誰的工作最重要？

若有人問你，在你的工作場所中誰的工作最重要，你會怎麼說？

是執行長、董事長、或公司的擁有人嗎？當我們評估職務的重要性時，我們一向會看組織階級中的位置，例如最高主管。其他的因素包括薪酬和生產力。若公司付給某人許多薪資，他/她一定值得那個價錢。而一個企業中業績最高的銷售員就會居於高位。若沒有某人推銷，使生意進來，產品和服務能售出，這公司最後就會關門大吉。

但還有另一種方式可評定一個人在職場的重要性。在我過去幾個月所工作的公司裡，我與一位經理談話時就被提醒到這一點。那個工廠的產品外包給財富雜誌選出的500家收入最高的公司（Fortune 500 companies）生產，那工廠就倚靠那些在製造過程中各個步驟上許多重要人員的穩定且高品質的工作。

例如，在需要製造一個特定的產品時，採購部門必須確保有材料。若材料沒有運到，生產線就不能運轉。所以採購部門的人非常重要。製造部門也非常重要。若產品沒有做好，你如何出售？維修部門在機械故障時做重要的修理，所以他們的工作也非常重要。

然後還有會計部門，他們寄出發票，收貨款並支付供應商。支付薪資和人力資源部門也有重要的角色，他們要確保員工能準時收到薪水，並得到應得的福利；當公司有需要時，雇用新員工；並處理員工退休和解雇的程序。

所以在公司中－－以及在我們所工作的所有機構中－－最重要的工作，或最重要的人是根據當時必須做什麼事而有所不同。當公司需要維持廁所的乾淨，並補充衛生紙、洗手乳，丟垃圾以及地板的吸塵和清潔時，清潔工就被認為是最重要的。這幫助我們了解兩個重要的原則：

不要高估或低估你的重要性。即使你位居公司組織圖的高位，你的效率和生產力都與別人的工作有絕對的關係。即使你在機構中是低階的職位，你仍然是重要的。即使是最棒、最有經驗的講員也必須倚賴別人幫他準備好麥克風並確保音響系統的功能正常。「不要看自己過於所當看的；要照著　神所分給各人信心的大小，看得合乎中道」（羅馬書12章3節）。

不要低估別人的重要性。有一種試探是輕視公司裡低階職位的人，但每種工作對成功都是不可或缺的。每個人都應該為他們在整體組織裡所做的事和他們的角色被重視。「凡事不可結黨，不可貪圖虛浮的榮耀；只要存心謙卑，各人看別人比自己強」（腓立比書2章3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 。

Would it be the CEO, chairman, or owner of the company? When evaluating jobs in terms of importance, we typically look at position on the corporate ladder, such as the top executive. Other factors can include compensation and productivity level. If a person is paid a lot, he or she must be worth it, right? And the top salesperson in any business would rank high. Without someone generating sales to keep business coming in and products or services going out, the company would eventually have to close its doors.

But there is another way of assessing one”s importance in the workplace. I was reminded of this during a conversation with a manager at a company I”ve been working with over the last several months. The plant, which manufactures products outsourced by Fortune 500 companies, depends upon the consistent, quality work of many key people at various steps in the manufacturing process.

For instance, the procurement department must ensure that materials are available when needed to make a specific product. If the materials are not on hand, the production line cannot run. So people in procurement are very important. The manufacturing department also ranks high in importance – how can you sell a product you have not made? The maintenance department is poised to make critical repairs to machinery when necessary, so its work is of high importance as well.

Then there is the accounting department, which sends invoices, collects payments and pays suppliers. People in the payroll and human resources departments play crucial roles in terms of ensuring employees are paid promptly and receive benefits to which they are entitled, hiring new staff members when needed, and handling the process when employees retire or must be terminated.

So at that company – as with all organizations where we work – the most important job, or most important person, varies according to what must be done at the moment. Even the custodial staff can be considered most important when it comes to maintaining hygienic and well-supplied restrooms, disposing of trash and keeping floors vacuumed and cleaned. This helps us to realize two important principles:

Do not overestimate or underestimate your own importance. Even if you rank near the top of your company”s organizational chart, your effectiveness and productivity are integrally related to the work performed by others. And if you hold a lower-level role in your organization, you are still important. Even the best, most experienced speaker must rely on someone else to make sure the microphone is ready and the sound system is functioning properly. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (Romans 12:3).

Do not underestimate the importance of others. There is a temptation to disregard individuals of lower standing within a company, but every job is crucial to its success. Each person should be appreciated for what they do and their role in the overall corporate effort. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

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.