的修辞方法）上就有了一个隐喻的替代。
• So, in a metaphorical sense, entropy is arrow of time. 所以说，我们可以这样作个比喻：熵像是时间之矢。