離開舒適、克服恐懼-就開始學習── LEAVING COMFORT, OVERCOMING FEAR – WE START LEARNING
在今年三月的週一嗎哪中，我談到離開「舒適圈」的困難以及如何克服「恐懼區」。現在，我們要帶工商職場人士進入一個真正的綠洲：「學習區」！這個地方有很多挑戰，但同時也有發現新技能的絕佳機會，其中很多是我們在舒適圈內找不到的。
學習區的作用是透過學習、歷練、培訓、省思和觀察，獲得與修改新技術、能力、知識、行為甚至價值的過程。這與每個人獨特的個性和學習風格有關。最好的方式就是運用適當的工具達到預期的目標。
學習通常可以幫助獲得知識的人變得更快樂、更充實。在發現新的機會和探索新的世界時，學習者會養成新的習慣：持續的學習。學習方式五花八門，但沒有一種方法比一個人教導另一個人更為有效。
在公司環境中，這通常稱為指導。指導者（導師或師傅）和被指導者（通常被稱為門生或徒弟）踏上相互學習的旅程，通過彼此學習的關係分享經驗。我個人覺得很可惜，我是直到30歲時才經歷到有導師的好處。如果能更早在職業生涯獲得指導，我會成為一個更好的專業人士，並且可以避免很多錯誤和不正確的決定。
從那時起，我發現門生和導師之間的堅定承諾是成功的關鍵。導師應以虛心的態度及盡己之力來幫助門生的學習，而門生則應該表現出彷如收到無價珍寶的渴望。
這種教導可以追溯到數千年前，甚至在聖經裡有著舉足輕重的份量。在「成為基督跟隨者」的過程中，「指導」被稱為「門徒訓練」。這種獨特的學習過程讓門徒至少涉及兩種角色：一種是作門生「學習」成為耶穌的跟隨者。另一種是效法拿撒勒人耶穌的方式，去「教導」人。
這個概念非常重要，並且成為耶穌基督升天前，最後吩咐的重點。祂說：「所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒……凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守…」（馬太福音28章18-20節）就是所謂的「大使命」，今天我們稱之為「核心業務」，也就是組織的真正使命。耶穌跟隨者真正的使命是「使萬民作主的門徒」。耶穌明確指出這項使命的範圍橫跨全球，也清楚交代完成使命的方式——教導。
很明顯的，指導與學習並不僅限於靈性追求。組織或公司投資學習和培訓活動，讓員工發揮最大能力，將能獲得永久性的回報。同樣，在「學習區」進行自我投資的人會發現超乎想像的機會。學習是一項共享的任務，只把知識保留給自己是自私的。正如使徒保羅寫信給他的門徒提摩太那樣：「你在許多見證人面前聽見我所教訓的，也要交託那忠心能教導別人的人。」（提摩太後書2章2節）
擁有了我們在學習區的寶貴經驗，我們可以進入專業發展旅程的最後階段：「成長區」。我們將在之後的週一嗎哪繼續探討這一點。
@版權所有 為賽爾吉澳․佛提斯。他是一位策略管理顧問，專長是企業領導。他也是巴西聖保羅市CBMC的會員，他協助複審週一嗎哪和將其翻譯成葡萄牙文已經有20多年的時間。
反省與問題討論
- 透過回顧之前的週一嗎哪，你對「舒適圈」和「恐懼區」理解多少？為什麼在這兩個領域之外取得進展，對我們的專業成長很重要？
- 你對「學習區」的看法是什麼？你覺得自己正處於「學習區」內，還是仍待探索呢？請解釋你的答案。
- 你是否同意最好的學習方法是藉由導師和門生的關係，在理想情況下相互學習的經歷？請解釋你的答案。
- 你是否曾經接受過指導？或者你曾指導過其他人？根據你的經驗，指導的優勢和挑戰是什麼？
備註：如果你手上有聖經，想要閱讀更多，請參考以下內容：
哥林多前書4章16節
4:16 所以，我求你們效法我
哥林多前書11章1節
11:1 你們該效法我，像我效法基督一樣。
哥林多後書5章18-20節
5:18 一切都是出於 神；他藉著基督使我們與他和好，又將勸人與他和好的職分賜給我們。
5:19 這就是 神在基督裏，叫世人與自己和好，不將他們的過犯歸到他們身上，並且將這和好的道理託付了我們。
5:20 所以，我們作基督的使者，就好像 神藉我們勸你們一般。我們替基督求你們與 神和好。
腓立比書3章17節
3:17 弟兄們，你們要一同效法我，也當留意看那些照我們榜樣行的人。
腓立比書4章8-9節
4:8 弟兄們，我還有未盡的話：凡是真實的、可敬的、公義的、清潔的、可愛的、有美名的，若有甚麼德行，若有甚麼稱讚，這些事你們都要思念。
4:9 你們在我身上所學習的，所領受的，所聽見的，所看見的，這些事你們都要去行，賜平安的 神就必與你們同在。
希伯來書5章12節
5:12 看你們學習的工夫，本該作師傅，誰知還得有人將 神聖言小學的開端另教導你們，並且成了那必須吃奶、不能吃乾糧的人。
LEAVING COMFORT, OVERCOMING FEAR – WE START LEARNING
By Sergio M. Fortes
For several years I was a member of two local chambers of commerce. The people I met and the activities we did were all very encouraging and helpful for me personally and for my business. A few years ago I made the difficult decision to drop my memberships in order to have more time for other interests.
For about 35 years I had been involved with a wonderful event called the Overland Park Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. This year I decided to step down and let others continue this great tradition as well.
I have taken steps in other areas of my life to reduce my activities using this general principle to guide my decisions: “You cannot do everything. In fact, you can only do a few things if you want to do them well.”
A good metaphor for this approach to everyday living is the pruning that is necessary for some plants to flourish. Examples are grapevines and rose bushes. Sometimes we cut off old dead branches, and other times we need to clip off new growth so the entire vine will become more fruitful.
Applying that principle to human pursuits, we could call that creating “margin.” I think of margin as having room to grow. Engineers might call it excess capacity. If we are always running at our maximum, full-speed ahead, sooner or later we are either going to crash, wearing ourselves down to the point of exhaustion and total ineffectiveness, or we are going be doing a very poor job at everything.
Speaking to His disciples, Jesus made reference to this when He declared, “I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2). Jesus was talking specifically about spiritual growth, but the principle applies to every area of life, whether we are in the workplace, in our homes with our families, or engaged in activities in our neighborhoods and communities.
No one can be the best at everything. To excel at some things requires being willing to let go of, or at least reduce, our involvement in other things. And sometimes we discover that pursuits we once enjoyed and found useful have served their purpose and it is time to move on to other things. As Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…a time to plant and a time to uproot…a time to tear down and a time to build…a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them…a time to tear and a time to mend.”
For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, there is another key to being fruitful. He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Even if we are engaged in doing good things, unless we are relying on God’s wisdom, strength and direction, we will never produce the results we expect.
As I have been doing this “pruning” in my own life, I have determined that for the near future I want to pursue the “best” things that God has for me. For now, this means I am going to spend more time writing, which requires having the margin in my life to research, asking questions, and of course, thinking. I am in the middle of one book and I am getting together with my co-writing partner to work on another project. I trust these will prove to be endeavors that “bear much fruit.” Are you pursuing the things you believe are most fruitful for you?
© 2019. Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive, commercial and theatrical portraits, and operates a school of photography. He formerly was executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- How do you think can a person determine whether he or she is engaged in doing the right things – or taking on too many things at one time?
- As Mr. Mathis defines it, how much “margin” do you have in your life – or your work? Do you find yourself so heavily involved and committed to many things that you often find yourself worn out and unfulfilled? If so, what steps might you take to create more margin in your life?
- Have you ever observed – or actually taken part in – pruning of a plant? What was the purpose of that, from what you could see? And what were the results?
- What do you think Jesus had in mind specifically when He told His followers about the need for each of them to be “pruned”? What does that look like in everyday life? Do you think you are presently being pruned – or have undergone some pruning in the past? Explain your answer.
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages:
Ecclesiastes 9:10; John 5:5-16; Galatians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:15-18; Colossians 4:5
