【中英双语】面对一线员工的恐惧与压力，老板应该做什么
Fear and Stress on the Job
食客在餐馆吵闹尖叫。游泳池的顾客拿着复印的设施使用规定。医院患者的家属大喊大叫、威胁要起诉。这些都是世界各地一线员工的真实经历——全都令人沮丧。 Screaming restaurant customers. Pool patrons carrying around copies of a facility’s rules. Families of hospital patients yelling and threatening to sue. These are all real-life examples of what frontline workers around the world have experienced — all of them disheartening. 《哈佛商业评论》英文版在询问读者工作中遇到的不文明行为时，得到了员工和管理者几十条详细答复，并在其中注意到一种脱节。老板说自己在努力保护团队，员工却表示没有得到足够的支持。当然，一些团队领导者会在短期内处理事件，赶走在餐厅大叫的食客、不理会死抠规定的人、安抚发怒的患者家属。然而他们并未对这种互动会给员工的工作表现和心理健康造成的长期伤害予以足够关注。很多员工还提到，他们并不觉得自己可以跟上司谈起不文明的顾客、患者或客户。还有一些员工说高层领导者似乎并不关心这些。 When HBR asked our readers about their experiences with incivility at work, we got dozens of detailed responses from both employees and managers and noticed a disconnect. While bosses said they work hard to protect their teams, the workers themselves reported not getting enough support. Sure, some team leaders handle incidents in the short term, expelling the restaurant diner, ignoring the rules stickler, and calming the patient’s family. But they don’t pay as much attention to the long-term toll these interactions take on employees’ job performance and mental health. Many employees also noted that they didn’t feel they could talk about uncivil customers, patients, or clients with their managers; others said their senior leaders seemed uncaring. 来看我们收到的几条评论： Consider just a few of the comments we received: “会让你觉得自己没有受到尊重，有时还会感到恐惧。” “It makes you feel disrespected and sometimes fearful.” “我没法再放松下来，我会立刻觉得所有肌肉都变得僵硬，好像身体进入了准备战斗的状态。我是靠试着控制呼吸恢复状态的。” “I can’t relax anymore, and I immediately feel all my muscles become hard, like my body is preparing to fight. I try to come back to normal by controlling my breath.” “会让人很有压力。我讨厌自己的工作，却不能辞职。” “It stresses you out. I hate my job, but I can’t afford to quit.” “我的上司没有能力解决这样的问题。我只能靠自己，淹没在焦虑中。” “My manager is not capable of solving such a problem. I’m left all on my own, drown[ing] in anxiety.” “管理者通常会同意患者的意见，因为他们不想把任何事情闹大。” “Managers usually agree with patients because they don’t want any drama to become bigger.” “公司领导层根本不关心别人受到了怎样的对待，所以他们很可能会告诉我们，忍着吧，好好赚钱。” “The corporate leadership doesn’t give a crap about how anyone is treated, so they are likely to tell us just to suck it up and get the revenue.” 然而，回应我们问卷调查的管理者却似乎更了解一线员工面对的问题——部分原因在于这些管理者也曾遭遇过不文明行为。管理者们设计了具体的解决方案来化解和消除压力，其他团队领导者可以学习并利用起来。 However, the managers who responded to our survey seemed to have a better understanding of what their frontline workers are dealing with — in part because they have
also
been on the receiving end of incivility. Managers have crafted specific solutions to defuse and destress that other team leaders can learn from and implement. 首先，看到员工与顾客起冲突时，管理者会支持员工。其次他们鼓励开放式沟通，这样员工就可以放心地汇报问题。最后，有应对事件的流程。我们会分享一些管理者分享的策略（文字已经过编辑），不过要注意，几乎所有参与调查的员工和管理者都要求匿名，正说明了坦率谈论所在组织服务对象的不良行为有多困难。 First, when witnessing a confrontation, managers back up their employees. Second, they encourage open communication so people feel comfortable reporting problems. Finally, they have procedures for responding to incidents. We’re highlighting some of the strategies that managers shared with us (the comments have been lightly edited), although we should note that nearly all survey respondents — workers and managers — requested anonymity, revealing just how difficult it is to talk candidly about bad behavior on the part of the people your organization serves.
关于为员工出头
On Standing Up for Staff
“我会私下跟行为不良的客户沟通，这样不会造成尴尬局面，但要在可接受和不可接受的行为间划定明确界限。” “I will speak to a poorly behaving client privately so that I don’t create an embarrassing situation but clearly draw the boundary for acceptable and unacceptable behavior.” “我会尽快平息对方的怒气，让他们离开。如果对方是性别歧视和种族主义者等，我会将我们反对这类行为的政策告诉他们，请他们离开。有时不得不威胁说要报警，不过这种情况非常少见。” “I try to defuse the angry person quickly and get them out of the store. If they are sexist, racist, etc., I advise them of our policy against this behavior and ask them to leave. Sometimes you have to threaten to call the police, but that’s very rare.” “我百分百支持一线员工。我会向对方解释，是他们自己的行为造成了后续事件。他们经常会试图把责任推到我们或员工身上。我从不允许这样的事情发生。” “I back the frontline workers 100%. I explain to the person that their actions have created the consequences. They often try to blame it on us or staff. I never allow that.” “我们在工作中实行零容忍政策，我永远支持我的团队。” “We exercise a zero-tolerance policy at work, and I always support my team.” “我通常会介入并尝试调解。我要让员工知道他们不能受到恶劣对待，而且他们可以要求任何人离开我们的经营场所。” “I typically step in and try to mediate. I let my staff know they are not to be mistreated and that they can ask anyone to leave the premises.”
关于保持开放式沟通
On Maintaining Open Communication
“他们让我注意到了与顾客间的问题。有时我们会从这些互动中了解到我们需要改变政策，或者转变方向。” “They bring problems with customers to my attention. Sometimes we learn that we need to change a policy or pivot from these interactions.” “我会先让员工冷静下来，然后找出问题所在。” “I start by calming the employee down. After that, I find out what the problem was.” “我有一项开放性政策。我会为团队提供时间，让他们反思和思考应对棘手情况的不同方法。根据具体情况，公司可以提供咨询和员工关怀服务。患者的安全至高无上，但员工的人身和心理安全也至关重要。” “I have an open-door policy. I provide my team with time to reflect and consider different ways of handling difficult situations. Depending on the situation, counseling and staff care services are available. Patient safety is paramount; however, the personal and psychological safety of staff is essential.” “职位较低的人会觉得自己不能发声，不然就会被贴上‘太敏感’或‘在惹麻烦’的标签。我会说，‘如果你注意到什么，就直说出来。’” “Those who are in lower positions feel like they can’t speak up [or they will be] judged for being too sensitive or causing hassle. I say, ‘If you notice something, say something.’” “我会告诉员工要站出来。和我们保持沟通。永远不要让别人给你压力，让你没有安全感。碰到不良行为就说出来。” “I tell my staff to always come forward. Always tell us. Never allow others to pressure you and [make you] feel unsafe. Call out bad behavior.”
关于后续措施
On Following Up
“我会倾听他们的意见，询问导致这种状况的原因，了解他们的感受和应对方式，并让他们知道我跟他们站在一起。我也会与另一方交谈，听取他们的观点。我通常会试着让双方聚在一起解决这个问题。如果是恶劣的违规行为，我会请员工同意人力资源部门的介入。” “I approach and listen to them, ask what led up to the situation, how they feel about it, how they handled it, and let them know that I am in their corner. I also talk to the other person to listen to their point of view. I usually try to get the parties together and work through the issue. If it’s an egregious violation, I ask the employee’s permission to involve HR.” “我会记下联系方式，发送后续跟进邮件。” “I collect contact information and send follow-up emails.” “完整记录下情况，填写事件表格，并在每周治理会议和每日安全简报上进行讨论。我会始终保证跟进员工或团队情况，帮助他们处理创伤性局面。高管层会讨论特定情况并制定行动计划，以减少员工的额外风险。” “The situation is fully documented and an incident form is discussed at weekly governance and daily safety brief huddles. I always ensure there is follow-up with the employee or team and help them manage traumatic situations. Certain situations will be discussed at the senior level, with action plans put in place to reduce or mitigate additional risk to employees.”
将三种策略付诸实施
Putting All Three Tactics to Work
管理者们描述的三种策略——当下干预、鼓励坦诚，以及设置应对不文明行为的流程，都能为面对困境的一线员工赋权，也是为了良好地经营。 The three tactics the managers described — intervening in the moment, encouraging candor, and having a process for responding to incivility — all empower frontline workers in difficult positions. But these strategies are also about doing good business. 因为正如一位一线员工的解释，“为员工着想，他们就会更努力地为你工作。” As one frontline worker explained, “Look out for your staff, and they will work harder for you.” 劳拉·阿米克是《哈佛商业评论》英文版高级编辑。 劳拉·阿米克（Laura Amico) | 文 蒋荟蓉 | 译 时青靖 | 校 孙燕 | 编辑
