Change: What companies must embrace to move ahead. By harnessing the power of change (rather than fighting or fearing it), companies can achieve a competitive advantage. Welch has said that people will always want to know when the change is over, when they can “stop changing” and just get on with things.Welch’s response was unequivocal: “No, it’s just begun.” That Welch response is an apt summary of the Welch years, in which change was a constant. One of the keys to GE’s values is that it includes a statement on change. At GE, employees are urged to think of change as an opportunity and not a threat. In his last year at the helm, Welch explained that “predicting is not what it’s all about. It’s about responding to change, it’s moving with change. It’s being adaptive. It’s not about the precision.”Welch also said that change is in the genes of every GE employee: “We breathe in our blood every day, now is the time to change the game.”

变革: 公司必须欢迎变革、才能继续向前发展。通过运用变革的力量（而不是与它对抗或畏惧它），公司就能获得竞争优势。韦尔奇曾经说过，人们总是想知道变革什么时候结束，什么时候他们能“停止改变”、然后才开始办事。韦尔奇的回答斩钉截铁：“不行，变革才开始。”这种韦尔奇式的答复是对韦尔奇时代的一种贴切的总结，在那些年代里，变革才是恒常。通用电气公司价值观中关键的一点是它包含了对变革的规定。通用电气公司敦促员工将变革看作是一种机遇、而不是威胁。在执掌公司的最后一年中，韦尔奇解释说 “这里所需要的并非完全是预见，而是响应变革、与变革同步。关键是要灵活变通，而不是精确性。”韦尔奇还说，变革存在于通用电气公司每一位员工的基因中：“我们每天都将变革吸入血脉之中，现在该是改变局面的时候了。”

 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WELCH AND CHANGE

韦尔奇变革的重大意义

 

One of Welch’s great contributions is the way he approached the topic of change. From his first days in the CEO’s office, he recognized that change was not only inevitable, but also sorely needed. Once again, we see how Welch was the right leader at the right time. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, most business leaders had little appetite for change. Even a weak economy and the threat of new global competitors were not enough to shake up most CEOs.Welch not only recognized the need for change, he saw the need for radical change, and then set out to turn the company and its century-old traditions upside down.

韦尔奇的伟大贡献之一，是他处理变革这个主题时采用的方法。从他担任首席执行官的第一天起，他便认识到，变革不仅是免不了的，而且还是迫切需要的。从这点上我们再一次看出，韦尔奇是合适时间出现的合适领导人。20世纪70年代到80年代初，大多数企业领导人对变革殊少兴趣。即便衰颓的经济以及新的全球竞争对手的威胁，也不足以让大多数的首席执行官们清醒过来。韦尔奇不仅认识到变革的需求，而且他还看到突破式变革的必要性，然后便着手让通用电气公司和它百年之久的传统天翻地覆。

 

 

Change lessons

关于变革的经验教训

 

1. Change is a constant, and people in the organization must face it: Legendary coach Vince Lombardi said that “winning is not a sometime thing.”Welch felt the same way about change. He urged his managers not only to live with change, but also to exploit the opportunities that come with change. For example, Welch knew that manufacturing alone would not deliver the growth he sought. As a result, he embarked on an ambitious plan to make service the centerpiece of GE’s growth engine. In 2000, service accounted for more than 70 percent of GE’s revenues.

1. 变革是一种恒常，组织中的人们必须正视变革：传奇教练文森特·隆巴迪（Vince Lombardi）说：“获胜并非一时间的事。”韦尔奇对变革也有同样的看法。他敦促管理人员不仅要习惯变革，而且还要挖掘随同变革而来的机遇。例如，韦尔奇知道单是依靠制造无法带来他所想要的增长。于是他便着手推行一项雄心勃勃的计划，使服务成为通用电气公司增长引擎的核心部分。到2000年，服务在通用电气公司的收益中占了70%以上。

 

2. Never stop communicating on the topic of change: Since change is a constant, managers and employees must learn not only to live with it, but also to embrace it. Change can help organizations, but only if people are prepared. In the 1980s, Welch preached on change at Crotonville and used other parts of the operating system to drive change throughout the company. In his final year as chairman, Welch said that change is “in the company’s blood.”

2. 永不停止对变革这一话题的沟通交流：既然变革是一种恒常，管理人员和员工们就必须学会习惯它，而且也要学会欢迎它。只有在人们做好变革准备的情况下，变革才能对组织起到帮助作用。20世纪80年代，韦尔奇在克罗顿维尔宣讲变革，并利用运作系统中的其它部分在全公司推动变革。在他担任董事会主席的最后一年中，韦尔奇说，变革“存在于公司的血脉之中”。

 

 

3. Stay one step ahead of change: One of the factors that fueled Welch’s success was his prescience. Welch not only faced reality, he saw it coming long before his competitors. Stay one step ahead of change by monitoring the competitive environment (e.g., competitors’ websites, global economic conditions), staying in touch with people from all corners of the organization, and encouraging communication up and down the hierarchy.

3、提前做好变革的准备：韦尔奇的预见能力是助他成功的一项要素。韦尔奇不仅直面现实，而且还远比他的竞争对手更早预见到现实的来临。要监控竞争环境（例如竞争对手的网站、全球经济状况），与组织中各个部门的人员保持联系，并鼓励上下级之间的双向沟通，从而提前做好变革的准备。