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Strategic Recalibration: Getting Business Back On Track in Tough Times 调整策略重新出发：企业起死回生的秘诀

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

When some companies experience a setback, they attempt to fix the problem with a knee-jerk reaction, often a massive downsizing. Far-sighted leaders, however, consider more effective, long-term approaches. Consider the following success story:

当有些公司碰到阻碍时，处理问题的方式倾向于直觉式反应，常常用大规模裁员的办法。不过，有远见的领导人会思索比较有效、而影响深长的手段。不妨参考下列这一则成功的故事：

In March 2000, U.S.-based Cisco Systems was America’s most valuable company, worth $531 billion. When the company experienced a serious decline in sales in the winter of 2000, CEO John Chambers – rather than simply searching for deadwood to eliminate – chose instead to put Cisco’s house in order by implementing a strategic re-calibration.

在2003年3月时，美国公司思科系统是全美最值钱的公司，价值5310亿美元，公司执行长约翰钱伯斯──不但没有只找冗员开刀，进行裁员──反而选择调整策略重新出发，让整个思科系统的企业起死回生，重新步上轨道。

According to business guru Amir Hartman, “a significant part of strategic recalibration is knowing when to seek growth. Not all growth is good.” Cisco Systems followed this advice by getting back to basic and limiting their business goals. Instead of aggressively pursuing new market opportunities and acquisitions, management focused on growth in earnings rather than in revenues. In addition, Chambers eliminated underperforming investments and overhauled Cisco’s personnel practices to ensure that the best talent was hired.

根据有名企业大师安默哈特曼所述：「策略重整再出发重要的一环是必须晓得什么时候寻求成长，不是所有的成长都带来益处。」思科系统公司遵循这番建议选择回归公司本业，而将业务目标的扩张加以规范，不再过度躁进追求开拓新市场的商机和进行并购，管理层面也将重点放在增加获利而不是增加营收。再者，钱伯斯淘汰绩效不彰的投资项目，并把思科的人事措施大加整顿，以确保精英入列。

By the end of 2002, Cisco’s revenues had dropped about 15%, but its earning had nearly doubled from $1 billion in 2001 to $1.9 billion in 2002! That surge in earnings continued into 2003, indicating that Cisco had bounced back stronger than before!

时至2002年底，思科的营收下降了大约百分之十五，但是获利却几乎增加一倍，由2001年的10亿美元增长为2002年的19亿美元！这样的获利成长一直持续到2003年，显示思科公司的营运不但回归正轨，而且比以前更强健！

Vocabulary

单词发音

recalibration [rɪ͵kælɪˋbreʃən] n. 重新校准

calibration [͵kælɪˋbreʃən] n. 校准，标准化

setback [ˋsɛt͵bæk] n. 挫折；失败

knee-jerk 直觉的；不经思考的

downsize [ˋdaʊnˋsaɪz] v. 裁减（员工）人数

approach [əˋprotʃ] n. 方法

deadwood [ˋdɛd͵wʊd] n. 无用的人（物）

house [haʊs] n.（从事某种生意的）公司

guru [ˋgʊru] n.【非正式】专家﹐权威

acquisition [͵ækwəˋzɪʃən] n. 收购

revenue [ˋrɛvə͵nju] n. 收入，收益

overhaul [͵ovɚˋhɔl] n. 全面检查

surge [sɝdʒ] n. 激增

Sentence of the Day

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

当情况变得困难不顺利时，厉害的人能让事情运转顺畅。

going [ˋgoɪŋ] n. 进行情况，进展

课文讲解

Harvey and Betty, corporate middle managers, are discussing upcoming employee evaluations in a meeting:  哈维和贝蒂是公司的中阶经理人员，两人正在讨论即将举行的员工考绩会议：

B: “Lean and Keen”

「要精简，要灵活。」

H: Yep. Whatever else one might say, the CEO has stuck pretty consistently to his new corporate catchphrase.

是的，不管别人怎么说，执行长相当坚持推动他的公司新标语。

B: He has. It doesn’t make our evaluations next week any easier, though.

他的确如此。不过，这样做并没有让我们下周打考绩变得容易。

H: Sure. But at least the CEO has made the process more transparent. I used to work for a company whose evaluations were horrible. Mostly, they reflected the biases of the evaluator and were chockablock with qualitative impressions like “Seems to have a negative attitude.”

当然。但是执行长至少已经让考绩的过程透明化。我以前工作的某家公司打考绩才真是恐怖。大多是反应打考绩者的偏见，而且充满尽是描述性质的印象语汇，像是「工作态度似偏负面」这类。

B: Well, we know what our departments are being evaluated on exactly, namely, the percentage reduction of our operating costs and our return-on-investments in the last two quarters.

还好我们清楚自己的部门接受评估的项目，像是业务运作成本下降的百分比和上两季的投资报酬率。

H: Mmm …. quantifiable measurements don’t mislead. And, hey, the CEO himself is subject to a quantitative evaluation before the board of directors.

嗯…用量化的方式评估，才不会误导。再说，嘿，执行长自己也会被董事会量化评估啊。

B: So that’s the “Lean” part, but what about “Keen”? Basically, he’s using a carrot and stick approach. But where’s the carrot?

所以啊，这是「精简」，但是「灵活」呢？基本上他采用惩罚与鼓励的方式。但是作为鼓励的红萝卜呢，却没见到在哪儿？

H: Don’t forget that the vice-president for operations is retiring next year. The CEO’s promised recruit from inside the company for that position.

别忘了营运副总裁明年退休。执行长已经答应那个缺会从公司的内部擢升。

B: True. And he promised cash bonuses based on increased revenues.

是的。而且他还答应会根据公司增加的营收来发放现红利。

H: Well, he’s been as good as his word so far.

至少到目前为止，他的话都兑现了。

－by Iain Ferguson

Vocabulary

单词发音

upcoming [ˋʌp͵kʌmɪŋ] adj. 即将来临的

evaluation [ɪ͵væljʊˋeʃən] n. 评估﹐评价; 评估报告

keen [kin] adj. 敏锐的，敏捷的; 渴望的，极想的

catchphrase [ˋkætʃ͵frez] n.〔演员或政客常用的〕时髦话﹐流行的词句

evaluator 打考绩者

chockablock [ˋtʃɑkəˋblɑk] adj. 塞得满满的

qualitative [ˋkwɑlə͵tetɪv] adj. 质的；性质上的

namely [ˋnemlɪ] adv. 即，那就是

return-on-investments  投资回报（财经）

quantifiable [ˋkwɑntə͵faɪəb!] adj. 可以计量的

mislead [mɪsˋlid] v. 将…引入歧途﹐误导

board of directors 董事会

carrot and stick 胡萝卜加大棒; 软硬兼施; 威逼利诱

recruit [rɪˋkrut] v. 征募（新兵）；吸收（新成员）

as good as one’s word 守信  faithful to a promise

Sentence of the Day

The CEO is trying to bring his company into a good working order.

执行长想让他的公司工作情况上轨道。