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Ordinary Greatness 平凡中的不凡

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Having trouble finding outstanding workers? Maybe you’re not looking hard enough  杰出员工难寻？也许是你的观察不够仔细喔

Unsung heroes are just about everywhere one looks. In their book Ordinary Greatness: It’s Where You least Expect it ….. Everywhere, co-authors Pamela Bilbrey and Brian Jones remind us that superior performance is out there, but we just have to pay more attention to the people working around us to recognize and reward it.

只要稍加留意，不难发现无名英雄几乎比比皆是。在《平凡中的不凡：企业小兵立大功》（暂译）一书中，作者帕梅拉．毕柏蕊与布莱恩．琼斯提醒我们，优秀表现其实所在多有，不过我们必须更留心观察周遭同仁，才能发现并嘉奖不凡的作为。

Bilbrey and Jones learned to understand what greatness is all about when they were leaders at Baptist Health Care, a company that was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the “100 Best Places to Work” in 2007 and a winner of the 2003 Baldrige National Quality Program Award. Today, Bilbrey and Jones are consulting partners with Patrick Lencioni’s consulting firm, The Table Group. In Ordinary Greatness, the authors show leaders how to engage and motivate their people by recognizing the impressive, yet often overlooked, contributions they make to their organizations.

毕柏蕊和琼斯是在浸信会医疗中心担任主管时，体会出「不凡作为」的真谛。浸信会医疗中心在二００七年获选为《财星杂志》「百大最佳工作环境」之一，也是二００三年美国国家质量奖得主（译注：该奖记念已故美国商务部长Malcolm Baldrige）。毕柏蕊和琼斯目前是派屈克．兰奇欧尼的管理顾问公司「圆桌集团」的顾问合伙人。在《平凡中的不凡》一书中，作者教领导者应如何藉由发掘一些明明有为公司做出优异贡献，却常被忽视的同仁，以凝聚、激励员工。

Unexpected circumstances  突发状况

The authors define “ordinary greatness” as the “superior and often unrecognized characteristics, qualities, skills or effort found in someone who may be otherwise undistinguished; sometimes discovered in response to unexpected circumstances.”

作者对「平凡中的不凡」定义是：「原本可能不甚起眼的人，所表现出的常为人所忽略的优异特点、特质、技能或努力；有时是在他们因应突发状况时才被发现。」

Lessons from great leaders in business, politics, entertainment, sports and daily life fill Ordinary Greatness with examples that demonstrate the power of “ordinary” people to positively affect the lives of others.

商界、政界、娱乐界、体育界及日常生活中的卓越领袖所学到的经验，提供了《平凡中的不凡》一书许多例证，证明了「平凡人」正面影响他人的力量。

Leaning to see greatness  学习看出不凡所在

One way the authors explain that we can find the ordinary greatness around us is by removing the natural blinders that keep us from seeing it. They point out that these blinders can come in the form of the preconceived notions we have about other people.

作者告诉我们，如果想要找出周遭是否有平凡中的不凡作为，一个方法是先排除在眼前蒙蔽我们的阻隔（译注：直译为移除遮蔽我们视野的天然眼罩）。作者指出，我们对其他人先入为主的观念，就可能是某种形式的眼前阻隔。

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Baptist [ˋbæptɪst] adj. 浸礼会的;  n. 浸礼会教友

engage [ɪnˋgedʒ] v. 吸引（人）;引起（注意、兴趣）

recognize [ˋrɛkəg͵naɪz] v. 认识; 认出; 识别

undistinguished [͵ʌndɪsˋtɪŋgwɪʃt] adj. 不杰出的；平凡的

blinder [ˋblaɪndɚ] n. 眼罩

preconceived [͵prikənˋsivd] adj. 已有先入之见的，已先入为主的，已有成见的

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While our pre-existing ideas can help us move more quickly through our daily routines, the authors write that they can also blind us to the exceptional behaviors that people around us are exhibiting in ways that are different from our expectations. By acknowledging the ways we compartmentalize people and label them with our personal biases, or overlook them because of over-busy schedules, we are better able to see past our blinders and recognize the hidden greatness in people.

预设想法虽然有助我们更迅速地完成日常例行公事，但作者在书中写道，周遭的人若以不同于我们期待的方式展现出优异作为，预设想法也可能蒙蔽住我们（让我们看不出这些作为）。若能认知到自己会以个人偏见对人加以区分、贴标签，或是因过于忙碌而忽视他人，我们就比较能够超越在眼前蒙蔽我们的阻隔，进而看出人们隐而未显的不凡。

Creating a nurturing context  营造出适合养成的环境

The authors offer strategies leaders can use to create a context where “ordinary greatness” can prosper and proliferate. One of these strategies is to create a “servant leader mindset.” This idea, which has been around since Lao Tzu first wrote about it in The TaoTe Ching thousands of years ago, entails a mindset in which leaders see themselves as servants to their subordinates. This means creating a greater connection with people by working to support those on the front lines. Bilbrey and Jones write that ordinary greatness can also be built within an organization by improving the visibility, accessibility and approachability of leaders. By interacting with employees more, leaders gain the insight that helps them recognize the greatness of people that might otherwise be overlooked.

作者为领导者提供策略，用以营造出能让「平凡中的不凡作为」兴盛繁衍的环境。其中一个策略是「仆人式领导心态」，这个论点自数千年前老子在《道德经》中首次提出后即存在至今（译注：指《道德经》第六十六章的：「是以圣人欲上民，必以言下之；欲先民，必以身后之」）。「仆人式领导心态」要求领导人把自己视为部属的仆人，亦即藉由支持第一线的工作人员，建立更密切的关系。毕柏蕊和琼斯在书中写道，增进领导者的可见度、可及度和可亲度，也能在组织内推动平凡中的不凡作为。领导者与员工的互动愈多，就能培养出洞察力，有助于看出原本可能被忽略的人所表现出的不凡作为。

Creating role models  树立典范

Other strategies that can help leaders develop and grow ordinary greatness in their organizations include leading by example, improving communication among leaders and employees, and promoting those who exhibit ordinary greatness.

其他有助于领导者在组织内发展、培育平凡中不凡作为的策略还包括：以身作则、增进领导者与员工间的沟通，拔擢展现出平凡中不凡作为的人。

Through numerous examples of “ordinary” people who have become exceptional role models for others, Bilbrey and Jones show leaders what they are missing when ordinary greatness goes unrecognized, and how to inspire and motivate people by bringing this powerful resource into the light.

毕柏蕊和琼斯举出许多「平凡」人成为可供他人效法的杰出典范的例子，好让领导者能了解到，若忽略了平凡中的不凡作为会错失什么，也藉由阐明这项强大资源，来告诉领导者如何启发并激励员工。

−by Chris Lauer

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context [ˋkɑntɛkst] n.（事件的）来龙去脉，背景

proliferate [prəˋlɪfə͵ret] v.（使）激增

entail [ɪnˋtel] v. 使…成为必需

visibility [͵vɪzəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 能见度；明显性

accessibility [æk͵sɛsəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 易接近; 可及性；可达性

insight [ˋɪn͵saɪt] n. 洞悉；深刻的理解

bring into the light 阐明..  to present or reveal someone or something to the public

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unsung heroes 默默无闻的英雄; 无名英雄 those who have done something of value, but have not been noticed or praised for hard work, bravery or great achievement

blinders [ˋblaɪndɚz] n.（常复数）马的眼罩 something that causes one to be able only to see things one way and be unwilling or unable to consider other possibilities

exceptional [ɪkˋsɛpʃən!] adj. 优秀的；卓越的 much greater than usual, especially in skill, intelligence or quality

compartmentalize [͵kəmpɑrtˋmɛnt!aɪz] v. 划分；区分 to divide people or things into categories

bias [ˋbaɪəs] n. 偏见，成见；偏心 an unfair personal opinion that influences one’s judgment

subordinate [səˋbɔrdnɪt] n. 部下，部属；下级职员 a person who has a less important position than another in an organization

approachability [ə͵protʃəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 可接近性，易接近性 the characteristic of being friendly and easy to talk to or deal with