是否有所謂的「瑞典管理風格」？
Management by consensus-- the Swedish way
Swedish managers are typically supposed to be consensual, non-hierarchical and informal. How far does the stereotype match reality, asks Olle Wästberg, director-general of the Swedish Institute.
瑞典的管理者一般被視為重共識、不講究階層，不拘禮節。這樣的刻板印象與事實相去多遠？「瑞典協會」(Swedish Institute)理事長Olle Wästberg問到。
Is there such a thing as a "Swedish management style"?
是否有「瑞典式的管理風格」這回事？
Well, maybe. I know Americans who have been in meetings with Swedes, where a subject is discussed for an hour or so, and then the Swedish chair concludes: "Well, we all agree. So, just do it!"
恩，也許有。我認識一些與瑞典人開過會的美國人，某個主題在會議中討論了一個小時或之類的，然後瑞典主持人作結：「恩，我們都同意。所以，做就是了。」
"Do, what?" the American thinks, not grasping the subtle Swedish consensus building. The non-Swede finds no decision taken and doesn't understand that Swedes have a light touch on expressing decisions.
「做，做什麼？」美國人心想，無法捕捉那種細微的瑞典共識集會。因為沒有作成任何決定，美國人也就不了解為什麼瑞典人輕描淡寫地陳述決策。
As all statements of national traits, this description is of course an oversimplification. But still, there are many things about Swedish business culture that to the uninitiated might be unintelligible.
就像所有提到民族特質的說法，這樣的描述無疑是過度簡化。不過，仍然有許多瑞典職場文化，若未被傳授，可能也就無法了解。
Swedish companies usually have flat, non-hierarchical organizations with more of informal decision-making compared with companies in other countries. Compared with American or Russian companies Swedes make less of statistics and reporting.
瑞典公司通常是扁平、非階層式的組織模式，決策也較其它國家公司更不正式。比起美國或蘇聯的公司，瑞典公司較少使用統計與報告。
That doesn't mean that the Swedish process includes less planning or that there are fewer meetings in Swedish companies. On the contrary.
那並不是說，瑞典會議進行的模式較沒有規劃或瑞典公司的會議比較少。完全相反。
An American friend with experience of Swedish as well as American companies described the difference in management style as follows:
一位曾經在瑞典與美國公司待過的美國朋友描述兩者管理風格差異如下：
- If an American group sets out to build a railroad, they try to find the best engineer, the best contractors, decide from where to where the railroad should go, build the team and set off. When they meet an obstacle on the way, they try to solve it as they go.
如果美國人開始要蓋鐵路，他們會努力找最棒的工程師、最好的承包商，決定鐵路的起點與終點，組成團隊，然後開始。半路遇到障礙，他們會努力解決。
- Swedes would spend an extra year on planning and mapping, thinking of what could become a problem during the project and add the required manpower successively. When they run into problems, they have probably anticipated them.
瑞典人將會多花一年規劃與劃定路線，預想整個計畫中可能的問題，並陸續增加所需的人力。當他們遇到問題時，問題大都是他們已經在他們預期之內。
Both teams will reach their destination at the same time, but in different ways.
兩隊將會同時抵達終點，不過，是以不同的方式。
When I once said to an American friend that I as a Swede didn't have a lawyer and hadn't talked to a lawyer for years, he was flabbergasted: "I call my lawyer first thing in the morning."
當我曾經告訴我一位美國朋友，我沒有律師，也已經多年未跟律師談話，他大吃一驚說：「早上第一件事是打電話給我的律師。」
That might not go for every American, but law certainly plays a much less prominent role in a traditionally homogeneous country like Sweden. Swedish business contracts are usually much shorter than in many other countries – probably because the level of trust still is higher and there is a mutual understanding of standard business practice.
可能不是每個美國人都這樣，不過，在傳統、民族性較一致的國家，如瑞典，法律確實扮演較不起眼的角色。瑞典商業合約通常比其它國家的合約要短--可能是因為信賴的程度比較高，以及
大家對於標準化的商業實務能相互了解。
Young Swedes employed by foreign companies or international organizations often run into trouble being too informal or too disrespectful of structures. In a Swedish ministry, for example, it is quite natural for a newly employed, young person to stop the minister in the corridor and launch a fast idea. Wouldn't happen in Paris.
年輕的瑞典人受雇於外商或國際組織經常會碰到麻煩，太不拘小節或者太不尊重制度。例如，在瑞典的政府部門，新進雇員、年輕人在走廊攔住部長、提出fast idea是很自然的事。這種事不會在巴黎發生。
When non-Swedes experience a Swedish company or organisation from inside, they seem to think that there really is a "Swedish management style."
非瑞典人在瑞典公司或組織工作過後，他們似乎認為真有「瑞典式的管理風格」。
In 2008 the Swedish Institute started the first in a series of management programmes, aiming to build networks between Sweden and other countries. The participants in this first programme were emerging leaders from Northern Europe, both new EU countries and EU neighbours.
在2008年，「瑞典協會」首次開始一系列的管理programmes，目標在建立瑞典與其它國家的網絡。參與這次programme的都是歐洲北部，包括新的歐盟國家與歐盟鄰國，新興的領導者。
By bringing young leaders, mostly from business – but sometimes government – to Sweden, we create lasting bonds between our country and people who are likely to play an important role in their home countries. They are invited to Sweden, get a crash course in what Sweden is all about, meet with Swedish counterparts and work for a couple of weeks on business projects at Swedish companies.
The programme is not at all about promoting a special leadership style, but rather about promoting value-based leadership. The central values are not specifically Swedish, but play an important role in Sweden: corporate social responsibility, sustainability and the environment.
該課程要促銷並不是某種特殊的領導風格，而是價值導向的領導。中心價值並非瑞典獨有，而是在瑞典扮演重要角色：企業的社會責任、永續與環境。
Through this programme, young leaders from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have got the chance to spend some time in Sweden. In 2009 a new management programme with roughly the same aim and direction is being launched for China and India.
When we talked to the first group of participants, they were quite unanimous in recognising a "Swedish leadership style" characterized by easy communication, low internal competition and anti-hierarchical organization structures.
當我們與第一群參與者訪談時，他們一致同意瑞典管理風格的特色是：好溝通、內部競爭低以及反階層式的組織結構。
So, maybe it is not a myth after all.
Olle Wästberg, Director-General of the Swedish Institute
source from: http://www.thelocal.se/17064/20090121/
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