A Special Situation at Work: Handle With Care
We continue to confront the distractions and disruptions the world has been serving up lately (recent examples) armed with the Rule of St. Benedict. Recall that our objective is to establish and/or preserve a calm ordered, stable workplace in the face of those distractions and disruptions.
Let's compare the next entry in the Rule of St. Benedict with a special situation I've experienced on the job. It's one that, if not handled carefully, might have been a source of distraction and disruption. Fortunately (which ultimately means by the grace of God) it did not.
It occurred shortly after I was hired by a big company. My department manager, who was enthusiastic about my hiring, decided my background and skills could assist him in helping a few of his lagging charges to better achieve their business development goals. I was an unusual hire at the time, because I had no direct experience in this company's basic business. So I was a bit of an outsider. But I did have a general professional and sales background that got me in the door. I think the thought was that I might bring an "outsiders" perspective to the task. Also, I surmise my boss thought my personality might be a good fit for that select group.
I was not given a special title. I wasn't paid extra. My boss made it clear that I was expected to fulfill all my individual responsibilities. So this special role of coaching/mentoring the struggling few would be additional responsibility that carried no official recognition or compensation. I agreed to do it because: a) I was new and wanted to make my mark in any way that could confirm that my boss made a good decision hiring me; b) I thought I would enjoy the role (and it didn't take up an inordinate amount of time); c) I liked by boss, was happy to work for him, and was glad to help.
The folks I worked with seemed to appreciate my efforts, as did my boss. Some performed better, some not so much. I did what I was asked to do. For the length of time I was involved in this special project, I had no expectations that I would directly benefit near-term in any way. Since I took the job with the long-term in mind, that didn't matter. I treated my charges as colleagues and did not expect them to treat me in any other way than as one trying to help. The role didn't boost my ego (which didn't need boosting anyway), didn't give me a swelled head, didn't cause me to behave in any way that drew attention to myself, etc. I just tried to do my best. My charges and my boss seemed satisfied with my best.
All of which I mention not to give myself a pat on the back. It all
just flowed naturally. And, as mentioned, I enjoyed the experience. Indeed,
when I recall it now, the recollection comes with a warm, pleasant
feeling.
This situation was never repeated. No one else in our group ever was asked to do something similar. As I said, it was a special situation.
"If any abbot wish to have a priest or a deacon ordained for his monastery, let him choose out one of his subjects who is worthy to exercise the priestly office. But let the one who is ordained beware of elation or pride; and let him not presume to do anything but what is commanded him ty the abbot, knowing that he will be all the more subject to the discipline of the monastery. Let him not because of his priesthood forget the obedience and discipline of the Rule, but make ever more and more progress towards God.
"Let him always keep the place which is his according to to the time of his entry into the monastery, except in his duties at the altar, and unless he have been promoted by the vote of the community and the abbot's decision, on account of the worthiness of his life..."
Appointing a priest of deacon from amongst the troops was not a frequent occurrence. It came up based on a need. There was nothing in the "system" that called for a monk to be "promoted" to priest or deacon. Indeed, the typical monk spent his life in the monastery as a kind of "regular Joe" monk. Occasionally, when the monastery reached a certain size, there might be a need for a Prior or a Dean. A regular Joe monk might ascend to the role of Abbot. Those positions carried the status and authority necessary for the individual to properly fulfill their role in serving the common good of the monastery.
On the other hand, a priest or deacon did not carry any organizational status or authority. St. Benedict makes this clear. But he also notes that some might try to make more out of the role - in the wrong way - than the role entailed. Frankly, simply being a priest or deacon should be enough of a reward in itself. (And isn't this true for any priest or deacon?) Gratitude would be an appropriate response to being given this role, not elation and pride.
Human nature being what it is, you likely can see how this special appointment might ignite a flare up of self-importance, even the dread sin of pride in some folks. So St. Benedict carefully warns future abbots and the monk they might appoint to beware this, with the intention, I suspect, of cutting it off before it flares up.
You can imagine that, left unattended, the individual appointee might be a source of distraction and disruption in the monastery.
Whether in a monastery or in our workplace, a special appointment like this can be a real boon to others. On the other hand, it might undermine stability in the monastery or the workplace if the individual uses the appointment as a means to boost themselves rather than the people he is meant to serve.
Of course, there are appropriate circumstances that could lead to a a bump up in status, based on personal merit. In that case, there should be no threat to stability in the monastery or workplace.
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