做更好決策的兩條規則

有很多方法可以改善你的決策，但是兩個簡單的規則會特別有用。

1. 對你的決策過程的每一部分都不那麼確定。思考選擇A會導致結果B？這可能比你想像的要少。認為結果B優於結果C？你可能對此也太自信了。重新審視你的决定的邏輯。如果你不確定原因B，或者B比C更好，你還會想到什麼？
2. 經常問自己：“這種情況通常發生嗎？”例如，如果你正在考慮為一家創業公司提供資金，你可能會問：創業公司的比例有多大？（或者，成功的百分比是多少？）接受你知道的比你認為的少是開始做出更好决定的最好方法之一。

Two Rules for Making Better Decisions

There are many ways to improve your decision making, but two simple rules can be particularly helpful.

1. Be less certain — about every part of your decision-making process. Think choice A will lead to outcome B? It’s probably less likely than you believe. Think outcome B is preferable to outcome C? You’re probably too confident about that as well. Revisit the logic of your decisions. What else would you think about if you were less sure that A causes B, or that B is preferable to C?
2. Always ask yourself, “How often does that typically happen?” For example, if you were considering funding a startup, you might ask: What percentage of startups fail? (Or, what percentage succeed?) Accepting that you know less than you think you do is one of the best ways to start making better decisions. 

要瞭解人們對你在工作中的看法，可以問問你的同事

很難理解別人是怎麼看待我們的。很多時候，我們假設我們的動機和意圖是明確的，而實際上並非如此。

要瞭解在工作中別人如何看待自己，請遵循以下步驟。選擇五位在重要工作場合定期觀察你的人-老闆、高管、直接下屬、同事，甚至前同事-並要求與他們單獨會面。

告訴他們你想學什麼，然後問兩個問題：對我的一般看法是什麼？我能做些什麼不同的事情對我的成功可以產生最大的影響呢？

要清楚，無論他們說什麼，你都會保密，而且你會從很多同事那裡收集回饋意見。尋找多個人都認同的主題和觀點。如果你的感知與你的意願一致，那就太好了。否則，是時候改變你的行為，開始改變人們對你的看法了。

To Understand How You’re Perceived at Work, Ask Your Colleagues

It’s not easy to understand how other people perceive us. Too often, we assume that our motivations and intentions are clear, when they’re really not.

To learn how you’re perceived at work, follow this process. Select five people who observe you regularly in important work situations — bosses, executives, direct reports, peers, or even former colleagues — and ask to meet with them individually.

Tell them what you’re hoping to learn, and ask two questions: What is the general perception of me? What could I do differently that would have the greatest impact on my success?

Be clear that you’ll keep confidential whatever they say and that you’re collecting feedback from a number of colleagues. Look for themes and points that multiple people agree on. If the perceptions of you are in line with what you intend, great. If not, it’s time to change your behaviors and begin to shift people’s perceptions of you. 

幫助員工擁抱新的辦公空間

許多組織正在採取開放的辦公室空間計畫，希望鼓勵合作、創新和創新。有時候它是有效的，但通常不是這樣的——你的開放式辦公計畫是否成功與人們如何看待空間以及空間本身是一樣的。

領導者可以通過做幾件事來幫助員工建立一個新的辦公室。在移動之前，傳達新空間的願景和目的，並解釋它如何與公司目標一致。清楚地（真實地）描述新的空間將如何為組織的使命做出貢獻。

搬遷後，樹立了積極、熱情的新空間態度。你的支持和興奮將為球隊的其他成員設定基調。鼓勵員工適應空間，滿足他們的需要，給他們個性化的愛好和工作風格的餘地。這將有助於人們聲稱空間是他們自己的。

Help Your Employees Embrace a New Office Space

Many organizations are moving to open office plans in the hopes of encouraging collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Sometimes it works, but often it doesn’t — and whether your open office plan is successful has as much to do with how people feel about the space as with the space itself.

Leaders can help employees embrace a new office by doing several things. Before the move, convey the vision and purpose for the new space and explain how it aligns with company goals. Clearly (and truthfully) describe how the new space will contribute to the organization’s mission.

After the move, model a positive and enthusiastic attitude about the new space. Your support and excitement will set the tone for the rest of the team. And encourage workers to adapt the space to their needs — give them the leeway to personalize it to their tastes and work styles. This will help people claim the space as their own.

不要讓政治討論分散你的團隊的注意力

隨著一周24小時的新聞週期，辦公室裏不可避免地會出現政治話題。作為一名管理者，你如何確保這些談話不會干擾你的團隊？

想想什麼樣的情况和話題可能引發員工之間的激烈交流？

盡你所能避免任何可能引起黨派爭論的事情，但是如果發生衝突，你有一個解决衝突的計畫。當緊張關係爆發時，單獨與相關人士交談，傾聽他們的觀點。然後要求他們撇開分歧，把重點放在幫助團隊成功的共同目標上。

當然，如果一個政治討論可以解决一個商業問題，那麼就去做，但要謹慎行事，監控討論的情緒，並在需要時恢復平衡。最重要的是，通過尊重不同的政治觀點來為你的團隊樹立榜樣。

Don’t Let Political Discussions Distract Your Team from Their Work

With our 24/7 news cycle, it’s inevitable that political topics will come up at the office. As a manager, how can you make sure these conversations don’t distract your team?

Think about what kinds of situations and topics might trigger a sharp exchange among employees.

Do your best to avoid anything that might ignite a partisan debate, but have a plan to handle conflict if it happens. When tensions do flare up, talk individually to the people involved, and listen to their points of view. Then ask them to put aside their disagreements and focus on the shared goal of helping the team succeed.

Of course, if a political discussion is relevant to solving a business question, go for it — but proceed cautiously, monitor the discussion’s mood, and restore balance when needed. Above all, be an example for your team by respecting diverse political views.

要使衝突和緩，避免成為個人化

衝突是與他人合作中合作的正而健康的一部分。然而，我們中的許多人不惜一切代價避免它—— 通常是因為覺得自己這衝突個人的。

為了更好地解决分歧，並獲得有生產力衝突的好處，讓我們摒弃所有關於你的想法。如果你認為你對有生產力的衝突感到滿意，你會鼓勵你的團隊，即使不同意，也可以提出他們的想法。

為了使工作衝突遠離個人，想想大局和企業的需要。例如，在目標和過程上經常出現分歧。

當你和一個同事對某事有不同的看法時，問問你自己：為什麼會有這種意見分歧？是一個重要的辯論？它將如何幫助你正在工作的組織或項目？

你越能把衝突集中在商業上，你就越有可能以有益於每個人的獲得解決問題的作法。

To Get More Comfortable with Conflict, Stop Making It Personal

Conflict is a normal, healthy part of working with other people. And yet many of us avoid it at all costs — often because it feels personal.

To get more comfortable with disagreements, and to reap the benefits of productive conflict, let go of the idea that it’s all about you.If you model that you’re comfortable with productive conflict, you’ll show your team that it’s OK to disagree, encouraging people to raise their ideas.

To move a work conflict away from the personal, think about the bigger picture and the business’s needs. Disagreements often arise over objectives and processes, for example.

When you and a colleague have different views about something, ask yourself: Why is this difference of opinion an important debate to have? How will it help the organization or the project you’re working on?

The more you can keep a conflict focused on the business, the better chance you have of resolving it in a way that benefits everyone.

將你的遠端工作員工納入團體會議中

當一些團隊成員不在主辦公室工作時，他們很容易感到被忽視。例如，即使你希望你可以涵蓋他們，但是他們可能會被迫錯過會議，因為你的網絡視訊技術是不可靠的，。但是，當遠端工作者不能參加會議時，這對凝聚力和生產力是不利的，尤其是當團隊面臨關鍵點、必須提出問題和分享回饋的時候。

所有的員工都應該瞭解最新的資訊和目標。即使你的會議是非同步進行，要確保遠程員工是平等的參與者，不要讓他們感覺會議是一種非正式的。

找到一個可靠的技術，讓他們通過視訊會議（或至少電話）參加會議。如果每個人都能看到對方，那麼他們就會加強合作，而遠方的同事就能够像在同一個房間裏一樣參與進來。

Include Remote Workers in All of Your Team Meetings

When some team members don’t work in the main office, it can be easy for them to feel neglected. For example, they may be forced to miss meetings because your A/V technology isn’t reliable, even if you wish you could include them. But it’s bad for cohesion and productivity when remote workers can’t join meetings, especially when the team is going over key points, asking questions, and sharing feedback.

All of your employees deserve to be up-to-date on the latest information and goals. Even if your meeting is a stand-up that has an informal feel and doesn’t always start at the same time, make sure remote employees are equal participants.

Find a reliable technology to let them join meetings over video chat (or at least the phone). It will enhance collaboration if everyone can see each other, and remote colleagues will be able to participate as if they’re in the room.

當你作書面回饋時要委婉些

在一個理想的世界裏，回饋總是會發生在面對面上，所以另一個人可以閱讀到你的肢體語言並聽到你的聲音。但有時你必須通過電子郵件、簡訊或即時消息來提供回饋，在這些情况下，注意文字的調門是很重要的。

書面責備很容易導致誤解，因為它失去了天生的同情心，來自於與人交談。一旦它被打字了，比口頭評論更難收回。

一般來說，你的書面回饋應該堅持描述性的，而不是評估性的語言。人們通常更容易接受，例如“這就是我所看到的”，而不是“我認為你應該這樣做”。後者可以被視為苛刻和漠不關心，而前者更客觀。

如果你與接收者有很緊密的關係，你會有更多的自由度，因為這個人不太可能認為你的責備是一種攻擊。儘管如此，你通過思考和說出來的額外努力會幫助人們真正理解到到你的資訊（即使他們是以閱讀來接收資訊）。

Be Tactful When You Provide Feedback in Writing

In an ideal world, feedback would always happen face-to-face, so the other person could read your body language and hear your voice. But there are times when you have to provide input through email, text message, or even instant message, and in these cases it’s important to be careful about tone.

Written criticism can easily lead to misunderstandings, since it’s missing the natural empathy that comes from talking to someone in person. And once it’s typed, it’s harder to take back than a spoken comment.

Generally, your written feedback should stick to descriptive, rather than evaluative, language. People are usually more receptive to, for example, “This is what I see happening” than to “This is what I think you should do differently.” The latter can be read as harsh and uncaring, whereas the former is more objective.

You’ll have more latitude if you have a strong relationship with the recipient, because the person is less likely to perceive the criticism as an attack. Still, the extra effort you put into thinking through what to say and how to say it will help the person hear your message (even if they’re reading it).

耐心、開放地解决拔河戰爭

如果你和一個同事正在為誰擁有一個項目或誰來决定如何使用你的團隊預算而爭執不休，你可能會感到沮喪或受到威脅。但是生氣不會幫助你達成一個決議。

忘掉贏或輸的模式；通過關注共同目標來完成任務。

試著向別人展示你是開放的，你想要什麼對組織是最好的（並確保這是真的）。不要認為同事是你的死敵，這可能是錯誤誘導。

他們多半不會真的要和你起衝突，優勢人們只是必須虛張聲勢。如果你們兩個想不出前進的方向，請老闆參與進來。

最重要的是要有耐心。解决拔河問題可能需要一些時間，所以不要試圖強迫決議。

Resolve a Turf War by Being Patient and Open-Minded

If you and a colleague are in a tug-of-war over who owns a project or who gets to decide how to use your team’s budget, you might feel frustrated or threatened. But getting angry won’t help you reach a resolution.

Forget the win-lose paradigm; approach the situation by focusing on a common goal.

Try to show the other person that you’re open-minded and that you want what’s best for the organization (and make sure that’s true). And don’t think of the colleague as your mortal enemy, tempting as that may be.

Chances are they aren’t out to get you — sometimes people’s responsibilities simply conflict. Ask your boss to step in if the two of you can’t figure out a way forward.

Most important, be patient. Addressing the tug-of-war is likely going to take some time, so don’t try to force a resolution.

新的領導者，仔細考慮你說的是什麼任務

新的領導者常常被誘惑去從事那些讓他們接近團隊日常運作的工作。但是現在你有了更廣泛的責任，你需要瞭解你的時間和你所承擔的任務的選擇性。

仔細評估對你的每一個請求，並詢問它是否與你的最高價值貢獻相一致。對於那些利用你的特殊才能的請求，說“是”，並安排出必要的時間和注意力。對於那些和你的優先次序不符合但很重要的項目，在你的團隊裏找出其他人來負責支持：“是的，我們可以做到這一點，但是我隊裡的老張將是主要的連絡人。”

你仍然可以諮詢、激勵和領導你的團隊的工作——但是你應該是一個潤滑劑，而不是做重擔的人。

New Leaders, Be Thoughtful About What Tasks You Say Yes To

New managers are often tempted to hold onto the work that keeps them close to their team’s everyday operations. But now that you have a wider set of responsibilities, you need to be discerning about your time and selective about the tasks you take on.

Carefully assess every demand that comes your way, and ask whether it aligns with your highest-value contributions. To those requests that draw on your particular talents, say yes and carve out the necessary time and attention. To those that don’t align but are important, identify other people on your team who can take them on: “Yes, we can do that, but Mr. Zhang on my team will be the main contact.”

You can still consult on, motivate, and lead your team’s work — but you should be a catalyst, not the one doing the heavy lifting.

當你遇到危機時，讓同事幫助你容易些

當你經歷個人危機時，你很可能需要同事的支持。但他們可能不知道如何做才有用，所以深思熟慮和明確地請求他們的幫助。

描述你需要什麼，為什麼幫助對你是有意義的，就和工作中的任何請求一樣，給出一個期限。

例如，你可以說，“我會在接下來的兩周裏需要你的幫助，因為我必須照顧我的母親。你能在下星期四之前完成我們一直在做的報告嗎？這將使我的注意力集中在我在家需要做的事情上。”

你如何匡述一個請求會强烈地影響到別人是否同意。因此，明確你所需要的東西會讓你的同事在你需要的時候更容易幫助到你。

When You’re in a Crisis, Make It Easy for Coworkers to Help You

When you’re going through a personal crisis, you’ll likely need the support of your colleagues. But they may not know how to be useful, so ask for their help thoughtfully and specifically.

Describe what you need and why the help is meaningful to you, and, as with any request at work, give a deadline.

For example, you might say, “I’d love your assistance over the next two weeks while I’m out caring for my mother. Would you be able to complete the report we’ve been working on by next Thursday? It would free up my mind to focus on what I need to do at home.”

How you frame a request strongly influences whether someone will agree to it. So being clear about exactly what you need will make it easier for your colleagues to help out when you need them.