管理兵法：上前线去！

    我的职业生涯可以用小说《杀死一只知更鸟》（To Kill a Mockingbird）中的一句话来定义：“你永远无法真正理解一个人，除非你从他的角度考虑问题，除非你钻进他的身体，设身处地地想问题。”

    最初在宝洁公司（Proctor & Gamble），我明白了一个道理，如果你希望别人欣赏、购买你的产品与服务，必须从他们的角度来观察这个世界。这并不代表只要亲身使用产品就够了，而是要了解公司如何将一个概念变成有形的、适于销售的实物。许多人往往没想过要花时间去了解员工和团队成员在概念变成现实的过程中所扮演的角色。

    我们作为消费者曾经无数次听说、甚至亲身经历过产品与服务发布失败的情况。有些失败不可避免。但有些失败却让人不得不产生怀疑。

    比如露露柠檬（Lululemon）最近的透视瑜伽裤灾难就是一个例子。这个高端瑜伽服品牌去年宣布大规模召回，因为消费者投诉瑜伽裤的材料太过轻薄。虽然公司联合创始人其普•威尔森承认产品确实存在设计问题，但令人尴尬的是，他接下来竟然说出了这样的话：“……坦白说，一些女性的身材确实不适合（我们的瑜伽裤）。”他的话不仅毫无顾忌，而且让公司失去了大批客户，导致了一场公关危机。最终的结果是，威尔森下台，辞去了公司董事会主席的职务。

    而有意思的是，威尔森当初就是在参加瑜伽课之后受到了启发，才创建了露露柠檬。想象一下，如果威尔森还能像当初创建公司时一样，积极了解顾客，听取他们的直接反馈，结果会怎样？我想，肯定会跟今天的情形截然相反。

    笔者曾在多家公司担任高管，在每一个职位上，我都会花时间，到“一线”去了解和体验生活。这样做不仅能让我接触到更多有创意的方法和意外的成功，而且，坦白地说，这个过程非常有意思，更能给人启迪。

    我在肯德基（KFC International）和塔可钟（Taco Bell）工作期间在基层工作了几个礼拜。这种经历让我亲身体会到，总部一个“简单”的想法在现实世界中怎么就演变成了一场经营上的混战。营销者希望通过增加新产品来制造话题，这是他们的本能。但如果你是一名餐厅管理者，不得不应对越来越多的复杂状况，就很难始终如一提供出色的客户服务。我的心得是，菜单上每增加一项内容，同时就必须取消一项内容。之后我一直沿用这个原则。

    我在为税务服务供应商H&R Block公司工作期间，从去年八月份以来一直在参加专业税务人员培训课程，还在十一月份完成了期末考试。这些课程的难度超出了我的预期。有些课程比我在商学院的任何课程难度更高！虽然我负责在美国的所有零售业务，管理着10,000家办事处，包括1,750家加盟商，但我还是抽出时间，定期在晚上与其他心怀抱负的专业税务人员一起上课。我希望能参与其中，与其他人接受同样的培训。

    从员工的角度来体验这个世界，价值无法估量。我所学到的经验包括：

    • 现状核实 —— 一手经验可以让你更明智地决定公司如何出现在客户面前。这种个性化学习有助于处理一些关键的举措，比如培训和新产品上市等。团队组织项目的初衷与执行时的现实情况之间往往存在巨大的差距。有些情况靠报告根本没办法掌握。必须去亲身体验，亲自感受一个计划可行与否。

    • 信誉 —— 要在团队中提升自己的信誉，没有什么方法比“设身处地、换位思考”更好了。我在H&R Block与专业税务人员接触时从一名拥有MBA的“行政人员”，变成了“他们中的一员”。这样一来，他们就可以畅所欲言，针对我们共同为之奋斗的公司，向我提供诚实且实用的反馈。

    • 洞察力 —— 通过从员工和顾客的角度看待问题，你就能借此获得洞察力，从而让你能够提出更明智的问题，找到更好的答案，最终，与员工和客户建立起更密切的关系。而这会创造更多机会，用可靠有效的方式成功地对一款产品、一项服务或一个品牌进行创新和扩展。

    所以，每次接受新的职务，或面对新的商业挑战时，我都会记住从合作伙伴的立场来看待问题。这样做从来没有让我失望过，总是能给我带来意想不到的惊喜。（财富中文网）

    本文作者基普•奈特是H&R Block公司美国零售业务总裁。

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓

    What has defined much of my career is a line from the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird: "You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

    In my early days at Proctor & Gamble (PG), I was taught if you want people to appreciate and buy your products and services, you need to look at the world through their eyes. That doesn't mean just using products yourself. It means understanding the process of how your company takes a concept and transforms it into a tangible, marketable entity. What many people overlook is taking the time to understand the role employees and team members play in making those concepts come to life.

    There have been countless misfires in product and service launches we've all either read about or personally experienced as consumers. Some have been inevitable. Some, however, you have to wonder.

    Recall, Lululemon's recent see-through yoga pants debacle; the upscale yogawear brand last year issued a recall after receiving complaints that the material was too thin. Co-founder, Chip Wilson, acknowledged there was a design issue, but embarrassingly went on to say that "... quite frankly some women's bodies just actually don't work for (our pants)." His comments were not only insensitive, but they also alienated a significant customer base, created a public relations disaster and ultimately resulted in Wilson stepping down as chairman.

    What's interesting is that Wilson was inspired to create Lululemon (LULU) after attending yoga classes. Imagine if Wilson had applied the same motivation to learning more about whom all of his patrons were and to hearing firsthand their feedback as he did in developing his company? I suspect the outcome would have been vastly different.

    I have been an executive at several companies, and at each of these, I spent time learning about and experiencing life "in the trenches." Not only did it open my eyes to creative approaches and unforeseen successes, but quite frankly, it was fun and enlightening.

    At KFC International as well as Taco Bell (YUM), I worked the line for several weeks. This experience made me appreciate how a "simple" idea at HQ could turn into an operational mess in the real world. Marketers have a natural tendency to want to create news by adding new products. But if you're the restaurant manager having to deal with more and more complexity, it makes it that much tougher to deliver consistently great customer service. That led to a personal insight that for every new item that goes on a menu, something needs to come off. And I've applied that principle numerous times since.

    At H&R Block (HRB), I started taking classes last August to become a tax professional and finished my final exam in November. The classes were tougher than I expected. Some of the classes were harder than any class I took in business school! Even though I am responsible for all of the retail operations in the United States, 10,000 offices including 1,750 franchisees, I took the time to attend the regular classes at night with the other aspiring tax pros. I wanted to get the same training and to participate with everyone else.

    Experiencing the world through the eyes and feet of your employees is invaluable. The lessons that I learned included:

    • Reality Check - First-hand experience makes you smarter about how companies are really coming across to clients. This personal learning will enhance how you approach critical initiatives such as training and new product rollouts. There is often a huge gap between what was originally intended by the team that put these programs together vs. the reality of what it's like when implemented. This is something you can't read in a report. You've got to experience it in person and feel it in your gut on whether it's working or not.

    • Credibility - There is no better route to enhance your credibility with the people on your teams than "walking a mile in their shoes." With our Tax Pros at H&R Block, I went from just another "suit" with an MBA to being "one of them," which in turn freed them to give me honest and practical feedback on the business we were building together.

    • Insights - You ask smarter questions, get better answers, and in the end, stay better connected to employees and customers from the insights you gain by experiencing the world through their eyes. This creates more opportunity to successfully innovate and extend a product, a service, or a brand in ways that is credible and effective.

    So whenever I get into a new role or new business challenge, I remember the power of seeing the world through my business partner's eye. Without fail, I am always pleasantly surprised how powerful the results can be when you do this.

    Kip Knight is president of U.S. retail operations at H&R Block.