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I love dumplings. But I seldom have dumplings in a restaurant, because my mom's cooking is the best.
我爱吃饺子。但我很少在餐馆点饺子，因为我妈妈做的饺子是世界上最棒的！
One day, I happened to take a bite of Dumpling Xi's dish.
一天，我偶然吃了一口喜家德水饺。
To my surprise, they had a flavor of going home. Fresh, chewy and unexpected.
让我惊喜的是，它们有一种家乡的味道。很新鲜，有嚼劲，出乎想象。
In addition to being a dumpling lover, I actually have a full-time job.
除了是一个饺子吃货，我还有一份全职工作。
I am a management consultant, so naturally, I was keen to understand the reasons behind those delicious dumplings.
我是一位管理咨询顾问，出于职业习惯，我非常渴望理解是什么让喜家德水饺如此美味。
What I didn't expect is that this dumpling triggered my exploration of new ways of management in China.
出乎我意料的是，这些饺子触发了我对中国新商业管理方式的探索。
A change that is deeply rooted in ancient Chinese philosophies. But first, let's go back to the dumplings.
一种源于中国古代哲学理念的管理理念的转变。不过书归正传，咱们还是说说这饺子。
Gāo Défú founded Dumpling Xi 17 years ago.
高德福17年前创立了喜家德。
Today, the company enjoys 500 stores with 8,000 employees. But it wasn't always the case.
距今为止，该公司拥有500家门店，8000多名员工。但喜家德的发展不是一直顺风顺水的。
Three years ago, the demand for his dumplings was soaring due to consumers' craving for healthy food.
三年前，由于对健康食品的高诉求，消费者对高端水饺的需求量猛增。
But the strong growth of online food delivery services
但是网上送餐服务的强劲增长劲头
had pulled the consumers away from store visits, causing a huge concern for Gāo.
把他们的门店客户拉走了，给高德福造成很大困扰。
If I were to advise Gāo back then, I would go directly with the classical approach,
如果当时我去给高德福提建议，我会直接建议用传统的方式：
hiring venture managers, providing training on how to integrate online-offline sales,
聘用资深职业经理，提供线上线下融合培训，
or having some high potentials fully dedicated to the new job, such as a Chief Digital Officer.
或者给新岗位配备具有拼搏精神的高潜能人才，比如首席数字官。
But Gāo did something totally different. He invented a two-hat model.
但高德福的做法完全不同。他发明了一个“双头衔”模式。
Instead of recruiting new executives, he invited five successful regional heads to take on a second role at headquarters.
他并没有招募新的主管，而是邀请了五个成功的大区长，在集团平台兼职。
The catch was, they had to do it while still being the frontline managers.
关键之处在于，他们仍然继续一线的销售管理工作。
Keep in mind that these people had no formal training or related experience in this field.
请记住，这些人在这个领域并没有接受过正规的训练，也没有相关经验。
What they did have, though, was natural strengths and a growth mindset.
但是他们拥有的是自己本身的长处和一个成长型心态。
When Gāo first told me the idea, I said,
高德福第一次告诉我这个想法时，我说，
"Are you sure? I have seldom seen companies as large as yours having part-time senior executives."
“你确定吗？我没见过像你们这么大规模的公司选择聘用兼职高管。”
But Gāo smiled. "This is my dumpling way." Gāo's team was also puzzled.
高德福笑了。“这是我喜家德的饺子范儿。”他的团队也很疑惑。
In the first three months, the sales fluctuated, some even dropped by 20 percent. But Gāo didn't blink.
头三个月，销量大幅波动。有时甚至下降了20%。但高德福眉头都没皱一下。
The regional heads had to learn new skills while still doing their job.
在做好本职销售工作的同时，这些大区经理还必须学习新的技能。
Things like what kinds of dumplings can be sold online, how to digitalize their supply chain.
比如说，发掘适合线上销售的饺子品类，如何把供应链数字化，等等。
After the transition period, something magical happened. The sales came back.
过了转型期后，神奇的事情发生了。销量开始回升。
One year later, the company began to launch its fresh and spicy dumplings online.
一年后，喜家德开始在线上出售新鲜水饺。
Two years later, more talents with start-up dreams were attracted.
两年后，更多带着创业梦想的人才慕名前来。
More importantly, the company began to translate these individual new capabilities into company policies, and roll them out.
更关键的是，公司开始把这些个人的新技能带入公司制度，并开始在内部大规模推行。
A true differentiator compared with his peers.
这一步，令他们与同行相比，遥遥领先。
Because most Chinese entrepreneurs are very good at growth strategies.
大部分中国企业家都十分擅长增长型的公司战略。
In Chinese, we call it kāi jiāng kuò tǔ, expanding territories,
我们中国人管这叫“开疆扩土”，意思是开辟领土，
but not so good at what we call zhì guó ān bāng, converting individual best practices into company policies for the long run.
但并不擅长所谓的“治国安邦”，就是从长远上，个体的最佳实践固化到公司制度里旨在公司的长治久安。
The nature of Gāo's approach, such as having tolerance for frontline managers to make mistakes,
高德福这个方法的核心理念包含允许前线管理人员犯错；
or having some new ideas not coming from the top, is not common in China. Because they go against our traditions.
听取一些不是来自高层的新想法，这些在中国都不寻常。因为它们有悖中国的传统。
In the past 2,000 years, Confucianism has been dominant in China, which values seniority and authority.
在过去的2000多年里，儒家思想主导着中国社会，它主张论资排辈，尊从权威。
For a nation, this is a time-tested formula to ensure order and harmony.
从国家角度来看，这是个久经考验的准则，保证了国家的稳定与和谐。
For a company, this ensures precise execution at a large scale.
从公司角度来看，这一举措可以保证政策的大规模精准执行。
But with business environments constantly changing, internet disrupting traditional industries,
但是随着商业环境不断变化，互联网颠覆传统行业。
new millennials becoming a major workforce, new ways of management emerge.
新千禧一代渐变成职场主力军，新的管理方式出现了。
I feel so lucky to study this in such a dynamic age, while at the same time to satisfy my stomach with delicious dumplings.
我十分庆幸自己能在这个活力澎湃的时代学习企业管理，同时，还有美味的饺子满足我的胃。
Gāo's two-hat approach is just one example. Another example comes from Miranda Qu, the founder of Xiaohongshu.
高德福的“双头衔”项目只是新型管理方式的一个例子。另一个例子来自瞿芳，小红书创始人。
Xiaohongshu is a thriving internet company with 300 million users.
小红书是一家蓬勃发展的互联网公司，拥有3亿用户。
It is an online community where young fans can get together to talk about their favorite soap opera, "Go Go Squid!"
它是一个线上社区，供年轻粉丝聚集，谈论他们最喜欢的连续剧，比如《亲爱的，热爱的》。
Or buy the cool shoes that the lead actress wears in a running scene.
或在平台上购买女主角在戏中穿着跑步的炫酷的鞋子。
From the early days, Qu wanted the whole organization to be ready to spot things that need to change and challenge the authority.
在公司创办的早期，瞿芳提倡任何员工随时可以发现问题，解决问题，倡导大家挑战权威。
But one day, she noticed her interns were calling senior staff "teachers."
但是有一天，她注意到她的实习生管资深职员叫“老师”。
This may sound innocent, but it signaled a problem to Qu.
说者无心，听者有意。
Because if the teacher phenomenon becomes a norm, it will encourage hierarchy and discourage ownership.
因为如果这个“老师现象”变成了一个惯例，它会鼓励阶层制度的蔓延，阻碍主人翁精神。
This is also something related to Confucian thinking.
这种现象也可以追溯到儒家思想。
In Chinese, we call it "benfen." "Ben" means me, myself. "Fen" means the share of the job.
在中国，我们管它叫“本份”。“本”代表我，我自己。“份”代表我的份内事。
"I will just focus on my job and not cross any lines," which is totally the opposite to Qu's thinking.
教导人们要“只专心做我的份内事，不越界一步，”这个理念跟瞿芳的思维完全相反。
So Qu created a unique initiative called "Signature Program."
所以她创建了一个独特的“薯名文化”。
In the program, each employee chooses an avatar character that pops up alongside digital communication channels.
在这个项目中，每个员工选择一个虚拟角色，作为自己在日常沟通的用户名。
Some common ideas include Captain Hook, Harry Potter and many well-known characters in Chinese literature.
有些是常见的角色，包括库克船长，哈利·波特，还有很多中国文学里众所周知的角色。
The way these characters interact proved to be the answer to Qu's problem.
这些角色之间的互动解决了瞿芳的问题。
Avatars from the same story would get together to talk about their favorite characters.
来自同一个故事的虚拟角色会不定期的举行聚会，讨论他们最喜欢的角色。
In the community called "Slam Dunk," people from different cities, different departments, different levels of the organization,
在“灌篮高手”社区里，来自不同城市，不同部门，不同层级的员工
they would talk about how these characters inspired them at work.
会讨论这些角色如何在工作中鼓舞他们。
An employee with a signature called Coach Anzai was facing some difficulty in leading a very young team.
其中一个叫“安西教练”的员工，在领导一个十分年轻的团队时遇到了一些困惑。
Other Dunk fans will share the best practices on how to motivate a diversified team and inspire them to work to their full potential.
其他的灌篮高手迷就会分享一些激发多元化团队的最佳实践，帮助员工发挥潜能。
The signature program plays a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative environment at Xiaohongshu.
小红书的“薯名”文化在促进协作中扮演着十分重要的角色。
Not only the teacher issue has disappeared,
不仅那个“老师现象”消失了，
the company has been ranked as one of the most innovative Chinese companies by Forbes in the past two years.
在过去两年里，该公司还被福布斯评选为中国最具创新力的企业之一。
Gāo's two-hat approach and Qu's signature program are just two examples of empowering the frontline staff.
高德福的“双头衔”项目和瞿芳的“薯名文化”是两个充分为一线员工赋能的例子。
But these methods may not always be right. Let's take Ping An, for example. Very successful insurance company.
但是这些方法也许并不是万能的。我们就拿平安公司举个例子。这是一个很成功的保险公司。
The company couldn't adopt such an approach for the whole organization,
该公司没办法在整个公司内部采用这种模式。
because, one, the company has 400,000 employees, and the line between innovative chaos and chaotic chaos is very thin.
原因是，第一，这家公司有40万个员工，创新性混乱和一团糟的混乱之间的界限非常模糊。
Two, the company has five ecosystems and 10-plus sectors -- health care, insurance, real estate, smart city.
第二，该公司覆盖五个生态系统和十个以上的部门--医疗保健，保险业务，房地产，智能城市等。
Very difficult to apply a bottom-up innovation to all. But the company still needs to be innovating.
很难让一个自下而上的创意覆盖到所有人。但是他们也是需要创新的。
Ma Mingzhe, the founder, positions the headquarters as the steering wheel.
创始人马明哲把公司总部比喻作方向盘。
Steering innovations and new ideas, cascading them down to its subsidiaries.
引领创新，并将其传达给各个子公司。
One of the ideas that headquarters came up with is AI-enabled loss assessment.
来自总部的一个创意是“智能闪赔”。
For a not-so-complicated case, the car owner can take a picture of the damaged car, upload it online.
我们举个没那么复杂的案例，车主可以给损坏的车身拍照，上传到网上。
The insurance center can decide a claim amount right away by AI-enabled loss assessment.
理赔中心通过人工智能做损失评估，并即刻算出赔偿金额。
Facial recognition, ID verification. The car owner can get a payment in a few minutes, which could have taken a few days.
车主在完成了人脸识别，身份验证后就能在几分钟内收到赔款，这个过程在以前要花上好几天。
So, for companies that difficult to conduct grassroots innovation, a centralized approach is also an option.
所以，对那些很难采用底层创意的企业来说，集中化方法也是一个选项。
The more I see these unconventional management mechanisms
看到了越多像这样的非传统管理机制，
Gāo with two hats, Qu with the signature program and Ma with the steering wheel
高德福的“双头衔”项目，瞿芳的“薯名“文化，马明哲的“总部方向盘”，
the more I ponder where do these mechanisms come from.
我越想知道这些方法是哪里冒出来的。
They're definitely not Confucian. They are very similar to another Asian school of thought, Taoism.
它们肯定不来自儒家学说，却类似于另一派古老的亚洲哲学道家学说。
Confucianism believes the way to achieve perfection is to organize and regulate things.
儒家认为获得完美需强调“规”和“矩”。
But Taoism believes in letting things work to their perfection naturally,
但是道家却追求“无为而治”，
to support their natural state and to let them transform spontaneously.
让事物自然优化，自发地变革。
In other words, leaders should not impose their will.
换句话说就是，领导人不应把意志强加于民。
Leaders should act by shaping the context rather than control.
领导人应该塑造环境，而不是强加管控。
Confucianism works best in winning a stable context,
儒家思想更适合确定性高的场景，
whereas Taoism, with its power to shape the context, is more effective in dealing with uncertainty.
而道家学说强调的“改变环境”可以更好地应对不确定性。
A leader is best when people barely know he exists.
太上，下知有之。
When work is done, people say, "We did it ourselves." Thank you.
功成事遂，百姓皆谓‘我自然’。谢谢。
