You might not know that I have “three unusual loves.” 1) I love to meet with younger people over coffee chats. 2) When I was an active pediatric professor, I loved the charm of “ward rounds,” advising young doctors about their patients. And 3) I love “advisory boards.” How do these three, seemingly different, “loves” tie together? Americans overuse the word “love,” but hey, I really mean this. In my personal view, these three loves are all variations of the same theme. And, actually, this is an important secret, a practical secret, of my “career paths!” Let me jump right away into advisory boards, and work in how they overlap with ward rounds and coffee chats!

你可能不知道，我有“三个特别的爱”：1）我爱和年轻人见面一起喝咖啡；2）当我是在职的儿科博士的时候，我爱“查房”，给年轻医生有关病人的指导；3）还有，我爱“咨询委员会”。这三个看起来不一样的“爱”如何联系在一起呢？美国人常常滥用“爱”这个词，可是，嗨，我真的就是这个意思。在我个人看来，这三个爱都是同一个主题的变种。而且，这其实是一个非常重要的秘密——我“职业道路”的秘诀！让我直接讲起顾问理事会吧，顺便解释它如何与病房巡视和喝咖啡聊天相重叠！

Most of my adult life I became a great admirer of the value of boards of advisors. Actually, this sounds too formal, practically bureaucratic. But there is really a great secret in all of this, which I have personally deeply appreciated. During my heavily academic life, I led many large research “program projects,” and started a Perinatal (mother-baby) Research Institute, one of the first in the country. I quickly came to see the value of, and need for, boards for these complex activities. In particular, I learned from watching the Children’s Hospital Board and its sub boards, in action. The noble volunteers on the Board provided such great role models, and good advice, directly and indirectly, that they left a lasting impression on me.

成年后，我大半生一直非常欣赏咨询委员会的价值。这或许听起来太过于正式，几乎是官僚主义的。然而，这里真的有一个我个人一直以来深切赞赏的大秘诀在内。在以学术为重点的生活中，我带领过许多大的研究项目，也建立过全国首所围产（母婴）研究院之一。我很快看了到理事会对这些复杂工作的价值和必要性。特别是通过观察儿童医院理事会及其子理事会的工作，我学到了不少东西。理事会的委员以崇高的志愿精神直接或间接地提供了良好的榜样和建议，以至于给我留下持久的印象。

Since I was once the lone Vice-Chairman, and at other times one of 3 Vice-Chairmen, of Pediatrics in our Children’s Hospital, I had an unusual opportunity to witness the meetings of the Hospital Board at really close hand. This was a new experience for me, and I was quite touched by it. Board members came from all walks of life but mostly they were, to my initial surprise, not doctors nor nurses. They sacrificed their valuable family time for us, and the only gifts we “repaid them” were good coffee, snacks, and fine camaraderie around the table. Most importantly, I think they enjoyed the sense of satisfaction of contributing to a greater, more meaningful future for children, and society.

因为我有一段时间单独当过我们儿童医院儿科系的副主席，其它时候还有当过三个副主席之一，我有难得的机会在近距离亲眼观察医院董事会的会议。这对我来说是一种新的经历，给了我不少感动。委员都来自各行各业，但刚开始令我惊讶的是，他们当中大部分都不是医生或护士。他们把自己珍贵的家庭时间献给我们，而我们只是用好喝的咖啡、零食和围着桌子的同志之情作为“回报”。我想，对他们来说最重要的是享受为了孩子们和社会的更好未来所做出的贡献。

When faculty and staff, doctors and nurses, are “feet on the ground,” and stressing out on day to day activities, we can lose sight of the “big picture” of what our priorities should be, to the community, and even world we serve. Thus, the board provided a “fresh perspective,” and real encouragement that there was a strong community that was “out there,” rooting for us! And, likely, thinking “out of our boxes,” especially since they were not doctors and nurses! It’s an amazing feeling, let me assure you!

当教员、员工、医生和护士“脚踏实地”，为日常工作感到压力时，我们可能会忘记大局观——什么才应该是我们服务社区甚至世界的当务之急。于是，董事会提供了一个“新鲜的视角”，还让我们感到“外面”有强大社区为我们喝彩，给了我们实际的鼓舞！还很可能帮助我们“跳出我们的思维定式”，特别是因为他们不是医生和护士！我可以保证，那是一种非常奇妙的感觉！

In fact, I think just the mere fact that we, the faculty and staff, were presenting our plans to a slightly “mysterious” Board was “exciting.” We were no longer just doing our own thing in our own usual narrow academic way. The Board was somehow “making big decisions” for the future, with the “big picture” in mind, and we could feel that we were truly an integral part of the greater history and scope of a highly reputable organization.

其实，我觉得，我们作为教员和员工向稍微“神奇”的董事会提出我们的计划，单单这一点是非常“令人兴奋”。我们不再仅仅以习惯的狭隘学术方式做自己的事了。理事会在某种程度上一边考虑“大局观”一边做未来的“大决定”，而我们能感觉到自己被当作一个信誉卓著机构及其历史的重要一部分。

In my personal life also, I deliberately set about to find excellent advisors to surround me, at every important stage in my life. These advisors started to advise me at first on a one-to-one basis, and then I would gather them into small boards for various purposes. Indeed, I have always appreciated the gentle reminder of wisdom from “the multitude of counselors,” emphasized in The Book of Wisdom, truly my life long advisor.

我在个人生活上也有意地开始寻找优秀的导师，在生活的每个重要阶段邀请他们来陪伴我。刚开始，这些导师是一对一指导我的，之后我把他们聚集成有不同目的的小理事会。的确，我一直珍视智慧之书所强调的善意提醒：来自“众多谋士”的智慧，而它也是我真正的人生导师。

The advice given on a one-to-one basis was personal and direct, about my own life and difficulties. With my one-on-one advisor, we prayed for each another, and sought a greater power and wisdom for difficult decisions, in a private manner, usually somewhat casually over coffee at many Panera “coffee houses,” or simple salad or sandwich lunch (at Panera again!)

一对一给予的指导既个性化又直接地针对我自己的生活和困难。我和我一对一的导师私下为彼此祷告，寻找更多力量和智慧去面对艰难的决定，通常是以比较休闲的方式在Panera“咖啡馆”喝着咖啡，或者吃着简单的沙拉或三明治午餐（又是在Panera!）。

In turn, in my hallmark “coffee with Uncle Reggie” style, I advised younger people, some through many years of their lives, by meeting, chatting, and praying with them, regularly. Most often, I could see, reassuringly, personal steady growth in their lives, but every so often a mini-crisis showed up, and it was good that the young person knew that there was a shoulder to lean on. Even now, as I am away from Cincinnati, where I served for 47 years, I am so happy I can still do this, quite efficiently, on video-chats, through Skype, WeChat, WhatsApp, or Google; there are so many good options today! I can even use the “good old phone,” which to my surprise, however, sometimes has a worse connection than the other WiFi options.

反过来，我以我标志性的“与曾叔叔喝咖啡闲聊”方式辅导过比我年轻的人，有一些人我辅导了好几年，定期跟他们见面一起交流和祷告。大部分时间，我可以看到他们稳步成长，是令我安心的，但偶尔有小小的危机出现，而那时候这些年轻人知道有一个他们可以依靠的肩膀。一直到现在，虽然已经远离我生活服侍过47年之久的辛辛那提，但我非常高兴依然可以继续这样做下去。而且通过Skype、微信、WhatsApp或谷歌来视频聊天是比较有效的途径——今天有如此多的好选择！我甚至可以用“经典的老电话”，但令我惊讶的是，有时候它的连接不如无线网的那些选择好。

A vivid illustration of how an advisory board really helps, especially in major efforts, is when I helped start Medical Services International, MSI, a mission for Southwest China poverty areas. We had boards at headquarters in Hong Kong, and for each center from “sending countries” or regions, from which doctors and professionals were mobilized, to go into minorities focused areas in China, where the actual work was being done. Each board served to encourage and motivate members of the center, and especially its Coordinator, the main executive person. There were obviously huge differences among centers over the world, and between these centers and areas in China, in culture, language and attitudes, so it was really exciting to set up these critical boards that helped us negotiate the complicated terrain.

我在帮助和建立服务中国西南贫困地区的国际医疗服务（MSI）的过程中，可以生动地体现咨询委员会如何尤其在重大工作上起到帮助。我们在香港的总部和每个“派遣国”或地区的中心都有理事会。这些中心会调动医生和其他专业人士去中国的以少数民族为主的地区进行实地工作。每个理事会帮助鼓舞和推动中心的会员，尤其是作为主要执行人的协调员。世界各地的中心互相之间显然有巨大的不同点，而这些中心与中国地区也有鲜明的文化、语言和观念差异。所以，建立这些至关重要的，帮助我们协调这种复杂关系的理事会是非常令人兴奋的。

My USA board in particular provided me with great encouragement and strength, especially when I was frustrated with work and progress of MSI, or when I was frustrated with work and progress of MSI, or when I simply felt misunderstood by colleagues or others. This board would pray with me, allow me to present the problems, and make valuable suggestions. Just the mere fact that they would sit there for an hour or more and listen to my presentations and provide feedback, was probably wonderfully “therapeutic.” “Everyone needs a psychiatrist,” and this was definitely better than the stereotypical and expensive psychiatrist’s lounge chair! And gentle nudges and comments often steered me into good decisions that I could not have made alone.

特别是我的美国理事会给我带来了大大的鼓励和力量，尤其是我对MSI的工作和进展感到失落的时候，或者我只是感到被同事或其他人误解的时候。这个理事会跟我一起祷告，给我机会把问题说出来，而提出珍贵的意见和建议。光是他们拿出一个多小时的时间坐着听我的陈述并提供反馈这一点，就对我起到了奇妙的“疗效”。“每个人都需要心理医生”，而比起那刻板化的昂贵的心理医生的休闲椅，这肯定好多了！而且，温和的鼓励和意见会常常引导我做出单独一个人做不到的好决定。

Do you feel the excitement of boards, and how they could help you….. please continue to read… to be continued in part 2

你能感觉到理事会带来的兴奋，而且它们如何可以帮助你吗？请继续读第二部……