從旅游和酒店到能源、航空和零售,新冠肺炎疫情在過(guò)去的八個(gè)多月里撼動(dòng)了各行各業(yè)。
那些行業(yè)正是企業(yè)集團(tuán)霍尼韋爾(Honeywell)、連鎖酒店萬(wàn)豪國(guó)際(Marriott International)、零售信用卡巨頭Synchronic等公司的首席執(zhí)行官們身處的行業(yè)——這些公司今年都無(wú)一例外感受到了商業(yè)環(huán)境的動(dòng)蕩不定。
但霍尼韋爾的董事長(zhǎng)兼首席執(zhí)行官杜瑞哲正以一種特定的態(tài)度面對(duì)2020年帶來(lái)的種種挑戰(zhàn)。他在10月26日《財(cái)富》雜志于線上舉行的全球論壇上說(shuō):“首先,你不能夠自怨自艾。那種心態(tài)會(huì)讓你的公司變得僵化,你必須非常、非常迅速地做出調(diào)整?!?/p>
他拿今年的困境和電影來(lái)類比。“在看電影的過(guò)程中,我們多少可以猜到后面的情節(jié),知道下一幕會(huì)發(fā)生什么。我們知道,我們身處一個(gè)非常艱難的環(huán)境當(dāng)中,但我們很快就專注下來(lái):好吧,接下來(lái)幾個(gè)月甚至幾年,我們?cè)谝恍┦袌?chǎng)的日子將會(huì)很不好過(guò)。我們能夠做些什么不同的事情呢?我們可以如何創(chuàng)新和變革呢?”杜瑞哲說(shuō)道。
對(duì)于不同的組織機(jī)構(gòu)來(lái)說(shuō),適應(yīng)新常態(tài)和創(chuàng)新,因時(shí)制宜,有著不同的意義?;裟犴f爾一直在幫助客戶開(kāi)發(fā)呼吸機(jī),并在加大小規(guī)模并購(gòu)的力度,持續(xù)投資布局為后疫情時(shí)代做準(zhǔn)備。萬(wàn)豪國(guó)際的總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官蘇安勵(lì)無(wú)疑是被狠狠地打擊了一把(他說(shuō)“我們的業(yè)務(wù)于3月在全球范圍消失了”),他今年不得不裁員,但同時(shí)也在印尼開(kāi)設(shè)了萬(wàn)豪的第一家酒店——蘇安勵(lì)認(rèn)為此舉將會(huì)在疫情結(jié)束后帶來(lái)回報(bào)。
Synchrony的首席執(zhí)行官瑪格麗特?基恩一直致力于為小企業(yè)提供支持——該公司有多達(dá)100萬(wàn)位客戶是小企業(yè)。基恩說(shuō),Synchrony舉辦了關(guān)于如何安全開(kāi)店和安全辦公的研討會(huì)。她說(shuō):“我們力所能及地為小企業(yè)提供幫助,助力它們?nèi)〉贸晒?,這不僅利好Synchrony,也有利于我們國(guó)家維持小企業(yè)的活力?!迸c此同時(shí),Synchrony還牽手PayPal為后者旗下的移動(dòng)支付服務(wù)Venmo推出了一款信用卡產(chǎn)品。這是一個(gè)完全基于線上啟動(dòng)的大項(xiàng)目(基恩指出,“那是為了靈活運(yùn)營(yíng),以及共同建立那種深度的合作關(guān)系?!保?/p>
對(duì)于今年面臨困境的首席執(zhí)行官們,那種靈活性就是要傳達(dá)的信息?!氨M管我們都很討厭我們所面臨的處境,但它也確實(shí)教會(huì)了公司一些創(chuàng)新方面的東西,教會(huì)了我們?cè)撊绾稳?yīng)對(duì)所處的危機(jī)?!被裟犴f爾的杜瑞哲說(shuō)道,“你往往會(huì)只著眼于今天,只著眼于如何度過(guò)今天和明年。不過(guò),你還得考慮公司五年后乃至十年后會(huì)是什么樣子?!?/p>
疫情帶來(lái)的教訓(xùn)
雖然這些高管們都表示他們的公司顯然還沒(méi)有走出困境,但一路走來(lái)他們多少也學(xué)到了一兩點(diǎn)教訓(xùn)。
Synchrony的基恩說(shuō):“我學(xué)到的最大的教訓(xùn)是,你并不需要PPT——你可以迅速做出決定,然后放手讓手下的優(yōu)秀人才去干?!比f(wàn)豪的蘇安勵(lì)也有同樣的體會(huì)?!胺艡?quán),仰仗你的團(tuán)隊(duì)。疫情期間,尤其是初期,我們得迅速做出決策?!彼f(shuō),“我們必須得加快行動(dòng)。先做出決策,即便是在信息不完全的情況下也要做出決策,需要的話后面再作調(diào)整,行動(dòng)速度和放權(quán)這兩點(diǎn)真的非常重要。我想以后我們也會(huì)繼續(xù)這么做。”
對(duì)于霍尼韋爾的杜瑞哲而言,疫情帶來(lái)的啟發(fā)則比較簡(jiǎn)單:打開(kāi)你的Zoom攝像頭(他說(shuō),“這實(shí)際上有助于與他人建立更強(qiáng)的聯(lián)系?!保霸谶@個(gè)時(shí)期,多與人連接溝通非常重要,因?yàn)榇蠹叶嗌俣几械焦陋?dú)?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:萬(wàn)志文
從旅游和酒店到能源、航空和零售,新冠肺炎疫情在過(guò)去的八個(gè)多月里撼動(dòng)了各行各業(yè)。
那些行業(yè)正是企業(yè)集團(tuán)霍尼韋爾(Honeywell)、連鎖酒店萬(wàn)豪國(guó)際(Marriott International)、零售信用卡巨頭Synchronic等公司的首席執(zhí)行官們身處的行業(yè)——這些公司今年都無(wú)一例外感受到了商業(yè)環(huán)境的動(dòng)蕩不定。
但霍尼韋爾的董事長(zhǎng)兼首席執(zhí)行官杜瑞哲正以一種特定的態(tài)度面對(duì)2020年帶來(lái)的種種挑戰(zhàn)。他在10月26日《財(cái)富》雜志于線上舉行的全球論壇上說(shuō):“首先,你不能夠自怨自艾。那種心態(tài)會(huì)讓你的公司變得僵化,你必須非常、非常迅速地做出調(diào)整?!?/p>
他拿今年的困境和電影來(lái)類比。“在看電影的過(guò)程中,我們多少可以猜到后面的情節(jié),知道下一幕會(huì)發(fā)生什么。我們知道,我們身處一個(gè)非常艱難的環(huán)境當(dāng)中,但我們很快就專注下來(lái):好吧,接下來(lái)幾個(gè)月甚至幾年,我們?cè)谝恍┦袌?chǎng)的日子將會(huì)很不好過(guò)。我們能夠做些什么不同的事情呢?我們可以如何創(chuàng)新和變革呢?”杜瑞哲說(shuō)道。
對(duì)于不同的組織機(jī)構(gòu)來(lái)說(shuō),適應(yīng)新常態(tài)和創(chuàng)新,因時(shí)制宜,有著不同的意義?;裟犴f爾一直在幫助客戶開(kāi)發(fā)呼吸機(jī),并在加大小規(guī)模并購(gòu)的力度,持續(xù)投資布局為后疫情時(shí)代做準(zhǔn)備。萬(wàn)豪國(guó)際的總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官蘇安勵(lì)無(wú)疑是被狠狠地打擊了一把(他說(shuō)“我們的業(yè)務(wù)于3月在全球范圍消失了”),他今年不得不裁員,但同時(shí)也在印尼開(kāi)設(shè)了萬(wàn)豪的第一家酒店——蘇安勵(lì)認(rèn)為此舉將會(huì)在疫情結(jié)束后帶來(lái)回報(bào)。
Synchrony的首席執(zhí)行官瑪格麗特?基恩一直致力于為小企業(yè)提供支持——該公司有多達(dá)100萬(wàn)位客戶是小企業(yè)。基恩說(shuō),Synchrony舉辦了關(guān)于如何安全開(kāi)店和安全辦公的研討會(huì)。她說(shuō):“我們力所能及地為小企業(yè)提供幫助,助力它們?nèi)〉贸晒?,這不僅利好Synchrony,也有利于我們國(guó)家維持小企業(yè)的活力?!迸c此同時(shí),Synchrony還牽手PayPal為后者旗下的移動(dòng)支付服務(wù)Venmo推出了一款信用卡產(chǎn)品。這是一個(gè)完全基于線上啟動(dòng)的大項(xiàng)目(基恩指出,“那是為了靈活運(yùn)營(yíng),以及共同建立那種深度的合作關(guān)系?!保?/p>
對(duì)于今年面臨困境的首席執(zhí)行官們,那種靈活性就是要傳達(dá)的信息?!氨M管我們都很討厭我們所面臨的處境,但它也確實(shí)教會(huì)了公司一些創(chuàng)新方面的東西,教會(huì)了我們?cè)撊绾稳?yīng)對(duì)所處的危機(jī)?!被裟犴f爾的杜瑞哲說(shuō)道,“你往往會(huì)只著眼于今天,只著眼于如何度過(guò)今天和明年。不過(guò),你還得考慮公司五年后乃至十年后會(huì)是什么樣子?!?/p>
疫情帶來(lái)的教訓(xùn)
雖然這些高管們都表示他們的公司顯然還沒(méi)有走出困境,但一路走來(lái)他們多少也學(xué)到了一兩點(diǎn)教訓(xùn)。
Synchrony的基恩說(shuō):“我學(xué)到的最大的教訓(xùn)是,你并不需要PPT——你可以迅速做出決定,然后放手讓手下的優(yōu)秀人才去干。”萬(wàn)豪的蘇安勵(lì)也有同樣的體會(huì)。“放權(quán),仰仗你的團(tuán)隊(duì)。疫情期間,尤其是初期,我們得迅速做出決策?!彼f(shuō),“我們必須得加快行動(dòng)。先做出決策,即便是在信息不完全的情況下也要做出決策,需要的話后面再作調(diào)整,行動(dòng)速度和放權(quán)這兩點(diǎn)真的非常重要。我想以后我們也會(huì)繼續(xù)這么做?!?/p>
對(duì)于霍尼韋爾的杜瑞哲而言,疫情帶來(lái)的啟發(fā)則比較簡(jiǎn)單:打開(kāi)你的Zoom攝像頭(他說(shuō),“這實(shí)際上有助于與他人建立更強(qiáng)的聯(lián)系?!保霸谶@個(gè)時(shí)期,多與人連接溝通非常重要,因?yàn)榇蠹叶嗌俣几械焦陋?dú)?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:萬(wàn)志文
The pandemic has shaken up dozens industries over the past eight months or so, from travel and hospitality to energy, airlines, and retail.
Those areas hit home for CEOs at conglomerate Honeywell, hotel chain Marriott International, and retail credit card titan Synchrony—all of which have felt the undulations of a rocky business environment this year.
But Honeywell's chairman and CEO Darius Adamczyk is facing 2020's challenges with a certain attitude: "The first thing you can’t do is you can't feel sorry for yourself. That sort of makes the organization rigid and you have to pivot very, very quickly," Adamczyk said at Fortune's virtual Global Forum on October 26.
He compares it to the movies: "We knew what was coming, we kind of knew what the next frame in the movie was going to be and we knew we were in for a very tough environment, but very quickly we focused on: Fine, some of our markets are facing a very challenging time for the several months, maybe years ahead. What can we do differently, how can we innovate and change?" Adamczyk said.
Adapting and innovating to meet the moment has meant different things for different organizations. Honeywell has been helping customers develop ventilators and is ramping up some smaller-scale M&A to keep investing for post-pandemic times. Marriott International's president and CEO Arne Sorenson, who was certainly dealt a tough hand (he says "our business functionally disappeared globally in March"), has had to lay off workers this year, but also opened Marriott's first hotel in Indonesia—a move Sorenson believes will pay off when the virus is in the rearview mirror.
Synchrony's CEO Margaret Keane has focused on trying to support small businesses—a cohort that makes up 1 million of their customers. Keane says Synchrony has held sessions on how to open stores and offices safely: "Any help we can give them to make them be successful is not only good for Synchrony, it’s also good for our country keeping small business alive," she said. Meanwhile, Synchrony also launched a credit card for Venmo with PayPal—a big program launched all virtually ("That’s really about being agile and having that deep partnership together," she notes).
For CEOs facing their own troubles this year, that agility has been the message: "As much as we hated the situation we were dealt, it really taught the company something in terms of innovation and what we can do when we’re [in] crisis," Honeywell's Adamcyzk says. "It’s too easy to just focus on the now and how do we get through now and next year—you also have to think about what will the business be like five years and 10 years from now."
Pandemic lessons
While execs note we're certainly not out of the woods yet, they have learned a lesson or two along the way.
For Synchrony's Keane, "the biggest lesson I’ve learned is you don’t need PowerPoint—you can make a decision and then get out of the way and let the best people do their job." Marriott's Sorenson agrees: "Delegate. Rely on your team. Particularly early, we faced decisions that had to be made quickly," he says. "We had to move faster, ... make a decision, make a decision even with imperfect information, adjust it later if you have to, but speed and delegation is really important. I think that's something we’ll hang on to as we go forward."
For Honeywell's Adamcyzk, the revelation is simple: Turn on your Zoom camera ("That actually creates a stronger bond with people," he says). "Connecting with people and over communicating is critically important in this time because people feel isolated."