【中英双语】八步搞掂新技能

当今商业世界中，不断获取新技能不再是“一门选修课”。“在快速变化、充满竞争的世界里，学习新技术的能力是取得成功的关键之一。你不可能是最聪明的，但必须要变得越来越聪明。” 动机心理学家、《成功人士必做九件事》（Single Nine Things Successful People Do Differently）一书的作者海蒂·霍尔沃森（Heidi Grant Halvorson）表示。约瑟夫·温特劳布（Joseph Weintraub），巴布森学院 （Babson College）管理与组织行为教授，《培养经理人：成为商界的顶级人才》（The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business）一书的合著者对此表示赞同，“我们需要持续地寻找自我提高的机会，开始时这会让你感到不舒服，但持续性的自我提高是成功的必要条件。”无论是使用社会化媒体，还是数据分析，我们如何才能掌握这些新的技能？问题的答案因人而异，因新技能而异，但我们仍可遵循一些普适性的规则： 

Mastering new skills is not optional in today’s business environment. “In a fast-moving, competitive world, being able to learn new skills is one of the keys to success. It’s not enough to be smart — you need to always be getting smarter,” says Heidi Grant Halvorson, a motivational psychologist and author of the HBR Single Nine Things Successful People Do Differently. Joseph Weintraub, a professor of management and organizational behavior at Babson College and coauthor of the book, The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business, agrees: “We need to constantly look for opportunities to stretch ourselves in ways that may not always feel comfortable at first. Continual improvement is necessary to get ahead.” Here are some principles to follow in your quest for self-improvement:

你准备好了吗？

Check your readiness

当你致力于掌握一项新技能或学习一项新能力时，你要先询问自己两个问题。

第一，你的目标是否是可实现的？“你能学到的技能总会有些客观限制，”温特劳布解释说，“例如，你想成为一个脑外科医生，但糟糕的手脑协调能力却不能满足这项技能的基本需求。”

When working on a new skill or competency, you need to ask yourself two things. First, is your goal attainable? “There are certain limits to what you can learn,” explains Weintraub. “For example, you may want to be a brain surgeon, but not have the eye-hand coordination required.”

第二，你能投入多少时间和精力？“这不像照方抓药。”温特劳布说。自我提高是个辛苦的工作。霍尔沃森表示，“很多人都想当然地认为，只有在工作中感到吃力时，我们才需要新的能力。这纯属谬论。”人们一定要意识到，学习一项新技能要更具自觉性。首先确定你的目标是可实现的，其次要做好辛苦工作的准备，这样你才有可能掌握新的技能。

Second, how much time and energy can you give to the project? “It’s not like going to the pharmacy and getting a prescription filled,” says Weintraub. Self-improvement is hard work. Halvorson agrees: “Many people implicitly believe that if you have to work hard at something, it means you lack ability. This is rubbish.” Instead, recognize that learning a new skill takes extreme commitment. Unless your goal is attainable and you’re prepared to work hard, you won’t get very far.

确定你所学的技能是必需的

Make sure it’s needed

温特劳布建议，你所学的技能必须和目前的职位或组织相关，两者兼顾则更佳。你可能非常乐于学习在公众前演讲的能力，但你的老板是否认为该技能有价值？除非这项技能对你的工作或职业发展有用，否则你所在的组织将不会为你提供相关培训，更不用奢望管理者的支持了。获得新技能是项投资，你要提前知道它会给你带来哪些回报。

Weintraub suggests you also make sure the skill is relevant to your career, your organization, or both. You may be jazzed up about learning how to speak in front of large audiences, but does your manager value that? Unless you absolutely need the skill for your job, or for a future position, it’s unlikely you’ll get money for training or support from your manager. Gaining a new skill is an investment and you need to know upfront what the return will be.

找到最佳学习方式

Know how you learn best

有些人是通过看图表或阅读获取更多的知识；有些人更愿意观看演示或听取已被验证的经验来提高自己；还有一些人需要亲身实践。霍尔沃森指出，你可以通过回顾过去找出理想的学习风格。“通过回顾以往，你可以分别列举有益的和无益的经验，”“有效的学习经验彼此间有何共通之处？无效的学习经验又有哪些共同点？”找出有益经验的共同点将有助于你找到最适合自己的学习环境。

Some learn best by looking at graphics or reading. Others would rather watch demonstrations or listen to things being explained. Still others need a “hands-on” experience. Halvorson says you can figure out your ideal learning style by looking back. “Reflect on some of your past learning experiences, and make a list of good ones and another list of bad ones,” she says. “What did the good, effective experiences have in common? How about the bad ones? Identifying common strands can help you determine the learning environment that works best for you.”

获得正确的帮助

Get the right help

从他人那里获得支持将极大地提高学习效果。你可以找一些已掌握你急需技能的人寻求帮助，而这些人不只局限于你的直属上级。

Eliciting support from others can greatly increase learning. Find someone you trust who has mastered the skill you’re trying to attain. And look beyond your immediate manager who has to evaluate you.

温特劳布建议，你应该问自己：“除了我的老板，组织中都有哪些人，会注意到我的改变并且愿意给我实在的回馈？”如果你不能在公司内部找到一个导师，那么就在整个行业或通过私人关系寻找。此外，“寻找老师时宁缺毋滥，如果组织内部有人有能力并愿意为你提供高质量的指导，那最好。如果内部没有，那就从外部寻求帮助，”霍尔沃森说。

Weintraub suggests you ask yourself: “Who in my organization, other than my boss, would notice my changes and give me honest feedback?” Then approach that person , If you can't find a mentor inside your company, look for people in your industry or from your network. “Ultimately, you want to go with the best teacher. If there is someone in your organization who is able and willing to provide quality mentoring, then great. If not, seek outside help,” says Halvorson.

从小处做起

Start small

选择新技能时会给人一种难以取舍的感觉，“不要尝试面面俱到，否则你将适得其反。”温特劳布说。相反，在一段时间内，集中选择一两个技能，并将之分解成可管理的目标。例如，如果你试图变得更加自信，你需要强迫自己尽可能多的在会议开始的前五分钟内发言。

Self-improvement can feel overwhelming. “You can’t take on everything. If you do, you’ll never do it,” says Weintraub. Instead, choose one or two skills to focus on at a time, and break that skill down into manageable goals. For example, if you’re trying to become more assertive, you might focus on speaking up more often in meetings by pushing yourself to talk within the first five minutes.

不断反省

Reflect along the way

从实验阶段到真正掌握技能，你需要不断反思正在学习的技能，否则新技能将不会持久。霍尔沃森和温特劳布都建议多和其他人讨论。“在学习的过程中，一定要经常和那些为你提供信息或情感支持的人分享你的学习目标。”霍尔沃森表示。“即使被询问者不知道最终答案，他们也能提供帮助，例如诚实地告诉你提高的幅度。” 温特劳布说。讨论你的学习进程有助于你得到有效的反馈，帮助你巩固学习中取得的成果。

To move from experimentation to mastery, you need to reflect on what you are learning. Otherwise the new skill won’t stick. Halvorson and Weintraub both suggest talking to others. “Always share your goals with those individuals who can provide informational or emotional support along the way,” says Halvorson. “Even if that person doesn’t have the answer, he can help you and keep you honest about how much you’re improving,” says Weintraub. Talking about your progress helps you get valuable feedback, keeps you accountable, and cements the change.

挑战自己，教会别人

Challenge yourself to teach it to others

学习新技能最快的方式之一，就是不断使用该技能并将其传授给他人。因此，你要和团队、管理者和同事分享你的新知识。你可以设定一个“分享”日来强迫自己，或者组织一场正式的培训活动。这样的方式能你的学习更有针对性和实际意义。

One of the quickest ways to learn something new, and to practice it, is to teach others how to do it. So share what you learn with your team, your manager, or your co-workers. You can force yourself to do it by putting a “teaching” date on your calendar or agreeing to lead a formal training session a few months down the road. With objectives like those, your learning will be much more focused and practical.

足够的耐心

Be patient

我们经常希望自己能够马上掌握一项新技能，但现实是，你需要花费很长的时间。掌握新技能不可能一蹴而就，这通常需要花费六个月甚至更长的时间。与此同时，别人将花费更长的时间来发现并评估你的新技能。“周围的人通常只会注意到你变化中的10%。” 温特劳布说。

“Too often, we approach a new skill with the attitude that we should nail it right out of the gate,” says Halvorson. The reality is that it takes much longer. “It’s not going to happen overnight. It usually takes six months or more to develop a new skill,” says Weintraub. And it may take longer for others to see and appreciate it. “People around you will only notice 10% of every 100% change you make,” he says.

如果以上规则让你难以记忆，只需遵循以下的原则，你的学习过程将会事半功倍：

Principles to Remember

要

Do:

选择一项所在组织和管理者都认可的新技能进行学习；

Select a skill that is valued by your organization and manager

将新技能分解成更小的、易于管理的任务和目标；

Divide the skill up into smaller, manageable tasks

及时反思你所学到的技能以及想达到的目标。

Reflect on what you’ve learned and what you still want to accomplish

不要

Don’t:

闭门造车——你需要寻求别人的指导和反馈；

Try to learn in a vacuum — ask others for guidance and feedback

偏听偏信——那些不负责评估你的人提供的意见也很重要，不能仅依赖管理者的意见；

Rely solely on your boss for advice — you may want to involve someone who isn’t responsible for evaluating you

操之过急——掌握新技能不可能一蹴而就，这至少需要花费六个月甚至更长的时间。

Assume it’s going to happen overnight — it usually takes at least six months to develop a new skill

腾跃/译    安健/校

艾米·加洛，《哈佛商业评论》特约撰稿人。