Michele Wucker: Why we ignore obvious problems -- and how to act on them
Michele Wucker: Perché ignoriamo i problemi evidenti e come affrontarli
Michele Wucker coined the term "gray rhino" as a metaphor for obvious risks that are neglected despite -- in fact, often because of -- their size and likelihood. Full bio
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a highly obvious problem
un problema davvero evidente
within your power to fix things
per sistemare le cose
non vogliono ammetterlo
than any of us would like to admit
che abbiamo davanti agli occhi.
to turn away from things
che rappresentano per noi,
that they represent to us,
from my world, economic policy.
del mio mondo, l'economia politica.
was head of the Federal Reserve,
era a capo della Federal Reserve,
ai problemi dell'economia statunitense
for problems in the US economy
didn't spin out of control.
raggiunsero l'apice,
di tutto rispetto,
respected leaders and institutions
bolle del mercato azionario.
and dangerous market bubbles.
it all came tumbling down.
persero quasi la metà del loro valore,
lost nearly half their value,
venne pignorata la casa.
lost their homes to foreclosure.
rimase senza lavoro.
was out of work.
in un'analisi retrospettiva dissero:
came out with a postmortem and said,
davvero una sorpresa.
a Manhattan è quasi raddoppiato di valore
nearly doubled in value
e l'ho venduto.
and I sold it.
hanno sentito l'allarme,
also saw the warning,
come sarebbe stata la crisi,
what the crisis was going to look like,
di pericoloso, visibile e prevedibile
was as dangerous, visible and predictable
alla carica verso di noi.
charging right at us.
potere sul nostro futuro.
power over our futures.
that we think we have,
pensiamo di avere,
masks another problem:
nasconde un altro problema:
dei problemi che affrontiamo
that we're facing
ma comunque non facciamo niente.
but we still don't do anything about.
del rinoceronte grigio
una nuova prospettiva
avevano per il cigno nero
that people had for the black swan,
that were highly obvious,
per le cose che erano ovvie,
dei rinoceronti grigi,
is another big gray rhino,
pagina è un altro rinoceronte grigio,
in the last 10 years.
qualcosa negli ultimi 10 anni.
oppure Wall Street,
to Washington or Wall Street,
se pensate che tutto andrà liscio.
that only smooth sailing laid ahead.
Xi Jinping himself,
come rinoceronti grigi
systems of government,
o non possono fare.
they're able to do or not.
for their economic problems
dei loro problemi economici
che entrambi i paesi hanno problemi
that both countries have problems
e la produttività economica.
and with economic productivity.
are so different?
sono così diversi?
la sicurezza al primo posto
le macchine scadenti
to recall their shoddy cars
in preparing for the inevitable --
nel prepararsi all'inevitabile,
era già inciso sulla lapide.
chiseled into the gravestone.
on the other side,
i loro ultimi affari,
their final affairs in order,
che hanno accumulato per decenni
for decades and decades
a occuparsene.
between one side and the other?
vedono le cose e le affrontano,
see things and deal with them,
with culture, society,
con la cultura, la società,
pick you up when you fall,
un pericolo come una cosa piccola.
to see a danger as being smaller.
good chances, not just the bad ones.
delle occasioni buone, non solo cattive.
di cui nessuno vuole che tu parli.
that nobody wants you to talk about.
that are kind of scary,
sono dei rinoceronti grigi.
molto individualista.
individualist culture -- go it alone.
meno propensi al cambiamento
much less open to change
farà in modo di evitare i problemi,
is going to keep problems from happening,
ma le persone ci credono.
but people believe it.
sulle loro famiglie,
on their families,
più propensi a correre certi rischi.
to take certain risks.
di dover cambiare direzione
that they need to change direction,
in Cina è assolutamente pazzesco.
is absolutely amazing.
even when it's not what you want?
anche quando non è ciò che vorreste?
che vogliamo solo oscurare,
that we just want to black out,
che ci piace e con cui concordiamo.
what we like, what we agree with.
and the ability
con gente di tutti i ceti sociali
talking with people of all walks of life
e del loro atteggiamento.
and their attitudes.
che hanno più paura del rischio,
who are more afraid of risk,
who would be less open to change.
i problemi attorno a loro
the problems around them
di più i rischi, quelli buoni,
to tolerate more risk, good risk,
alle cose di cui abbiamo paura.
about the things that we're afraid of.
può sembrare una cosa enorme,
it can feel so big,
potrebbe fare la differenza.
could make a difference.
vivono negandolo.
except themselves.
che non rinuncerà mai al suo SUV
he's not ever going to give up his SUV
centrali a carbone in Cina.
coal plants in China.
di cambiare il proprio atteggiamento,
to change our attitudes,
una conversazione aperta e onesta
an open and honest conversation
su come li stiamo affrontando.
about how well we're dealing with them.
affrontare i problemi ovvi,
deal with obvious problems,
what's in front of you,
e non potrei essere più in disaccordo.
and I could not disagree more.
questa vulnerabilità condivisa,
that shared vulnerability,
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michele Wucker - Author, policy analystMichele Wucker coined the term "gray rhino" as a metaphor for obvious risks that are neglected despite -- in fact, often because of -- their size and likelihood.
Why you should listen
Michele Wucker's term "gray rhino" has moved markets and shaped financial policies around the world. She is the author of the international bestseller The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore, which China's leadership has used to frame and communicate its efforts to crack down on financial risk.
Drawing on three decades of experience in financial media and think tank management, turnarounds and policy analysis, Wucker is founder of the Chicago-based strategy firm Gray Rhino & Company, which helps organizations to better manage gray rhino risks. She speaks regularly on risk management, leadership, macro strategy and decision-making for high-level global audiences. She has been recognized as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a Guggenheim Fellow, among other honors.
Wucker's first two books, Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting It Right and Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola, continue to influence policy debates.
Michele Wucker | Speaker | TED.com