day 231: Planting Seeds

It's a common phrase that we hear frequently at work; "I just want to plant a seed with you". When you dissect this and think about it this can be an interesting statement that someone makes. They can actually mean one of a few different things. They might be meaning that they are want to give you a positive idea and they want you to hear it first. They might have an idea that is brewing in their head and they want to use you as a sounding board. Or, they might be thinking something totally different and wanting to start a rumor or put a thought of doubt about someone or something else in your head so that the seed can germinate with you and and you take on the doubtful or suspicious thought. I also find it interesting that we say we want to plant a seed, one seed, when in reality anyone knows that one seed doesn't usually take care of the job. Regardless, people are planting seeds all the time at work and it is important that we recognize the difference in positive and negative ideas and thoughts and how these are managed. It seems to be a tendency at work to plant negative seeds about each other so that we get ahead by tearing down someone else, or look better with the boss, or get the upper-hand or edge on the others around us. And, it is so easy to fall into proliferating these thoughts and words when we allow for others to drop and plant their seeds with us. That is not the ground that God wants us to till and fertilize. God wants us to plant a different type of seed on our jobs. He wants us to be seen as caring, loving, forgiving, approachable, merciful and gracious, all while standing for values and principles that are His. When we do that He asks us to not plant one seed, but many. Paul says this to us in 2 Corinthians: "Remember this- a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop." So today, as you head back to the fields of your work, sow and plant the right seeds with assurance, confidence and faith that the holy seeds that you plant generously will take hold and be of great and positive consequence to many.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 9:6 (New Living Testament)

day 230: Assistants

My wife was the administrative assistant to the chairmen of one of the largest companies in the world. She worked for him for nearly 20 years as he rose through the ranks of the company to ultimately become CEO and Chairman. As I watched her in that position, I came to realize and appreciate the value of that role from a different perspective. Having had my own assistants over the years (some great, many good) I have always understood how valuable that person can be. But, there is more to it than just skill. What I know from my own experience, and from my wife's job, is that there are many intangibles that can make or break the ability for two people to work together in an assistant and manager relationship. First and foremost is chemistry. If there is not good chemistry between two people, then this type of co-dependent relationship will never succeed. Second, there must be a high level of trust from both sides. The manager needs to be able to trust that he/she can turn over just about anything to an assistant and trust that what happens from then on out will be a pure reflection of the manager's wishes, attitude, values, and desires. There also must be trust on the assistant's side that the boss will never put her/his assistant in a position that can't be handled or compromises the respect, dignity and confidence of that assistant. If you can get both chemistry and trust going between two people then confidence is built between the two and before long they can be completing each others' sentences. Dynamic duos are built this way and many career-long and life-long friendships have been built from these types of working relationships. These are partnerships and extend far beyond just assistance. A great administrative assistant is a helper and who of us doesn't want and need help in out job? We all need help on a day-to-day basis. We may not be in a position to have an administrative assistant, or we we may and we just haven't unlocked the potential of that relationship. Regardless, we all need as much help on the job as we can get and as we try and live and work out our purpose while on our jobs, we need even a bigger amount of help to do so. God tells us that He wants to be that helper. In Psalm 146:5 we are told; "But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God." You see, God knows that our work is hard and that we many times feel overwhelmed, pressured, stressed, up to our eyeballs, under the gun...you know the feeling. He wants to be our helper in all things, work included. He is telling us today that we can find joy in our work and our lives if we will only allow him to help. From there we can begin to put our hope in Him. Like the relationship between the best boss and assistant is when the chemistry is perfect, the trust is high and the confidence is there between the two of them, so can all of that be there for us, and multiplied many times over, if we will only let God take on the helper role that He applies for with us each and every day.

Reference: Psalm 146:5 (New Living Testament)

day 229: Fit

One of the most overused words when recruiting and assessing new people for a company is the word, "fit". The word is invoked over and over, even when no one really knows what it means. Someone only needs to say to others after interviewing a candidate, "He just doesn't fit", and that will either start a debate or it ends the conversation and the candidate is rejected. The feedback that goes back to the candidate is just as vague; "There just wasn't a fit". Hiring is hard, of course, but there is more than just trying to finding fit like the trial and error of finding the right piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Every company has a culture and "fit" is certainly important, but knowing how to define the attributes of the culture to a level of specificity so that there can be a true definition of "fit" is typically where companies fall short. That leaves vast room for the continued guessing game of who fits and who doesn't. At that point, we continue on with always trying to circle in on what is "fit" and what is not. Probably the best definition of what is fit and what is not comes from the attributes that the successful people in a company take on, reinforce, and evolve towards. Since we hire in the likeness of ourselves it only makes sense that a homogeneous culture gets created and everyone ends up being more like the same. And so, "fit" becomes defined. This insular evolution, without discipline, can leave a company one day wondering why they have lost a creative edge, lost their external customer focus, or worse yet, have fallen into group think and can't make decisions. Companies can benefit by being open to people who "run against the grain" and push the envelope in their thinking and background. Companies can benefit in expanding their definition of "fit". Those of us who are believers and spend our days on the job trying to live out our purpose, run against the grain each day and in our own way, should be defining our own "fit". We read in Matthew 5:13 that we are to be different and if don't then we have thrown away tremendous opportunity; "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless." We all want to fit in the companies where we work. What God is saying is that we can both fit in our companies and also be different. And we can be assured that the saltiness and flavor that God wants us to have can be the exact ingredient that others on our job need to see to view the reflection of God in what we do. Today, as you think about your role and fit within your company and job, remember that the salt that you can bring can be a needed expansion of the definition of "fit".

Reference: Matthew 5:13 (New Living Testament)

day 228: Corporate Gyms

It started in the mid 1980's that corporations began to put exercise equipment in the office so that employees could work out while on the job. Exercise rooms grew into fully equipped fitness centers with staff, trainers, showers and locker rooms, etc. Any new headquarters today will typically have a corporate fitness center as a part of the building. The original idea behind these centers was a good one; if our employees are more fit, that means they are healthier, which means that the cost of medical benefits should go down over time, etc. The benefit for the employee is the convenience and cost savings that they receive when they don't have to go outside of their work pattern to join and frequent a gym. It's a great perk when offered but even then, usually less than 1/2 to a 1/3 of the population will ever regularly use a corporate fitness center. Because of this, there is the ongoing debate about the cost vs. benefit of keeping the fitness center staffed, equipment up to date, etc. There would be no debate if the number of people who regularly use the gym was 80%. But, that's really hard to make happen. To get 80% plus of any population to voluntarily want to exercise would be hard to accomplish even though when someone works out they are bettering and growing their body's physical strength and health. Working out can be painful but as the popular phrase for trainers goes: "No pain, no gain". To grow and better ourselves we have to go through some pain and struggle. Our workplace and our jobs are also great places to grow ourselves spiritually and "work out" our faith. And, we don't need to be offered a special "gym" to do so. Each time that we go through the challenges at work to either live and work to our purpose or to go the way of the world we are growing. Those little and big decisions that are put in front of us that test our values, force us to think through right and wrong, make us look at ourselves in the mirror on how we should be treating others; all of these are growth points in our spiritual lives. And like when we have been in the fitness center for weeks and months and we say, "I'm just not seeing any difference", we only have to step back and remember how far we have come. David Wilkerson talks about our spiritual growth being like the slow growth of the lilies in Hosea 14:5: "I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily." Wilkerson says, "God is telling us, 'Go to the lilies! Just try to watch them grow. I’m telling you by day’s end you won’t see any growth whatsoever. But know this; I water the lily every morning with the dew I send—and it’s going to grow.' The same is true of most spiritual growth. It’s imperceptible to the human eye!" Today, you may (hopefully you do) go to the corporate gym and workout your body. Each time you do it, you are growing. Today, you will also have the opportunity to go to God's gym and work out your spiritual body and grow. See today that each of the decisions and challenges you have today as the chance to "work out" and grow.

Reference: Hosea 14:5 (New Living Testament)

day 227: Follow The Instructions

My father used to say me, "When all else fails, follow the instructions". That has stuck with me over the years, especially when I am in the midst of a project that is hard and complicated. Somewhere, there are instructions that can be followed, if we just think back hard enough to remember what and where they are. Even at work we are given instructions all the time on what to do, but I have found that many people tune out during the instructional moments and then the work comes back either not totally completed as requested, or in more cases than not, overdone in some way with work that was not necessary or actually valuable. And while, as a manager, you thank the person for the extra work, what you really want to say, is "had you listened and written down what we talked about then you wouldn't have had to do these extras that I can't use anyway". The other thing that happens is that a manager will assign a task and not give clear directions, or any instruction at all, and since we want to be great employees showing initiative, run off into the dark and get to work without really knowing what is being asked from us. So, we guess, and then we bring back the work and guess what? Not surprisingly, it's not exactly what was needed so we have to rework what we have done. We don't feel good about that and our managers don't feel good about it either. All that needed to happen was before we left the room the first time the task was assigned was ask some simple questions like, "what will this be used for", "who will be using this", "how specific or general do you want this?", "when is this due?", etc. You get the gist. It is about receiving and following instructions to make our work easier and make us more productive. Being good at following instructions and directions is Biblical. In Proverbs 16:20 we are told: "Those who listen to instruction will prosper". There you have it. Being open and willing to receive and listen to instruction is a path to take when in doubt. The verse also goes on to say that "those who trust the Lord will be joyful." The greatest instruction manual of all time is in front of us with the gift we have of God's word. We should never be in doubt with directions that God has given us. So, when you are on the job and there are not any instructions or directions to follow and you are in doubt, fall back on God's directions and listen and receive them as He provides them to you. We all tend to think that God wants us only to go to Him for the biggest of problems. Don't forget that He knows that your work and job is "very big" to you and that He wants you to bring Him your work issues just like all other issues in your life. He wants to give you all the instruction that you will ever need. Then it is up to us to listen and receive. Start today practicing taking in instruction from God and from others and see if things don't start getting better!

Reference: Proverbs 16:20 (New Living Testament)

day 226: Doughnut Holes

When someone spends their time trying to find the wrongs versus the rights and spends an inordinate amount of time trying to find the defects in something that overall is very good, we might hear this saying, "stop trying to find the hole in the doughnut". From my experience there are many people at work who like to spend their time trying to find the hole in the doughnut and they miss all of the good in the activities and results around them because they turn their focus towards the negative and the activities that might have been done better, but in totality, don't mean much. But, these people do have an impact on others around them when they keep searching for the hole and they miss the opportunity to provide praise and positive reinforcement to others around them for a job well done. Whenever we run up against these people it adds stress to our day and we can end up feeling like with these people we have to work to not lose versus work to win. I worked alongside a person like this once and I dreaded each meeting with him. I knew going into the meeting that he would spend all of the time we had trying to find what was wrong versus right and at the end of the meeting I would come out with a list of unimportant things that I would have to go chase down with answers, etc. He did this because it was his nature to want to throw the wrench in the works and he thought that this was his value-add. And because he did it to everyone, everyone felt the same about him. He loved to focus on the hole in the doughnut. We are told that we aren't to be these kinds of people. In Proverbs 19:11 it says, "People with good sense...earn esteem by overlooking wrongs". This doesn't mean that we are to turn our heads and ignore those things that are wrong and hurtful to others, but it does mean that we are to accept that no one who walks this earth, other than Jesus was, can be perfect and we need to have an understanding nature towards others. In his book, Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling, Andy Crouch says, "If we are known mostly for our ability to poke holes in every human project, we will probably not be known as people who bear the hope and mercy of God". Amen! Today as you start the workweek, think about your attitude towards others when they bring you their work. This week see if you can ignore the holes in the doughnut and instead focus on the good of the whole. What others see from you will be different and definitely noticed!

Reference: Proverbs 19:11 (New Living Testament)

day 225: Babble On

Every company has their own language. What I mean by this is that each organization, over time, will establish their own terminology, slang and acronyms for what happens in their business. I have been doing some work recently with a company that has lots of words that mean one thing to them, but nothing to those who are outside of the company. The other day they shared a job description of a position they are sourcing and as I read the job description, I couldn't understand what the real work was to be done because it was so full of acronyms that I would have needed their internal acronym dictionary to translate what they meant. The same thing can be seen and heard in the resumes and interviews of people who have worked for the same company for many years. They describe themselves and their experiences in the language of the organization and the person on the other end doesn't stop them to ask what these things mean. They just stop listening to them like they would anyone who was speaking a foreign language they couldn't decipher. It's interesting how organizations get to this place. Some form of familiarity and internal self-importance develops that allows them (most times from the leadership) to develop this personal language. What is wrong with this, you might ask, as you read this, thinking about the familiar terms within your organization? There is nothing wrong with it per se, other than it can be very alienating to new people who join the business or change groups within the company. There are many organizations who don't realize that this hurdle can be a big one for initial success of people and can be an early warning sign of becoming a closed and unwelcoming culture who is also becoming too internally self-focused versus customer and external market-focused. We have an example of this even in the Bible when the people of Babylon felt that they were becoming so important that they said among themselves, "Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies - a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world". And we know the rest of the story about what happens when God sees this self-aggrandizing, God-independent attitude. Today, think about the attitude and words that you use with others on the job. Are they inclusive, welcoming, humble and open? Or, is the attitude of I/we are more important than you/others and the words used have the other person sitting across the desk or reading the email, thinking to themselves, "do I really belong and am I welcomed here?" As those who are striving for our purpose to be fulfilled in our work, let's not be the ones that help build the towers of babble, but instead be ones who others see as people with arms wide open and words of caring, and people there to help others be better in their work and lives. Never forget that others are always watching...and listening.

Reference: Genesis 11:4 (New Living Testament)

day 224: Little Matters

It's the big things that matter at work. Much of our energy and emotion get tied to the presentations to the Board, the big sales meeting, the major cost saving initiative, the big marketing and advertising roll-out, the big idea from the shop-floor, etc. We tend to get excited and focus on the big things and we overlook the small things. But, the small things that are overlooked can drive us crazy. Have you ever been in a real rush with something important that needs to copied on the copy machine and as you are running your copies up comes the message, "out of paper"? Yes you have, we all have. After we throw our hands up in the air we start scrambling for the ream of paper that is lying next to the machine, which of course is barely full with not enough paper in it, so instead we start searching for another ream, which of course someone has rearranged the supply cabinet again and we can't find the paper. And so it goes. How different that last scene may have played out had the person before us recognized that the paper supply was low and instead of walking away for someone else to deal with it, they would have found the ream of paper, replenished the copier and put an extra full ream next to the copier just in case someone needed it? We don't get rewarded at work for the little matters as much as we do the big things. If we did then offices would be tidy, phone calls would be returned, emails inboxes would be empty, people would feel recognized and thanked for their work, and we might all be happier with each other. Little does matter in the bigger scheme of work and life. Without the focus on the details and the little things the bigger things would never happen. In 1 Corinthians 1:28 Paul tells us that God chose "things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important." Today you will be faced with things that seem so little that they can't matter. They are nothings, really. But, they are something big to someone else and you taking a moment of your time to take care of the little thing could change the course of something big. Imagine the Sales VP who needed those extra copies before the Fedex man left, but couldn't find the extra ream of paper and missed the delivery window because he couldn't get the copies made in time and because of that the company missed out on winning the big contract, which was the make or deal for the year for him and everyone in the company. Little matters. God tells us so, so don't take for granted that the little things you are given today at work are inconsequential, they may be quite important after all.

Reference: I Corinthians 1:28

day 223: Tending and Caring

One of the first accounts of work that we see in the Bible is when God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to keep and till the earth. The New Living Testament says in Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it". God, the creator, made us in His image so by nature we are creators and then God said, it's not good enough to just create and leave something, whatever is created must then be watched over, cared for, and tended to ensure that the creation is fulfilled to its original vision. So many times in work we want to create something but we don't want to do the downstream work that needs to happen to make the creation worthwhile. One of the companies where I worked was "well-known" for having huge marketing ideas that would best the rest of the industry over and over, but when it came time to execute against those marketing initiatives the organization would bore and tire and the ideas would never fully become operational, thus leaving millions of dollars wasted. It was a pattern in that company because the CEO wasn't that interested in tending and caring for the ideas once the big idea had been launched. Don't we all have some of that in us? Isn't it easier to start something new than to fully finish what has already been started? There are lots of starters in the work place and many few less finishers. But God is giving us the example and the direction in what he asks Adam to do. He is telling us that it is not good enough to just start, but that we need to be strong finishers as well. Paul, in the New Testament, says this over and over to us using the race analogy and our need to finish the race well. God gives each of us bodies and minds to do work. He has given each of us the desire to create and he has said that we have to be told to follow-through to tend and care for our creations. We each have been given many things at work to tend and care for. If we were to do so with the acceptance and joy that like God gave Adam the garden; as if God has given us our tasks to care and tend, then how much more fulfilling would our day, today, be? Think about this today as you look at the stack of papers, the phone calls to return, the calendar full of appointments and meeting. Look at each of these tasks as your chance to tend and care for your own garden, the garden that has been given to you.

Reference: Genesis 2:15 (New Living Testament)

day 222: Offsite Storage

In the business world there has been much discussion about the importance of records retention and ensuring that we both are not storing records too long and not too short. Many a company has sprung up to consult with companies on their records retention policies as well as run their document storage and protection services for them. The company, Iron Mountain, was founded for just this purpose and today is very successful in storing off site important and valuable documents and data. I love the name of the company as it clearly signifies what it is that they do and whenever I hear their name it conjures up the picture of some mountain range in the Rockies or the Appalachians with a deep shaft where in go the records for eternal storage, if necessary. Of course that is not the case (as far as I know) but their company gives the firm impression of safety, security, protection and storage as long as needed. I admit, I am a work pack-rat. Papers and documents from who knows when hang around until the cabinets are bursting at the seams and there is no choice other than to clean out and dump. I was always the guilty one of storing records for too long. The records retention lawyers like to have the files cleaned out every so often too. There is a policy for just how long we should keep any file or data. Matthew gives us the best records retention policy ever written when he tells us in Matthew 6:19-21: "Don't store up treasure here on earth where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there is your heart and thoughts will also be". As we think today about where our valuables and treasures are stored, let's remind ourselves that the possessions we have here on earth are time-bound and not worth a cent to us after we are gone. The offsite storage that God is talking about is the treasures that he has given us within our hearts and souls of his gift of love and salvation. Those treasures are on an eternal retention cycle and His "iron mountain" is the security that is like no other.

Reference: Matthew 6:19-21 (New Living Testament)

day 221: Human Resources

I've spent most of my career as a Human Resource executive. With that role comes lots of potential influence and positive impact on the business. However, it also comes with, because of how many people do the job, a stigma of being in a role where you can be perceived as not making anyone happy. If the job is done wrong, management sees you as an impediment to business progress and the employees see you as not really doing anything but pushing papers around. That is not the way the job is supposed to be done and when done correctly, a Human Resource group can be an important part of people reaching their full potential and feeling fulfilled in their jobs and the company can see their talent force being a competitive advantage. The idea of someone to look over the work force is an old one. I am not sure where it started but even in the Bible we see examples of this division of labor. In 2 Samuel, Chapter 20, verses 23-24 we read: "Joab once again became the commander of David's army. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the king's bodyguard. Adoniram was in charge of the labor force." For all I know, Adoniram may have been one of the first HR leaders. I've always felt that if each of us are doing our jobs as we should that we are all HR Leaders in our own way. We should be there for each other in times of need and when the time comes for a message to be delivered to management, we shouldn't need an intercessory. We should be courageous enough to go direct to our managers and tell them what they need to hear. Of course, this is not always possible, but it is what we should be striving to do, versus allowing ourselves to fall into a situation where someone else carries messages and speaks on our behalf. If you believe that the purpose of your work is to ensure that you bring glory to God in all that you do, then you should think of yourself as someone who embodies what a great HR Leader should be doing. On the job, we seek out others who go the extra mile for us and who we know truly care and take interest in helping us solve our problems. If we are that type of co-worker, then just like what happens in the HR office, you will have the chance to help someone better themselves and as you do so, you will be delivering a larger message than you may imagine as your co-workers see God at work through you. It's not hard to stand out on the job as someone who is "different". By being caring, thoughtful, listening, and following-through for others, you will be easily differentiating yourself from others. You will be living out the human part of work. Today, think about who in the office needs you to be their "HR person" and act upon it. They, and you will be glad you did.

Reference: 2 Samuel 20:23-24 (New Living Testament)

day 220: The Third Quarter

We are crossing into the last month of the third quarter. The third quarter usually brings lots of activity as it is traditionally a time of financial planning for the coming year and a time of readying for the holiday season. Many businesses depend on the sales activity in the fourth quarter; from Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) through year-end), to make their financial targets. So, it is now in Q3, as the summer days get shorter and the feel of fall in the air starts to sneak back to us. We are coming off of vacation and diving back into work. Those who work in the agricultural industry know this feeling better than anyone. They are readying for the harvest so their Q3 is always a busy time and most important. In these busy, stressful and sometimes draining days, it can be hard to stay focused on our true purpose of work and we can allow ourselves to get overwhelmed and stressed to a point that we can't find time for anything else other than work. Our relationships suffer, our physical conditioning suffers and our spiritual readiness suffers. It is in these times that we must re-center and ensure that we are not losing ground but instead are leaning into keeping ourselves "fit" for the coming harvest. God is all-knowing about how our job load ebbs and flows. In Matthew Jesus says to His Disciples; "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields". Of course Jesus is speaking of the harvesting of those who are ripe to give their lives to Him, but I think He also was speaking to each of us who are in our jobs but also trying to bring glory to God through our work and actions on the job. It may be that you feel alone in your work as it relates to bringing your purpose to your job. Or it may be that it just feels too hard to try and live for God on the job. It may be that today you are so overwhelmed that it's just hard to get centered or focused and you can feel yourself drifting under the burden of your workload. Today is the day to re-read Matthew 9:37-38 and listen to what Jesus is telling us to do; "...ask him to send out more workers for his fields". If you are working to bring glory to God through the job you do and others can see the reflection of God in you while you work, then you are working in His fields and He will bring more to you in your work. He never leaves us alone and certainly not in the busy time of harvest will he ever abandon us. So, Q3 is a great time of the year to lean on God for even more for His love, grace, support and peace. Now is also the time to reestablish the prayer time and the Bible study time that may have been lost because of the busyness of work and life. If you restart now, you are readying yourself for the tremendous harvest that is coming!

Reference: Matthew 9:37-38 (New Living Testament)

day 219: University of Corporation

Corporate Universities? Yes, places, while at work, to provide continuing education to employees that they couldn't or wouldn't go get while they are working. The idea has been around for a long time. One of the best known back in the 80's and 90's was General Electric's Crotonville facility. They ran it like a university with faculty and all. As GE excelled and Jack Welch credited Crotonville for much of their business success, everyone wanted their own corporate university. Only a few could afford it though. Those who did would go and hire a "Dean" to oversee the university and then fill in the staff with external teachers and internal people who saw themselves more as educators and extenders of knowledge than just workers. There is an old adage; "he who teaches learns twice". People who believe that love to teach others what they know. In one of my companies my team and I created one of these corporate universities and had multiple learning and educational discipline tracks with the goal that everyone would attend a "university" course sometime along the way each year. A commitment to continuous learning is part of building a great corporate culture. Apple has been one of the latest to jump on the corporate university bandwagon and they have created it to keep the learning around innovation alive and thriving within Apple; a life-blood for them. Threaded through almost every corporate university course will be some way of teaching and reinforcing the continuation of the values and principles of the company, which can lead to the development of wisdom and better judgment. If you have wisdom and great judgment when on the job, then you will likely do well at whatever you attempt. The Bible tells us that we should pursue both of these. In Proverbs 4:7 we are told: "Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment." Learning, developing and bettering ourselves with wisdom and judgment is a positive intersection that fits exactly with what our employers would like us to do and be. There are lots of conflicts with the direction of how we should work and the purpose that we are attempting to live out, but in this area, there are no conflicts. I can't think of any manager who doesn't want us to have more wisdom and better judgment around our work. God wants us to have more of both in our work and in our overall lives. You may get a chance soon to take a course or class that can better you. Do it! And if you are looking for a syllabus and textbook that you can study daily to add to your wisdom and judgment, look no further than God's Word. A few minutes of study there a day and you are automatically enrolled in the university of all universities.

Reference: Proverbs 4:7 (New Living Testament)

day 218: Intensity

Intensity as defined by Dictionary.com: great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling: He went at the job with great intensity. We are rewarded in our work for the level of intensity that we bring to our jobs. Those who can singularly focus and get a job done with the level of quality and ahead of time expectations, are usually the people who continue to move forward and upward in an organization. It is hard to bring an intensity and focus to all that we do. We are distracted by the other things in life and also by the subplots of our workplace and co-workers. If we are too focused on just the work and not the people around us we can be tagged as being too self-focused and not a team player. On the other hand if we can't find an intensity and focus against a project or assignment we are not looked at as someone who can bring the ball across the goal line. It is a fine line we walk and whether or not we know it, walk that tightrope day in and day out. In my career I have erred on the side of intensity and focus to the work. I always felt there was a job to be done and "let's go get it done". I do remember one day when I was receiving feedback from a person who worked for me, who I respected greatly, who said, "you know what I would like from you? I would like a 'good morning' each day before you dive into what we need to do today". It was a sobering lesson and one that I have kept with me. Intensity without a counterbalance for people can be hurtful to others. Interesting enough, I have learned that the best counterbalance is also about another focus. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul talks to us about putting the mirror of Jesus in front of us so that we can "brightly reflect the glory of the Lord". He goes on to say, "And as the spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more". Pastor and writer David Wilkerson says that in order to see the reflection in that mirror we must focus and gaze into it intensely. He says we are not to think of this verse just as any other mirror: "They think of a mirror, with Jesus’ face being reflected back to them. But that isn’t Paul’s meaning here. He’s speaking of an intensely focused gaze, as if peering at something earnestly through a glass, trying to see it more clearly. We’re to “fix our eyes” this way, determined to see God’s glory in the face of Christ. We’re to shut ourselves in the Holy of Holies, with but one obsession: to gaze so intently, and to commune with such devotion, that we’re changed." When I read this, I think of the focused gaze it takes to see through a two-way mirror like we use with marketing focus groups. To see into the other side you have to fix your gaze to see beyond the glass and see the depth that is on the other side. It is hard to do and takes extreme focus. So, the balance to our intensity in our work can be the focus on the mirror of Jesus so that we can reflect back to others the glory of Him. God has remarkable ways of taking our strengths and when we turn them over to Him, making them powerful for His work. As we bring our intensity to our work today, let us balance it with the focus and intensity we have towards Him and allow the two to work together to make us the greatest reflection of the good works of Jesus that we can be.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 3:18 (New Living Testament)

day 217: Fire Drills

Even though they are technically called Emergency Evacuation Drills we still call them by the name we learned long ago; Fire Drills. We've all been through them at work at some point or another. Just when we are in the middle of an important phone call or meeting, the alarm sounds and out we go to stand on the lawn or concrete and wait for the evacuation manager and the floor wardens to clear the building and allow us back in when the "all clear" is sounded. It always seems like such a pain and a bit of a waste of time, even though in the real one, we all want to be prepared and out the door pronto. Because we all have been through the drills many times, we have come to call those assignments and requests that come to us in the last moment or the least acceptable time and don't end up producing anything of substance, as another "fire drill". There is nothing more precious that we have at work than our time so when someone wastes it with an unnecessary request it can take us all the way to angry and make us quite resentful. Which makes it all the more important that we not waste others time either. We have many choices each day when we ask for time from others. Before each request we should evaluate to ensure that what we are asking for will make a difference, yield a needed result, and most importantly, be the best use of the other person's time. No one like a fire drill exercise. All that said, the real evacuation and fire drills are to keep all of us on our toes and for us to be alert at all times so that we can be ready and prepared if there is an emergency. This is not a bad lesson in life as well. There are certain dangers in life, both literally and figuratively that we must always be ready for and prepared to avoid. Mark tells us in his gospel that we must always, "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you." Certainly at work we are faced daily with temptations that don't show up in other parts of our lives and we compartmentalize them because they are on the job, away from home, and away from others who know us. The danger is there that we will begin to live two lives...one who we are at work and the other who we are away from the job. God tells us how to avoid this by staying alert in prayer. Mark's words go on to say that we need to do this because, "For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak". Today, you will face temptations on the job. These temptations are personal to you. Think of them as the needed fire drill, not the time wasting ones, to keep you on your toes and alert. Use these "fire drills" as productive outcomes to remove those lingering temptations before the real emergency hits. Not far from your office, down the hall or around the corner, is a red box with a handle on it. When the emergency comes that is where you go to sound the alarm. When you see the red box today, stop and say a prayer to God to keep you alert spiritually too and cognizant of the temptations that you face and to help you overcome each and everyone of them today. This is a "fire drill" that is actually productive and good to have every day.

Reference: Mark 14:38 (New Living Testament)

day 216: Riding In The Golf Cart

I had a very interesting conversation with a business colleague the other day who when we were discussing how best to get things done at work, he said that if you really want to influence the boss and be an impact at work, it is not about getting to the Board Room, it is really about getting to ride in the golf cart with the boss. As I listened to him talk, I realized how true this statement can be. The golf cart can be taken literally or figuratively. For some bosses, literally the golf course and the golf cart is where things get done because to get to that seat we have to be trusted, influential, liked, and at the right hand of the boss. Otherwise, we never get invited. For other bosses, they have their own "thing" outside of work that they will share with certain subordinates and not others. These times can be some of the best times in our careers, but they can also be times of creating animosity with others on the team, etc. So, like many areas in work, something good can be something bad. Yet, the point is that to get some things accomplished, we have to be able to be close enough to our boss that she/he will allow us in the inside circle. And, when we are managers, we do the same thing to those who work for us. So, when we are in our jobs we have to understand that the relationships we build with others is really the best goal we can have in our jobs. To be close to our co-workers and allow them to be close to us can be very powerful. God also wants us to be close to Him and He invites us into His "golf cart" each and every day. We read in Psalm 145:18: "The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth." We can not only in our jobs model the way we are supposed to manage our relationships, but we can also, more importantly, ensure that we are allowing ourselves to accept God's constant open invitation to join Him in His inner circle just by calling on Him. Today, think about the areas in your job that you could use that extra support and confidence. God is waiting for you to call on Him. When you do, he will be there, as close as you could ever imagine.

Reference: Psalm 145:18 (New Living Testament)

day 215: Accounting Standards

In business there is a standard for accounting. It is called GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices). The standard has a set of principles that must be used in order for the accounting to have lived up to GAAP. Those principles are: regularity, consistency, sincerity, permanence of methods, non-compensation, prudence, continuity, periodicity, and full disclosure/materiality. These all appear to be very sound principles and it would seem that if you followed each of these that there would not be any reasons for any irregularity, corruption or malfeasance. Yet, what happens is that financial professionals tend to want it "interpret" the rules and then make decisions from those interpretations. I worked with a CFO once who was by the book when it came to accounting and reporting. He would never risk crossing any lines as it related to GAAP. But, when it came to how we paid our bills he would stretch out and stretch out payments until the those who were owed the money would have had to call, email, write, etc. before they would get paid what was due to them. He and I would discuss this often and it was his principle that we should never pay on anyone's terms other than our own; which in his mind was not until the last second before we were going to get sued. For me, I always thought that this crossed an unspoken line of "decency" and respect for others. We finally compromised and paid on terms that were acceptable to both of us, but not without lots of debate and tough conversations that finally got us to agreement. What is so great for us as believers is that God has not only paid up for all of our sins but that he continues to invest in us going forward. We read in 2 Corinthians 1:22; "And he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us." What a great accounting and payment system that God has for us when we know that his first installment is the power of the Holy Spirit. Today as you go to work and you look at the invoices to be paid, think of what God has paid up for you and be reminded of how He continues to make installments, long before you ask for them, long before you are worthy of receiving them. God's accounting standards say that He has made all the payments up front for all of us and they are now just waiting for our receiving. All we have to do; just open up the accounts of our lives to Him.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 1:22 (New Living Testament)

day 214: Name Tags

When I was in high school working in a restaurant, the joke was that if we were still in a job where we were wearing name tags by the time we were 30 years old, we were in real trouble. That was back when we didn't know any better and we worried that we would end up spending the rest of our working days completing the line, "would you like to have fries with that?" I remember being just over 30 years old and wearing my Pizza Hut name tag with pride as I would go visit restaurants across America as one of Pizza Hut's executives. As I would put on my name tag, I chuckled at the thought from my adolescence. Even today when I attend some of the best functions and meetings of Boards, etc. we have our name tags that we wear. I don't think twice about it anymore because a name tag is so helpful. I worked with a CEO who was not good with names and I wished for him that we all had to wear name tags or visible badges. He would stand in the elevator with the same people that he did each day and everyone knew him but he didn't know their names. What was lost on him was the power of knowing someone's name and calling them out when he saw them. The pride that wells up inside someone when a CEO or a manager, really anyone within the company, knows them by their name is a pride and feeling of recognition that goes far and is long lasting. We go through the motions so often with each other in the workplace that we sometimes forget that the basics like calling someone by their name is important. I am guilty of not doing it too, but I have tried over the years to get better at that moment when I don't know someone's name. No matter how many times they have told me, I try and say, "remind me of your name so that I can remember it." Yes, even when it is embarrassing to have to do it more than once, it is still better than pretending that you know when you don't. It's a small but powerful lesson that can be transferred from what God does for us. We are told in a number of Bible verses that he knows us by name and counts even every hair on our head. In 2 Corinthians 1:22 Paul tells us that God not only knows us, but singles us out for Himself; "And he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us." As we go to work today we can go to the office knowing that God not only knows each of us personally he also knows a true name that He has given us as He sends his Holy Spirit into each of us as His constant reminder. And as we go through this day, perhaps in how we treat each other and how we make personal contact with our co-workers, they might see a name tag that we wear that has the best name of all written on it. Nothing could be better than to have someone look at each of us and then have their eyes deflect down over our heart and then look back up at us knowing that they have seen Jesus. Today, not only think about the names of others but also think about the name tag that you wear to work.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 1:22 (New Living Testament)

day 213: Persuasive Presentations

We all have had to give a persuasive presentation at some point in our work lives. Even if the only one that was required was the time in an interview when you had to sell yourself to someone else, it had to be persuasive. For others, the boardroom is a place where persuasive presentations take place all day long. The room is full of doubters, supporters and those sitting on the fence. In walks the young salesperson who has the big idea on how to increase revenues for the quarter. The salesperson has a presentation deck ready to go and with the launch into the presentation the supporters start to take their rallying positions, the doubters are looking for the flaws and the fence-sitters are watching the room and trying to determine which way the momentum will swing. As the presentation comes to a close the doubters spring forward first; peppering the presenter with one question after another seeing if composure can be broken and if true persistence and commitment is present. The supports wait. They hold back so that at the moment of lull they can shift the tide and bring the presenters boat back up swiftly. And then moment comes when the fencer-sitters start to show their colors and one by one they declare their position. In a matter of minutes a battle has been won or lost all on the persuasiveness, or lack thereof, of the presenter. This is how business gets done. If you are not persuasive and influential in your presentations, then the position is lost. Learning how to be persuasive, how to deliver strong and compelling presentations, and having an arsenal of influence skills are key to success in business. As believers we also have to be resolute in our faith, but we don't have to worry about being persuasive and influential with God. In fact, He doesn't pay any attention at all to those skills from us. He wants the opposite. He looks for us to deny ourselves of these when we come to Him and instead allow Him to flow over and wash over us as we stand by and let it happen with joy and acceptance. What is common about how we approach God and how we approach the boardroom, is that with each we must enter without wavering. We see this in Hebrews 10:22-25: "Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him...Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise." Today, you may have to give a persuasive presentation and win over a bunch of people at work. You should not be afraid to ask God to go into that presentation with you and bring forth His power to help you through that presentation. But, as you enter into that moment with Him know that you can do so with a trusting heart, full sincerity, and the hope that is pure. For God always comes through for us and no matter what we have to present to Him it is like presenting to a room of supporters when we can't even finish the presentation before someone says, "we get it, you've convinced us and we believe in you". It is that feeling of support that God wants us to allow Him to settle down inside of us today. Let His loving persuasiveness persuade you today!

Reference: Hebrews 10:22-25 (New Living Testament)

day 212: Clock Builders

One of the best business books of our time is "Built to Last" by Collins and Porras. In their book they detail a number of ways that we can be better managers and co-workers. One of the lessons that has stuck with me over the years has been the lesson of the difference between being a time-teller and a clock-builder. A time-teller is someone who needs to have everyone come to them for all information, details, direction and knowledge. This makes them feel important and needed. But, what we find over time, is that these people become bottle-necks and obstacles to others growing and getting better. At some point these people get moved aside because they slow the operation beyond acceptance and no one wants to work for them any longer. Instead of being a time-teller, what Collins and Porras say we should be are clock-builders. These are people who have the confidence in themselves to let loose of having to have people come to them for "what time it is" and information, but instead they build clocks for others to use and then they teach them how to use them. Everyone benefits and learns and the clock-builders see their influence and capacity expand. Part of why I find this metaphor so compelling and thought-provoking is that there is nothing more precious and personal than our time. If you want to really provoke negativity, just have your time wasted or waste the time of someone else. We all are given the same amount of time in a day and we are expected to make the most of our time to deliver our purpose within our work and our jobs. If we ourselves cannot manage our time well then we cannot expect to make the most of the time we have. David prays the prayer of time management in Psalm 90:12: "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom". Each day our clocks are counting down towards an end moment and we must make the most of each and every day that we have been given. Today, at work, there will be many opportunities to make the most of your time, waste your time, and/or do the same for others. As you approach this day, see if today can be a day where we pray the prayer of David and we find in our own way, the way to be a clock-builder so that we can be there for others and have all the time we need to focus on our purpose becoming the center of our jobs.

Reference: Psalm 90:12 (New Living Testament)

day 211: Right Moves?

I get a chance to meet lots of people and hear their work and career stories. One aspect of the stories that I always find interesting and intriguing are the tales and decisions on why someone would relocate for one job over another. There is a new best-seller out right now written just on this subject, titled "Reloville". I myself have moved nine times for work relocations. I have a friend who has moved 21 times in his career (nearly half of those with a wife and kids). Each time we move, we start all over with a new set of friends, new community and services, new church, new house, new schools, just about everything new. And each time, there is some moment along the way when there is a time of doubt about whether or not it was the right move. Like any big decision, there comes that time when you wonder, "did I make the right move?" Big changes like relocations require much thought, consideration, discussion and prayer. There are so many moving pieces that it takes the time of weeks and months to settle and to know for sure that the right decision was reached. In the case of my last move it was not until around the two year mark that my wife and I became settled and happy with the move. Even though the job was good, the social life and development of friends and activities were slow to develop. All decisions are made with the best available information and knowledge and when all of that had been gained, we take a leap. If we are believers and we have asked God to help direct and bless our decision, then the leap is a leap of faith and we trust that God will make it all work out for us. I reflect on the faith of the Biblical forefathers and thank God that we are not required to be literally like some of them in their moments of decision. We take before God our decisions like relocation. Abraham had to take before God the decision to follow what he heard from God and sacrifice his son Isaac. It is in James that we are reminded that Abraham was seen as right with God because of his unwavering faith. James 2:21-22 say: "Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did - by his actions." God has all the right moves for us. Sometimes it will be big moves, like a work relocation. Other times it will be smaller decisions and actions that we are to take. Regardless, He gives us the right moves if we turn them over to Him. Today, you may be facing both big and small moves. You want them to be the right ones and the only guarantee that you can have is if you have invited God to be a part of the decision-making and ultimately to be the decision-giver. Let your faith be tested today and let God be the one who moves you in the right direction.

Reference: James 2:21-22 (New Living Testament)