????艾倫?穆拉利當(dāng)初接手福特公司（Ford）并成功實(shí)現(xiàn)逆轉(zhuǎn)，靠的就是當(dāng)時(shí)注入福特公司的一大筆現(xiàn)金,。2006年,，艾倫?穆拉利加盟福特，第一時(shí)間就籌集到了230億美元的資金,，這也為穆拉利的復(fù)興戰(zhàn)略爭取了時(shí)間,。但更讓人信服的是，人們一步一步,，親眼見證了這一戰(zhàn)略的成效,。穆拉利曾表示他將在保證福特高利潤率的情況下，生產(chǎn)令顧客滿意的汽車,。為此,，他關(guān)閉了福特公司業(yè)績不佳的工廠，停止生產(chǎn)包括捷豹（Jaguar）和路虎（Land Rover）在內(nèi)的令公司虧本的汽車品牌,，并開始研發(fā)消費(fèi)者負(fù)擔(dān)得起的節(jié)能汽車,。
????從某種程度上來說，追蹤汽車行業(yè)的盈利狀況改善情況相對而言要容易得多,，在這一點(diǎn)上,，穆拉利比其他行業(yè)的CEO更具優(yōu)勢。福特公司生產(chǎn)銷售的是有形產(chǎn)品,，這更便于投資者跟蹤其生產(chǎn)成本的變化。
????相比之下,，如果處在阿姆斯特朗這樣的處境,，CEO們要啃下的骨頭就硬得多。因?yàn)楹饬恳患覕?shù)字媒體公司的成敗往往要看它的廣告收入,，而廣告收入源于廣告瀏覽者的數(shù)量和點(diǎn)擊率,，但到目前為止,，業(yè)界在這方面還沒有形成明確的模式能確保實(shí)現(xiàn)目標(biāo)。因此,，阿姆斯特朗不僅要整頓AOL的財(cái)務(wù)狀況,，還要致力于公司的轉(zhuǎn)型——終止其盈利不斷虧損的網(wǎng)絡(luò)撥號接入業(yè)務(wù)，將公司轉(zhuǎn)型為數(shù)字媒體巨頭,。因?yàn)閿?shù)字媒體行業(yè)的盈利模式極其不確定,，所以衡量阿姆斯特朗成敗的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，比如網(wǎng)站的關(guān)注度,，就略顯空泛,。
????如果CEO想讓自己制定的戰(zhàn)略站得住腳，就不能簡單地套用一些衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn),，關(guān)鍵是讓人明白為什么要達(dá)到這些標(biāo)準(zhǔn),，無論這些標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是什么。例如,，如果某位CEO宣布重組公司的銷售隊(duì)伍,，并堅(jiān)持到最后，當(dāng)然可以贏得一定程度的信任,。但是,，如果這位CEO能用實(shí)實(shí)在在的數(shù)據(jù)說明這一舉措將有助于公司在競爭中取得優(yōu)勢，他將更容易贏得股東的信任,。
危險(xiǎn)信號
????事實(shí)上,，任何行之有效的復(fù)蘇策略都不僅僅只是一組數(shù)字那么簡單。嚴(yán)格以收入為目標(biāo)的復(fù)蘇策略是危險(xiǎn)的,。施恩最新力作《力挽狂瀾》（Reversing the Slide）向人們講述了電子數(shù)據(jù)系統(tǒng)公司（Electronic Data Systems）的故事,。在上世紀(jì)90年代，這家公司苦苦掙扎,，希望能夠跟上科技產(chǎn)業(yè)蓬勃發(fā)展的步伐,。當(dāng)時(shí)公司業(yè)績持續(xù)萎靡不振，該公司的CEO最后放手一搏,，于2000年開始與海軍合作,，達(dá)成了一項(xiàng)價(jià)值為69億美元的工程協(xié)議，試圖取悅眾多投資者,。但令人垂涎的巨額數(shù)字并沒有轉(zhuǎn)化成實(shí)實(shí)在在的盈利,。最終這位CEO被迫讓位，而為有能力真正挽救公司命運(yùn)的人選讓路,。
????挽救公司危亡時(shí)常見的另一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤是將公司的困境歸咎于外因,。“全世界的零售商都會將銷售業(yè)績不佳歸咎于糟糕的天氣。這個(gè)理由當(dāng)然經(jīng)典,。但在某些時(shí)候,，CEO必須超越這個(gè)層面，找出導(dǎo)致失敗的真正原因所在,，”企業(yè)管理重建管理協(xié)會（Turnaround Management Association）主席兼CRG管理公司合伙人麗莎?波琳如是說,。
????然后，CEO們需要做的就是循序漸進(jìn)地解決這些問題,。進(jìn)度越快,，效果越好。在當(dāng)今社會,，尤其如此,。
????譯者：李淑玉/汪皓 |
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????A big cash influx helped fuel Alan Mulally's turnaround at Ford (F). When he took over in 2006, he immediately raised over $23 billion. That bought him time, but the most compelling part of Mulally's strategy was that people could watch it work, step by step. Mulally said he would produce cars that customers want at better profit margins. To do that, Ford closed down under-performing plants, but also began to design affordable, fuel-efficient cars, and discontinued brands that were losing money, including Jaguar and Land Rover.
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????In some ways, Mulally had an advantage over CEOs in other industries in that it's fairly easy to follow the profit progression of a automaker. Ford sells a tangible product and investors can track changes in production costs.
????A CEO in Armstrong's situation has a much tougher row to hoe -- success for a digital media company is often measured in ad revenue, which comes from viewers and clicks, but the formula for achieving that goal is unclear. Not only does Armstrong have to clean up AOL's financials, he also has to switch from the dead dial-up industry to digital media, an industry with a very uncertain revenue model. And his metrics for success, like more eyeballs on a website, are somewhat wishy-washy.
????The key to a solid strategy is not to just meet metrics, whatever those may be, but also to communicate why meeting those even matters. A CEO that announces that he or she is going to reorganize the company's sales force and then follows through will win a certain amount of credibility. But shareholders are more likely to trust a CEO that can explain, with real data, how that action will help the business gain an edge over competitors.
Red flags
????In fact, any true turnaround strategy must go beyond the statistics. A strictly revenue-based turnaround strategy is often a red flag. In his book Reversing the Slide, published this year, Shein describes how a company called Electronic Data Systems struggled to match pace with the booming tech industry in the 90s. With flagging financials, the CEO made a last-ditch effort to please investors by winning a $6.9 billion project with the Navy in 2000. But impressive top-line numbers didn't translate into a profitable business. The CEO was ousted to make way for one that might actually fix the company.
????Blaming outside sources for your company's problems is another common turnaround pitfall. "Every retailer in the world will blame the weather for sales," says Lisa Poulin, chairperson at the Turnaround Management Association and partner at management firm CRG partners. "That's pretty classic, but at some point, you've got to get beyond that and see what the real issues are."
????Then, little by little, CEOs need to fix those issues. The faster they can, especially these days, the better. |
