2023年经济学人 拥有职场导师的重要性

Business

商业版块

Bartleby

巴托比专栏

The mentor¹ in you

你心中的导师

The joys of corporate² confidantes.

在公司拥有密友的喜悦。

Gandalf from “The Lord of the Rings”, Yoda in “Star Wars” or M in Ian Fleming’s early James Bond novels all act as mentors³, providing sage⁴ advice and guidance to the less worldly-wise.

《指环王》中的甘道夫、《星球大战》中的尤达或伊恩·弗莱明早期詹姆斯·邦德小说中的M都扮演着导师的角色，为不那么懂世故的人提供明智的建议和指导。

In real life, as in fiction, the value of imparting wisdom gained through experience and age (Yoda is 900 years old, Gandalf is in his 1,000s) is becoming ever more important.

在现实生活中，就像在小说中一样，把经验和岁月(尤达900岁，甘道夫1000多岁)带来的智慧传授给他人也变得越来越重要。

It is in a company’s interest to keep its employees happy and loyal even if the jobs-market upheavals⁵ of the pandemic-induced “great resignation” are fizzling out.

即使疫情引发的“大离职”这一就业市场动荡正逐渐平静下来，让员工保持快乐且忠诚仍然符合公司的利益。

A good mentoring⁶ scheme can serve this purpose.

一个好的指导计划可以达到这一目的。

Workplace mentoring has long been an informal affair, disguised as a chat by the coffee machine or a trip to a bar with a longer-serving and more senior colleague.

长期以来，职场指导一直是一种非正式的活动，比如在咖啡机前聊聊天，或者与工龄更长、级别更高的同事一起去酒吧。

Even the most successful find having a receptive ear a useful addition to the corporate armoury.

即使是最成功的人也会发现，有一只善于倾听的耳朵相当于给公司添置了一件有用的武器。

For over 30 years Bill Gates has turned to another billionaire, Warren Buffett, for advice.

30多年来，比尔·盖茨一直向另一位亿万富翁沃伦·巴菲特寻求建议。

Peter Thiel, another tech baron⁷, credits René Girard, a French polymath and part-time philosopher, as one of his greatest inspirations.

另一位科技大亨彼得·蒂尔认为，法国博学者兼哲学家勒内·基拉尔是他最大的灵感来源之一。

In recent years businesses have sought to formalise an arrangement with the obvious rewards of nurturing⁸ a sense of connection and loyalty⁹, and helping¹⁰ the transfer and development of skills.

近年来，企业在力图将一项安排正式化，其明显的回报是培养一种联接感和忠诚感，并帮助迁移和发展技能。

The aim is to support staff and boost their confidence by sharing knowledge and experience.

目的是通过分享知识和经验来支持员工并增强他们的信心。

At their best, when there is genuine rapport¹¹ between mentor and mentored¹², such arrangements can help the latter to come up with new ideas and help them cope with problems.

在最佳情况下，当导师和被指导的人之间存在真正融洽的关系时，这样的安排可以帮助后者提出新想法，并帮助他们应对问题。

So how do firms build the best mentoring schemes?

那么，公司如何构建最佳的指导计划呢？

For them to work, some degree of chemistry is essential, as is a high regard for the person whose advice is being sought, irrespective of age gaps and backgrounds.

要想计划生效，一定程度的化学反应必不可少，同样重要的是对提供建议的人怀有敬重，无论其年龄差距和背景如何。

Maurizio Orlacchio, a former manager for Four Seasons, a hotels chain, credited his career to his relationship with his mentor, an older executive who taught him how to motivate his employees—and himself.

连锁酒店四季酒店的前经理莫里齐奥·奥拉奇奥将自己的职业生涯归功于他与导师的关系，他的导师是一位年长的高管，教会了他如何激励员工，以及如何激励他自己。

Schemes should be self-managed with the junior party taking the lead in arranging discussions which are always confidential¹³.

指导计划应该自主进行，由受指导的一方主动安排讨论，且讨论应该是私密的。

It is best to let employees choose the person with whom they would most like to discuss their career trajectory¹⁴, no matter their position on the corporate ladder.

最好让员工选择他们最愿意和谁讨论职业发展轨迹，无论他们在公司的职位是高是低。

Requested mentors can be flattered but still decline.

被邀请的导师可能会在深感荣幸之时仍然拒绝。

If you want to become a valued mentor, do not start by offering unsolicited advice.

如果你想成为一名有价值的导师，不要一开始就在对方没开口的情况下主动给建议。

If you’re being mentored, do not look for solutions to personal problems (failing romantic relationships, dandruff) or ask for bail¹⁵ money.

如果你正在接受指导，不要寻找关于个人问题的解决方案(比如失恋和头皮屑)，也不要让导师给你交保释金。

But anything else work-related should be open for discussion.

但任何与工作相关的事情都应该讨论。

“I’m feeling wobbly, this is all too much to take in” is as legitimate¹⁶ as chatting about your long-term career prospects¹⁷.

“我感觉不太确定，有点理解不了这么多东西”，这种话和你的长期职业前景一样都是合适的话题。

Firms are increasingly recognising the importance of face time with helpful colleagues.

公司越来越认识到与有助益的同事进行面对面交流的重要性。

Nicholas Bloom at Stanford University, using data from hundreds of organisations since the onset¹⁸ of the pandemic, found that the mentoring of recent hires was a key reason to bring employees into the workplace two or three days a week.

斯坦福大学的尼古拉斯·布鲁姆使用了自疫情爆发以来数百家组织的数据，发现对新员工的指导是让员工每周来办公室两到三天的关键原因。

David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, has echoed this in his push for a full return to the office.

高盛的CEO大卫·所罗门在推动全面重返办公室时也重申了这一点。

Despite Goldman’s efforts, working from home has become a post-pandemic fixture¹⁹.

尽管高盛做出了努力，但居家办公已经成为后疫情时代的固定做法。

So virtual mentoring also still has a role.

因此，线上指导也仍然发挥着作用。

As with any online relationship, trust and rapport take longer to build.

与任何线上关系一样，指导双方的信任和融洽关系也需要更长的时间来建立。

No matter how clearly boundaries are set, there are inevitable²⁰ glimpses of personal spaces when sessions take place on Zoom²¹ with cameras on.

无论设置了多么明确的边界，当打开摄像头，在Zoom上进行会议时，不可避免地会让别人瞥见自己的私人空间。

Bartleby recommends looking reasonably smart and refraining from getting a beer from the fridge.

笔者建议让自己看起来得体干练，忍住起身从冰箱里拿啤酒的愿望。

What seems natural when meeting face-to-face does not always translate well online.

面对面会谈时看起来很自然的事情，在网上并不一定是自然的。

Reverse mentoring is also in fashion.

反向指导也很流行。

Matching a junior employee with an executive whose understanding of diversity and other generational divides may need a refresher course could have benefits.

将初级员工与高管搭配，高管对多样性和其他代际差异的理解可能也需要进修一下，这时反向指导可能会带来好处。

There is room to debate how much a seasoned chief financial officer will learn from a millennial²² but the best mentoring relationships are always a two-way street.

一位经验丰富的首席财务官能从一个80后或90后身上学到多少东西，这个问题仍有待商榷，但最好的指导关系永远是双向的。

Whether it is lunch, drinks or a chat in the car park, mentoring’s benefits are undeniable if it fosters a friendlier culture, staff retention²³ and development of talented employees.

无论是吃午餐、喝东西还是在停车场聊天，如果能形成更友好的文化、留住员工和培养有才华的员工，那么指导的好处就是不可否认的。

Think of Yoda’s serene²⁴ demeanour and galactic wisdom rather than his enigmatic speech patterns.

想想尤达平和的风度和浩如银河的智慧，而不是他神秘莫测的说话方式。

The idea is to find, if not a Jedi master, then at least someone to talk to whenever you feel stuck in your job.

关键是就算不能找到一位绝地大师，至少也能找到这样一个人，当你感到在工作中陷入困境时，可以向之倾诉。

Sometimes sharing a coffee can be just as powerful as wielding²⁵ a lightsabre.

有时，一起喝杯咖啡的力量就像挥舞光剑一样强大。

1 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

4 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

5 upheavals   

突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起

参考例句：

• the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
• These political upheavals might well destroy the whole framework of society. 这些政治动乱很可能会破坏整个社会结构。

6 mentoring   

n.mentoring是一种工作关系。mentor通常是处在比mentee更高工作职位上的有影响力的人。他/她有比‘mentee’更丰富的工作经验和知识，并用心支持mentee的职业（发展）。v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• One of the most effective instruments for coaching and mentoring is the "role rehearsal" . 辅导和教学的最有效的手段之一是“角色排练。” 来自辞典例句
• Bell Canada called their mentoring system a buddy-buddy system. 加拿大贝尔公司称他们的训导系统是伙伴—伙伴系统。 来自互联网

7 baron   

n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王

参考例句：

• Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
• The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。

8 nurturing   

养育( nurture的现在分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

9 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 rapport   

n.和睦，意见一致

参考例句：

• She has an excellent rapport with her staff.她跟她职员的关系非常融洽。
• We developed a high degree of trust and a considerable personal rapport.我们发展了高度的互相信任和不错的私人融洽关系。

12 mentored   

v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They had a fantastic dean who really mentored a lot of people. 那儿的教务长非常出色，的确为许多人提供了指导。 来自互联网
• The famous professor mentored him during his years in graduate school. 那位著名的教授在他读研究生期间指导他。 来自互联网

13 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

14 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。

15 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

16 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

17 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

18 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

19 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

20 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

21 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

22 millennial   

一千年的，千福年的

参考例句：

• Both Russia and America looked to the future to fulfill their millennial expectations. 俄国和美国都把实现他们黄金时代的希望寄托于未来。
• The millennial generation is celebrating the global commons every day, apparently unmindful of Hardin's warning. 千禧一代显然对哈丁的警告不以为然，每天都在颂扬全球“公地”。

23 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

24 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

25 wielding   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The rebels were wielding sticks of dynamite. 叛乱分子舞动着棒状炸药。
• He is wielding a knife. 他在挥舞着一把刀。