2023年经济学人 高管教练是一种有用的咨询

 

Business

商业版块

Bartleby

巴托比专栏

CEO whisperers

CEO的耳边人

Executive coaching is useful therapy that you can expense.

高管教练是一种可以为之花钱的有用疗法。

In a documentary from 2004, “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”, members of the titular¹ heavy-metal band hire a “performance-enhancement coach” to help them resolve their disagreements.

在2004年的一部纪录片《金属乐队：某种怪兽》中，重金属乐队“金属乐队”的成员聘请了一位“表演提升教练”来帮助他们解决分歧。

The musicians cannot stand him and end up bonding over their decision to get rid of him.

但这些音乐人无法忍受他，最终他们团结一心，决定把他赶走。

When an ex-banker, after years of working at Lehman Brothers and UBS, hired a coach to discuss his next steps, the nugget of wisdom he acquired in the course of half a dozen 40-minute sessions setting him back almost $8,000 was that he should seek a role where he would be “paid for his experience”.

一位在雷曼兄弟和瑞银工作多年的前银行家聘请了一位教练来讨论他的下一步行动，他上了6节为期40分钟的课程，花了近8000美元，从中获得的宝贵智慧就是他应该寻找一个“会因为他的经验而给他报酬”的职位。

It is tempting² to paint executive coaching as one more status symbol inflating³ a sense of high-powered managers’ already-ample sense of self-importance.

人们很容易将高管教练描绘成又一种身份象征，只是让手握大权的经理们本已充足的自负心更加膨胀。

Yet the practice—which combines management advice with therapy—does not have to be an expensive exercise in platitudes⁴.

然而，这种做法--将管理建议与治疗相结合--并不一定是一种价格高昂且充满了陈词滥调的训练。

Few executives remain static in their careers, and many need guidance at moments of transition, when relying on an internal monologue⁵ is not enough.

很少有高管的职业生涯是一直静止不变的，许多高管在转型时刻需要指导，这时仅依靠内心独白是不够的。

The covid-19 pandemic, which heightened the anxiety felt by high-performers, increased the need for skilled coaching.

新冠肺炎加剧了高能力者的焦虑，从而增加了对专业教练的需求。

A study from 2019 by Angel Advisors⁶, a professional training service, found that coaching in America is now a $2bn industry—large for what might seem like a niche⁷ business.

职业培训服务机构“天使顾问”在2019年进行的一项研究发现，如今美国的教练行业规模已达20亿美元，对于这一看似小众的行业而言，这种规模不算小。

The existence of such demand strongly suggests that professional grooming⁸ has its uses.

这种需求的存在有力地表明，职业培训有其用处。

Many executives, especially CEOs, find it difficult to discuss the challenges they face.

许多高管，尤其是CEO，发现很难讨论他们面临的挑战。

Hierarchy⁹ makes it tricky¹⁰ to share problems with employees as it can undermine the boss’s authority.

等级制度使得他们不方便把问题向员工诉说，因为这样做可能会破坏老板的权威。

At the same time, confidentiality¹¹ forbids executives from discussing company problems with random¹² outsiders.

同时，保密规定禁止高管与外部人士随意讨论公司问题。

Robert Pickering, former boss of Cazenove, an investment bank since swallowed by JPMorgan Chase, wrote about his experience in his memoir¹³, “Blue Blood”.

罗伯特·皮克林曾是嘉诚投资银行的老板，后来嘉诚被摩根大通吞并，他在回忆录《蓝血》中描述了他的经历。

“Running a firm is largely command and control, and there are very few insiders with whom you can share gripes and frustrations,” he explains.

“经营一家公司在很大程度上是指挥和控制，在公司内部没有多少人可以听你诉说你的抱怨和挫折。”他解释道。

Working with a coach helped him develop coping strategies, as well as command the boardroom.

与教练的合作不仅让他能指挥董事会，也帮助他制定了应对策略。

Coaches can understand the executive mindset better if they were once executives themselves.

如果教练自己曾经是高管，那么他们可以更好地理解高管的思维模式。

Herminia Ibarra of London Business School notes that many professionals with industry expertise¹⁴ and people skills eventually tire of operational roles.

伦敦商学院的埃米尼亚·伊巴拉指出，许多拥有行业专业知识和人际交往技能的职业人士最终会厌倦运营型角色。

Some find coaching to be a meaningful second act.

一些人认为提供教练指导是一种有意义的第二事业。

Take Ana Lueneburger, who left the corporate¹⁵ world to coach company founders¹⁶ and the C-suite.

比如安娜·卢恩伯格，她离开了企业界后，转而为公司创始人和高管提供培训。

Her approach, outlined in “Unfiltered: The CEO and the Coach”, a book she co-wrote with one of her clients, focuses on maximising strengths rather than fixing weaknesses.

她与一位客户合著了《未经过滤：CEO和他的教练》一书，书中概述了她的策略，即主要关注将优势最大化，而不是修复劣势。

Your columnist¹⁷, a guest Bartleby, decided¹⁸ to consider her own game plan by going to a private club in Mayfair for an ad hoc coaching session with Ms Lueneburger.

您的巴托比专栏客座作家决定考虑一下她自己的行动计划，于是去了伦敦梅菲尔区的一家私人俱乐部，与卢恩伯格女士进行了一次专门的教练会议。

Preparation consisted of filling extensive questionnaires, including the Hogan Leadership Forecast (a psychometric assessment¹⁹ of “derailers and personality-based performance risks”, since you ask).

准备工作包括填写大量问卷，其中有霍根领导力测评(顺便解释一下，这是一种对“行为异常者和基于性格的业绩风险”的心理测试评估)。

The coach customarily asks the client to describe impediments to happiness and development (from difficult peer relationships and a tough inner critic to withered²⁰ motivation and drive).

教练通常要求客户描述阻碍他们获得幸福和发展的事情(从困难的同侪关系和严苛的内心批评，到动力和内驱力枯竭)。

Given the time constraints²¹, Bartleby discussed a personal issue which troubles her at work.

由于时间有限，本文作者讨论了在工作中困扰她的一个私人问题。

Two hours sipping²² tea and sparkling water passed in a flash and then the session was over.

喝着茶和苏打水，两个小时一晃就过去了，然后会议结束了。

Coaching is not a scientific operation, jargon²³ du jour notwithstanding.

尽管有一些时髦的术语，但教练不是一种科学的操作。

But if you strip away all the talk of circling back to 360-degree change from your comfort zone, you do end up with an intuitive, collaborative process, the success of which depends on chemistry between the coach and the client.

但是如果你剔除所有那些绕到最后还是让你走出舒适区做出360度大转变的话语，你最终得到的确实是一个凭直觉的、合作的过程，这一过程成功与否取决于教练和客户之间的化学反应。

Ms Lueneburger neither appealed to the siren song of self-care nor merely told Bartleby what she wanted to hear.

卢恩伯格女士既没有诉诸自我关怀这一诱人的概念，也不是仅仅对本文作者说一些她想听到的东西。

Instead she shifted the angle of the problem, which is not easy to do unaided for most clients themselves, many of whom operate on autopilot at work and elsewhere.

相反，她改变了看待问题的角度，大多数客户要凭自己做到这一点并不容易，因为其中许多人在工作和其他方面都是开启自动驾驶模式。

According to the VIA character questionnaire (filled out alongside the Hogan), Bartleby scores poorly in leadership but highly in speaking the truth.

根据VIA性格问卷(与霍根测评一起填写的)，本文作者在领导力方面得分较低，但在实话实说方面得分很高。

With these new credentials²⁴, her message is: if you are a member of a C-suite, get yourself a coach.

描述了这些新的经历，本文作者想传达的信息是：如果你是一名高管，可以给自己找一位教练。

It does not have to revolve²⁵ around a crisis or a fork in your career path.

咨询内容不一定要围绕某场危机或职业道路上的岔路口。

At its best, it can illuminate²⁶ snags executives face.

在最好的情况下，咨询可以揭示高管们面临的潜在障碍。

The worst that can happen is spending time with a well-meaning, and typically intelligent, interlocutor, who can help consolidate²⁷ common sense.

就算是最糟糕的情况，也不过是和一位善意的，而且通常是有才智的对话者一起度过一段时间，这位对话者可以帮你巩固常识。

If you can put the fee on your expense account, what’s not to like?

如果能把谈话的费用记在公费支出账户上，何乐而不为呢？

1 titular   

adj.名义上的，有名无实的；n.只有名义（或头衔）的人

参考例句：

• The Queen is titular head of the Church of England.英国女王是英国国教名义上的领袖。
• He is titular head,and merely signs laws occasionally.他是名义上的首脑，不过偶尔签字批准法律法规。

2 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

3 inflating   

v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的现在分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• I felt myself inflating slowly with rage, like a tyre. 我感到自己体内的怒气正慢慢膨胀，像一只轮胎那样。 来自互联网
• Many are already overheating, with prices rising and asset bubbles inflating. 随着物价日益上涨、资产泡沫膨胀，很多新兴国家经济已经过热。 来自互联网

4 platitudes   

n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子

参考例句：

• He was mouthing the usual platitudes about the need for more compassion. 他言不由衷地说了些需要更加同情之类的陈腔滥调。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He delivered a long prose full of platitudes. 他发表了一篇充满陈词滥调的文章。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 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。

6 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

7 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

8 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。

9 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。

10 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

11 confidentiality   

n.秘而不宣，保密

参考例句：

• They signed a confidentiality agreement. 他们签署了一份保守机密的协议。
• Cryptography is the foundation of supporting authentication, integrality and confidentiality. 而密码学是支持认证、完整性和机密性机制的基础。

12 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

13 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

14 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

15 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。

16 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

17 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。

18 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

20 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

21 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

22 sipping   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
• She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

23 jargon   

n.术语，行话

参考例句：

• They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。
• It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.

24 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

25 revolve   

vi.(使)旋转；循环出现

参考例句：

• The planets revolve around the sun.行星绕着太阳运转。
• The wheels began to revolve slowly.车轮开始慢慢转动。

26 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

27 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。