什麼是品質？如何追求品質？

唯一的問題是，「品質」是什麼意思？如果你問十個人，我懷疑你會得到十個不一樣的答案。最近我和一個製造業公司合作出一本書，我問公司總裁說：「品質是什麼？ 」他告訴我：「每一次都做正確的事。」

他解釋說：「品質就是堅持做你該做的事，持續做對的事，不亂來。做我們這行的，不胡亂來很重要。」

當然，品質也可能有別的意思。你知道勞力士手錶是比天美時手錶作工更精細，但是不管哪一牌，你都希望手錶能告訴你正確的時間。一輛賓士轎車可能比其他較便宜的轎車品質更好，但是對車子我們最基本的要求還是它能安全地把我們從A點載送到B點。

所以回到最原始的定義，品質的意義就是「每次都做正確的事」。如果你知道某個外科醫生的病人存活率是50%，你敢讓他開刀嗎？或者你知道某個駕駛員安全降落的機率只有75%，你敢坐他駕駛的飛機嗎？如果你想要買一個高解析度的電視，但是能打開它的機率只有60%，你會買嗎？我們堅持品質的原因在於，每一次顧客所得到的產品或是服務都必須是正確的。

品質的觀念如何應用在今天的職場上呢？我們的老闆和顧客是否能合理地期待我們每次都做正確的事呢？卓越、可信賴的是有品質企業和成功專業人士的標誌。我們的領導者－神賜給我們天賦和資源，我們必須知道神也期待我們每次都做正確的事!

第一、事情一定要做對。宣告要跟隨耶穌基督的人，沒有理由降低工作的品質。神在創造萬物時，已經給我們設定了標準：「神看著一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。」(創世紀1章31節)

第二、事情必須完成。有時候我們會因為急著完成一個計畫，容易出現一種態度:這樣已經夠好了！但這不是耶穌基督給我們設立的榜樣。耶穌降世為人，來引領、教導我們，成為我們的榜樣，最後祂為全人類的罪而死，祂完成祂的工。「耶穌嘗（原文是受）了那醋，就說：「成了！」便低下頭，將靈魂交付　神了。」(約翰福音19章30節)

第三、事情必須因為對的原因被完成。當我們的動機是正確時，會知道誰是我們最大的顧客和老闆。「無論做甚麼，都要從心裏做，像是給主做的，不是給人做的，因你們知道從主那裏必得著基業為賞賜；你們所事奉的乃是主基督。」(歌羅西書3章23-24節)

勞勃．泰默西是領袖資產協會的傳播部副部長，這是一個總部在美國喬治亞州亞特蘭大的非營利組織。他也是一個有40年經驗的退休新聞工作者。他寫過一本書「最佳狀態的商業：箴言給今日職場的歷久彌新智慧」（Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace）。他也與David A. Stoddard合著一本書「導師之心」（The Heart of Mentoring）。最近他還編輯Gary Highfield所寫的書「當『想要』變成『必須』！」要了解更多資訊, 可上網www.leaderslegacy.com 或上他的部落格www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com以及www.bobtamasy.wordpress.com 。

The only question is, what does “quality” mean? I suspect if you were to ask 10 different people, they would provide you with as many as 10 different opinions. Recently, in working on a book project with a manufacturing company, I was talking with the director of quality. I asked him that question and liked his response: “Doing the right thing every time.”

He elaborated: “This means always doing what you are supposed to do, doing things correctly – consistently. And not messing up. In our industry, not messing up is very important.”

Quality, of course, can mean many other things. You would expect greater workmanship from a Rolex watch than from a Timex – but regardless of which brand you have, you would still want it to tell you the correct time. A Mercedes sedan might offer greater “quality” than an economy sedan, but you would expect both to transport you safely from point A to point B. We become upset if that does not happen.

So getting back to the earlier definition, “doing the right thing every time” says a lot. Would you feel confident undergoing major surgery if the surgeon had a reputation for patients surviving 50 percent of the time? How about flying in a passenger jet piloted by someone who successfully landed 75 percent of his flights? Would you want to buy a high-definition TV that turned on only 60 percent of the time? We insist on quality – which means the product or service should do the right thing every time.

How does that translate to how we perform in the workplace? Can our employers and customers reasonably expect us to do the right thing every time? Excellence, consistency and dependability are hallmarks of quality businesses – and business and professional people – that achieve high levels of success. And as stewards of our God-given talents and resources, we must understand God has every right to expect quality from us:

Things must be done right. For people that profess to follow Jesus Christ, there is no room for inferior work. After all, God set the standard, as we see in the creation account: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Things must be done completely. Sometimes in our haste to finish a project we might take the attitude, “It is good enough.” That was not the example Jesus set. He came to lead, teach, serve as a model for living, and finally to give His own life to atone for mankind”s sins. He fulfilled His assignment: “…Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).

Things must be done for the right reasons. Are our motives right – are we seeking to please the right “customer”? “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. He has written Tufting Legacies (iUniverse); Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace (River City Press); coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring (NavPress), and most recently edited When “Want To” Becomes “Have To!” by Gary Highfield. For more information, see www.leaderslegacy.com or his blogs, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com and www.bobtamasy.wordpress.com.