????這已經是司空見慣的情景了——在低迷的經濟復蘇期，很多公司為實現盈利而拼命尋找新的發展途徑。然而，并非所有的公司都能取得成功。

????美國網絡視頻租賃公司網飛（Netflix）之前曾宣布將公司業務拆分成兩部分，把DVD郵寄業務從流媒體服務中分離出來；但之后又撤銷了這項決定。美國通用汽車（General Motors）與中國上汽集團（Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation）進一步加強合作，共同開發電動汽車的關鍵零部件，從而擴展了該公司的海外合作領域。泰科國際（Tyco International）宣布將公司拆分成三家各具特色的上市公司。

????上述三家企業都希望從這些舉措中獲利；但要真正實現這個目標，他們還有很長的路要走。毫無疑問，企業領導者對如何取得成功都有自己的一套想法，但是他們不得不面對一個殘酷的事實：企業的改革嘗試往往收效不佳。

????確實如此。2011年，經濟學人智庫（Economist Intelligence Unit）以及國際企業咨詢公司Celerant Consulting（作者莎蓮娜所在企業）聯合發布了一項調查顯示，盡管企業在執行時間及開銷上都加大了投入，但是他們根本不擅長改革，其中近半數企業（占44%）都遭遇了失敗。

????失敗的根源在于他們普遍忽視了一項關鍵因素。要想獲得改革的成功，不僅要為實現新目標而創造最好的工作流程和體制，還要讓員工們熱情擁抱這一新目標。只有得到員工的大力支持，企業的重大改革才能成功。

????高管著手開創公司新的發展篇章之前需要重點關注三方面的內容。

信息的有效傳達

????制定合理的改制信息和激勵措施是改革最為關鍵的一步。眾所周知，并不是所有的員工都是為金錢而工作。有些員工是為了超越同行而不懈努力，有些人則是受求知欲的驅使，還有一些人關注的焦點則在于迅速升職。

????以網飛公司為例。起初，網飛公司準備打造兩項擁有各自網站的獨立服務業務；而后，消費者的強烈反對致使該公司不得不放棄這一決定。網飛公司相信作為不同實體的兩個單位會取得更加輝煌的業績。然而，戰略轉型的內容及部署卻受到消費者及分析人士的強烈批評。

????目前，網飛公司已經暫時取消了改革計劃。公司發展的方向成為一個疑問，在這種情況下，保持員工的忠誠度則顯得比以往任何時候都更為重要。

????推行改革期間，部分員工會欣然投入到新產品的研發中，另一部分人也許更喜歡從事自己熟悉的老本行。所以，網飛公司可以就此評估一下員工偏愛的工種，并對其進行分組，從而最大程度地發揮員工的優勢和工作熱情。

密切關注潛在的文化沖突

????沒有明確改革方向的企業如同茫茫大海中一艘失去舵手的船，即使改革方案再完美，也難以避免失敗的命運。如果公司上下團結一致，為共同的目標而奮斗，那么任何反對意見都不會造成實質性的阻礙。

????通用汽車公司在開始與中國上汽集團展開合作時就應將這一點謹記于心。成功始于共同的愿景。無論是企業CEO、生產經理，還是部門主管，他們在向員工們解釋為什么全新的道路會帶來成功時，都必須認同這個共同的愿景。

????推行一項改革，首先要做的就是讓公司的各類人才適得其所，這樣的改革才會擁有穩固的根基。對每一位員工來說，確立個人目標、明確自我角色以及應負的責任同樣有助于改革的實施。但這些舉措也許還不足以令員工全身心投入。只有公司上下齊心協力，才能打造一支優秀的團隊，這個團隊向往公司設立的新目標，即使在新環境中也能夠拿出優異的表現。

及時鞏固改革成果

????就美國泰科公司而言，如果行動迅速，拆分成三家公司的舉措將很可能實現期望中的價值增長——即業務拆分順利完成，新的工作團隊各歸其屬，而且三家公司的業務優化都已開始發揮作用。

????泰科公司CEO愛德華?布萊因的改革計劃再明確不過。“與現有的企業結構相比，新成立的獨立公司可以擁有更大的靈活性，分別制定各自的戰略，例如通過有機發展或者并購等方式實現發展壯大。”

????獨立性能讓每家子公司在開始擁有強大的動力，但是對泰科來說，最重要的是，如何讓員工在新鮮感逐漸消褪后依然保持強勁的工作狀態。

????為了鞏固這種積極的局面，管理者需要懂得如何自然地激勵下屬維持出色的表現。新公司成立的前六個星期里，每天拿出一或兩個小時針對新體系的優點進行培訓，會取得非常不錯的效果。

????當然，想要更加全面地了解每一位下屬并非易事。不過，這完全可以從頭做起，從現在開始隨時關注團隊中每一位成員的優勢及偏好。

????合作關系的建立、業務的拆分以及新愿景的提出，沒有一項屬于驚人的舉措，但是如今市場的快速發展導致留給企業犯錯的余地大幅壓縮。領導者可以迫使員工進行改革，或是吸引他們，主動參與到改革中。前者帶來的往往是短期效益，而后者最有可能帶來員工持久的工作熱情。只有真正了解員工，的企業才能具備基礎，成長為更強大、更睿智、更高效的組織。

????莎蓮娜?埃文斯現任Celerant Consulting國際企業咨詢公司主管；格里塔?羅伯茨是人力分析公司（Talent Analytics）創始人及CEO。

????譯者：李淑玉/汪皓

????It's a common tale. In the midst of a sluggish economic recovery, many companies are frantically looking to find new ways to turn a profit. Some are pulling this off better than others.

????Netflix announced and then went back on a decision to split into two business lines to separate DVD delivery from streaming services. GM (GM) expanded its overseas alliance with China's SAIC Corp. to develop key components for electric cars. And Tyco International announced a split into three distinct, publicly traded companies.

????Each of these companies stands to make money off of these moves, but they have a long haul ahead. No doubt, corporate leaders have an idea of how they can succeed. But they will be battling against the reality that corporate change efforts often come up short.

????Indeed, a survey published in 2011 by the Economist Intelligence Unit and Celerant Consulting (Sharlene's employer) found that despite increases in both executive time and spending, companies are simply not that good at changing, failing nearly half of the time (44%).

????At the heart of these failures lies a common oversight. Change is about creating the best processes and systems to support a vision, but it is also about convincing employees to embrace new goals. No dramatic change will succeed unless the workforce is behind it.

????There are three areas executives should keep an eye on as they set out to create a new stage for their companies:

It's in the delivery

????Crafting the right message and incentives is a crucial step, and it is no longer surprising to find that money is not the root of all employee inspiration. Some employees are driven by the urge to outperform their peers, some by an interest in learning new trades, and others are focused on rising quickly through the ranks.

????Consider a situation like Netflix's (NFLX) move toward having two separate services with distinct websites – and then its about-face in response to customer backlash. The company believed that each unit would have more success as distinct entities. The messaging and deployment of the strategy change, however, drew criticism from consumers and analysts.

????Netflix has abandoned its plan for now. With the direction of the company in question, keeping employees committed has never been more important.

????Some employees will leap at the chance to participate in new product R&D, while others may prefer the familiar ground of maintaining existing lines. Netflix can keep its talent engaged by assessing its employees' preferences and splitting the teams into groups designed to maximize their strengths and enthusiasm.

Keeping tabs on potential culture clashes

????Companies that lack a clear direction run the risk of creating a rudderless environment that can derail even the best of plans. When companies come together for a common goal, resistance to the change can spell disaster.

????GM should certainly bear that in mind as it launches its partnership with SAIC. Success must begin with a vision that CEOs, plant managers, and department heads across the company can share as they explain to their staff why the new way will be successful.

????Inserting the right talent into the right kind of environment can certainly serve as a solid starting point. And establishing individual goals and giving a clear picture of roles and responsibilities also helps, but it may not be enough to get employees invested. It takes a concerted effort to establish teams that are attracted to the new business goals and perform well in the new environment.

Building endurance

????In a case like Tyco's (TYC), splitting into three companies will likely achieve the desired boost in value if it can move quickly. That means that when the split is complete and new teams are in place, the organizations should already be putting sustainable improvements to work.

????Tyco CEO Ed Breen's message is straightforward enough. "The new standalone companies will have greater flexibility to pursue their own focused strategies for growth -- both organic and through acquisitions -- than they would under Tyco's current corporate structure."

????Independence could get these units off to a strong start, but it will be important for Tyco to keep its workforce performing strongly when the novelty wears off.

????To keep up the positive results, managers will need to understand how their team is naturally inspired to perform. One or two hours per day of training on the finer points of their new organizational system can make a difference during the first six weeks of this new setup.

????True, trying to get a more complete understanding of your employees is demanding. Companies can start from the ground up, having managers create a running accounting of their teams' strengths and preferences.

????Partnerships, splits, and coming up with a new vision, none of these are startling initiatives, but the speed of today's market has vastly reduced a company's margin for error. Leaders can push their people to change, or they can attract people to want to be a part of the change. The former often leads to short-term gains, the latter stands more of a chance of sustainable enthusiasm from employees. Companies that understand their employees can set a foundation for a stronger, smarter, more effective organization.

????Sharlene Evans is a director at Celerant Consulting and Greta Roberts is founder and CEO of Talent Analytics.