Can you think of a better strategy or ideathan the status quo?

能否想出比现状更好的战略或想法？

Even if you are willing to change, you’ve got tocome up with a solution to your problem. In some cases, it’s quiteeasy. Becoming healthier by improving your diet and doing more exercise is notexactly a secret or a revolutionary solution.

即便你想要改变，也必须要找出解决问题的方法。在某些情况下，这很简单。通过改变饮食和加强锻炼可以改善健康状况，这已经不是什么秘密，也算不上革命性的方法。

Other times, however, it is more difficult.Companies can bring in armies of consultants to help them come up with newsolutions to what’s ailing them, but the old-fashioned idea of expecting youand your own staff to have ideas isn’t all that unreasonable either.

但有的时候，问题却比较难以解决。企业可以聘请大量顾问帮助其寻找新的方案来解决困扰他们的问题，但依靠自己或员工来想办法也不能算是奢望。

No matter how great your strategic idea, ifyou can’t execute on it you’re doomed.

无论你的战略思维多么高明，如果无法落实，都注定会失败。

Take Blockbuster and Netflix as oneexample. The writing was on the wall for some time on how digital streaming wasgoing to become a better solution for more people than heading to your localDVD store. And a more profitable solution for companies able to deliver thatservice. Blockbuster did have choices — buy Netflix when they were still quitesmall and run them as an independent entity, create their own “Netflix” business,retrench into a small niche player doing what you’ve always done for the tinymarket that might still prefer to browse the shelves, or selling out to anothercompany better —or dumber —than they were. Blockbuster made an attempt, too late, to createits own version of Netflix, but ultimately collapsed under the weight ofchange.

以Blockbuster 和Netflix 为例。其实不祥之兆早已出现：数字流媒体视频必将成为更好的解决方案，吸引更多人使用，从而淘汰传统的DVD 租赁业务。对于有能力提供这种服务的企业来说，这也是一种利润更丰厚的解决方案。Blockbuster 并非没有选择：可以在Netflix规模还很小的时候将其收购，并将其作为独立业务发展；也可以开发自己的“Netflix”业务；还可以缩小规模，变成一家小众企业，针对那些仍然愿意浏览货架的小众人群提供你一直以来提供的业务；甚至可以出售给另外一家更好——或更笨——的公司。Blockbuster 曾经尝试开发自己的Netflix，但为时已晚，最终只能在变革的重压下消亡。

The point is, when you are open-minded,curious, and creative, you’ll have options.

关键在于，当你开放思想、虚心好学、勇于创新时，就会拥有很多选择。

Can you execute on your chosen solution?

你能否落实自己选择的方案？

This is where the proverbial rubber meetsthe road. No matter how great your strategic idea, if you can’t execute on ityou’re doomed. This is how it should be, of course, but that doesn’t make iteasier. Blockbuster did create a small unit designed to replicate Netflix, butit died a quick death in a corporate culture that only knew one business model.

俗话说：“是骡子是马，拉出来溜溜。”无论你的战略思维多么高明，如果无法落实，都注定会失败。这似乎是不言自明的道理，但实际操作起来却没有那么简单。Blockbuster 的确成立了一个部门来模仿Netflix 的模式，但由于他们的企业文化只懂得一种商业模式，所以这个部门很快就消亡了。

Dealing with that difficult colleaguerequires courage and a plan of action, but then you have to actually have thedifficult conversation. Or you have to convince others to move the troublemakerto another place where he might add more value and do less damage. Or you haveto initiate an often-long process of documenting grounds for dismissal. All ofit is hard work.

要对付那个难搞的同事不仅需要勇气，还要制定一份行动计划。但随后，你必须要与之展开艰难的对话。或者你必须说服别人将这个专门制造麻烦的家伙调到其他地方，让他可以多贡献一些价值，少搞一点破坏。你也可以启动一项漫长的流程，寻找他的各种错误，找到解雇他的充分理由。这些办法都要付出很大的努力。

Even going to the gym and eating betterdoesn’t happen by itself. Maybe you need a personal trainer to keep youmotivated (and raise the embarrassment factor if you quit or the financialstrain if you have to pay for a missed training session). If you don’t have thepersonal discipline to stay away from those wonderful French fries, there’s an entireindustry that has sprung up to help you execute on your eat-healthy strategy:diet clubs, diet programs, diet apps galore.

就算是去健身房锻炼或改善饮食也不是自然而然发生的事情。你或许需要一个私人教练来帮助自己保持激情(并在你想放弃的时候提醒你注意令自己尴尬的因素，或者当你要为自己错过的培训课程支付费用时，让你感受到财务压力)。如果你不够自律，无法放弃美味的炸薯条，其实已经涌现了一个全新的行业帮助你落实健康饮食计划：有很多节食俱乐部、节食项目、节食应用可以选择。

I don’t want to underestimate thedifficulty of answering, with actions, these questions. Every step of the wayis challenging, from having the courage to change, to creatively developing anew way of doing things, to actually making it happen. But these threequestions will always be at the heart of any solution. Getting to a much betterplace as an individual, or for a company, really is possible. It need not be soconfusing and overwhelming.

我不想低估回答这些问题和落实相关行动的难度。从勇于改变到创造性地开发新颖的方法，再到落实这些方法，每一步都要面临挑战。但对于任何方案而言，这三个问题自始至终都是核心所在。无论是个人还是企业，想要改善现状都是完全可能的。不必再感到困惑不已，更不必再感觉压力山大。

When you really think about it, you’ve goteverything you need to solve your problem.

当你真正思考之后，必将找到解决问题的方法。