Imagine going to your boss with news of a delayed project or cost overrun, and hearing "thank you" in response.
你去找老板，告诉他项目被延误或者成本超支，得到的回应却是“谢谢你”，你能想象这样的情景吗？

That's the rule at Menlo Innovations, a software company based in Ann Arbor, Mich., which trains project managers to smile and thank employees even when they're bearing bad news.
实际上，门罗创新公司（Menlo Innovations）就是这样规定的。这家位于美国密歇根州安阿伯市的软件公司对所有项目经理进行了培训，要求他们面带微笑，即使从员工那里听到的是坏消息，也要表示感谢。

"My job is to say, 'Thank you for letting me know,' not 'I need you to work an extra 10 hours tonight,'" says Lisa Ho, 26, a Menlo project manager. "Sometimes it's hard to do because we have this deadline we're trying to meet. But I respect them for telling me and as long as we're very transparent… I can call the client."
26岁的丽莎•何便在门罗公司担任项目经理，她表示：“我需要说的是：‘谢谢你能告诉我。’而不是：‘你今晚上得加10小时的班。’有时候，这做起来会有些困难，因为我们必须努力在最终期限之前完成’。但他们把问题告诉我，我就应该表示尊重；而且，只要我们的工作非常透明，我就可以跟客户解释。”

In corporate America, many employees are afraid to report bad news because they're essentially saying no to the boss -- telling her that a business goal hasn't been met. But companies that foster a fear-free culture enjoy better decision-making, more ethical behavior and the ability to truly harness the collective brainpower of the workforce, according to Menlo CEO Rich Sheridan and other business leaders.
在美国企业界，许多员工并不敢向老板报告坏消息。因为他们认为，告诉老板业务目标没能实现，实际上是在跟她说“不”。但是，门罗公司的首席执行官里奇•谢里顿以及其他企业领导人却认为，鼓励员工说真话的企业文化，可以帮助公司做出更好的决策，培养员工的职业道德，并可以真正挖掘员工的集体智慧。

Encouraging employees to say no to the boss ensures that smart new ideas bubble to the top levels of an organization, Sheridan says. He sets such a high priority on healthy dissent that he's baked it into the corporate culture through training, procedures, regular communications to employees and a willingness to take risks based on staff suggestions.
谢里顿认为，鼓励员工对老板说“不”，可以使企业高层获得一些新的好点子。他格外重视那些富有建设性的异议，并且愿意冒险采纳来自员工的建议，通过培训、制订流程、与员工的定期沟通，把它融入到企业文化中。

It's all too easy to fall into a yes-man culture, especially when workers feel insecure about their jobs. To create an environment of open communication, leaders must reward and publicize new ideas, encourage dissent from staff and even challenge employees when everyone seems too agreeable.
公司很容易陷入一种“应声虫式”的企业文化，尤其是当员工感觉工作缺乏安全感的时候。为了形成一种开放沟通的氛围，企业领导者必须奖励和公布新的点子，鼓励员工提出异议，甚至当所有人都太过顺从的时候，要对员工提出质疑。

"The company and the CEO and the chairman have to set the right tone," says Peter Handal, president of Dale Carnegie Training. "The worst, fatal flaw in the leadership of companies is the 'not invented here' mentality: 'If it's not my idea, I don't want to hear it.'"
戴尔•卡耐基培训（Dale Carnegie Training）的董事长彼得•韩铎表示：“公司以及首席执行官和董事长都必须设定正确的基调。公司领导层最糟糕的，也是最致命的弱点，就是‘非我发明’的心态：‘如果不是我的主意，那就别讲给我听。’”

Employees will work harder and more efficiently because they feel listened to and invested in the venture, he says. "It really does help the morale and the spirit and the dedication of the people in the company because they feel like they're part of it; they've given their input," Handal says.
如果员工感觉他们的意见得到倾听，并对公司充满了希望，他们会更努力地工作，效率也会更高。韩铎表示：“这确实会鼓舞员工的士气和奉献精神，因为他们会感觉自己是公司的一份子；他们为公司付出了自己的努力。”