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Business
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Bartleby
巴托比專欄
CEO whisperers
CEO的耳邊人
Executive coaching is useful therapy that you can expense.
高管教練是一種可以為之花錢的有用療法。
In a documentary from 2004, “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”, members of the titular heavy-metal band hire a “performance-enhancement coach” to help them resolve their disagreements.
在2004年的一部紀錄片《金屬樂隊：某種怪獸》中，重金屬樂隊“金屬樂隊”的成員聘請了一位“表演提升教練”來幫助他們解決分歧。
The musicians cannot stand him and end up bonding over their decision to get rid of him.
但這些音樂人無法忍受他，最終他們團結一心，決定把他趕走。
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銀工作多年的前銀行家聘請了一位教練來討論他的下一步行動，他上了6節為期40分鐘的課程，花了近8000美元，從中獲得的寶貴智慧就是他應該尋找一個“會因為他的經驗而給他報酬”的職位。
It is tempting to paint executive coaching as one more status symbol inflating a sense of high-powered managers’ already-ample sense of self-importance.
人們很容易將高管教練描繪成又一種身份象征，只是讓手握大權的經理們本已充足的自負心更加膨脹。
Yet the practice—which combines management advice with therapy—does not have to be an expensive exercise in platitudes.
然而，這種做法--將管理建議與治療相結合--并不一定是一種價格高昂且充滿了陳詞濫調的訓練。
Few executives remain static in their careers, and many need guidance at moments of transition, when relying on an internal monologue is not enough.
很少有高管的職業生涯是一直靜止不變的，許多高管在轉型時刻需要指導，這時僅依靠內心獨白是不夠的。
The covid-19 pandemic, which heightened the anxiety felt by high-performers, increased the need for skilled coaching.
新冠肺炎加劇了高能力者的焦慮，從而增加了對專業教練的需求。
A study from 2019 by Angel Advisors, a professional training service, found that coaching in America is now a $2bn industry—large for what might seem like a niche business.
職業培訓服務機構“天使顧問”在2019年進行的一項研究發現，如今美國的教練行業規模已達20億美元，對于這一看似小眾的行業而言，這種規模不算小。
The existence of such demand strongly suggests that professional grooming has its uses.
這種需求的存在有力地表明，職業培訓有其用處。
Many executives, especially CEOs, find it difficult to discuss the challenges they face.
許多高管，尤其是CEO，發現很難討論他們面臨的挑戰。
Hierarchy makes it tricky to share problems with employees as it can undermine the boss’s authority.
等級制度使得他們不方便把問題向員工訴說，因為這樣做可能會破壞老板的權威。
At the same time, confidentiality forbids executives from discussing company problems with random outsiders.
同時，保密規定禁止高管與外部人士隨意討論公司問題。
Robert Pickering, former boss of Cazenove, an investment bank since swallowed by JPMorgan Chase, wrote about his experience in his memoir, “Blue Blood”.
羅伯特·皮克林曾是嘉誠投資銀行的老板，后來嘉誠被摩根大通吞并，他在回憶錄《藍血》中描述了他的經歷。
“Running a firm is largely command and control, and there are very few insiders with whom you can share gripes and frustrations,” he explains.
“經營一家公司在很大程度上是指揮和控制，在公司內部沒有多少人可以聽你訴說你的抱怨和挫折。”他解釋道。
Working with a coach helped him develop coping strategies, as well as command the boardroom.
與教練的合作不僅讓他能指揮董事會，也幫助他制定了應對策略。
Coaches can understand the executive mindset better if they were once executives themselves.
如果教練自己曾經是高管，那么他們可以更好地理解高管的思維模式。
Herminia Ibarra of London Business School notes that many professionals with industry expertise and people skills eventually tire of operational roles.
倫敦商學院的埃米尼亞·伊巴拉指出，許多擁有行業專業知識和人際交往技能的職業人士最終會厭倦運營型角色。
Some find coaching to be a meaningful second act.
一些人認為提供教練指導是一種有意義的第二事業。
Take Ana Lueneburger, who left the corporate world to coach company founders and the C-suite.
比如安娜·盧恩伯格，她離開了企業界后，轉而為公司創始人和高管提供培訓。
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.
她與一位客戶合著了《未經過濾：CEO和他的教練》一書，書中概述了她的策略，即主要關注將優勢最大化，而不是修復劣勢。
Your columnist, a guest Bartleby, decided to consider her own game plan by going to a private club in Mayfair for an ad hoc coaching session with Ms Lueneburger.
您的巴托比專欄客座作家決定考慮一下她自己的行動計劃，于是去了倫敦梅菲爾區的一家私人俱樂部，與盧恩伯格女士進行了一次專門的教練會議。
Preparation consisted of filling extensive questionnaires, including the Hogan Leadership Forecast (a psychometric assessment of “derailers and personality-based performance risks”, since you ask).
準備工作包括填寫大量問卷，其中有霍根領導力測評(順便解釋一下，這是一種對“行為異常者和基于性格的業績風險”的心理測試評估)。
The coach customarily asks the client to describe impediments to happiness and development (from difficult peer relationships and a tough inner critic to withered motivation and drive).
教練通常要求客戶描述阻礙他們獲得幸福和發展的事情(從困難的同儕關系和嚴苛的內心批評，到動力和內驅力枯竭)。
Given the time constraints, Bartleby discussed a personal issue which troubles her at work.
由于時間有限，本文作者討論了在工作中困擾她的一個私人問題。
Two hours sipping tea and sparkling water passed in a flash and then the session was over.
喝著茶和蘇打水，兩個小時一晃就過去了，然后會議結束了。
Coaching is not a scientific operation, jargon du jour notwithstanding.
盡管有一些時髦的術語，但教練不是一種科學的操作。
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繞到最后還是讓你走出舒適區做出360度大轉變的話語，你最終得到的確實是一個憑直覺的、合作的過程，這一過程成功與否取決于教練和客戶之間的化學反應。
Ms Lueneburger neither appealed to the siren song of self-care nor merely told Bartleby what she wanted to hear.
盧恩伯格女士既沒有訴諸自我關懷這一誘人的概念，也不是僅僅對本文作者說一些她想聽到的東西。
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，她改變了看待問題的角度，大多數客戶要憑自己做到這一點并不容易，因為其中許多人在工作和其他方面都是開啟自動駕駛模式。
According to the VIA character questionnaire (filled out alongside the Hogan), Bartleby scores poorly in leadership but highly in speaking the truth.
根據VIA性格問卷(與霍根測評一起填寫的)，本文作者在領導力方面得分較低，但在實話實說方面得分很高。
With these new credentials, her message is: if you are a member of a C-suite, get yourself a coach.
描述了這些新的經歷，本文作者想傳達的信息是：如果你是一名高管，可以給自己找一位教練。
It does not have to revolve around a crisis or a fork in your career path.
咨詢內容不一定要圍繞某場危機或職業道路上的岔路口。
At its best, it can illuminate snags executives face.
在最好的情況下，咨詢可以揭示高管們面臨的潛在障礙。
The worst that can happen is spending time with a well-meaning, and typically intelligent, interlocutor, who can help consolidate common sense.
就算是最糟糕的情況，也不過是和一位善意的，而且通常是有才智的對話者一起度過一段時間，這位對話者可以幫你鞏固常識。
If you can put the fee on your expense account, what’s not to like?
如果能把談話的費用記在公費支出賬戶上，何樂而不為呢？
