削減人力－－淘汰員工
By: Rick Boxx
有些企業領袖常常要做的人事動作就是每年淘汰10%表現最不好的員工。雖然這似乎是淘汰表現不良者的有效辦法，但這可能會疏忽掉一些重要的因素，例如管理不當以及叫人去做不適合他們的事。
有人說任何人都會解聘員工，但一個好的經理（真正的領袖）則有能力去發現人們的長處和天份，並把他們放在他們擅長的職位，使他們成為團隊中表現傑出的成員。
經理們常常把為他工作的人當作物件，只是用來完成公司目標的工具。然而真正的領袖了解自己被託付了重要的管家責任－－那就是用智慧與關心的態度處理人事。事實上，聖經常用牧羊人照顧羊群的比喻：
關懷羊群。例如在舊約中，聖經說：「你要詳細知道你羊群的景況，留心料理你的牛群…羊羔之毛是為你作衣服；山羊是為作田地的價值」（箴言27章23-26節）。換句話說，若你對那些被你照顧的人有足夠的關心，他們就會回報你極大的利益。
惡待羊群。在以西結的先知書中，上帝呼召祂的子民要像牧羊人那樣引導，而不是像暴君。祂嚴厲地指責說：「禍哉！以色列的牧人只知牧養自己。牧人豈不當牧養群羊嗎﹖…瘦弱的，你們沒有養壯；有病的，你們沒有醫治；受傷的，你們沒有纏裹；被逐的，你們沒有領回；失喪的，你們沒有尋找；但用強暴嚴嚴地轄制」（以西結書34章2-4節）。
尋找羊群。在新約中，耶穌說到每一隻羊都很貴重，即使是離群走失的羊也很寶貴。「一個人若有一百隻羊，一隻走迷了路，你們的意思如何﹖他豈不撇下這九十九隻，往山裡去找那隻迷路的羊嗎﹖若是找著了，我實在告訴你們，他為這一隻羊歡喜，比為那沒有迷路的九十九隻歡喜還大呢！」（馬太福音18章12-13節）。
引導羊群。在另一處，耶穌說自己就像牧羊人，有真正領袖那無私及犧牲的特質。「我是好牧人；好牧人為羊捨命。若是雇工，不是牧人，羊也不是他自己的，他看見狼來，就撇下羊逃走…我是好牧人；我認識我的羊，我的羊也認識我…並且我為羊捨命」（約翰福音10章11-15節）。
餵養羊群。耶穌在世上的最後時刻，祂把照顧群羊的責任指派給祂的門徒彼得，三次告訴他：「你餵養我的小羊…你牧養我的羊…你餵養我的羊」（約翰福音21章15-22節）。
這個信息很清楚：若你管理人們，就要像一個憐恤羊群的牧羊人那樣愛每一隻羊，而不是把他們視為工具，不需要他們時就丟棄。
本文版權為正直資源中心（Integrity Resource Center, Inc.）所有。本文獲得授權改編自「瑞克．博克思的正直時刻Integrity Moments with Rich Boxx」。這系列的文章是以一個基督徒的觀點評論職場的正直議題。想要更多了解正直資源中心或想要收到電子文件的「瑞克每天的正直時刻Rick”s daily Integrity Moments」系列文章，請上網www.integrityresource.org
思想 / 討論題目
你的公司是否定期解僱表現最差的員工？或者你曾在有這樣政策的公司工作過嗎？當公司這麼做，你有何感覺？你覺得這種做法對嗎？ 「一個好的經理（真正的領袖）不是解僱令人不滿意的員工，而是把他們放在他們最能運用自己長處和技巧的職位。」你對這句話有何看法？ 你對於把經理（領袖）的角色比喻為牧羊人有何看法？ 為何聖經常把人們比喻為牧羊人和羊群？你認為這比喻妥當嗎？請解釋。
註：若你有聖經且想要看有關此主題的其他經文，請看：
詩篇23章1-6節；以賽亞書53章6-7節；馬太福音25章32-33節；路加福音15章3-7節；約翰福音10章1-10節；彼得前書2章25節
WHITTLING DOWN THE WORKFORCE – CULLING THE “FLOCK”
By: Rick Boxx
A personnel practice frequently used by some leaders in the corporate world includes eliminating the lowest-performing 10 percent of their workforce each year. Although this may seem like an efficient approach to eliminating under-performers, it overlooks some important mitigating factors, such as poor management and the error of asking good people to do jobs for which they are not suited.
It has been said that anyone can terminate an employee; the mark of a good manager – a true leader – is the ability to discover people”s strengths and talents and to develop them into top-performing members of the team by placing them in positions where they can excel.
Too often managers regard the people working for them as objects, mere tools for accomplishing their corporate goals and objectives. However, leaders understand the important stewardship responsibility that has been entrusted to them – that of dealing with people in a wise and caring manner. In fact, the Bible often uses the metaphor of shepherds tending to their sheep:
Caring for the sheep. In the Old Testament, for example, it states, “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds…the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field” (Proverbs 27:23-26). In other words, if you devote proper attention to those entrusted to your care, they will return a substantial profit to you.
Abusing the sheep. In the prophetic book of Ezekiel, God has called His people to lead as shepherds, rather than tyrants. He condemns heavy-handed ways when He says, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?… You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally" (Ezekiel 34:2-4).
Pursuing the sheep. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of the great value of each individual sheep, even the ones that stray from the flock. “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off” (Matthew 18:12-13).
Leading the sheep. In another place, Jesus applied the shepherd analogy to Himself, pointing to the selfless, sacrificial nature of the true leader: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away…. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15).
Feeding the sheep. And toward the end of his time on earth, Jesus delegated responsibility for His “sheep” to His disciple, Peter, telling him three times, “Feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep” (John 21:15-22).
The message is clear: If you manage people, love them individually as a compassionate shepherd would, rather than treating them as tools to be discarded when you no longer need them.
Copyright 2010, 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 Integrity Resource Center or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Does your workplace utilize a policy of eliminating the lowest-performing employees on a recurring basis, or have you ever worked at a place where that operating philosophy was followed? What is your reaction to such a practice – do you think it can be justified? What do you think of the statement that a mark of a good manager, a true leader, is not in terminating unsatisfactory performers but in developing them by putting them in places where they can best utilize their strengths and skills? How do you respond to the analogy that relates the role of a manager or leader to that of being a shepherd? Why do you think the Bible so frequently compares people to shepherds and sheep? Do you believe this comparison is valid? Explain your answer.
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages:
Psalm 23:1-6; Isaiah 53:6-7; Matthew 25:32-33; Luke 15:3-7; John 10:1-10; 1 Peter 2:25
