MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
March 6, 2006





THE DOWNSIDE OF SELF-PROMOTION

By: Robert J. Tamasy

We live in a world in which self-promotion is not only accepted, but also seems to be encouraged – even expected. I remember several decades ago when Cassius Clay (who later adopted the name, Muhammad Ali) became the world’s heavyweight boxing champion. “I am the greatest!” was his self-proclamation. To his credit, the gifted boxer usually backed up his claim.

We see numerous examples of self-promotion throughout the sports and entertainment worlds. Professional football and basketball stars pose and strut after executing outstanding plays, making certain that everyone noticed. Athletes demand to have their contracts be renegotiated, contending that they are “underpaid and under-appreciated.” Movie stars and TV celebrities wear outlandish clothes and exhibit bizarre behavior, all in the name of publicity and marketing.

Self-promotion also has become commonplace in today’s business and professional world: Sales executives telling anyone who will listen how they have exceeded monthly and quarterly quotas. Ambitious managers lobbying for increased responsibility – and with it, higher compensation and rewards. Top executives that become nationally – even internationally – known through massive TV and print media coverage, often becoming more easily recognized than the corporations they lead.

Self-promotion, however, is hardly a phenomenon of the 20th and 21st centuries. This practice is as old as time. In the Bible’s Old Testament book of Daniel, for example, we are told of Nebuchadnezzar, the noted Babylonian king, who boldly declared, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). Extremely impressed with himself, this king was!

However, despite the fact that self-promotion seems to have become more the rule today than the exception, doesn’t it seem disturbing at times to observe people that are always seeking to draw attention to themselves? People who seem to be shouting, “Hey, look at me. Look at who I am. Look at what I have done!”?

The book of Proverbs in the Bible agrees, talking about the intrinsic value of having someone else to sing your praises than to lavish praise on yourself:

It’s better to be the recipient of praise than the one who bestows the praise. If you had to choose, which would you prefer – to talk about yourself in glowingly favorable terms, letting your hearers know how special and accomplished you are, or to have someone you respect and admire say positive things about you? Virtually all of us would rather receive words of commendation from someone else, because that indicates our efforts have truly been recognized and appreciated. “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).

It’s a test of character to see how we respond when praise is directed our way. When someone commends you for work well-done, how do you respond? Do you nearly break your arm patting yourself on the back, or do you receive the praise with appreciation and humility, grateful for having the gifts, abilities and experience that were required to perform the praise-worthy action? “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19). “The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives” (Proverbs 27:21).

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. He has coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring: 10 Proven Principles for Developing People to Their Fullest Potential (NavPress) and is author of the newly published book, Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace (River City Press). For more information, see http://www.theheartofmentoring.com/ or http://www.rivercitypress.net/.

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Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. How aware are you of people who seem to specialize in self-promotion where you work? Are you one of them? Explain your answer.


2. What is your typical reaction when you see someone you work with shamelessly promoting himself or herself? Why do you think you respond in that way?


3. Thinking about the world of fame and celebrity – sports, entertainment, politics – who are some examples of “self-promoters” that quickly come to your mind?


4. Do you agree with the statement that how we respond to praise – when we receive it from others – is a test of character? Why or why not?


NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to consider some other passages that concern self-promotion, or the absence of it, turn to the following passages:

Psalm 57:9-11; Proverbs 16:24; Philippians 2:3,4; 1 Peter 5:5,6




週一嗎哪
服事全球工商界
2006.2.27

自誇的負面觀感

我們所住的世界不只接受，也鼓勵－－甚至期待自誇。我記得十幾年前，當凱西亞˙克雷（後來改名為穆罕默德˙阿里）成為世界重量級拳擊賽的冠軍。他宣稱：「我是最偉大的！」還好這位有天份的拳擊手通常都所言不假，贏得勝利。

在運動界和娛樂界，我們看到許多自誇的例子。職業橄欖球和籃球名星在比賽中有傑出表現後，自命不凡，神氣十足，要每個人都注意他/她。運動員要求重新簽約，聲稱他們「薪資被低估，沒被充分賞識」。電影名星和電視名流穿著奇裝異服，展示怪異舉動，都是為了出風頭，促銷自己。

在今日的工商專業界，自誇也變得是件平常的事：銷售主管告訴別人，自己已經超過每月和每季所預定的銷售額。有野心的經理游說上級給他更多責任－－以及隨之而來的高報酬。透過電視和平面媒體的大量報導，高級主管變得全國－－甚至全世界皆知，比他們所領導的企業更有名。

然而，自誇並非20和21世紀才有的現象。這種現象其實和時間一樣久遠。例如在聖經舊約的但以理書中，有名的巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒大膽地說：「這大巴比倫不是我用大能大力建為京都，要顯我威嚴的榮耀嗎？」（但以理書4章30節）。這位國王非常自豪！

雖然自誇似乎變成今日的常態，但有時看到某人總是想辦法吸引別人注意，實在有些不舒服。他們好像喊說：「嗨，看看我，看看我是誰，來看我所做的事！」

聖經中的箴言談到，讓別人讚美你比不斷地自誇更有價值：

與其說出讚美自己的話，不如成為接受讚美的人。若你可以選擇，你較喜歡那一樣－－用美好的詞彙形容自己，讓別人知道自己多麼特別，多麼有成就；或者讓你所敬重景仰的人說出對你肯定的話？幾乎每個人都寧願受到別人的稱讚，因為那意味著我們的努力真正地被別人肯定與欣賞。「要別人誇獎你，不可用口自誇。等外人稱讚你，不可用嘴自稱」（箴言27章2節）。

當我們被別人讚美時，我們回應的方式也是對品格的一項試驗。當別人稱讚你把工作做得很好，你會如何回應？你是否得意忘形，或是以感謝和謙虛的心接受，並為自己有這恩賜、能力和經驗去做出值得讚賞的行為而感恩。「水中照臉，彼此相符；人與人，心也相對」（箴言27章19節）。「鼎為煉銀，爐為煉金，人的稱讚也試煉人」（箴言27章21節）。


思想 / 討論題目

1. 在職場中，你是否能察覺善於自誇的人？ 你是否也善於自誇？ 請解釋。


2. 當你看到同事厚顏無恥地自我吹噓時，你一向如何回應？ 你為何那樣回應？


3. 想想這世上有名的人士中－－在運動、娛樂和政治界－－誰是「自誇」的例子？


4. 你是否同意，我們如何回應讚美－－當我們被別人稱讚時－－是對品格的試驗？ 為什麼？


註：若你有聖經且想要看有關自誇的其他經文，請看：
詩篇57篇9-11節；箴言16章24節；腓立比書2章3-4節；彼得前書2章5-6節


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