day 252: An Anniversary Date

Today's Purposed worKING is a special and different kind of post, for today marks the completion of one full year of Purposed worKING. Those of you who have been with Purposed worKING from the beginning will remember that I started this blog on October 1, 2008 after having read the Bible all the way through in 2004, 2006 and 2008, each time annotating verses for how they related to the every day, real work that we do in our jobs. The Bible is so full of life instructions and we each, at some point in our lives, share the experience of this thing called work, so why not try and bring them together? It has been my privilege to serve each of you for this past year in doing my best to bring something thoughtful and useful to you each working day. Since about April of this year I have been debating, discussing and praying about what to do on October first, tomorrow. Do I complete the year and stop or do I continue? As I continue to contemplate and pray about what should come next with all of the posts already written and those to come, I have decided to continue on and see where this all leads. I want to thank each of you who have encouraged me throughout the year. I pray that whatever has been meaningful to each of you sticks and that there will be more that can be put to work for you. As I reflect on this last year of my work here, I am reminded that our God is one who does much from nothing. 1 Corinthians 1:26 says God makes His choice from; "...things counted nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important." Like most of us, we start our careers with nothing but who we are. God can do so much with nothing and with the things that we consider in our society least important. I have learned much this past year and I hope that each of you have as well. Let us each remember today that it is in the nothings and the leasts that God can do the most. Both are around us and in us so we just need to allow God to do what He wants; His work!

Reference: 1 Corinthians 1:26 (New Living Testament)

day 251: Patterns

Within Purposed worKING, we have discussed before the importance of routines and predictability and how these can affect others and the perceptions of each of us as we try to live and work with purpose. Patterns are all around us and we work within these patterns each day. I think about one pattern that we each likely count on each and every day. Each time we power up the computer in front of us, we depend on those who have created the operating system to provide a predictable and consistent experience so that the machine powers up in a way that every program, process and application starts the same way each time. Yet, as humans, we are so unpredictable. We start the day, work throughout the day, and end the day in ways that are different, or close to different throughout the days of the week. And then we wonder why those around us become curious, and sometimes frustrated, that they can't count on us to be the same with each of them so that they can know when to expect or or predict with some certainty what we will do next. Why is this so important? Most of us operate at our best when are we within environments that are comfortable and expected. We get anxious, tense, and worried when the ground beneath us is unstable. We also all live our lives in a busy time where daily there is more on our plate than we can handle, so we need to be able to look out in front of us to plan and anticipate what is next. I was struck by a verse that I read recently in the book of Mark. In Chapter 6 of Mark we hear of story of how Jesus was received and treated in his hometown. But the verse I found most interesting was the 6th verse of Chapter 6 when Jesus was leaving and Mark writes of Jesus departing to go teach from village to village. The New Kings James Version says; "Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching." He didn't go randomly. He went on a circuit, which would mean that those who saw Him teach before, or who missed Him on His last visit, could expect to see Him again and again. As people began to get to to know Jesus He allowed them to do so in a way that they could predict when and where He would be next. With this pattern had to have come some level of comfort in the knowledge that He would return to be with them again. As we think about today and the pattern that we use in our work, are we creating a circuit or a routine that others can expect from us? Are we being predictable in the responses and the outcomes of how they approach us? Have we begun this day in our own pattern of time with Him before we start the day with others? Today would be a good day to reevaluate our patterns to be sure that we are doing all we can to be accessible and comforting to those around us. If our patterns are not the ones we like, then there is no better today than today to start making changes.

Reference: Mark 6:6 (New King James Version)

day 250: Quality Control

Whatever business you are in, at some point there is a discussion about quality. This can be quality of the product or quality of the delivery of service. Quality is for many companies the number one priority. Ford Motor Company's advertising campaign in the late 1980's and early 1990's was built around the theme of quality with; "Quality is Job One!". We expect quality from products that we buy. We expect quality of service when we engage with a company for services rendered. When we receive quality workmanship or service we equate that to the price paid and if the quality is greater than the price then we feel like we have received a value. But when quality suffers everything suffers. That is why many a CEO and senior management team will go to any extreme to improve quality and ensure that it is one area that they can rest upon firmly. It is very interesting how the consultants who work in the quality area discuss the issue. As they dissect the problem many times what they find is that it is not a major breakdown in process, commitment, or orientation, but rather somewhere in the manufacturing process or in the service delivery standards there is a minor infraction that pollutes the entire process and renders it impossible to have perfection. Many hours and many consulting dollars are spent annually in the search for the tiniest of issues to be identified and rectified. Our lives are much the same. Especially at work. It's a small proportion of the population that have huge gaping holes in their character or their personality. But there are many, myself included, who have many small areas in our lives that need to be changed, improved, or removed in order to be the type of person we want to be. These small infractions and imperfections can be the ones that ruin the whole batch of our being. Our job, as believers, is like the quality control inspectors, to continuously be identifying areas for improvement and then change the standard operating procedures to ensure that these areas are mitigated. This is what God asks us to do in 1 Thessalonians 4:7; "God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives." God calls us to inspect for the imperfections and then do whatever we have to do to remove those impurities. Today as you think about how you work and live, are there impurities in your life that you just keep bringing to work every day? Is it a choice of language that you use at work, is it how you treat others around you, is it the feelings that you have towards others or your attitude in general that is getting in the way of your personal quality improvement? Is there one thing you could begin changing today that when you did your own quality of person assessment, you would say needs to change? Today would be the day to make that change. Like the garment tags we get with new clothing, what better piece of paper to have in our pocket today than, "This child of God was inspected and approved by the Holy Spirit" That is true quality control.

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:7 (New Living Testament)

day 249: College Recruiting

This is the time of the year when companies start to gear up for their college recruiting. Company recruiters start scheduling their fall on-campus visits and lining up those in the company who are going to travel to conduct the first interviews and make the night before interview company presentation. The best people to take these trips are alumni of the university or college where the recruiting is going to happen. When an alumnus can be matched up with his/her alma mater two good things happen. First, the students have the opportunity to meet someone who they can project being just like them. When a student sees and hears the story of someone succeeding who started in the same place that they are now, it says to them that this is a company where they can also succeed. Secondly, it does wonders for the alum who travels back, tells her/his story, remembers when she/he walked in the shoes of the students being met, and gets to brag a little about the company and their own career. It's hard to not feel good about going back to your alma mater and being there to help students move to the next positive step in their lives. Those who get a chance to recruit off of their own college campus usually come back from those trips energized and hopeful about the future. Getting back to where we started from can do that to us. When we are able to walk the paths we once traveled and recognize how far we have come, it makes us appreciate the instruction and learning that we received and I believe, it can reorient and reground us if we have strayed away from the path we we are supposed to be pursuing. I think back on the lessons learned from my youth and the lessons taught to me that I have remembered and the ones I ignored (and shouldn't have) and it makes me reflect on how important it is to take in and receive the advice and instructions that is there for us if we choose to accept it. We learn in Proverbs 19:20: "Get all the advice and instruction you can, and be wise the rest of your life." Sometimes it is good to reflect on the lessons taught to us long ago and reapply those in our lives today. As we go about our work today, let's think back on the the lessons taught to us from wherever we "started from" and check in with ourselves to where we are still firmly rooted and where we have drifted. Giving it the "old college try" may be what you need to do today to get over something that has been holding you back or dragging you down.

Reference: Proverbs 19:20 (New Living Testament)

day 248: Moving Walkways

Anyone who travels as a part of their job is consciously or subliminally aware of this statement: "Caution, the moving walkway is about to end...look down the moving walkway is about to end". Yesterday as I traveled from SFO to Denver to Indianapolis, I heard that statement at least ten times. This past summer after the death of my father-in-law I began to hear those words with a different meaning. As he was like all of us, a worker, his moving walkway ended sooner than he desired. In is mind, there was still work to be completed, to be finished the way he saw it to be done. He was not ready to end his work. But, as we know, when the moving walkway ends for each of us is not in our hands. I have also seen over the last year many people who have had their work end prematurely and like that stutter step and strange feeling you have after walking briskly on the moving walkway and then coming to the end and getting the feeling that you have lost a step, so felt those who had their jobs taken from them with recessionary cutbacks. Caution, the moving walkway is about to come to an end. We just don't know when and are we prepared for these changes when they happen to us or those around us? On my flight segment from San Francisco to Denver I sat next to a man who appeared to be in early 60's. Halfway through the flight he pulled out a folder and the first page was a set of handwritten notes with the heading; "Questions for the doctor". As I glanced at the page I could see that these were questions that he or someone else had written so he would be sure and ask each of them to the doctor. They covered pre and post surgery routines, medication reactions, etc. Written was also, "Percentage chance of success with or without the surgery?". As I saw through the rest of the flight he had pulled off a lot of information on the internet and while I could not figure out what the condition was, from the pictures of people with scars on the back of their head down into their spine it had something to do with a spine or brain problem. I felt for the man as he was, right next to me, staring at his moving walkway and by necessity, having to look down and take caution. Today we are going to go to work and most of us will not think twice about the moving walkway coming to an end. We will jump on it with all of the energy we can muster and walk and run as fast as we can for the next eight to twelve hours without so much as looking up or around. We will miss all the people who are walking slower than us blowing past them with an occasional, "how you doin'?". What we forget is to live and work in the moment and listen to the words in Ecclesiastes 7:14: "Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize they both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life." If you are traveling today, or the next time you are traveling, listen for the automated words from the moving walkway and take that opportunity to stop for a moment and thank God for the blessings, the challenges, and the moment that you have now. Ask Him to make you a better example to others and to help you realize your full potential and purpose that He has put you here. And then recognize that your own moving walkway will one day end and that today is the day to make the most of what you have been given.

Reference: Ecclesiastes 7:14 (New Living Testament)

day 247: Procurement

We've come a long way since the days of just going out and buying what we need for work and then turning in the receipts for reimbursement. Today there are people who are educated and trained to make purchasing decisions to bring about the highest quality items and services at the lowest cost. These are people who are skilled at negotiations and who you want with you when you "go shopping" for any materials or services. In my career, I have watched procurement pros shave significant percentage points and dollars off of cost without giving away anything in the way of quality or service delivery. One common trait is that they have no fear. They are not afraid of asking for what the rest of us would be embarrassed to request. What we think is an outlandish and impossible to achieve request, they see as routine and ordinary. And they never feel bad about being told no. In fact, for most procurement and purchasing people, when we hear no, they hear maybe. Then, they keep at it. I wish I had this gene. I don't. I know I leave money on the table in the quest for a good relationship. But, I have also become smart enough over the years that I now don't go negotiate without a pro with me. And I am not afraid to turn it over to her/him to finish the negotiations when I have gone as far as I can go. There is one place in my life though that I know that I don't have to negotiate and that whatever I ask is available. But, I still must have not only the courage, but more importantly, the faith to make the ask. This area is within how I think, ask and request God to assist, support and take over. 2 Corinthians 9:8 is very clear that the supplies and services from heaven are never limited or negotiation burdened; "And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." Today, think about the areas in your life that you have been negotiating with God as if He expects a good deal in return. He does not have any of those expectations. He already gave us the deal of a life(time) and all He wants us to do is accept the terms and get to work for Him. He gave up so much that there is no way we could ever even out the score, so He doesn't want us to even feel that we could. What a great thing to know today, that God wants to give...give...give...and he is looking for us to take...take...take. No matter how good your Chief Procurement Officer is, s/he will never bring you that kind of deal!

Reference: 2 Corinthians 9:8 (New Living Testament)

day 246: New Campaigns

With every new marketing executive hire comes a new idea and most likely a new marketing campaign. Any new marketing campaign brings lots of costs and changes throughout the whole company or organization. The costs go up significantly when the brand, or the logo of the company, is changed. Then every piece of stationary, every building sign, every truck painting, every product package, every business card, everything must change. It's always a huge decision that many people in the company have to buy into and agree upon. But, it is always driven by one person who is most often the most senior Marketing executive. She or he believes wholeheartedly that the change will be substantive, important and long-lasting. From there the entire organization rallies around the change and go about spreading the word with advertising on TV, billboards, print, etc. and most importantly through word-of-mouth. The new campaign is a total overhaul and make-over. The great thing about us as believers is that we can receive our own overhaul and makeover and we don't have to be a Chief Marketing Officer or sell it to a lot of other people to make it happen. All we need to do is make our own decision. Yes, we have to be willing to bear the cost of giving up those areas of our lives that are of the old and don't support the new. Paul tells us that this new and eternal campaign comes with our simple acceptance of Christ; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" As you work today, can others around you see the new you or are they still seeing the vestiges of the old brand, the old logo, the old personality? Each day, in each work situation where it is that the old that wants to come through, we must hold to our new approach to life, the one we are living through Christ. Just like after the new marketing campaign has taken hold, we can't just reach into the desk and pull out our old business cards and start passing them around. Once the new is here, the old must go. Can you say today that you have given up all of the old and are totally on board with your new you?

Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Testament)

day 245: Psst...No Traffic Jams This Way

If you commute to work, which most of us do, then you likely check in on the traffic patterns on your way to work. Seems like most cities from mid-sized to mega metropolises have at least one radio channel and one television station that gives us the traffic reports every eight to ten minutes. Even the Weather Channel now gives traffic updates. I don't know anyone who likes a traffic jam. And if someone does tell me that they don't mind traffic because it gives them time to think, listen to music or an audio book, well, I question their thinking, because I know that given the choice, they would prefer clear sailing back and forth to work. And you can almost tell from their body language and attitude who had a bad morning commute. The aversion to traffic can be so bad that we will go well out of our way, sometimes many miles, to not have to sit still and be at the mercy of others in front of us. I find this understandable because I do it too. I make sure that the first radio station I tune to when I get in my car is KCBS with weather and traffic every ten minutes on the eights. I find all of this curious though, that we will go to great lengths to save time on our commutes but once we are at work, we miss the opportunity to travel the one mile that never has any traffic jams...that being the extra mile. If you want to get more done than you ever imagined, then just follow what can be learned in Matthew 5:41. When we decide to do more than what is asked of us and then we do so, it is likely that we won't bump into too many others who are there with us. And, we know from experience that we are given more, the more we do and the more we do beyond the expectations put in front of us. Have you gone the extra mile lately? Have you traveled that way to see that there are no traffic jams and very little traffic? Today would be a good day to go out for a test drive and check it out. Remember, others are watching the example by which we live and work. If we choose to take the extra mile, others will follow. That doesn't mean that you will be creating traffic for yourself, it is just creating good company for everyone!

Reference: Matthew 5:41 (New Living Testament)

day 244: Bring Your Dog To Work Day...

Yes, there is a national "Bring Your Dog To Work Day" that happens each summer. This is a day, that if an employer chooses to honor, employees can bring their dog to work with them. I would assume that for most people, if they have a dog like mine, it is not a day of great productivity. I am always amazed at the people who have dogs who are so well trained that they can take them to work and the dogs basically sit in the corner or under the desk and you would never know they were there. It's always a big debate as to whether or not allowing people to bring their dogs to work is a good idea or not. I think it is a pretty cool thing, but for sure it takes maturity to know when your dog behaves well enough to be at work with you, or not. I would guess that most dogs would be better left at home. This past weekend, I taught a lesson at my church's Children Sunday School regarding how God wants us to fellowship with Him. I used my French Bulldog, Louie, as a metaphor. French Bulldogs are bred to be lap dogs. All he wants to do, all day long, is lay in my lap and cuddle up. The metaphor of Jesus always inviting us to cuddle up in his lap, to me, is strong imagery for the kind of relationship we can have with God if we choose. If I brought Louie to work with me, all he would want to do is sit on my lap in every meeting and while I was doing email, etc. I ran across a verse that tells me that God is after us to be as well-behaved and "trained" as man's best friends. I think of what it takes for my dog Louie to sit and stay and it makes me think how hard it is for God to get me to do the same. To get Louie to sit and stay, he must submit his will to me and wait until I release him. God does the same with us. See what it says in 1 Peter 5:6; "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor." God gives us free-will to either submit or not, but in many ways, we are not that different than our pets. We have to decide within ourselves if we can humble ourselves under the power of another, in our case, our God. And do we see the reward as worth the submission? In our case, it is God saying that at the right time, it will be a lift up from him in honor. Rather than a bring your dog to work day, let's make it bring God to work day! Let's think today that we have our Master with us and He is asking us to sit and stay within His presence. Can we submit to our Master and allow ourselves to wait on Him to lift us up? If we can, we can expect that everyday can be a day of being lifted up into the lap of God and what better place is there than that?

Reference: 1 Peter 5:6 (New Living Testament)

day 243: Morning Meetings

Morning Meetings. You either love 'em or hate 'em. And it is obvious to all what side each of are on. For some, the morning meeting is the best time of the day. They come to the meeting having already been up, exercised and caffeinated. For others, it is lucky if they get there on time and when they are there, they are so lethargic that you wonder if it would have been better to have just let them stay at home and sleep. Regardless, the establishment of a morning meeting is all about who is the boss and what circadian rhythm drives their waking and sleeping pattern. I am a morning guy. I like to say I would have been a good farmer; "Up with the sun, down with the sun". My best time is the morning and so I was a driver of starting the day and the week off with a morning meeting. To me, starting the day off knowing what is on the docket, being able to think ahead and potentially be one step in front of the incoming emails and phone calls, and organizing myself in the quiet before the hustle and the bustle around me, is an advantage. Those who stumble in at the last minute, rush into the first meeting with a half-spilled cup of coffee in their hand trying to catch up on their Blackberry in the first meeting of the day, miss a step that they spend the first half of the day trying to regain. Of course the argument is made by these people that late at night they are the ones sending the emails that make the morning people have to be in early to take care of and respond. There is some truth in that. But, for me, nothing replaces the morning for a time of solitude, reflection and readiness. David talks about how he used his mornings in Psalm 5:3. "Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." David had it right. His first meeting of the day was with his Lord to bring forth his requests and then to leave time...I suspect throughout the whole day...to wait expectantly. Whether you are a morning or evening person, the pattern that David describes to us is the right one. We are to bring our requests to God daily and then wait expectantly for His answers. Today, there is something at work that is troubling you and has you thinking deeply about how best to solve the problem. Try this morning bringing that issue in front of God as a request for Him to come with you to work today to help you solve it, once and for all. And then wait, as David says, "expectantly" on Him. Time with God each morning is the best morning meeting!

Reference: Psalm 5:3 (New Living Testament)

day 242: Sharing Plans?

Businesses run on budgets. Budgets are established on a periodic basis to ensure that each department or business unit earns and spends against targets, forecasts, and ultimately expectations. Seldom does one ever say that they have been afforded a larger spending budget than what was assigned. Just the same, seldom do business units sign up for larger revenue targets than the expectations that are given to them. In many ways, both ends of limits are being tested and if either of them is not aggressive enough, then we end up with expectations, and no more, being achieved. This is not all bad, but it does beg the question as to what has to be done to allow for parts of an organization to stretch themselves and achieve perhaps above and beyond even what they think is capable? What if we worked in organizations where we could actually self-manage our budgets so that when we felt like another department or business unit was more worthy of the dollars, that we could voluntarily shift our dollars over to them and share in their success? If you are a financial person reading this, you probably are already ready to close the page as you know this is just outlandish thinking. No one gives up their budgets! Why would they? What if this level of sharing is what we are supposed to be doing? What if we are to be so sensitive to the needs of others that we are to give to those who need it more than we do, and then we are to sit back and wait as we know that goodwill and giving will come back to us? While Paul was not speaking to a company, he was speaking to an organization of people when he said; " Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal." Later, things will become equal, he says. That is the message that I hear in this verse. Yes, we are to give. Yes we are to put others ahead of ourselves. Yes we are to not be greedy, but also yes, we are to find equality in what we do. And there is no better way to find equality than sharing a budget, or sharing the giving towards those who need it and replacing our own wants with the needs of others. The principle, for me, far outweighs the literal meaning. God is calling us to watch out for the those who have less. He is asking us to sacrifice when we can for others. He is promising that in the end it will all equal out. What great messages for us to hear in one tiny verse. Today, as you think about where you can share, where you can ensure that you are doing your part to further equality, think about why you are doing this and give God the praise for being a God who wants to see all succeed! For in your times of need and trouble, He will ensure that there is someone who is more fortunate who will provide some sharing of their plan towards you.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:14 (New Living Testament)

day 241: A Fool's Load

We've all seen a fool's load and we have likely heard the sound of the result. I first heard the term from the restaurant industry and it has stuck with me. A fool's load is when we try and stack and carry too much in our arms and we think we "have it" but when we lose the balance, miss the step, bump the corner, glance away, brush into another person, well we all know what happens. Down crashes the load and all that is left is us, standing there, looking foolish. Thus, the fool's load. Many times in my career I have sat with people who are carrying a fool's load at work. I have been guilty of such many times as well. We all do it at some point. We continue to say yes and take on more until one day we crash, or nearly crash, and we realize that we have too much on our plates and we forgot to say no or set priorities and boundaries. Somewhere in here is our human nature to continue to burden ourselves with more responsibilities, activities, events, and commitments until we find ourselves overwhelmed, defocused, and struggling to lighten the load that we have created for ourselves. My wife used to blame my companies for asking me to do too much until we finally had the discussion that she could not blame anyone but me, as it was only me that allowed this to happen to myself. Bosses and companies shouldn't be the culprits. Only the person in the mirror should be the one to have to face up to the problem. Undoubtedly, many of us are in this situation right now. For a myriad of reasons we have too much of a load right now and are worried that it will all come crashing down at any moment. Now is the time, before the trip and fall, to begin to lighten that load and set down some of the areas that are being carried. David tells us what to do in Psalm 55:22; "Give your burden to the Lord and he will take care of you." Today, as you look through the long list that you have in front of you, filled with the big and little things to be completed, take a hard inventory of what loads you have taken on that need to be set aside for now. Ask yourself, "Am I carrying a fool's load?" Pray to God to have Him help you reveal this to you and then listen hard. From there, begin to shed off the areas that are not priorities, or the nice-to-do's that have somehow become a part of the burden. If you allow Him, He will show you what to let go of and He will lighten the load. God does not want us to carry the fool's load. He didn't put us here to watch us crash and fall. He desires to lighten the load, and will do so if we will only have the faith to allow Him to do so.

Reference: Psalm 55:22 (New Living Testament)

day 240: No Fear

As I sat in church yesterday listening to my Pastor as he spoke about the storms that we each must face in our lives, he flashed up on the overhead screen 2 Timothy 1:7 which says: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." As I drove home thinking about fear and what it does to each of us in our jobs, it became reassuring to me that we can know that fear is not from God, as the verse above tells us that God has not given us this emotion. Fear is a real emotion in our jobs, although no one ever really talks about it. It starts with a general insecurity and fear of our job performance and job loss. Long ago, the contract and assurances of lifetime employment was broken. Since then, we all fear at one point or another that supply and demand will take over and the greater supply of talent than demand will catch up with us and we will "be out". The newspapers will be full this week of stories of those in the financial industry who just over a year ago were on top of the world and today find themselves unemployed or employed well below their expectations and former career pinnacle positions. Our job insecurities are fears. We also fear how others will perceive our work and the reactions to the positions and stands that we take. Many drives into the office in the morning are filled with butterflies in our stomach. The problem with living in fear is that we then fall into the timidness that Timothy also describes. Being timid then leads us to stand still and miss opportunities, or worse yet to fail to take the stands that we know we should. So, that is why Timothy's verse can make such a huge difference in how we go to work this week. Imagine that we could really, truly, replace the feeling of fear with power. Add on love and self-discipline and you have the whole package. Today, as you start the work week, think about the areas, issues, people where you get that feeling of fear inside of you and pray this week to have fear replaced with the power that can come from God being taken to work with you!

Reference: 2 Timothy 1:7 (New Living Testament)

day 239: Ground Zero

Eight years ago today on this day, I know exactly where I was. At 8:15AM I boarded a United flight at JFK to fly home to San Francisco. A little over an hour later I was in Indianapolis trying to make sense of the news that the pilot was giving us while we sat on the tarmac. Something about planes having crashed into the World Trade Center. When I reached my wife on the phone, she was hysterical as the prior 45 minutes she did not know if the plane I was on was one of the planes that had been hijacked or not. Needless to say, it was an emotional moment for us. Throughout that fateful week as I stayed with a college friend and his family in Indianapolis, who took me in like the stranded traveler that I was, we learned much about what had happened on Tuesday 9/11. I also learned that the flight that I had checked the night before with my assistant, and had talked about changing to to fly home, flight #93 out of Newark completed its journey in the fields of Pennsylvania. As we say sometimes way too glibly, "there but by the grace of God...". It was on this day that we began to use the phrase "Ground Zero". It now means only one thing to an American. On 9/11/2001 too many people never came home from a normal day at work in the World Trade Center Towers. It was also on that day that many people, because of the loss that they felt around them; loss of the lives of people they knew or didn't but who they identified with, or loss of stability and security, looked to God for a foundation where they could find firm footing. It is in the time of loss, insecurity and desperation that many times we turn back to the only one who can give us the firm foundation that we need. As we read in Luke 6:48, we need to build our lives on a foundation of rock. "It is like the person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock". In times of trouble, in times of loss, in times of unforeseen calamity, it is Jesus who is our foundation. It is Jesus who we must return to as the true "ground zero" in our lives.

May today we remember those who were just going to work on Tuesday September 11th, 2001 and didn't come home. May we pray right now for their families and loved ones who still feel that loss and that they may they find the true ground zero in their lives.

Reference: Luke 6:48

day 238: Silence Is Golden

Have you ever noticed how more finger pointing happens at work than maybe any other place other than an elementary playground. All day long, work conversations are filled with; "She didn't do it right", "He never got around to it", "He really dropped the ball on this one", "She didn't know what she was doing", yada, yada, yada. All day long the fingers come out and point and accusations are leveled against people. And, we all buy into it because it is such a normal course of action. It doesn't seem at all out of the ordinary to talk about someone when they are out of the room. I was recently in a Board meeting where you would have thought that every problem ever known to the organization was because of the performance of a recently departed executive. Some of it was true, but the rest was like when the CFO says we are going to need to take a financial charge this quarter, are there any other things we should be writing down or off? All of a sudden the spending that was the big idea last year, comes out of the woodwork to be written down or off as a failed expenditure, etc. And because, it's okay to take a write-off, we just lump it all in as fast as we can. That is what we end up doing with people as we pile-on and make accusations. It becomes natural to just fuel the fire. One day though those accusations come back to us and we are the ones who have to answer to others. How to handle those accusations is critical. I have watched too many people lose step in their careers, or throw away their careers because they don't realize that most of these accusations and words are meaningless in the bigger picture and to let them take us at of our game, or off our purpose, is exactly what others want, and what we must avoid. Jesus gave us the best example of this. At the moment He was being accused and persecuted, He chose to keep Himself lifted above all of it, and stay on His purpose. He did it with silence. We read in Matthew 27:12; "But when the leading priests, and other leaders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent." Jesus said nothing. He knew that their accusations against Him meant nothing in the bigger scheme of things and to have opened his mouth to argue or debate would have only been to lower Himself to their level and lose the high ground that He stood upon. The same is true with us. Today, the accusations that are so broadly thrown around in the office will come your way. The best reaction, may well be no reaction. Today, let us test the gold within silence.

Reference: Matthew 27:12 (New Living Testament)

day 237: Walking Away

Thankfully not every day on the job are we faced with situations where our values and principles are so challenged that we must make a binary decision to either capitulate or stand firm and just walk away. Because they can be few and far between, our defenses and muscles to walk away might not be as sharp and toned as they need to be. So these moments become ones that feel like they have "sneaked up" on us, or come from left-field. But, these times do come and when they do, are we really ready? I wish I could say that in my career I have a perfect record in these moments, but I can't. None of us do. However, the more we keep ourselves ready and on the watch for these, the better we will be able to handle the situation and the more conviction we can muster to make the right decision. I remember a moment where in the early days of a new job, after a long day of meetings on the road, the other senior executives I was with were going to go off into the night to a number of places that I felt like would not only compromise my own values, but also send a message to the other junior people around us, male and female, that this activity was condoned and potentially being encouraged. As I climbed into the cab to go home (along with a number of other people) the other cab with the other senior executives went the other way. At that moment, I didn't need to say anything or do anything but just walk away and not go out to make the point and take the stand. Sure, there was a few minutes of ribbing, but it was just a moment of saying, "I'm hitting the hay and heading back" and the stand was made. I could say that in that moment, I was full of prayer and spiritual strength, but that would not be true. In that moment, I was just making the choice of what is right and wrong and having the conviction to walk away. Like I said before, no one is perfect all the time, so each of miss these moments and later kick ourselves for not walking away. And they are not always big moments. They can be the moment to tell the truth versus stretch or shade the truth. It could be the moment of giving the actual number versus rounding it up or down. It may be holding those words in your mouth that so desperately want to spew out in a moment of anger. Whatever it is, there are moments that we are called upon to walk away. What I have learned over the years is that God is with us in those moments whether we recognize Him or not. The story of Gideon who was so beaten down as he watched everything collapse around him until he gave up the fight hits home. But at one of Gideon's lowest moments, God said to him; "Go with the strength you have..." What an encouraging verse for us today. God is telling us that we don't need to worry about having super powers and super convictions to do the right thing and to just walk away when that is what is demanded. He says just, "Go with the strength you have". Implied is that He will take care of the rest if we allow Him to do so. Today, know that the strength you have is enough to make it through this day. Keep building that strength through your Bible study, prayer and fellowship with others and know that when you find yourself in the situation where you need to walk away, that God has given you all the the strength you need to do so.

Reference: Judges 6:14 (New Living Testament)

day 236: The Power Seat

Every conference room at work has a power seat. Power seats are the seats where the boss or the most "important" person in the room always sits. No one has to say what seat that is, it just becomes known after the first meeting in that room and from that point on this is the seat left open and reserved until the boss shows up. I have been as guilty as any manager of establishing a power seat and making it my routine to sit in the same place each time. Usually that seat is at the end of the table. However, for a dinner or gathering of many people, I was always taught that sitting in the middle of the table is the best spot because the chance to interact with others is much higher...people on your left, right, and across from you. What neither of these approaches address is the lesson of humility. What we learn through our work, societal norms, and how we are raised, does not necessarily match up with what we are taught as believers and people of faith. In fact, the lessons we are taught at work are just the opposite and cause us to struggle with our work identity and our real self. We can feel like we are living two lives and that in itself adds stress and consternation into what is already "too much". Jesus is very straightforward on the lesson of humility and he is very clear on where to find the real power seat. He says in Luke 14: 8-11; "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” There is the real power seat! Today, as you head back into meetings with your co-workers and as you walk into the meeting room think about the power seat and how you can through your actions and words bring forth a spirit of humility, cooperation and understanding of everyone on your team; recognizing those who don't normally getting recognized and passing on the accolades to others. If you do, you will find yourself sitting in the real power seat!

Reference: Luke 14:8-11 (New Living Testament)

day 235: Crossings

We all disagree on topics with other people. It is inevitable and expected. Not everyone will agree on all points and approaches to the task at hand or the long-term strategy, or who should make the presentation or sales call. Whenever there is a collection of people to make a decision there will be dissenters. Dissenting is not a bad thing but in the workplace a dissenting vote can mean more than just disagreeing and moving on. At work a disagreement with another person can be taken as a full-frontal assault, a stab at someone's competence, or to the person who is being disagreed with a lack of loyalty from their peers. Thus, at work, getting other people to agree and take your side can become a sophisticated weave of politicking. And, that happens whether we like it or not. We are taught early on to "have the room with us before making a presentation". That means that before the meeting we are to have gotten around to everyone who is going to be in attendance and be sure that they know what is going to be presented and get enough support that in the meeting itself there are no surprises and the pitch or proposal gets enough support to move forward. We are taught this politicking very young in our careers and then we spend the rest of our work life trying to master the lesson. By nature, I like to think I am more agreeable than disagreeable. I like to see others succeed so crossing paths with others is uncomfortable and sticks with me. I have lost many a night's sleep thinking about how someone else is going to feel about my disagreement and counter point of view. I worry about not only how they will feel at the time, but what will be the long-term ramifications and what I can expect back in return in the future? Where will my decision today sit me with this person and others in the future? It's a silly concern, but I tell you this, because I think it is one that we all face regularly in our jobs. And when we are put in this situation, we need to look beyond ourselves to bring us the peace to continue to stand by a decision and do what we think is right and correct for the issue at hand. After many of those sleepless nights, I finally began to turn these concerns over to God and I tried to let go of my downstream worries and stay in the moment. What I have learned is that God is there to bring us peace within the turmoil of our work. He knows what it feels like to take a counter point of view and the looks, jeers and rejections that come from holding firm and resolute. Imagine the rejection and repercussions that came for Jesus when He swept through the Temple, upending the tables of the merchants! Not only was He taking a strong stand he was certainly crossing others in their livelihood and their work. Jesus knows what we feel in our jobs. God gives us His word that He will bring us the peace we need, if we will call on him; "The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him." Today starts a three-day weekend and I suspect that there are many of us who will go into this weekend with one or more of these nagging work problems. Before you leave the office today, take a moment to sit at your desk or work-station, and ask God to give you the peace and refuge that you need to leave the disagreements, the crossings, the politics of work, at the office for the weekend. Ask Him to take the labor out of this weekend and replace the worry and concern with peace. Honor Him this long weekend for accepting that request by replacing every doubting thought with prayer of praise and thanks for being a God who comes to work with us so that we can live out His purpose!

From one of God's Laborers to another, Happy Labor Day weekend!

Reference: Nahum 1:7 (New Living Testament)

day 234: View From The Top

I once was asked to speak at a business conference called, "View From The Top". As I prepared for the session, I felt an enormous amount of pressure being that everyone who was sitting in the audience was expecting something unique and insightful because I was supposed to have some view that was different than everyone else. The view from the top is supposed to be the best view with a vantage point that no one else could have. It's an interesting metaphor but I don't think it holds up totally in business. Just because someone sits in the CEO seat doesn't mean that she/he actually has the best view or point of view. Many times the CEO can get so far away from the customer that they lose all of that perspective. The same can happen with perspective on other parts of the business. They may well know the strategy of the company better than anyone else, but that doesn't mean they have the whole view. It takes, in business, many people with many vantage points and views to put the whole picture together, each having their own view. It's kind of like the eyes of a fly...many, many, many views. Too many companies act like only the views from the top matter, but they are wrong. Each of us bring our own unique vantage point and point of view to the business and if we stand tall with our own point of views, then others will listen and take note. God tells us what the vantage point He wants us to have; "Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates." If our view is always fixed towards watching for the gates of God then our view will never be the wrong one. What we see beyond that view is all additive. At work we all want to see the biggest picture that we can because we believe that the bigger and better the view the more influence we will have in the business. If today you are worried that you don't have a view from the top or not a big enough view, then step back and be glad that God has given you a better view; a view of the top! And when it feels like you can't see what you need to see, then fall back on God and ask Him to open your eyes to what it is that you need to see and to give you a point of view that influences others around you.

Reference: Proverbs 8:34 (New Living Testament)

day 233: Form

I was out running yesterday and at mile 5 of my usual 6 mile run I found myself tiring for no apparent reason. As I tried to analyze what was going on, I realized that for the last few miles my mind had drifted and I was getting sloppy with my form and that was what was making me tired. I tried to clear my head, concentrate on my form, and return my body to the upright posture and lean forward position that I know holds me together and strong for many miles. As I did that, I could almost immediately feel myself strengthening and I went on to finish the run feeling stronger and better than I did at mile 5. What does this have to do with purposed worKING? Much, and in fact it what Purposed worKING is about. Work and our jobs try and give us a form to follow and unfortunately it is not always the form that God spells out for us in His word. Paul talks about how important it is to run the race well and finish strong. He says in 1 Corinthians 9:26; "So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step" Without the right form and concentration the run is never run well and finished strongly. Our work is a career marathon and with each day that we lose our form and get sloppy we run the risk of not finishing with the strength that God expects from us. Malcolm Gladwell recently wrote about the pitfalls of hubris (being overly proud and arrogant) and one of the things he said was that many times hubris comes from lots of experience on the job and tenure in a position. We become overly confident in ourselves and before long we become prideful and arrogant about what we can do versus others. As this happens, we, in God's eyes and others around us, lose our form. The great thing is that we can with God's help course correct ourselves, right now, today, when our form slips. It may be that today you know that you have not been the person you should be at work to others. You know that you have become prideful and defensive of your work versus others as you share less with others and look for credit from the boss. Or, it may be that you find yourself looking at others around you and instead of thinking how you can build them up, you are seeing them as competition and that is shaping how you interact and communicate with them. Whatever the circumstances, if you feel as though you are losing form, then now is the time to make the correction. God's Word is full of those corrections and that is what we also try and provide here at Purposed worKING as well. The prayer for each of today should be that we can all find the form that God desires for each of us.

Reference: I Corinthians 9:26 (New Living Testament)

day 232: All Consuming

Sometimes it is better to face it than to deny it; work can become all-consuming. It happens to the best of us. We have priorities and we reset our priorities over and over. God first, family second, work third. And then what happens is that someone who cares for us either gently (or angrily) points out that "we've done it again" and our priorities have turned back into, work first...work second...and work third. I've had it happen to me so many times in my career that I can't count the conversations and the looks in the mirror. I also see it happening around me all the time. Right now I have a very good friend who just started a new job and he is already all-consumed with work. He loves the new job and company so he is happy and his wife and kids are happy that he is happy again, but everyone knows that this honeymoon period of never letting the Blackberry out of his hand or not having anything to talk about other than work, just can't go on for long. I'm even giving him the six-month grace period to get settled and then if things aren't different, it will be time for the "talk". Why is it that we let our work take over our lives? The same work that we can't wait to retire from or get a vacation away from, we allow to creep in and infest every waking moment and thought? It's almost self-punishment, but I would venture to say that nearly all of us have had this happen to us, more than once. Last year a young man, who is wise beyond his age, asked me what to do to keep from having work take over his life. My advice was that because work is always additive (more to do, more to take on, etc.) that thinking that one can subtract work and fill the glass with something else will never succeed. Instead, other things need to be poured into the life glass that are important enough to displace work. Like the glass that is already full, drop some pebbles in to get rid of some of the water. As believers we have the great additive to displace our obsession with work. Our minds that are full and flowing with thoughts about our jobs need to be freed by adding in other thoughts. God calls this prayer. Read along in 1 Thessalonians: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Note, "never stop praying". If you suffer from the all-consuming obsession of work and you find yourself caught in the priority spiral of work first and all other second, then begin to replace the obsessive thoughts with prayer and watch what happens. Start today with the top of your prayer list being a request to God to have His thoughts and His words replace the thoughts of work and then say that prayer over and over throughout the day. God wants us all-consumed with Him first and from there He will take good care over of us and over our work. There is no better time that today to let God be the one who rearranges our priorities.

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New Living Testament)