我永遠不會忘記第一次沒有人坐在我旁邊，獨自駕駛汽車的經歷。當時我在距離家裡6.4公里(以台北市限速40公里計算，約17分鐘車程)的一家雜貨店擔任晚班的搬運工，所以父母同意我獨自開家裡的車。

從高中起，我就接受了優秀的駕駛員培訓，教練是我的父親，以及一位德州的叔叔，我們一起度過大約六個星期的夏日。所以我自覺準備充分，開車往雜貨店去程很順利。但是，回程情況卻完全是另一回事。

當晚大約10點，我打卡完，從雜貨店走出來回到車上。濃霧瀰漫，看不到前方三公尺遠。我心想「好吧！我看看要怎麼辦。」幸運的是，我曾作為駕駛員和乘客多次往返雜貨店，即使大部分時間前方都被大霧遮蓋，我仍然可以大略想像出要走的路。前照燈的光束反射回來照向我自己，對看清方向沒有幫助。

當時是沒有手機的時代，所以我無法告訴父母我在回家的路上。我母親很擔心，我父親甚至決定在必要時成立單人搜索小隊。但慶幸的是，我還是安全的回到家中，車身上沒有半絲刮痕，但車程比以往多了近一個小時。

我分享這個故事是因為有時候生活就像這樣。我們在職場或個人生活中面臨危機，看不清一隻手臂遠的距離。「我應該去哪兒？路途清晰嗎？『霧』裡面是否藏著各種意料之外的障礙？它們會傷害我嗎？ 」

這些問題的原因都和遠見有關——或者說，和「缺乏遠見」有關。在商場中，許多成功的企業家、創新者和領導者的偉大成就，部分原因在於一個關鍵因素：他們對自己想做的事情和如何實現目標有遠見，也稱為「異象」，即使道路模糊不清、「濃霧瀰漫」，他們仍然緊抓住異象不放。

同樣的，每個人都有共同的異象時，業務團隊通常會蓬勃發展，不僅是現在，未來也是。你可能對幾個世紀前被問到他在做什麼的磚匠的故事很熟悉。工匠的同事認為自己只是在「拌水泥」或「造一座牆」，但這個工匠的回答卻很經典：「我正在蓋一座大教堂。」這就是異象！

聖經講了很多關於異象的事。箴言29章18節的一種譯本說：「沒有異象，民就放肆。」另一種譯本這樣表達：「沒有啟示，人民就沒有法紀……」

一名有效率的領導者是了解異象對公司團隊的重要性的人，能夠回答「我們要去哪裡？」、「我們為什麼要去那裡？」、「我們要如何去那裡？」、「到達時我們會做什麼？」等問題。我們只是在建造一堵牆，還是一座大教堂？

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之心的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書: 透過苦難成長。Mike Landry. Bob的網站為www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com, 他的雙週部落格為: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com

備註：如果你手上有聖經，想要閱讀更多有關聖經所提出的原則，請參考以下經文：

撒母耳記上3章1節
3:1 童子撒母耳在以利面前事奉耶和華。當那些日子，耶和華的言語稀少，不常有默示。
耶利米哀歌2章9節
2:9 錫安的門都陷入地內；主將她的門閂毀壞，折斷。她的君王和首領落在沒有律法的列國中；
她的先知不得見耶和華的異象。

但以理書10章2-12節
10:2 當那時，我─但以理悲傷了三個七日。
10:3 美味我沒有吃，酒肉沒有入我的口，也沒有用油抹我的身，直到滿了三個七日。
10:4 正月二十四日，我在底格里斯大河邊，
10:5 舉目觀看，見有一人身穿細麻衣，腰束烏法精金帶。
10:6 他身體如水蒼玉，面貌如閃電，眼目如火把，手和腳如光明的銅，說話的聲音如大眾的聲音。
10:7 這異象惟有我─但以理一人看見，同著我的人沒有看見。他們卻大大戰兢，逃跑隱藏，
10:8 只剩下我一人。我見了這大異象便渾身無力，面貌失色，毫無氣力。
10:9 我卻聽見他說話的聲音，一聽見就面伏在地沉睡了。
10:10 忽然，有一手按在我身上，使我用膝和手掌支持微起。
10:11 他對我說：「大蒙眷愛的但以理啊，要明白我與你所說的話，只管站起來，因為我現在奉差遣
來到你這裏。」他對我說這話，我便戰戰兢兢地立起來。
10:12 他就說：「但以理啊，不要懼怕！因為從你第一日專心求明白將來的事，又在你　神面前刻苦
己心，你的言語已蒙應允；我是因你的言語而來。

馬太福音28章19-20節
28:19 所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗（或譯：給他們施洗，
歸於父、子、聖靈的名）。
28:20 凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。」

哥林多前書3章9節
3:9 因為我們是與　神同工的；你們是　神所耕種的田地，所建造的房屋。

反省與問題討論

1. 你是否曾經嘗試過在濃霧或風暴中行進，幾乎看不清前方的路？當時你感覺如何？
2. 在商業或專業的領域又是如何呢？在你的職業生涯中是否曾經有過一段時間，無論是作為領導者還是員工，對自己的去向以及為什麼要走這樣的路沒有異象？如果有，對你來說那是什麼樣的經歷？
3. 你如何定義或描述工作場所中異象的價值和重要性？如何能夠最好地傳達異象並付諸實現？
4. 就屬靈層面而言，異象也是靈命成長與進步的重要因素。以基督為中心的工作異象，如何讓你在處理工作的方式或與他人互動的過程中有所不同？

THE INCOMPARABLE POWER OF VISION

By Robert J. Tamasy

My first experience of driving an automobile by myself, without someone in the passenger seat beside me, was one I will never forget. I was working on the evening shift as a stock clerk at a grocery store about four miles from our house, and my parents had agreed for me to drive one of the family cars solo.

I had received excellent driver training, through my high school and from my father and an uncle in Texas with whom I had spent about six weeks the preceding summer. So I felt well-prepared, and my drive to the grocery store was uneventful. The drive back home, however, was a different story.

About 10 p.m., I clocked out for the evening and emerged from the store to walk to my car. An extremely dense fog had settled in and I could not see more than 10 feet ahead of me. “Well,” I thought to myself, “let’s see how this works out.” Fortunately, I had traveled the route to and from the grocery store many times, both as driver and passenger, so I could almost visualize the path I would follow, even though the fog obscured most of the way. The headlight beams seemed to bounce back toward me, which did not help the situation.

This was in the days before anyone had even conceived of cell phones, so I could not check in with my parents to advise them of my progress. My mother was a nervous wreck, and my father had decided to become a one-man search party for me, if needed. Thankfully, I arrived home intact, without a scratch on the car, although the short drive took nearly an hour longer than it ever had before.

I share this story because sometimes life is like this. We encounter a crisis, whether in the workplace or in our personal lives, and we cannot see more than an arm’s length ahead. “Where should I go? Is the path clear? Are there any unexpected obstacles lying hidden in the ‘fog,’ threatening to bring me harm?”

It all comes down to vision – or the lack of it. In a business context, many successful entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders have experienced great accomplishments in part because of one key factor: They had vision for what they wanted to do and how they could get there. And they clung to that vision, even when the way seemed obscured or “fogged over.”

Similarly, a business team typically thrives when everyone shares a common vision – not only for the present, but also for the future. You might be familiar with the story of a brick mason centuries ago who was asked what he was doing. While some of his coworkers had commented things like, “mixing cement,” or “raising up a wall,” this mason’s response was classic: “I am building a cathedral.” That is vision!

The Bible speaks a lot about vision. One particular translation of Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Another translation expresses it, “Where there is no [prophetic] revelation, the people cast off restraint….”

An effective leader is one who understands the importance of casting vision for the corporate team, being able to answer questions such as, “Where are we going?” “Why are we going there?” “How are we going to get there?” “What will we be doing when we arrive?” Are they just building a wall – or a cathedral?

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy has written numerous books, including Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies;The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard; and has edited other books. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1.  Have you ever had an experience in attempting to travel in dense fog, or a severe storm, when the way ahead was nearly impossible to see? What was that like for you?
2. What about in a business or professional context? Have there been times in your working career when, whether as a leader or an employee, you lacked vision for where you were headed and why you were heading that way? If so, what was that experience like for you?
3. How would you describe or define the value and importance of vision in a workplace context? How can vision best be communicated and put into action?
4. Vision also is an important part of growth and progress in a spiritual sense. How can a Christ-centered vision for your work make a difference in how you approach what you do, or for how you interact with others over the course of a workday?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about principles it presents, consider the following passages:

1 Samuel 3:1; Lamentations 2:9; Daniel 10:2-12; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 3:9

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