职场前辈给新手高管的10条建议

In my old age, I would like to believe that some of the things I have learned might help those who are now plowing the fields I once worked. So here are 10 suggestions I wish someone had given me when I was 40 and beginning my run as an executive. I made the mistake of violating many of them but not all.
人到晚年，我相信我学到的某些东西能对那些正在我曾经工作过的领域中辛勤耕耘的人有所帮助。下面的10建议，是我希望在我40岁开始做高管时就有人能告诉我的。我犯过的错误是，我没能全部遵循。

1. The less you confide in others in the organization, the better it will go for you. What you intend as harmless chatter can do serious harm. Keep your speculations and worries to yourself.
1. 在公司里跟别人吐露的心事越少，对你越好。你以为是无伤大雅的闲聊，其实有可能会造成严重伤害。把你的猜测和担忧都埋在心里吧。

2. Be sure to manage down. Spend time with the lower-level employees in your company and try to be decent to all of them. A polite greeting to the elevator operator, a thanks to the mail delivery person and a kind word to the assistants will be appreciated. The making of reputations begins at the ground level. Similarly, keep the ugly aspects of your day to yourself. Do not shout.
2. 务必管理好和下属的关系。花时间和公司里的较低层员工在一起，尽量对他们友好。对电梯操作员礼貌问候，对邮递员表示感谢，对助理说句友善的话，这些都会得到赞赏。打造名誉要从基层做起。同样的，碰到不爽的事情，要自己消化情绪，不要在别人面前发泄。

3. Leadership is a full-time job and the duty clock is never off. Every little sign is being read and your impatience, disappointment or insecurity will be magnified by those who pass along their readings of you. There is no time for casual and unplanned candor, and messages must be sent only when carefully thought out. Be especially careful about what you put in writing, especially emails-they never disappear.
3. 做领导是一份全职工作，职责的时钟永不停止。每个微小的迹象都会被解读，你的不耐烦、失望或不安全感都会被那些解读你的人放大。不应做出随意、毫无准备的坦白，信息必须经过深思熟虑才能发出。要特别小心书面的东西，尤其是电子邮件──它们永远都不会消失。

4. Keep listening to and for advice. Have lunch at least once a week in the office cafeteria, or make a point of dallying near the coffee station, and listen to what others are talking about. If someone wants to speak to you, there is every reason to listen. If criticism is offered, take time to respond with care even if you don't agree with it.
4. 保持聆听并索取建议。每周至少在公司餐厅吃一次午饭，或者时不时在咖啡机旁逗留，听听其他人都在聊些什么。如果有人想跟你说话，那就没有理由不听。如果有人批评，即使你不赞同也要花时间仔细回应。

5. The wisecrack you believe is witty often is not. Your sense of humor is easily misread as patronizing and clumsy. If you still think that telling a joke or relating a humorous story is somehow important to making a point, run it past your spouse or a trusted friend first. Humor can be risky. Never joke about serious matters.
5. 你觉得很风趣的俏皮话通常并不风趣。你的幽默感很容易被解读为自傲和笨拙。如果你仍然以为讲笑话或引用某个幽默故事对陈述观点很重要，那么请先跟你的配偶或信任的朋友演练一遍。幽默是有风险的。千万不要拿严肃的事情开玩笑。