彭蒙惠英语：Working Smarter Together

Working Smarter Together

 

By James Surowiecki / Originally

Published in WIRED. Edited for length.

Reprinted by permission of SLL/

Sterling¹ Lord Literistic, Inc.

Copyright by James Surowiecki

 

Why the many are smarter than the few

 

1

 

American companies are suffering from a personality crisis. They talk about the virtues² of flattened³ hierarchies⁴ and bottom-up organizations, but when it comes to what they actually do, companies prefer authoritarianism⁵ to democracy. Success, most corporations assume, depends on the efforts of a few superlative individuals. As a result, they treat their CEOs as superheroes and look on most of their employees as interchangeable drones. In doing so, firms are neglecting their most valuable resource: the collective intelligence of the organization as a whole.

 

Groups outperform individuals

Instead of looking to a single person for the right answers, companies need to recognize a simple truth: Under the right conditions, groups are smarter than the smartest person within them. We often think of groups and crowds as stupid, ineffective, and dominated by the lowest common denominator. But take a look around. Decision markets, like the Iowa Electronics Markets (which forecasts elections) and the Hollywood Stock Exchange (which predicts box office results), consistently outperform industry forecasts. Even the stock market, though it is subject to fads⁶ and manias⁷, is near-impossible to beat over time.

 

By contrast, while it’s clear that some CEOs are excellent leaders and managers, there’s little evidence that individual executives are blessed with consistently good strategic foresight⁸. Even when executives are very smart, they often have a hard time getting the information they need. At many firms the flow of information is shaped by political infighting and a confusion of status with knowledge. Hierarchies have certain virtues—efficiency and speed—as a way of executing decisions. But they’re outmoded as a way of making decisions, and they’re ill-suited to the complex strategic landscapes that most companies now inhabit.

 

 

Vocabulary Focus

forecast (v) [5fC:kB:st] to say what one expects to happen in the future

execute (v) [5eksikju:t] to do or perform something, especially in a planned way

outmoded (adj) [aut5mEudid] old-fashioned; no longer modern, useful or necessary

ill-suited (adj) [5il5sju:tid] inappropriate for a given purpose; not suitable

 

Specialized⁹ Terms

flattened hierarchy¹⁰ (n phr) 组织阶层扁平化 the removal of levels in a traditional business system in which people are arranged according to ability or status; employees are considered on a more equal level

bottom-up organization (n phr) 重心由下至上的组织 an organization in which the focus is on the individual employees, empowering them to influence decisions, and the administration encourages and supports their activities; the opposite of “top-down”

authoritarianism (n) 独裁式的管理或政策 a policy or form of organization that demands total obedience¹¹ and refuses to allow people freedom to act as they wish

lowest common denominator (n phr) 庸才；社会中多数 见识平常的普通人 the simplest level of preferences, tastes or opinions among a group of people

decision market (n phr) 决策市场；预测市场 a system in which participants are allowed to trade in some form of security, either real or artificial, in order to predict the outcome of a certain event; also known as a “prediction

market”

box office (n phr) 票房 the popularity and financial success of a film or actor, according to the total amount of ticket sales

 

合作生巧

许美鸾 译

 

为什么多数比少数聪明

1

美国公司正苦于人格危机。他们谈着组织阶层扁平化和组织重心由下至上的优点，但当涉及实际执行时，就宁取独裁主义而舍民主方式了。大多数的公司认为，成功在于少数极优异个人的努力。结果是，他们待执行长犹如超级英雄，而视大多数的员工为可替换的闲人。如此一来，公司就忽略了他们最珍贵的资源：整体组织的集体智能。

 

集体表现超越个人

不要单单向一个人寻求正确的答案，公司必须认清一个简单的事实：在正常情况下，团体要比其中最聪明的个人更聪明。我们常认为团体或群众愚昧、无效率，且充斥着一群庸才。但看看四周，像爱荷华电子市场（预测选举结果）和好莱坞证券交易所（预测票房结果）这类的决策市场，一向都比产业预测表现得好。即使是股票市场，它虽会受制于一时的流行和狂热，长期下来也还是可以准确预估。

相反的，虽然很明显地有些执行官是杰出的领导者和经理人，但事实证明个别管理者所采用的策略不见得永远正确。即使管理者非常聪明，他们常常无法得到需要的信息。因为在许多公司里，信息流向的形成受内部政治斗争，以及高阶自然拥有较多资讯的迷思所影响。在决定如何执行时，以管理阶层高低作依归确有某些好处，也就是效率和速度。但在作决策时，这种方法就过时了，也不适合现今大部分公司所处的复杂策略情势。

 

1 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

2 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

3 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

4 hierarchies   

等级制度( hierarchy的名词复数 )； 统治集团； 领导层； 层次体系

参考例句：

• That's a trip of two hierarchies. 那是两个领导层之间的互访。
• Hierarchies of authority, spans of control, long-range plans, and budgets. 等级森严的权力机构，控制范围，长期计划，预算。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

5 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

6 fads   

n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It was one of the many fads that sweep through mathematics regularly. 它是常见的贯穿在数学中的许多流行一时的风尚之一。 来自辞典例句
• Lady Busshe is nothing without her flights, fads, and fancies. 除浮躁、时髦和幻想外，巴歇夫人一无所有。 来自辞典例句

7 manias   

n.（mania的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Like all manias, it needed an object of focus and an explanation. 华尔街立刻夸耀这种称之为“新纪元”的现象。 来自互联网
• But shareholders have frequently in the manias of the moment along with everyone else. 但股东常常会和其他人一样，陷入一时的狂热。 来自互联网

8 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

9 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

10 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

11 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。