摘要

就各方面而言，慈濟是當今在人道救援與發展中最有影響力與效率的組織之一。是甚麼讓慈濟有這般非凡的能力能於災後迅速地動員？它如何能在困境、情況不明，甚至是在從未碰過的情況下找到合適的解決方式？它如何能成功的取得資源並組織人員，將他們送至被需要的地方，並以高效率和有效的方式安排其所提供的服務？ 它如何能在重大災難後造成的不確定性、混亂和壓力中仍能有效的妥善處理？我將會以三個相互關聯的答案進行回答。第一，慈濟並非以目的為導向，相反的，它是被一組先進的核心價值所驅使著。第二，藉由證嚴法師的身教，以及整個組織的運作討論模式，慈濟能以非凡的行動隊伍實現它的核心價值。最後，慈濟並非被規畫好的計劃所驅使，而是對其價值的承諾所推動—它表達出對其核心價值始終如一的態度，並且所做的每一件事都合乎於其價值。而這個組織的三個特點可以被合併成第四點，也就是在於如何做出決定。無論是小的行動決策或是大型策略事項，決策者皆會一致性的參照這幾個核心價值：「哪一個選擇是與慈濟的核心價值一致？」然而，將些全部放在一起，這四項定義了慈濟的第五個關鍵特質。事實上，它獨特的中心策略是以能適應當時狀況而做設計與實行。

有組織性排列的核心價值帶來很深切的結果。為志工帶來很高的動力，使他們為這個組織的重要專題奉獻他們的時間與資源。以核心價值做為組織每日大大小小事情判斷解決的引導。提供一個組織內部的信任基準，也讓外部的人看到這個原則而相信慈濟。

慈濟代表著一個很關鍵，也越來越重要的組織型態：它是一個以價值觀為導向的組織，在面對複雜且充滿驚奇的快速發展世界，它的組織策略是能被環境所適應，且能適應當下。這個典型已超越了人道救援與發展的範疇，即使這是一個很重要的領域。在許多不同領域的組織裡在面對類似的快速發展情境時，他們可以從慈濟學到許多，學得慈濟如何在變化多端的事件與情況中依然能有高效能的組織動員。

Abstract

Tzu Chi is by all accounts one of the most effective and efficient humanitarian relief and development organizations at work around the world today.  What gives Tzu Chi its extraordinary ability to mobilize quickly in the face of disasters?  How is it able to find creative solutions in difficult, confusing, and even unprecedented situations?  How is it so successful in procuring resources and organizing people, deploying them to where they are needed, and then orchestrating the efficient and effective delivery of services?  How does it cope so effectively with the high degree of uncertainty, chaos, confusion, and stress caused by large-scale disasters?  I will suggest three inter-related answers to these questions.  First, Tzu Chi does not seek to achieve goals; instead, it is mobilized and driven by trying to advance a set of core values.  Second, through the model and teaching of the Dharma Master and through discussions that run throughout the entire organization, Tzu Chi achieves extraordinary alignment of action with its core values.  Finally, Tzu Chi is not driven by plans; instead, it is driven by commitments based on its values – it commits to making an effort consistent with its values, and then does everything it reasonably can to be faithful to those values.  These three characteristics of the organization come together to form a fourth, which lies in how decisions are made.  Consistently, in small operational decisions and in large strategic matters, decision-makers proceed by referring to the core values, asking, “which is the choice that is best aligned with the core values of Tzu Chi?”  And, taken together, these four define the fifth key characteristic of Tzu Chi – they make it a highly nimble and adaptive organization.  Indeed, the central feature of its strategy is that it is designed and operated for adaptability. 

This organizational alignment at the core of the organization has profound consequences.  It generates a very high degree of motivation on the part of Tzu Chi volunteers, contributing time and resources to the important projects of the organization.  It provides guidance on how to resolve questions about how to proceed in thousands of small and large matters throughout the organization every day.  It provides a basis for trust within the organization and a set of principles that people outside the organization can trust Tzu Chi to honor.

Tzu Chi represents a crucially and increasingly important organizational form:  it is a model of a values-driven organization, facing a complex and rapidly-evolving world that is full of surprises, whose strategy is to organize itself to be adaptive and to act adaptively in the moment.  This model is important far beyond the domain of humanitarian relief and development, even though that domain is important by itself.  Many other organizations, in a wide variety of domains, face similarly rapidly evolving circumstances – and they can learn a great deal from the way that Tzu Chi organizes itself for extraordinary high performance in rapidly changing events and situations.