價值減掉行為等於零
By Rick Boxx
我的朋友羅傑剛完成一個重點商業大學為期六週的研究所課程。一個教授的評論讓他重新思考了自己對於塑造企業文化的看法。
教授的評論是「核心價值觀不是解決問題的方法」。以前羅傑深信自己的企業文化是很特別的，需要特別寫下來。但是聽完教授的評論之後，他覺得企業文化如果沒有活出來，會傷害企業本身，比沒有企業文化更糟。
羅傑仔細地思考之後，他明白了核心價值觀若是沒有變成實際的行為，就算白紙黑字寫下來了，也沒有甚麼意義。但是不幸的是，今天的社會，我們看到很多說一套做一套的思維。人們宣稱自己的價值觀如何如何，但是他們的行為卻和所說的背道而馳。
聖經的雅各書2章17節教導我們：「這樣，信心若沒有行為就是死的。」信心和行為缺一不可。這句話也告訴我們，在生活的各方面，包括工作，我們若是言行不一，對我們工作的公司或是周遭的人就不可能有甚麼影響力。
很多企業或公司都有白紙黑字寫下來的企業使命或是目標，有一些公司甚至是在他們自己傑出的領域也另有核心價值觀，更會定期拿出來討論。這些核心價值觀提醒上至公司執行長下至兼職員工：公司或組織如何運作以及每個人如何被期待。在這個過程當中，核心價值觀也建構了企業文化作為決策和行為的指標。
我們經常會回溯一個企業的文化從它的草創時期開始。但是除非領導者持續地堅持，用文字寫下來，並且去執行，否則核心價值觀很可能會隨著時間流失。對耶穌的門徒而言，我們的核心價值觀應該就是聖經的教導。
例如，馬太福音7章12節告訴我們：「所以，無論何事，你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人，因為這就是律法和先知的道理。」這句話是否提醒了公司裡的每個人？或者這句話只有在對公司的目標有利的狀況下才被實行？每個人在做生意的時候是否都強調誠實和正直，即便這樣做有可能會危及生意導致關門或是完成交易？聖經說：「說謊言的嘴為耶和華所憎惡；行事誠實的，為他所喜悅。」(箴言 12章22節).
我們必須記得一句格言：「光說不練，毫無益處。」要成為耶穌基督真實的、結實累累的代言人，在生活和做生意的時候都要持守自己宣稱的信念。另一句類似的格言則是：「除非你言行一致，否則最好沉默是金。」
就像羅傑學到的，對企業而言，核心價值觀很重要，但是不如鼓勵和教導你的團隊將這些價值觀行出來。
版權所有2018 非傳統商業網路(前身為純全資源中心)。節錄自和Rick Boxx的純全時刻，這本刊物主要是從基督徒的角度來探討職場上正直這個主題。如果希望知道更多關於這個事工或是想訂閱每日純全時刻，請上這個網站: www.unconventionalbusiness.org. Rick Boxx最新出版的書提供用五個關鍵的神的方法來建立企業。
省思和問題討論
如果有人問你如何定義或是描述自己公司的核心價值，你會如何回答？這些價值觀是否確實地傳達給企業相關的人了？他們都了解了嗎？這些核心價值如何實行呢？ 你的企業或是組織到現在是否仍然持守自己的核心價值觀呢？請分享你的答案。 你認為一個公司若是沒有堅持自己的核心價值，能夠建立自己的企業文化並執行出來嗎？請解釋你的答案。 你自己個人的價值觀又是甚麼呢？對你來說，最重要的是甚麼，你是否堅持將這些信念活出來？當你發現現實和理想有落差時，你會做甚麼來讓現實更靠近理想呢？
備註：如果你手上有聖經希望閱讀更多關於這個主題的經文，請參考：
箴言 10章9節
10:9行正直路的，步步安穩；走彎曲道的，必致敗露。
箴言13章6節
13:6行為正直的，有公義保守；犯罪的，被邪惡傾覆。
箴言16章2節
16:2人一切所行的，在自己眼中看為清潔；惟有耶和華衡量人心。
箴言16章7節
16:7人所行的，若蒙耶和華喜悅，耶和華也使他的仇敵與他和好。
箴言16章11節
16:11公道的天平和秤都屬耶和華；囊中一切法碼都為他所定。
箴言18章9節
18:9弟兄結怨，勸他和好，比取堅固城還難；這樣的爭競如同堅寨的門閂。
箴言22章29節
22:29你看見辦事殷勤的人嗎？他必站在君王面前，必不站在下賤人面前。
箴言24章30-34節
24:30我經過懶惰人的田地、無知人的葡萄園，
24:31 荊棘長滿了地皮，刺草遮蓋了田面，石牆也坍塌了。
24:32 我看見就留心思想；我看著就領了訓誨。
24:33 再睡片時，打盹片時，抱著手躺臥片時，
24:34 你的貧窮就必如強盜速來，你的缺乏彷彿拿兵器的人來到。
箴言25章13節
25:13忠信的使者叫差他的人心裏舒暢，就如在收割時有冰雪的涼氣。
箴言26章24-26節
26:24 怨恨人的，用嘴粉飾，心裏卻藏著詭詐；
26:25 他用甜言蜜語，你不可信他，因為他心中有七樣可憎惡的。
26:26 他雖用詭詐遮掩自己的怨恨，他的邪惡必在會中顯露。
箴言29章4節
29:4 王藉公平，使國堅定；索要賄賂，使國傾敗。
VALUES MINUS BEHAVIOR = ZERO
By Rick Boxx
My friend, Roger, recently returned from a six-week Graduate program at a major business college. A comment by one of his professors caused Roger to rethink his personal views on how to shape the culture in his business.
A strong believer in having specific, written values for his business, Roger”s thinking began to change after his professor”s comment that “values are not the solution.” This reminded Roger that if values are not lived out, these unpracticed values can potentially damage the business more than not having verbalized values at all.
As Roger pondered the simple statement, he realized that values must be translated into behaviors, they are meaningless, not worth the paper on which they are written. Sadly, we see this type of dualistic thinking manifested too much in contemporary society. People boldly profess certain values with their words, but their actions show little evidence that they truly believe the ideals they claim to embrace.
A passage in the Bible addresses this: James 2:17 teaches, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” This does not necessarily deny the existence of one”s faith – or values. It does say that apart from being lived out and demonstrated by how we conduct ourselves in every area of life, including our work, values we express will have little if any impact in our companies or those with whom we interact every day.
Many businesses have written mission or purpose statements, but some companies have also produced values statements that they display in prominent areas and discuss periodically. This serves to remind everyone, from the CEO to part-time workers, of the values that serve as a foundation for how the organization operates and how each individual is expected to represent it. In the process, this establishes a corporate culture for guiding decisions and behavior.
Often we can trace corporate values to practices established from the time the business was created. Such values, however, may change or be lost over time unless leaders affirm them consistently, express them in written form, and then practice them consistently. For followers of Christ, values we embrace and demonstrate should be rooted in the teachings of the Bible.
For instance, “in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Is this a value that remains in the forefront of everyone”s mind in the company, or is it practiced only when it benefits the company”s goals? Does everyone emphasize honesty and integrity in all business dealings, even when doing so could jeopardize closing a sale or finalizing a deal? Here is an example of what the Scriptures say about that: “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:22).
We must remember the adage, “talk is cheap.” What enables us to stand out as genuine, fruitful ambassadors of Jesus Christ is living and conducting business in a manner consistent with what we claim to believe. A familiar motto warns us, “Unless you talk lines up with your walk, the less said the better.”
As Roger learned, values are important in business, but not nearly as important as encouraging – and teaching – your team to behave according to those values.
Copyright 2018, Unconventional Business Network (formerly Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from "Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more about their ministry or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www. unconventionalbusiness.org. His latest book and inspiration for their new ministry name, Unconventional Business, provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God”s Way.”
Reflection/Discussion Questions
If someone were to ask you to define or describe your company”s values, what would you say? Are these values articulated in some manner so that every person affiliated with the organization clearly understands what those values are – and what they mean in a practical sense? Would you say that your business or organization operates consistently with the values it claims to believe in? Explain your answer. Do you think a company can establish a culture of thought and action without communicating its values in a consistent, intentional manner? Why or why not? What about your personal values? What things would you say are most important to you – and how consistent are you in living by them? If you recognize a gap between what you believe and how you behave or perform your work, how might you go about changing that?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Proverbs 10:9, 13:6, 16:2,7,11, 18:9, 22:29, 24:30-34, 25:13, 26:24-26, 29:4
