【中英双语】谁来领导数字化转型？

Is Your C-Suite Equipped to Lead a Digital Transformation?

新冠疫情大大提升了各行各业技术采用的速度。根据一项调查，77%的CEO报称，疫情加速了他们公司的数字化转型计划，正如微软CEO萨蒂亚·纳德拉（Satya Nadella）在危机初期所指出的：“我们在两个月内完成了原本需要两年时间的数字化转型。” Twilio公司开展的一项研究发现，新冠疫情让企业的数字通信战略平均提速了6年。 The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated technology adoption across all industries. According to one survey, 77% of CEOs reported that the pandemic sped up their companies’ digital transformation plans, and as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted in the early days of the crisis

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“We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.” A study conducted by Twilio found that Covid-19 accelerated companies’ digital communications strategies by an average of six years. 从历史上看，数字化转型努力的成功率低得可怜。许多企业急切地增加人员和预算，聘请了有才华的工程师团队、数据科学家团队和网络安全专家团队。 Historically, success rates for digital transformation efforts are dismally low. Many organizations rush to boost headcount and budget, hiring teams of talented engineers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts. 然而，要想真正取得成功，转型还需要在最高层进行——要制定战略和分配资源的人来参与。以达美乐（Domino’s）为例。身处一个成熟且竞争激烈的行业，该公司的股价从2008年的3美元涨至2020年433美元的高位，原因在于一个相互协调的、深谙数字化知识的高层管理团队制定了一项战略，利用数字驱动的实验和决策来重新设计配送路线系统，将订购系统整合到各种平台（包括短信和智能电视），并对公司的每一个方面进行现代化。 But to truly succeed transformation also needs to happen at the very top – with the individuals who set strategy and allocate resources. Take Domino’s, for example. In a mature and competitive industry, the company moved its stock price from $3 in 2008 to a high of $433 in 2020 because an integrated, digitally savvy top management team created a strategy that used data-driven experiments and decisions to redesign delivery routing systems, integrate ordering systems into a myriad of platforms (including text and smart TVs), and modernize every facet of the company. 依我们的经验来看，长久以来，遴选高管的程序和标准都出了名地难以改变。对任何高管而言，财经素养是最基本的资格条件；我们同样需要考虑科技和数字素养。这些曾经属于有就不错的能力现在变成了必须拥有的东西：企业绝不可任用一名将云技术讨论与闲聊天气混为一谈的高管。 In our experience, long-held processes and norms for selecting top executives are notoriously slow to change. Financial literacy is a baseline qualification for any top executive; we need to think about technological and digital literacy in the same way. These capabilities that used to be nice-to-haves are now must-haves: Companies can’t afford to have an executive who might confuse discussions about the cloud with small talk about the weather. 今天的高层团队是否具备着手进行真正的数字化转型的能力？为回答这一问题，我们对各行各业中《财富》1000强企业最高管理职位的100多项物色指标进行了分析。（这些指标项目发布于2016年1月至2020年6月之间。以下是关于这种方法的更多信息。） Do today’s top teams have the skills to undertake a true digital transformation? To answer this question, we conducted an analysis of more than 100 search specifications for C-suite positions in Fortune 1000 companies across a broad range of industries. (These listings were posted between January 2016 and June 2020. More on the methodology below.) 我们发现，对技术和数字专长的物色早在疫情之前就呈上升之势：59%的人才物色包括技术以及/或者数字专长。（技术是一个广义的词汇，通常包括技术工艺、技能、系统、流程、硬件和软件。数字可视为技术之下的分支，通常指的是无形资产而非实物资产。） We found that the search for tech and digital expertise has been on the rise since well before the pandemic: 59% of the searches included technological and/or digital expertise. (Tech is a broad term that typically encompasses technological techniques, skills, systems, processes, hardware, and software. Digital can be thought of as a subset of technology, typically referring to intangibles rather than physical assets.) 企业在各种各样的职位上谋求这些能力，说明许多公司在疫情之前就已经为关键的领导职位找到了合适的人选，但在物色技术和数字专长的过程中，某些工作岗位被忽视了。不出所料，在我们对首席信息官、首席营销官和首席技术官所分析的指标中，100%都要求技术以及/或者数字能力，可是在首席人力资源官和首席会计官的任职指标中，提及这些能力的还不到三分之一。居于其中的——40%-60%——则是对CEO、董事会董事和首席财务官等职位的人才物色。 Companies sought these skills across a wide variety of roles, suggesting that many had already filled key leadership roles with the right people ahead of the pandemic, but some job roles were neglected in the search for technological and digital expertise. Not surprisingly, 100% of the specs we analyzed for chief information officers, chief marketing officers, and chief technology officers sought technological and/or digital skills. But fewer than a third of the specs for chief human resource officers and chief accounting officers mentioned these skills. Falling in between — at 40-60% — were searches for roles such as CEO, board director, and chief financial officer.

职位是如何演变的

How Roles Have Evolved

根据我们对人才物色要求的研究，多数企业在其数字化转型的努力中只将关注度集中于一部分岗位，这表明许多企业在改进其人才战略时采取的方法并不足够普遍。成功驾驭这种数字化提速需要转变和扩大企业上下所有岗位的职责。 Based on our study of search specs, most companies focused on just a subset of job roles in their digital transformation efforts, indicating that many had not been taking a broad enough approach in revamping their talent strategy. Successfully navigating this digital acceleration requires a shift and expansion of responsibilities across all roles throughout the organization.

首席技术官

Chief Technology Officer

过去，首席技术官（CTO）是新技术带来的机遇与局限方面的常驻专家。现在，CTO们正受到号召，要求他们领导全公司范围的数字化转型。他们不仅需要制定新的数字化战略——通过新技术与企业其余业务之间的联系来确定可以创造价值的领域——而且同样重要的是，他们要在激励和协调同事接受这些新举措和技术方面发挥核心作用。在建设一种支持技术驱动型战略要务的文化方面，他们充当了捍卫者的角色。 In the past, CTOs were the resident experts in the opportunities and limitations presented by new technologies. Now, CTOs are being called upon to lead company-wide digital transformations. They not only need to formulate new digital strategies — identifying areas where value can be created through linkages between new technologies and the rest of the business — but equally important, they play a central role in motivating and aligning fellow employees to embrace these new initiatives and technologies. They serve as champions in building a culture that supports technology-driven strategic imperatives.

首席营销官

Chief Marketing Officer

首席营销官（CMOs）传统上的工作重点是制定并执行企业的总体营销策略，其中包括市场研究、定价决策、广告策略和公共关系。现在，CMO必须预测未来的发展并调整他们的战略，以应对持续不断的发展变化，从大众营销转向针对性愈强的数据驱动型营销。在内部，CMO们需要落实技术体系来实时跟踪关键业绩指标（KPIs），实现报告自动化并加快决策速度。在外部，交流平台和在线直接分销渠道的迅速激增使得CMO必须确保在各种渠道发布信息的一致性，并努力处理“社交媒体显微镜”下不断、即时反馈出来的问题。 CMOs have traditionally focused on developing and implementing their organizations’ overall marketing strategy. This encompassed market research, pricing decisions, advertising strategy, and public relations. Now, CMOs must forecast future developments and adapt their strategies to contend with the ongoing evolution away from mass marketing and toward increasingly targeted and data-driven marketing. Internally, CMOs need to implement technological systems to track KPIs in real time, automate reports, and accelerate decision-making. Externally, the rapid proliferation of communication platforms and online direct distribution channels makes it imperative for CMOs to ensure consistency in messaging across channels and to grapple with constant, immediate feedback from being under the “social media microscope.”

首席执行官

Chief Executive Officer

CEO长久以来一直负责制定和指导公司战略，制定公司重大决策，引领企业愿景与企业文化，并担任企业的代言人。CEO们如今需要在快速变化的背景环境下应对这一系列重大责任。他们需要制定新的经营指标和目的，确保各职能领域与相关利害关系人之间的协调一致。当出现大规模数字化转型之需时，成功将取决于CEO是否有能力在企业内部以及向外部涉众清楚表明变革理由、传达前瞻性战略以及树立能够推动转型的文化榜样。 The CEO has long been in charge of setting and directing company strategy, making major corporate decisions, leading the vision and culture of the organization, and serving as the public face of the company. CEOs today need to manage this hefty set of responsibilities within the context of a rapidly changing landscape. They need to develop new business targets and goals and ensure alignment between functional areas and relevant stakeholders. And when a large-scale digital transformation is needed, success will hinge on the CEO’s ability to articulate the case for change, communicate a forward-looking strategy both within the firm and to external constituents, and role model a culture that can drive the transformation.

董事会

Board of Directors

董事会的传统职责包括督察监管与合规问题、检查财务报表、为公司战略提供建议、制定CEO薪酬、聘用和解聘CEO以及任命新董事。如今，董事会的职责逐渐扩大到要求管理层对更大范围的目标和指标负起责任，包括长期的创新和投资，而不仅仅限于短期的财务业绩。在当今世界，谙熟数字化知识的董事会之必要是因为它不仅关乎对未来机会的利用，而且涉及减少新的风险源。一个由精于技术的董事组成的董事会能够有效提供技术投资方面的建议，针对未来需求选择合适的CEO，并在必要时通过新董事招聘和系列培训来管理他们自己的学习和进修，从而为公司的长远成功做好准备。 Traditional responsibilities for boards include oversight of regulatory and compliance issues, monitoring financial statements, advising on company strategy, setting CEO compensation, hiring and firing the CEO, and nominating new directors. Now, the board’s responsibilities are expanding to hold management accountable to a wider range of goals and targets that involve long-term innovation and investment, not just short-term financial performance. In today’s world, the need for a digitally savvy board isn’t just about taking advantage of future opportunities; it is also about mitigating new sources of risk. A board with directors who are technologically sophisticated will better prepare the firm for long-term success by being able to effectively advise on technological investments, select the right CEO for future needs, and manage their own learning and refreshment through new director recruitment and training sessions as needed.

首席财务官

Chief Financial Officer

首席财务官（CFO）的惯常职责包括财务预测、预算以及发布财报、确定损益投资计划、管理股东行动主义及投资者关系。如今，成功的CFO还必须利用新技术来实现财务报告流程与分析的自动化，并提高其效率。在收入流和成本结构发生根本性改变的环境中进行预测时，他们需要保持进取的态度。作为战略规划与分析所需大量数据的把关者，CFO们在评估技术投资的成本与收益、确定整个公司的新增长领域及其他机会方面可以发挥核心作用。 The CFO’s customary responsibilities include financial forecasting, budgeting, and reporting, defining P&L investment plans, and managing shareholder activism and investor relations. Now, successful CFOs must also leverage new technologies to automate and streamline financial reporting processes and analyses. They need to maintain a progressive outlook when forecasting in an environment where revenue streams and cost structures are fundamentally changing. As the gatekeepers of much of the data needed for strategic planning and analysis, CFOs can play a central role in evaluating the costs and benefits of technological investments, and in identifying new growth areas and other opportunities for the entire firm.

首席人力资源官

Chief Human Resources Officer

多年来，出色的首席人力资源官（CHROs）明确表达并执行了与企业战略相一致的人事安排。他们目前在工作未来与未来人才战略方面发挥着关键作用。虽然技术和数字专长在许多CHRO人才物色中并非考虑的重点，但是今天有远见的CHRO越来越多地将人力资源系统联机上网，并促进员工提高自助服务的能力。他们正在落实人力资源数据分析系统，在他们的人才管理战略中寻找利用数据的办法。前进途中的一个主要挑战就是如何招聘和留用具有关键技术与数字能力的人，并根据技术进步的情况管理内部人才梯队。在最理想的状态下，CHRO们是变革计划和文化转型的合作伙伴，目的在于促进创新和敏捷度。 For years, standout CHROs articulated and executed a people agenda that aligned with the business strategy. They are also currently playing a key role in the future of work and future talent strategies. Although tech and digital expertise is not a primary focus in many CHRO searches, today’s forward-thinking CHROs are increasingly taking HR systems online and facilitating greater employee self-service capabilities. They’re implementing HR data analytics systems and finding ways to leverage data in their talent management strategy. A major challenge moving forward will be the recruitment and retention of individuals with critical technological and digital skills, and managing the internal talent pipeline in light of technological advancements. At their best, CHROs serve as a partner in change initiatives and culture transformations to foster innovation and agility.

填补技能缺口

Filling the Skills Gap

工作职责上的这种巨大转变在许多企业的领导梯队中造成了技能缺口，这就有必要对人才战略做出重大改变。为找到合适的人选，企业可能需要重新考虑传统的升职途径。比如，在遴选新CEO时，物色一名深谙数据知识的CEO可能意味着从企业等级体系的更下层任命一位候选人，而不是提拔总裁或首席运营官（COO）（人称“越级提升”的现象）。我们已经在微软的萨蒂亚·纳德拉和思科（Cisco）的查克·罗宾斯（Chuck Robbins）身上见证了这样的事情。他们之所以入选，部分原因是因为他们在未来如何使用技术的问题上具有眼光。纳德拉从微软的云与企业集团得到升职，这帮助他策划了让微软从传统的商业产品转向服务的发展道路。罗宾斯是从销售主管提拔为CEO的。虽然销售通常不被认为是技术和数字专长的培养基地，但是这一职位帮助他通过与客户建立亲密关系而紧跟新的潮流。 This dramatic shift in job responsibilities is creating a skills gap in many companies’ leadership pipelines that necessitates major changes to talent strategy. To find the right candidates, companies may need to rethink traditional promotion pathways. For example, rather than promoting the president or COO when selecting a new CEO, the search for a digitally savvy CEO might mean appointing a candidate from further down in the organizational hierarchy (a phenomenon called “CEO leapfrogging”). We’ve already witnessed this with Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Cisco’s Chuck Robbins, who were selected, in part, for their visions of how technology will be used in the future. Nadella rose up through Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, helping him chart Microsoft’s evolution away from its traditional business products and into services. Robbins was promoted from head of sales to CEO. While sales is not typically thought of as a training ground for tech and digital expertise, this role helped him stay on top of new trends through close relationships with customers. 工作轮换也可以在建设强有力的、为未来做好准备的领导梯队方面发挥重要作用。虽然运营职位在传统上被认为是通往企业最高层的跳板，但是如今的高潜质人员不仅可以通过在负有损益职责的岗位间轮换而从中获益，而且还可以通过技术部门的轮岗而获益。在过去，轮换到技术岗位通常令高管们寻思：“我为何受到处罚？”然而，IT远不止是一个保障部门；现在，这些岗位可以提供领导企业走向未来的关键技能与经历。 Job rotations can also play an important role in building a robust, future-ready leadership pipeline. Although operational roles are traditionally thought of as stepping stones to the highest corporate echelons, today’s high potentials can benefit not just from rotations through jobs with P&L responsibilities, but also through tech functions. In the past, rotations into tech roles often left executives thinking, “Why am I being punished?” But IT is much more than just a support function; now, these roles can provide critical skills and experiences for leading into the future. 当公司内部没有合适的人选时，企业需要求助于外部的劳动力市场。不过，他们需要准备好支付高额的费用；具备技术和数字能力的人在许多企业炙手可热。这一趋势对那些在技术上具有长期优势的企业也产生了影响，它们可能会发现自己的人才被抢走。企业需要采取积极主动的措施来挽留最优秀的员工。 When the right candidates don’t exist in-house, companies will need to turn to the external labor market. But they’ll need to prepare to pay a premium; individuals with tech and digital skills are in-demand by many companies. This trend also has implications for firms with longstanding strengths in technology, which may find themselves being raided for talent. Companies will need to take proactive steps to retain their top employees. 我们看到董事会中也出现了类似的技能缺口。在我们对董事会进行的一项全球调查中，超过三分之一的受访者表示，他们个人很难驾驭风险、安全问题和新技术。此外，只有13%的董事会在最近的董事人选物色中提出技术专长要求。用一位调查受访者的话说，这造成了“具有财务及综合管理能力的董事受到过度重视，而且数量过剩”。董事会的人员流动率通常很低，分期分级董事会的任期意味着改变董事会的构成需要很长时间。董事会需要重新考虑涉及董事会任期的固有规范，同时在现任董事会成员适应商业环境的过程中花时间为他们提供培训和学习机会。 We see a similar skills gap emerging in boardrooms. In a global survey we conducted of board directors, more than a third of respondents indicated that they personally struggle to stay on top of risk and security issues and new technologies. Further, just 13% of boards sought technological expertise with their most recent director search. In the words of one survey respondent, this has resulted in “an over-emphasis and over-abundance of directors with financial and general management skills.” Board turnover is typically low and staggered board terms mean that changes to board composition take a long time. Boards need to rethink ingrained norms around board tenure and also spend time on training and learning opportunities for current board members as they adapt to the business environment.

为未来做好准备

Preparing Yourself for Future Success

我们认为，许多最高管理层职位在未来几年会发生一场革命。疫情让那些无法胜任技术快速转变挑战的高管暴露无遗。在某些情况下，在位者明显是不合适的领导，而换人的唯一障碍是缺乏合适的继任者。一旦董事会和最高层团队有时间物色新的人选，一旦年度分红发放后更多候选人涌入外部市场，我们可能就会看到巨大的人员流动数量和一个波涛汹涌的环境，这将凸显深谙数字知识的富人与传统贫民之间的巨大差别。 We think the next few years will see a revolution for many top management roles. The pandemic has exposed the executives who were not up to the challenge of a rapid technological pivot. In some cases, it has become clear that the wrong leaders are in place, and the only thing standing in the way of replacement is the lack of a suitable successor. Once boards and top teams have time to search for new candidates and more candidates are unleashed into the external market after annual bonuses are disbursed, we will likely see tremendous amounts of turnover and a very turbulent environment that will highlight the chasm between the digitally savvy haves and the traditional have-nots. 随着对技术能力的需求变得愈加迫切，你如何作为才能与时俱进？我们提供以下建议。 As the need for technological skills become more pressing, what can you do to stay current? We offer the following advice.

给CEO的建议

For CEOs

● 你不必认为自己是身处前沿的专家。既具备必要的领导能力又处于技术水平最前沿，这样的事少之又少。相反，要努力培养领导企业变革所需的领域知识，围绕明确的战略让最高层团队协调行动，确保各职能部门和工作群体的一致性。 ● You don’t need to think of yourself as the expert on the leading edge. Having both the requisite leadership abilities and being at the forefront of technical proficiency is quite rare. Instead, endeavor to build the domain knowledge needed to lead organizational change, align the top team around a clear strategy, and ensure coherence across functional areas and work groups. ● 文化是任何变革举措的重要方面，不能忽视。你在引领创新型和创造型文化方面扮演着重要角色，这种文化可以加强技术驱动型的战略转变。 ● Culture is an important facet of any change initiative and cannot be neglected. You play an important role in leading an innovative and creative culture that can reinforce technology-driven strategic shifts. ● 让合适的团队团结在你周围：在企业中找到具有重要专业知识的人，在桌子旁边为他们设立一个座位，确保他们的声音能让人听到。你可能需要改变企业架构，以充分实施你的数字化转型。 ● Surround yourself with the right team: Identify people in the organization that have vital expertise, create a seat for them around the table, and ensure that their voices are heard. You might need to change organizational structure to fully execute on your digital transformation. ● 另一方面，如果现任高管和经理们没有做好迎接未来的准备，你可能还需要在走马换将问题上做出痛苦的决定。一项研究发现，70%的数字化转型努力没有实现目标，而管理层的阻力是主要原因。如果领导者不能同舟共济，或许是时候让他们走人了。 ● On the other side of the coin, you might also need to make painful decisions about switching out other roles if current executives and managers are not prepared for what’s to come. One study found that 70% of digital transformation efforts do not achieve their objectives and managerial resistance is a leading reason. If leaders cannot get on board, it may be time for them to go.

对高层领导和董事会成员的建议

For senior leaders and board members

● 始终努力不脱节，努力学习和适应——坚持不懈地培养技能是避免落后的关键。 ● Always strive to stay relevant, learn, and adapt – continuously developing skills is critical to avoid falling behind. ● 考虑一下你如何才能采用数据驱动的方法来处理你所做的所有工作。过去助你成功的东西可能不再是最好的办法。努力对做事的方式保持开放的心态。抵触新的工作方式是企业充分挖掘数字化潜力的主要障碍。 ● Consider how you can adopt a data-driven approach to 

all

 of the work you do. Things that have helped you succeed in the past may not be the best way any longer. Work to remain open-minded about how things are done. Resistance to new ways of working is a major barrier to companies reaching their full digital potential. ● 向领先于你和落后于你（“反向教导”）的人学习。从那些最接近新技术的人和客户身上可以学到很多东西。 ● Learn from the people who are ahead 

and

 the people who are behind you (“reverse mentoring”). There is much to learn from the people who are closest to new technologies and customers. ● 紧跟最新的技术潮流对于激发你团队对你的信心和尊重至关重要。如果你失去了他们对你能力的信任，他们会选择离开，甚至可能取代你。 ● Staying up-to-date on technological trends is critical in inspiring your team’s confidence and respect in you. If you lose their trust in your capabilities, they will choose to leave, or may even replace you.

对崭露头角的专业人士的建议

For up-and-coming professionals

● 寻找发展和轮岗的机会，以培养你已有的数字和领导能力，甘于接受平级调动，以培养新能力。即使这些变动并不能让你立即获得提拔，它们也会提供宝贵的经验，从而充实你的资历。（许多引人关注的候选人都有多个学科的经验，其职业轨迹是非线性的，包括在不同行业和职能部门之间转换和工作一段时间。） ● Seek out development and rotation opportunities to build out your existing digital and leadership capabilities, and be willing to take lateral moves to develop new ones. Even if these changes do not provide an immediate promotion, they will offer valuable experience that will round out your qualifications. (Many compelling candidates have experience in multiple disciplines, with career trajectories that are non-linear and involve shifts and stints across different industries and functions.) ● 仔细考虑你为之效力的公司类型。你与之关联的公司会决定你的形象。人们甚至在看你的具体资质之前会根据你的公司来推断你的技术悟性。（比如，一家正在物色具有软件经验的新COO的软件公司会把搜寻的重点集中在其他软件公司的高管身上，屡屡排除来自硬件公司的候选人，甚至都还没有看他们的资质。） ● Carefully consider the types of companies you work for. The company you are associated with will define your brand. People will make inferences about your tech savviness based on your firm, even before looking at your specific qualifications. (For example, a software company looking for a new COO with software experience centered their search around executives from other software companies, frequently ruling out candidates from hardware companies, even before looking at their qualifications.) ● 成为自己经历组合的缔造者：这可以就在一家公司，也可以跨多家公司。要注意的是，在当今不断演变的世界中，导师和其他高管所采取的职业步骤可能不再是在公司层级中升职的途径。 ● Become an architect of your own portfolio of experiences: This could be at one company or across multiple companies. Be mindful that the career steps taken by mentors and other senior executives may no longer be the way up the corporate hierarchy in today’s evolving world. 新冠疫情将技术从外围转移到了中心，而且会在此常驻。虽然技术和数字潮流并没有千篇一律地影响到今天的所有工作，但我们认为，这些技能在所有领域成为基本资质只是一个时间问题。现在就投资于这些技能会提升你的市场开拓能力，让你做好准备面对我们不断演变的商业世界现实。 Covid-19 moved tech from the periphery into the center, and it is here to stay. Although tech and digital trends do not uniformly affect all jobs today, we believe it is only a matter of time before these skills become baseline qualifications across the board. Investing in these skills now will enhance your marketability and prepare you for the realities of our evolving business world. 郑又嘉是达顿商学院战略、伦理和创业精神领域的工商管理助理教授。卡桑德拉·弗兰戈斯是高管猎头和领导力咨询公司Spencer Stuart的领导力咨询服务及CEO业务部的成员，著有《破解最高管理层密码：成功的领导如何登上顶峰》（Crack the C-Suite Code: How Successful Leaders Make It to the Top）一书。鲍里斯·格罗伊斯伯格是哈佛商学院的工商管理学Richard P. Chapman教授，哈佛商学院性别计划项目（HBS Gender Initiative）的兼职研究员，与科琳·安默曼（Colleen Ammerman）合著有《半碎的玻璃：打破依然在工作中阻碍女性的障碍》（Glass Half-Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work）（哈佛商业评论出版社，2021年）。 郑又嘉（J. Yo-Jud Cheng，音译） 卡桑德拉·弗兰戈斯（Cassandra Frangos） 鲍里斯·格罗伊斯伯格（Boris Groysberg）| 文 永年 | 译  时青靖 | 编校