保護最寶貴的資產

By Jim Lange

不久前，我與家人一起開車到佛羅里達州度假。在路上我的妻子指著一個漆在卡車後面的標示要我看，上面寫道：「我們最寶貴的資產坐在前面63呎」（意指那卡車司機）。我對那標示感到很希奇。在這個公司都只想自己利益的時代，貪心常常凌駕一切，那標示讓人耳目一新──那個公司似乎真的把它的員工看為寶貴。

看到那輛卡車後，我想起兩年前我與一位朋友的一段談話。當時我的壓力很大，無法把每件我要做的事做完。因此我就開始在自己身上加添許多壓力，希望使我能更有生產力。

我決定打電話給這個朋友，他是一位心靈導師，在生活和屬靈道路上都走在我前面。我問道：「艾爾，你要做的事比我多。（他擁有許多公司，而且要旅行世界各地去參與他支持的一些宣教事工。）若你每天的事沒做完，你都如何處理？」

沒有不重要的會面。艾爾笑著回答：「吉姆，在許久前上帝就對付我這種情況。我喜歡事情有進展，我喜歡把事情做完。然而，上帝讓我看到人和關係更重要。所以，我開始這麼做。當有一位員工來辦公室找我──這種事常常發生──我就盡力把我正在做的事放到一邊，即使那是很重要的事，然後專注在他們身上。

「我想上帝在這個時候把這個人帶到我的生命中一定有理由──不論是上帝透過他們要對我的生命說什麼話，或是上帝透過我要對他們的生命說什麼話。所以在這種談話中，我強調讓我的員工決定何時結束談話。換句話說，他們需要多少時間，我就給他們。」

我聽得目瞪口呆。那讓我想到我常常沒有這麼做，尤其是對我的家人。我的態度常常是：「我現在不能談話。我有非常重要的事要做！」

艾爾還提供了另一個意見：「我是這麼看這種情況。若我以這樣的談話來尊榮上帝，祂就會照顧我需要做的事。」

他最後的這段話令我更希奇。可能我最大的問題是我缺乏信心。我常常對自己有信心把工作做好更甚於相信天父有能力賜我力量去完成必須做的事。因為我把「信心」放錯了對象，所以我才會看重事情過於看重人。

了解到這一點讓我特別驚訝，因為我生命中的其中一個委身是要幫助人們成長，使他們成為上帝要他們成為的人。人際關係應該對我很重要。然而，我卻常常沒有那樣對待他們。那段簡短的談話使我謙卑──也啟發了我。

人際關係是最重要的。不論在職場、家中、或我們的人際關係，人都是我們最寶貴的資產。而且有時被人提醒是有幫助的。如耶穌告訴跟隨者的話：「因為你的財寶在那裡，你的心也在那裡」（馬太福音6章21節）。你是否把工作或成就看得比上帝帶來你生命中的人更寶貴？

吉姆．蘭紀是「工作真理協會Truth@Work」 (www.christianroundtablegroups.com)的分會會長，這是一個職場人士的事工。他定期在部落格www.5feet20.com上寫作，他也寫了一本書「流血的領袖：給領袖的聖經急救箱 Bleedership: Biblical First-Aid for Leaders」他與家人住在美國俄亥俄州的Toledo市附近。

思想 / 討論題目
在你的組織裡，員工是否會被形容是「我們最寶貴的資產」？請解釋。 你有時是否想過那些干擾你把事情做好的人是在要求你的注意？若是，那如何影響你的工作？你又如何與那干擾你工作的人互動？ 作者的朋友，艾爾說無論何時員工進入他的辦公室，他都會把工作放在一邊──不論那工作有多重要──然後專注在員工的需要？你對這種做法有何意見？這麼做是否切合實際？為什麼？ 今天你特別做了什麼事去培養並加強你在職場、在家中、或你獨特的「影響範圍」的人際關係？你想做什麼改變？註：若你有聖經且想要看有關此主題的其他經文，請看：
箴言17章17節，18章24節，27章23-27節；馬太福音7章12節；路加福音6章31節；約翰福音15章13節；以弗所書6章5-9節

GUARDING THE MOST VALUABLE ASSETS

By Jim Lange

A while ago, my family and I were driving to Florida for a vacation when my wife pointed to the sign painted on the back of a truck. It read, “Our most valuable asset sits 63 feet ahead” (referring to the driver of the truck). That message seemed amazing to me. In this age of corporate self-indulgence, where greed often rules, this seemed very refreshing – a company that truly seemed to value its employees.

After seeing this truck, I remembered a conversation I had with a friend about two years ago. I was really struggling with stress and not able to get everything accomplished that I wanted to get done. As a result, I had begun putting a lot of pressure on myself to become more productive.

I decided to call this friend, who also served as a mentor, someone well ahead of me in his life and spiritual journey. I asked, “Al, you have so many more demands on your schedule than I do. (He owns several companies and travels all over the world working on some ministry projects that he supports.) How do you deal with not getting all of your things done each day?”

No unimportant encounters. Al chuckled and replied, “Jim, God dealt with me on that long ago. I love progress and I love getting stuff done. However, what God showed me was that people and relationships are more important. So, what I began to do is, whenever an employee comes in my office – which happens frequently – I do my best to lay aside whatever I”m working on and focus on them, even if I”m in the middle of something important.

“I figured that God is bringing this person into my life at this moment for a reason – either for them to speak into my life or for me to speak into theirs. So when I am in one of these conversations, I make it a point to let my employee end the conversation. In other words, I give them the time they need.”

I was stunned. It occurred to me how often I do not demonstrate this in my own life, especially with my own family. My attitude so often is, “I can”t talk now. I”ve got something really important to get done!”

Al offered one additional comment: “The way I look at it, if I honor God in conversations like these, He will take care of what needs to get done on my task list.”

His final statement seemed even more amazing. Perhaps my biggest problem was my lack of faith. I often have more faith in myself to get work done than I do in my Heavenly Father”s ability to empower me to accomplish what has to be done. Because of my displaced “faith,” I sometimes put tasks ahead of people.

This realization was particularly startling because one of my central commitments in life is to help people grow to become what God desires them to be. Relationships should be of primary importance to me. Yet, too often I fail to treat them that way. This brief conversation was humbling – and enlightening.

Relationships are most important. Whether in the workplace, our homes, or our personal relationships, people are our most valuable asset. And sometimes it helps to be reminded of that. As Jesus told His followers, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Are you putting higher value on tasks or accomplishments more than the people God has brought into your life?

© 2011 by Jim Lange. Jim is a chapter president with Truth@Work (www.christianroundtablegroups.com), a ministry to people in the workplace. He writes a regular online blog, www.5feet20.com, and is the author of a book, Bleedership: Biblical First-Aid for Leaders. He and his family live near Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.

Reflection/Discussion Questions
In your organization, would you say that its staff would be described as “our most valuable asset”? Explain your answer. Do you sometimes have the thought that people stand in the way of your ability to get things done that are demanding your attention? If so, how does that affect your work – and your interaction with people that interrupt your work responsibilities? The writer”s friend, Al, said whenever employees come into his office, he tries to put work aside – no matter how important it is – and focus on them and their needs? What is your reaction to that philosophy? Does it seem realistic? Why or why not? What are you consciously doing today to cultivate and strengthen relationships you have at work, in your home or your unique “sphere of influence”? What changes, if any, would you like to make?NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to review additional passages that relate to this topic, consider the following verses: Proverbs 17:17, 18:24, 27:23-27; Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31; John 15:13; Ephesians 6:5-9