維持在自己車道的重要性──THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘STAYING IN YOUR LANE’
在我們的高峰會（由UBN Unconventional Business Network（非常規企業聯盟）主辦的會議）上，《神聖的步伐》一書的作者泰瑞·盧珀，提出了一個有趣的看法。他認為，每個人都應該花80%的時間，在自己有恩賜的領域裡努力工作。我們可以把它稱為「維持在自己的車道上」，如果拿交通來做比喻，就是在開車時不要經常任意變換車道。
盧珀說，當我們能夠最大化利用自己的長處工作時，我們會發現更大的樂趣，也更有效率。他還提出了一個關於利用我們恩賜的觀點，引起了我的共鳴。當我們誤入沒有恩賜的領域時（沒有保持在自己的車道上）我們剝奪了團隊成員使用他們恩賜和專長的機會。當我們選擇做別人最擅長的工作時，我們剝奪了別人的快樂。
在我們的工作中體驗快樂有什麽重要的意義呢？有人這樣形容：「當你熱愛自己所做的，這輩子就不用去上班了。」雖然我們的工作不可避免的繁重、乏味和困難，但它不一定是令人不愉快的。
聖經中的舊約把這一點解釋的很好。「人莫強如吃喝，且在勞碌中享福，我看這也是出於神的手。」（傳道書2章24節）換句話說，既然我們把大部分的時間都花在工作上，不妨期待在工作中，維持車道、善用恩賜，找到成就感和快樂。
聖經中反覆出現的話題之一是工作 – 特別是上帝對工作的看法，所以我們要注意從哪些經文當中可以學到關於工作和享受工作的能力。
工作可以帶來期待的回報。在生活中很諷刺的是，我們看到某些人總想體驗生活中許多美好的事物，但不知什麼原因，他們會認為這個回報並不需要努力和決心。如箴言所說：「手懶的，要受貧窮；手勤的，卻要富足。」（箴言10章4節）
工作給我們帶來認可。在這個世界上，有許多人滿足於付出最低限度的時間和精力，但那些盡心盡力、善用恩賜、超越預期的人將會受到關注。「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22章29節）
在與他人合作的過程中，有快樂和滿足。個人的成就可以令人欣慰，但與其他有才華、有恩賜的人合作，完成共同的目標和結果，也會是非常特別的。「若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷……」（傳道書4章9-12節）
你不會走進自己的職場，掏槍搶劫公司，對吧？但是當我們越過自己長處和恩賜的領域，「侵犯」他人的技能和天賦時，其實就是在做類似的事。不要剝奪你團隊中其他成員的快樂。留在自己的車道上，你很可能會發現，整體（你們的共同努力）的功效會大於部分的總和。
@2023版權所有，經許可改編自 “UBN誠信時刻”，關於職場工作中信仰議題的評論。UBN（非常規企業聯盟）是一個服務小型企業界的國際性職場信仰事工。UBN的官網: www.unconventionalbusiness.org
備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多相關的內容，可以考慮以下的經文：
詩篇139篇14節
139:14 我要稱謝你，因我受造，奇妙可畏；你的作為奇妙，這是我心深知道的。
箴言13章4節
13:4 懶惰人羨慕，卻無所得；殷勤人必得豐裕。
箴言16章26節
16:26 勞力人的胃口使他勞力，因為他的口腹催逼他。
箴言18章9節
18:9 做工懈怠的，與浪費人為弟兄。
傳道書5章18節
5:18 我所見為善為美的，就是人在上帝賜他一生的日子吃喝，享受日光之下勞碌得來的好處，因為這是他的分。
路加福音10章1-2節
10:1 這事以後，主又設立七十個人，差遣他們兩個兩個地在他前面，往自己所要到的各城各地方去，
10:2 就對他們說：「要收的莊稼多，做工的人少。所以，你們當求莊稼的主打發工人出去收他的莊稼。
反省與問題討論
- 如果你正在開車，但前面的人不留在自己的車道上，而是在你面前的近距離，試圖靠近並切入，你會有什麽感覺？是否會覺得他們很自私不體貼？更不用提潛在的危險了，這會讓你很惱火嗎？
- 你對在工作上「留在自己的車道上」有什麼看法？你會認出同事和同行的長處和恩賜，並允許他們對組織作出最大的貢獻嗎？
- 有沒有任何的例子，是你能想到自己所認識的人（或許就是你自己） ，沒有聽從建議留在自己的位置上，反而干擾了別人想要盡力完成工作的能力呢？那是什麼樣的情況？
- 另一方面，你是否曾經觀察或親自參與過一些團體，在這些團體中，人們和諧地工作，並在這個過程中體驗到極大的快樂和滿足呢？
THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘STAYING IN YOUR LANE’
By Rick Boxx
Speaking at our Summit, a conference sponsored by Unconventional Business Network, Terry Looper, author of Sacred Pace, made an interesting observation. He believes that everyone should strive to work in their areas of giftedness 80 percent of the time. We might term this “staying in your lane,” using the traffic metaphor of not frequently changing lanes while you are driving.
When we able to work in ways that make maximum use of our strengths, Looper said, we find greater joy and are more productive. He made an additional point about capitalizing on our giftedness that resonated with me. When we stray into areas in which we are not gifted – fail to stay in our lane – we deprive our team members of opportunities to utilize their own gifts and expertise. When we choose to do the work, our colleagues are best at doing, we deprive them of their joy.
What is so important about experiencing joy as we go about our work? Well, as one person has expressed it, “When you love what you do, you will never go to work another day in your life.” While our work has its inevitable elements of drudgery, tedium and difficulty, it does not have to be unpleasant.
An Old Testament book of the Bible explains this well: “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24). In other words, since we spend much of our days and weeks working, we might as well expect to find fulfillment and joy in what we do.
One of the recurring topics in the Word of God is work – especially the Lord’s perspective on it – so we should pay attention to what we can learn from the Scriptures about work and our ability to enjoy it:
Work can bring desired rewards. One of the ironies of life is the people we see who would like to experience many of the good things that life has to offer, but for whatever reason think such rewards come without effort and determination. As the adage tells us, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” The Bible states it this way: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4).
Work can bring us recognition. In a world in which so many people are satisfied with giving the bare minimum of expended time and effort, individuals who do their best and go beyond what is expected will be noticed. “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:30).
There is joy and gratification in teaming with others. Individual accomplishment can be gratifying, but there is something special about teaming up with other talented, gifted people to accomplish common goals and objectives. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!… A cord of three strands is hard to break” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
You would not walk into your workplace, pull out a gun and rob the company, would you? But in a sense, that is what we are doing when we venture beyond our areas of strength and giftedness and “trespass” on the skills and talents of others. Do not rob other members of your team of their joy. Stay in your lane – you might well discover that the whole (your combined effort) is greater than the sum of the parts.
Copyright 2023, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- How do you feel if you are driving and someone ahead refuses to stay in their own lane, weaving back and forth trying to inch ahead? Do you find that annoying that they would be so selfish and inconsiderate, not to mention potentially dangerous?
- What is your reaction to the idea of “staying in your lane” in the workplace, recognizing the strengths and giftedness of your colleagues and peers and allowing them to maximize their contributions to the organization?
- Can you think of examples of times when people you knew – perhaps even yourself – failed to heed this advice and interfered with the ability of others to perform their work to the best of their abilities? What was that like?
- On the other hand, have there been times when you observed or personally participated in groups where people were obviously working in harmony and experiencing great joy and satisfaction in the process?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Psalm 139:14; Proverbs 13:4, 16:26, 18:9; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Luke 10:1-2
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