莫耶斯的五堂管理课

弗格森爵士钦点的接班人莫耶斯在曼联黯然“下课”，这一石激起千层浪。对管理者来说，他们能从中学到些什么？FT专栏作家安德鲁·希尔编了个段子让莫耶斯“亲自授课”。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

bend on 下决心做某事

Champions’ League 欧冠联赛

golden parachute 金色降落伞，一种公司治理的策略，即给因种种原因退职的高管丰厚补偿的条款，一方面减小管理层的心理压力，一方面保证权力变动和交接的平稳。用中国的语境来理解就是用经济补偿来避免“59岁现象”。

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Five lessons from Manchester United’s Professor Moyes

by Andrew Hill

* * *

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United's legendary manager, had retired last summer, before picking his Scottish compatriot David Moyes as successor. As English title defender, Man Utd is now at a miserable 7th position on league table. As a result, Moyes was sacked on April 22rd.

Good morning and welcome to the new Harvard MBA module on sports management. I’m assistant professor David Moyes.

You were probably looking forward to listening to Professor Sir Alex Ferguson. He is unavoidably detained, rewriting his first lecture on “Successful Succession Planning: How to Hand-Pick a Man to Look After Your Legacy”. But, having raised your expectations, he asked me to try to fulfil them – something I have got used to doing.

I’d like you to take away five key lessons from this morning’s lecture:

Lesson One. Never, ever, agree to take over from a legend. Someone is bound to end up disappointed. (Just ask Jeff Immelt at General Electric – and he’s had nearly a decade and a half to convince shareholders it doesn’t matter that he’s not Jack Welch.)

Lesson Two. If you must take over from a legend, do try to make sure that said legend is either dead, distant or otherwise unable to turn up every week to watch how you’re doing your job. (Chief executives whose predecessor was recently elevated to the chairmanship may sympathise.)

Lesson Three. If your success depends on the quality of your team, and the quality of your team depends on how much the shareholders will pay to maintain it, don’t take a job where the owners are bent only on squeezing costs and assets. (Chief executives of investment banks, please note.)

Lesson Four. It’s going to take time to convince the team that you’re the right person to take charge. At least make sure that you gain enough of their confidence to achieve one of your key performance indicators – whether that’s a place in the Champions’ League or a quarterly sales target.

Lesson Five. If you can’t rely on shareholders’ patience (and, let’s face it, shareholder patience is a scarce and changeable commodity, whatever business you’re in), at least make sure you’ve packed your golden parachute.

Thank you for listening and now – please excuse me – I have an appointment with my lawyers.

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1. According to Moyes, should managers take over a business from a legend?

a. Yes, take the opportunity.

b. No, unless he's dead or distant.

c. It depends on what business they are in.

2. For a successful manegement career, Moyes suggests that...

a. invest heavily on your team.

b. Be authoritative and confident.

c. Score highly on key performance indicators.

d. Let people believe that you can perform well.

3. What do we know about the western investment cunture?

a. Shareholders always welcome the chief executive chosen by the predecessor.

b. Investors judge the performance of football managers in a quaterly basis.

c. Investors often overestimate the role of chief executives.

d. Shareholders across all business sectors are rather short-sighted.

4. Which of the following serves as a sympathy?

a. "Successful Succession Planning: How to Hand-Pick a Man to Look After Your Legacy"

b. "Don’t take a job where the owners are bent only on squeezing costs and assets."

c. "he’s had nearly a decade and a half to convince shareholders it doesn’t matter that he’s not Jack Welch"

d. "let’s face it, shareholder patience is a scarce and changeable commodity"

[1] 答案a. Yes, take the opportunity.

解释：第一课（教训）是Never, ever, agree to take over from a legend.第二课是If you must, do try to make sure that said legend is either dead, distant...

[2] 答案d. Let people believe that you can perform well.

解释：第四课是，赢得团队对你的信任需要花一定的时间，如果不能立即让公司的关键指标表现出色——至少得让人相信自己能让这些指标表现出色。

[3] 答案d. Shareholders across all business sectors are rather short-sighted.

解释：let’s face it, shareholder patience is a scarce and changeable commodity, whatever business you’re in...

[4] 答案b. "Don’t take a job where the owners are bent only on squeezing costs and assets."

解释：这是第三课：球队的成功显然依靠对团队的投入，而曼联的拥有者只对削减开支感兴趣，这种背景下你可别接这个活。这显然有“莫耶斯是替罪羔羊”的意思。AD都有讽刺的意味在里面，而C是喜剧案例，显然不是同情。