day 373: You Get What You Act For...

Within a company or a work team there is a distribution of attitudes regarding work and rewards. When I write rewards I mean not only financial rewards but also the rewards that are many times more important, like recognition and responsibility. This distribution of attitudes ranges from those who work hard, keep their head down, ask and need little to nothing in the way of recognition or attention, to those who test the bottom threshold of their performance and then expect the company to reward and recognize them above others. This latter group is the hard group to deal with as they not only are hard to manage but their attitude can drag down others and unfortunately, influence others who will fall into their way of thinking and acting. I once had a peer who was like this and while the rest of us were giving it our all and more, he would not pull his weight but he was the first one to be asking for a raise or promotion. Fortunately, our manager was smart enough to see through this employee's M.O. and it finally caught up with my peer. No one was sorry to see him go, but everyone felt sorry for him as he had such potential but he just used his energy to cover is tracks too much instead of just working like the rest of us. It's very easy to understand how rewards should be doled out. God tells us how He does it in Jeremiah 17:10; "I give people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." If this is good enough for God, then the same can hold for us as we think through how we should work and what we should expect. If our actions deserve reward, then we will get them. If our actions are not worth of reward, then we shouldn't expect to receive anything. If we fall into the trap of expecting something we didn't earn, then we will find ourselves unhappy, frustrated and always searching for something that isn't there and isn't really yours.

Reference: Jeremiah 17:10 (New Living Testament)

day 372: Leader Language

This is not a new topic that we have explored in Purposed worKING, but I felt it was time to reiterate the topic. This past week we saw one of our national leaders use an expletive as he was talking to our President. The TV microphones picked up his words and national headlines were made and continue now even a week later. When leaders speak, people listen. When leaders speak the wrong words people make even more of it. When leaders speak inappropriately they send a message to others that this is language that is acceptable and appropriate in certain circles. In this case, we all knew that his choice of his word was an expletive that would never be acceptable on television and shouldn't be acceptable in other places either. All of this is also true in the business world. Leaders who choose to use inappropriate or foul language are setting an example for others and through their choice of words are stating where their mind and hearts reside. It's a simple lesson that we are not to use foul or abusive language if we are going to set the right example and be the role models that we and God want us to be. Unfortunately, we can never be reminded enough. Paul is clear in his teaching in Ephesians: "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." 'Nuff said.

Reference: Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Testament)

day 371: Direct Deposit

Back in the 1990’s direct deposit was introduced. At the time few people wanted (or trusted) a company to deposit their paychecks directly into their personal bank account. I can even remember running contests to incentivize people to make the change. We had gotten so used to receiving that weekly, bi-weekly or monthly paycheck handed to us by our boss or one of the administrative staff that we didn’t want to have it any other way. One thing that I think was lost with this change was the personal touch of having another human being hand us our paychecks. When it was our boss and with the envelope came a, “Well done” or “Good job”, an extra meaning was added onto the dollars and cents. A few years ago I had a manager in a company who had gotten so out of the habit of having much at all contact with the people in his department that when bonus time came around he allowed the bonus checks deposit slips to just be put in the employee’s mail slots with no words of thanks included. He was the same manager who came to me and asked where his bonus check was and I said, “It was direct deposited to your account and the stub was mailed to you”. He said to me something of the sort, “I wanted that check today and I wanted to hear what amount I got, etc”, I let him know that he should have done the same for his employees and he could have had that conversation. He got the message. We all work hard and we all want to know what the rewards of our work are and more importantly we want those extra words that make the money that much more fulfilling. As believers, we are still human and we want that too, but we also should remember that all that we receive comes from our God who we are working to achieve His purpose in our jobs. In Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Moses tells the Israelites that it is very easy for us to forget where our resources come from. He tells the Israelites that God put them through many tests and many days of challenge so that they would know definitively from whom their blessings flow. We read; “He did it sp you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. Always remember that is the Lord your God, who gives you the power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors.” It’s easy for us to forget where our direct deposit comes from. Today, remember that what we have is only because of Him.

Reference: Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (New Living Testament)

day 370: Making The Cut

The last few years have seen company after company making cuts in spending, investments and headcount. Some companies made deep cuts once. Others made a series of smaller cuts. Either way the cuts made affected the morale of people and their feelings about the organization and senior management. As people we do not respond well to activities or words that cut and tear down anything and especially when we feel cut at personally or torn down by others. Yet, at work it is easy to cut down people and then just go about our business, without much regard to the long-term effect those words have on others. With the smallest of words we can tear down another person and unfortunately it happens all the time. Sometimes you just wish you could reach out and take the cutting words and turn them around on the people that delivered those words. I worked with a person who thought that the best way to motivate others was to constantly be cutting at them and tearing them down to build them back up. If work was like being Jillian or Bob on NBC's Biggest Loser, then that might be a good strategy, but that is not the way it is in the office. On the job we can't just cut people down and expect that they are going to follow, trust or want to work with us. We read in Proverbs 12:18 that those who make cutting remarks are not those who are considered wise; "Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing." Today when the opportunity comes to either make the cutting remark, tear down, demean or make fun of another person, think twice and see if there aren't other words can't be chosen. See if today you can keep from making the cut.

Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Testament)

day 369: Stop the Complaining!

I like to answer the question, "How are you doing?" with "I have no complaints and if I did I wouldn't say them anyway as they just reinforce the problem to myself". Some people are just complainers. I think they wake up in the morning and start complaining about gravity that gets in their way of getting out of bed and from there they just snowball complaints down hill all day long. The problem with complaining is that it invites more complaints and like that snowball, all kinds of people get rolled into it and before long everyone is complaining. I don't like to be around complainers as they suck the energy out of me. Lots of times, I will just find my way out of the conversation so I don't get dragged into the fray. It's obvious from all that we are taught that we are not to be complainers. But, I know that it is really hard to see the positive side first and keep the complaints holstered. There are so many easy targets in work that we could spend all day long complaining. There's the boss, the office chair, the cafeteria food, the pay, the benefits, the lazy co-worker, the bad customer, the economy, the government....do I need to go on? But, we are to be above all of this and do our best to not be complainers. When Jesus was being taunted and questioned by the people in John Chapter 6:43 about whether or not he was the Son of God, He said to them; "Stop complaining about what I said". I like that he chose the word complaining because he heard the people chastising and characterizing Him as the son of Joseph, instead of realizing and accepting Him for who He was. Jesus saw us in that verse when we stand around in disbelief or when we don't know the truth so instead we start complaining. He said, "Stop the complaining". We can take that lesson and put it to work today at out our work and in our lives outside of work. Try and catch yourself today before you complain and if you can, then ask, "Why do I need to complain about this and what good does it do if I do complain?" The answer will be clear. There is no good reason to complain and nothing good will come from it anyway.

Reference: John 6:43 (New Living Testament)

day 368: Listen and Learn

The first time I heard of an executive going on a "listen and learn tour" was back in the early 1990's when an incoming CEO was assigned to me to help build his orientation plan. He wanted to visit as many manufacturing plants, sales offices, logistics centers and functional areas of the company as he could before he took over the reins. I remember him saying to me, just tell the people that I will be there to "listen and learn". Since that time, I have always encouraged new employees to take the same approach and listen and learn for as long as they can before they begin to "talk and teach". In my experience, listening and learning first is a sure-fire success formula. If entering a new business or job and trying to prove that you know it all from day one, you are setting yourself up for serious organ rejection. But, listening shows you care and taking in what you learn and doing something with it shows that you can be a real learner and are open to new ideas, thoughts and ways of doing things. The term listen and learn was positively refreshed in my mind this past weekend when our Pastor spoke from John 6:45 when Jesus said, "As it is written in the Scriptures, 'They will all be taught by God'. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me." Listen and learn; there it is as a way of living taught to us by Jesus. Today, think about how much listening and learning you are doing versus talking and teaching. Even if you have been in the same job for 20 years and you are the boss, there is still an opportunity to listen to employees you normally would not sit and talk to, or go out and listen to customers and learn what they have to say. We all can heed the lesson and listen and learn more than we did yesterday and more tomorrow than we will do today.

Reference: John 6:45 (New Living Testament)

day 367: The Turnaround

Every business, at some point in its life cycle will go through a turnaround. Yes, even the companies that we think have unlimited growth potential and we could never imagine stumbling will face a turnaround situation. Some are big turnarounds, others are less visible publicly but can certainly be felt internally. Look no further than the now darling Apple Computer for the cycle to be born out. It is hard to imagine now that they once were the Apple that was teetering on not making it and it is even harder to imagine that someday it will need another turnaround, but it will. The same happens in our careers. We hit points where we have to rethink where we are and what we are doing and we either make a significant shift, turnaround or we go through enough soul-searching that we double down on the path that we know is right and then we don't look back. These are hard times and I suspect that many of us have been through this range of feelings and actions over the past 24 months. But take heart as turnarounds are good things because when done seriously and well, we end up where we are supposed to be and doing what we supposed to be doing. We can see this example in the story of the Prodigal Son. The son of the loving father had to make a turnaround to come back to where he belonged. He hit rock bottom before he saw it but when he, repented made the 180-degree turn and headed home he was welcomed with loving and open arms. We all know that this is the story of God's love over our life. God watches over us in our lives and in the sometimes overwhelming part of our life called our jobs. If we are on a wrong path and we need to be turned around, He will be there for us to figure it out if we will just bring Him into the office with us. Rather than wait for the bottom to fall out, before the turnaround, receive the constant invitation that is given to us to look to Him for the guidance and direction that we need.

Reference: Luke 15:12-20 (New Living Testament)

day 366: Divisions

I have always been a lover of a good play on words. A dear friend from college once told me that 90% of my humor was just playing with the meaning of words. I think he was right. What he didn't say that I really am not that funny. He should have. But, I digress. There is a word that I do find interesting in the work world. That is the word "Division". When companies start to get big they begin to set up "Divisions". They will then create a position to lead that Division. That may be the Head, General Manager or even the President of the Division. The word division has many meanings. The one that companies would desire would be; "a major autonomous or semi-independent but subordinate administrative unit of an industrial enterprise, government bureau, transportation system, or university: the sales division of our company; the Division of Humanities." But the root of the word division is to divide. The first meaning in the dictionary for the word "division" is; "the act or process of dividing; state of being divided." I hope you see where I am going. We chunk up our work and our companies into different states of divisions. We divide and conquer, but we divide. We don't stay unified and with each division, big or small, we have to work harder to find unity, alignment, cohesiveness and agreement. We then end up creating jobs and functions to work on keeping the company and people on the same page. We counsel and move people out of the company who can't work together and who are too divisive. As believers we can't afford to get caught up in these divisions. If we are to work to our purpose and be the role models and examples, we are to be people who model the cohesiveness of God's love. There is a peace and a calm to this that allows for us to live and work in the promise of no separation from God. We read in Romans 8:38 that nothing can separate or divide us from Him; "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love." As we go about today and this week, look for the divisions around us and let's see if we can't model bringing the divisions together and be the menders of separations.

Reference: Romans 8:38 (New Living Testament)

day 365: Service Anniversary

Today marks another anniversary in the life of Purposed worKING. Started on October 1, 2008, the idea was to write these posts each business day for one calendar year, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. When September 30th, 2009 rolled around and I was looking at one full year of writing, I was going to put this to rest, but I started having people ask me to not stop the writing. So, I decided to continue for three more months and during that time pursue the possibility of collecting the posts into a written daily devotional book and try publishing them that way. After talking to a couple of publishers, who were quick to tell me that the "devotional book" business was significantly "off" commercially and that there wasn't much interest in this topic, I told myself that it was not time to stop but push through until I had finished 365 posts. For the past few weeks I had been thinking on how I would wind this down after 365 but a funny thing began to happen. I began to get unsolicited emails and comments of encouragement about the blog. They were random from a broad set of people. As i looked at the collection I heard, "keep at this, it is meaningful to me". I then was approached on Sunday by a fellow worshiper in our church, who I had not met before, who told me that the blog is a real help to him in his job as a believer in a secular role. That is what Purposed worKING was meant to do. I marvel at how God does talk to us. So, I stand in service to God and to you and have decided to continue on. This time, there is no finish line, marker or milestone, but if I am supposed to hang it up at some point, I am sure I will know when that is. And, I know that if this writing is meaningful to you, that you will spread the word. What I also know is that service to others is part of how to live out our Purpose. Shirley Chisholm said, "Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth." Jesus admired and lifted up those who served others. Today, you may be in a job or doing work where you wonder if you are really serving anyone in what you do. Question this no further. You only have to look at the things you do to make the work easier for someone else, or to help them be better in their job, or to provide some relief when others are overwhelmed, or to see that what you do is a part of a team that succeeds and keeps all of you and your families employed and able to keep food on the table and the kids in school. We are all in service of each other if we embrace that attitude and bring it out in our work each day. And for me, it is my privilege and honor to serve you with this continued set of writing.

Have a great weekend!

day 364: "What Do You Do?

"What do you do?" is a common question that we are all asked. We almost always respond with our job title and for what company we work. We then go on to have a conversation about our work. Few will respond to the question with, "I am a husband, a father, a Sunday School Teacher, a reader, a runner, a foodie, etc." Nope, we are geared to think about work and our jobs as the defining moniker of who we are. This is why it is so hard to retire or to lose our jobs; because we are surrounded by the message of work being the definition of who we are. I personally went through this back in 2008 and I can't tell you that I am still totally over it yet. Having a crisp, clear title and company answer always seems so much easier. But, that is why we are supposed to continue to dig into ourselves and know who we are so that our jobs and our self-esteem and identity don't become the same. We are not alone in this feeling. Even the Disciples couldn't separate the work they were to do from who they really were. In John 6:28 they asked Jesus; "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Even the Disciples were trying to use their work to define who they were in the eyes of Jesus. Jesus answered them in verse 29: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." This verse again tells us that it is not what we do, it is deeper than that. It is who we are and what we believe that matters. I am pretty sure that we won't be wearing company badges in Heaven that identifies what our jobs on earth were. How much fuller our lives might be if we were able to answer the question, "What do you do?" with something that doesn't involve our work. Let's try and make that second and instead find our identity in our purpose and how we do things, and what we believe, and not be defined or classified by what we do. If we can move ourselves to that space we may find that the fear of losing a job, the insecurities of not being promoted into the bigger title, or the amount of pride and ego wrapped up in the company that employs us, just might all dissipate into something much more meaningful.

Reference: John 6:28-29 (NKJV)

day 363: Are We Really Teachers?

Purposed worKING is written for each of us to know our Purpose and to give us lessons and examples on how to put that purpose to life each and every day within our work. There is an old adage, "He who teaches, learns twice." Not only are we to be examples, role models and living illustrations of how Jesus would live within our lives, we are also, by default teachers of others. God puts us in situations and also gives us opportunities and challenges to follow His plan so that we can be the teachers of others. Pastor David Wilkerson posted this message about how we are all teachers but also how through examples of how we face and deal with the blows of life and let God be in control, we are being trained by God so that we can teach further. Enjoy the words and message of Pastor Wilkerson:

"By the close of the book of Genesis, God had chosen a small, insignificant people to become a teaching nation. He wanted to raise up a people who would be living examples of his goodness to the heathen world. So, to bring about such a testimony, God took his people into places that were beyond their control. He isolated Israel in a wilderness, where he alone would be their only source of life, caring for their every need.

Israel had no control over their survival in that desolate place. They couldn’t control the availability of food or water. They couldn’t control their destination, as they had no compasses or maps. How would they eat and drink? Which direction would they go? And where would they end up?

God would do it all for them. He would guide them every day by a miracle cloud, one that glowed at night and dispelled the darkness before them. He would feed them with angels’ food from heaven and provide them with water from a rock.
Yes, every single need would be supplied by the Lord, and no enemy would be able to defeat them.

“Out of heaven he made thee [Israel] to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee” (Deuteronomy 4:36). God’s people would hear his very words guiding them, and in turn they would testify, “Who is there of all mankind who has heard the voice of the living God?” (see 4:32-34).

The nations surrounding ancient Israel were filled with “other gods,” idols made of wood, silver and gold. These gods were mute, unable to see or hear, unable to love, guide or protect the people who worshipped them. Yet any one of the nations could look to Israel and see a special people whom God carried through a terrible wilderness. They would see a God who spoke to his people, who loved and felt, who answered prayers and provided miracles. Here was a living God, one who guided his people in every detail of their lives.

God raised up a people who would be trained by him. There had to be a people who lived under his authority, who would trust him completely, giving him full control of every aspect of their lives. That people would become his testimony to the world."

What do you have to teach today to others? The answer is obvious...a lot!

Reference: Deuteronomy 4:32-34 & 36

day 362: This Is Right, Right?

We cavalierly say that we know what is right and what is wrong and we are quick to hold people accountable for doing something wrong when we know better what was right for them. I agree that deep inside there are clear lines between black and white but in business there are also shades of gray. Howwe work is colored with these shades. I recently was helping someone who was being criticized for how many hours he worked versus the rest of his team. This is a person whose life revolves around his work and for him, putting in long hours is not a problem and he has structured his life such that the hours don't impede on other parts of his life. Where other people have lots of hobbies or outside interests, for him his life is his family and his work. But, not everyone on his team wants to work to that level. He understands this and never pushes them nor expects the same, but they feel guilty none the less and therefore he gets tagged as doing something wrong. Is he right or wrong in how he works? There were also days, before the accounting standards were tightened that many things were left up to interpretation by auditors and there were no hard black and white lines. It is less so now, but the line between right and wrong was not always clear and turned out to be situational. My advice in any of these gray situations is to make the assumption that what we might be thinking is leaning more towards right might be actually leaning to the wrong. Why is this? Well, because the way we are built as humans just has that in us. So, to be better safe than sorry, we might want to always check in with others to test our judgment and to get a second wrong vs. right opinion. Paul tells us in Romans that even he, when he wanted to do right, would do wrong; "It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong". If today you are in a situation where things look gray, then assume that human nature is going to sway you in the wrong direction and then correct from there. Being in the right, of course, is always the best place to be. We just have to be sure that we know where is the right!

Reference: Romans 7:21 (New Living Testament)

day 361: Persuasive Words

We all know persuasive people. These are the people that when they speak others listen. They seem to always have the right words to get others excited, engaged and motivated. We tend to many times look at great sports coaches, politicians, celebrities, religious leaders, CEOs and teachers as those who are most persuasive in our culture. These are people who use their brain and their words to get their work done. They find a way to stir up emotions in others and end up having an influence on them. In the work world I find that the most persuasive people are the ones who are consistent in their actions and words so that when it comes time to influence and get others to follow, people want to do so because most of all, they trust them. Trust comes from respect and the belief that another will be there for you if needed. Trust is built through caring about the needs of others. Trust comes from using the words that have others knowing that you understand them and care for and about them. We get all riled up thinking that to be persuasive we have to spout off being the smartest and sometimes the loudest person in the room. Many times it is those who say the least, that when they speak everyone listens. The Bible says the same in Proverbs 16:21; "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." Today you may need to be the one who can be persuasive. It might be the big presentation or the customer call or the simple act of getting a co-worker to play along. Whatever the situation, try today to use your understanding of others and some pleasant words to be persuasive. Those pleasant and caring words could be the most persuasive of words you could ever find to use.

Reference: Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Testament)

day 360: The Joy of Work!

I have been providing some career counseling this week. Yesterday I found myself talking to someone who is very concerned about what job is going to make her happy as she has been in a job now for three years where she just doesn't like the work or the people. I tried to remind her that happiness in a job is at the intersection of being where you want to be, doing what you want to do, with the people you want to do it with. In the center of that Venn diagram there is happiness. But even then, that does not guarantee that there will be joy in the work. Joy is a different animal. Joy is defined as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying." Joy probably doesn't come from work, but joy can come from doing work. Joy is caused by something that triggers delight and/or happiness. Joy can be found in the process, more than in the result. I was watching that TV show with Ray Romano; "Men of a Certain Age". When the character Ray plays wins a bet on a basketball game he is happy, but he is not joyful because the way he got to the result is one of his addictions. When we achieve a result at work but it wasn't gotten there with great teamwork or great process, we are happy but we are not joyful. The Bible tells us how to be joyful in Psalm 119:1; "Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord." If you are missing joy in your work, or your life, then the question needs to be asked if you are working at your highest level of integrity and instruction of how you know you are supposed to work, according to God? A joyful day comes from a high integrity day! As we close off this week, think about today as a day of the highest integrity in all that you do and then measure your joy. I suspect that today could be a great day of joy for you!

Reference: Psalm 119:1 (New Living Testament)

day 359: A Bargain

As I wrote a few days ago, after hearing a devotional delivered by a pastor, it got me thinking about what it is that we as workers expect from our employers and then how does that relate to how we expect and treat God. The context of this comes from Matthew Chapter 20 where the day workers made a contract with the owner of an estate to pay them their daily wage for the work they were going to do from 6AM until 6PM. The owner ends up paying the same amount to the workers who had made an agreement for what they would be paid for the day, which was the standard daily wage, as he does the person who just came on and worked for him for one hour, which would be an enormous amount of money for one hour's work. The men who had worked all day were upset and didn't understand how someone could get paid the same as them for such a little amount of time, so in their minds they were owed more. But, the message in this parable is that the all-day workers got exactly for what they bargained and agreed it was all of the other workers who didn't haggle and feel the need to bargain, but who were just pleased to be able to work who got so much more. It's an interesting parallel to employees who are on contract, whether it be on a union's collective bargaining agreement or an athlete or celebrity. They get paid for what they bargained and others may get a lot more, and then the employee on contract somehow feels like they got robbed. However, again, they got what they bargained for and it was not only fair but contractual. How often do we find ourselves in a bargaining position and we get exactly what we bargained for and no more? I have to challenge myself on this subject as well as I too many times take to God and others what I know is best for me. Who else can know better than me after all? Today as you contemplate the areas of your life where you know best and you find yourself demanding and bargaining on others and/or God, then I would offer that it is time to sit back and let God do His thing and trust that what looks like a bargain may be, like the worker that got a full day's pay for one of hour of work, a much better deal to be had without the bargain.

Reference: Matthew 20:2 (New Living Testament)

day 358: Quarterly Bonuses

I am working with a company that wants my help in building out a performance bonus plan for their executives. They have never had a bonus plan before and now that they are making money as a company and hitting regular revenue targets they believe that if they put in a more formal bonus payment plan that they could even exceed what they are doing now. When diving in further as to what they would like designed they expressed the interest in a quarterly plan versus an annual payout. This makes sense for a lot of companies and for certain jobs that have quarterly revenue targets, etc. it definitely fits. However, as I continued to dig what I heard was that the real reason behind the quarterly targets comes down to a matter of trust. There is a lack of trust by some that if the plan is built annually that by the end of the year management might change the targets or explain the results in a way that would not benefit the employee who had earned the bonus. Much of our troubles at work are built off of mistrust about what is going to happen to us versus what we deserve. We see lots of examples where the mistrust is justified but we have to avoid becoming one of the mistrustful people. My Father said never to put your faith in people for they will let you down. He was right, but that does not mean that we can't live with an attitude of healthy trust instead of being one of the people who always think the glass is out to kill us. God tells us to be trustful because if we have placed our trust and faith in the right place then we can take whatever comes our way as part of His plan. We read in Psalm 31:19; "Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you." There it is. We don't have to worry about what we can trust or not. We can make our way today and tomorrow knowing that if we honor God with our hands, our mind and our heart that we can expect more blessings than we can fathom. And we can be an example to others that it is okay to to trust and now worry about the short-run, like this quarter, but stay focused on the great things that will happen in the end.

Reference: Psalm 31:9 (New Living Testament)

day 357: Stop Asking!

I've had many an employee in my career who has been one of those people who are always asking for something. If you have never met someone like this (and I would be surprised of you haven't) they are quickly identified as the "squeaky wheel". They are the first people to be in the office wanting to know why someone else was promoted, or why another department got the larger budget, or why they weren't involved in a meeting or asked to travel on a trip. They are usually also the first people who point at others for problems and are not quick to take responsibility for their own action. I might add that they are usually the most immature. I once had a employee who would ask me regularly about when would they be promoted to the next level. When I got down underneath these incessant requests it had nothing to do with needing more salary or that their career was suffering from being in their current position too long, etc. What it boiled down to is that this person had a sense of entitlement that grew out of insecurity and fear that they were going to miss out on something that they wouldn't get unless they asked. I contrast this employee with a very senior executive who I worked with in the early 1990's who kept getting promoted over other people because he kept his head down, never expressed his career desires when not asked, trusted "the system" and when promoted would show a level of humility and gratitude that was far beyond anyone's expectations. As such, it was fun to see this person get promoted and rise through the ranks all the way to the top. How often are we more worried than trustful in what happens to us? Yes, that is right...too much. When we stop trusting and we stop letting others and God do what they would like to do with us and instead try and take control of the situation, we miss out on the gifts that want to be given to us. With my employee, I got to the point that I knew when the conversation was coming and I didn't look forward to those talks. Our God is a God who wants to give so much more to us than we could ever ask. Our God is the God of David who as we know wrote in Psalm 23:5; "...My cup overflow with blessings." With a little more trust and little more faith and a lot less trying to tell God what to do, we can expect our cup to flow over. But, if we keep asking God to fill the cup in the way we want it filled, he will fill it, but maybe only to our definition of the top which could be far from hie definition of what he wants to give us.

Reference: Psalm 23:5 (New Living Testament)

day 356: Careful What You Ask For!

I was on the phone with a senior executive who was telling me about one of his employees who he is having some trouble. Apparently, the employee is being very demanding and is pushing for each and every part of his responsibility to be defined, described and codified to the point that most of the conversations that are taking place now are about this employee's role and job and not how the work the is to get done. The senior executive is at his own point of frustration now that he has gotten specific and detailed as requested but much of the fun and joy of managing this person has disappeared. As the conversation unfolded the executive said to me, "I want to give him so much more, but at this point, with what I feel is a lack of trust, I am just giving him exactly what he asked for, no more". What the executive in this situation really wants is to be trusted by his employee to the point that the executive can heap on as much as he wants and be able to delight his employee. Instead the employee, with his demanding and distrustful ways, has without recognition of the fact, limited what could have been his and more. It seems we all do this to some extent. We want to dictate the terms and the rules and then be sure we get what is coming to us. I sat in a devotional session recently where a pastor dissected this attitude Biblically and taught a strong lesson on what happens when we work and live to this attitude. We will explore this lesson over the next couple of days. In the situation with my executive friend his employee ended up getting less than what he could have because of not trusting his boss to do the right thing. We can be the same way with God. In Psalm 106:15 David writes; "So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it." Here we sit all day long telling God and others what is best for us but not knowing that with a little trust that God and others might have bigger plans than we can imagine. God will give us what we ask for, but we might get more than we bargained because we tried to do His work versus leaving it up to Him. Today, think through the areas in your life where you are trying to tell others and God what is good for you and see if with a little bit of an attitude adjustment you can't see a difference in what start coming your way.

Reference: Psalm 106:15 (New Living Testament)

day 355: Say Or Do

I've been reflecting on a situation where a peer said one thing and then did something else that was not what was said. And then, after saying one thing, the person comes back and says something else the next day. Nothing is more confusing and frustrating than when words and actions don't match up. The fastest way to lose confidence from someone else is to make them have to use their energy and emotion to figure out what you really mean. But, it happens all the time. We work with people who we know from experience who will shift their position, go back on what they said prior and many times just do something totally different than what they said they were going to do. Yet, we have to work with them because these "little" infractions or little untruths are never enough to get the attention of someone who would remove them from their position or the company. I wish I could put a pricetag on the amount of hours that are lost on dealing with these situations. It can take days to get to the bottom of "he said, she said". This is why as believers we have such a great opportunity to not be like the rest. We can live on the high ground and know that we breath the air of truth and let our actions shout way beyond our words. In 1 John 3:18 we are told to make our actions louder than our words: "Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions." Today we will all be faced with numerous moments when we can choose to let our words be the reflection of who we are, or let our actions be the reflection. If we say, but don't do, then the words are empty. If we say and do then the words were confirmation and reassurance that we can be counted on to deliver. In today's world to be someone who consistently does what you say makes you unique and remarkable. Keeping the words and the actions together today is a great way to work and end this work week!

Reference: 1 John 3:18 (New Living Testament)

day 354: Shift Work

Early on in my career I worked in a manufacturing plant that had three shifts that were filled and assigned by seniority first and preference second. When the two were combined, first shift (day) was first choice and then 3rd shift (graveyard) was the next most chosen. I was always fascinated by this as I found overnight the hardest shift to adapt to (I did it on the radio for 4 months). What I learned is that some people are just built for overnight work and sleep during the day. There is a rhythm to the night and a quietness of the world that some people take to more than others. But, these are a rare and small number. The night and darkness for many people is a time of uncertainty and many times fear. Once during a realignment of the plant, a woman was bumped to third shift for a short period. She was nearly hysterical that she would have to be out of her house in the middle of the night. I really felt for her as it was obvious that her fear was real for her and it was not going to be overcome. We could only help her in that the time period was going to be short. Light and dark and night and day are all metaphors that we read throughout the Bible and light symbolizes good and God. Dark and night is bad. 1 Thessalonians 5:5: says; "For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.". It may be that even though you work first or a day shift, you feel like you are caught in the dark of a third shift. What God wants to do in our lives is to allow us to work and walk in the light of His day, each and every day regardless of the physical light or dark that we would work or live in. He doesn't want us to ever feel like we are stuck in the dark or stuck in the metaphoric night. There is one way to always be in the light of the day and that is to walk towards Him. With God there is no seniority and he does not place preferences on people. God opens Himself up to all of us and only asks that we walk towards His light and then take Him with us, in our hearts, wherever we go. What God wants is us to have Him with us on all three shifts!

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (New Living Testament)

day 353: Behind The Password

The idea of a having a "password" has been an interesting transition over the last 30-ish years. Before computers, voicemail, email, websites, etc. passwords were those things that you whispered through the door of a clubhouse, or were reserved for military or clandestine activities. Not that long ago, you didn't really need any passwords but today we have to keep lists of our current passwords handy so that we can function and stay connected. With a password comes a sense of security and also somewhat a sense of secrecy. In the office every IT person will make sure that we all know that our passwords and what we do on the companies network is not secret and cannot be done without the knowledge that someone else is watching. Even so, in my career I have had to deal with more cases than I want to remember of people who misuse their company computer or the company's network and when caught, they thought that because they were behind a password or different alias they had created for themselves, that they were safe to do whatever they wanted. Suffice to say that in today's technology world, there are no secrets and no password or on-line identity can be hidden or is totally secure. This is a good lesson to apply to our lives as well. There are no secret from God. Sometimes we think that can cordon off parts of our lives and place our own secret passwords in place and get away from God, but that's not the way it works. God sees through all of the passwords and aliases. He can see across our thoughts, desires, actions, and our hearts. In Romans 2:16 Paul says to us; "The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life". Let's not try and live or work behind a password that we think can keep God out. With God, we have no secrets and who we are, regardless of our faults, is who He wants to know. Today, let's think through the parts of who we are that we have tried and place a password over and see if you can't start removing those, one by one.

Reference: Romans 2:16 (New Living Testament)

day 352: The Way We Work

I recently had a long conversation with someone who is struggling with the way people work around him and what that means to how he reacts and acts in the workplace. It is hard to be in an office environment where those around you don't share the same values and principles and you feel like you are always on the spot to either live out your values, principles and faith or choose not to and be like all the rest. The influence of the crowds and peers is a strong one and can feel like a tsunami of sucking out your values and then rolling back over you with the values, or lack thereof, of the others around you. It is why it is hard at work to stand firm in beliefs and to not cut corners, or to not tell the little white lie, or to not say one thing when you really mean something else, or to not fall into playing office politics when you know it is wrong to do so. Peers and influencers within a work setting can be worse than what we grew up with in high school. At this stage of life the ones influencing have careers and paychecks that they can wield instead of just name calling or teasing. It makes it hard to stand tall. But as believers and examples to others we have to take that stand and live out our values, live out our principles, and live out the way we work to honor God. In Colossians we are told that if we do so, we will grow and produce fruit that we may not even be aware has been produced; "Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." On top of the fruit we will get an even greater blessing as we learn to know God better and better. Today, think through where you might be letting others influence the way you work and see if you can't pull that back into your value set and not theirs. Take this one day and see if when going home tonight you can say I lived and worked today to honor and please the Lord. God has promised fruit for those who will take this opportunity!

Reference: Colossians 1:10 (New Living Testament)

day 351: Long-Range Planning

A few organizations I am involved with are right now going through long-range strategic planning. The great thing about this kind of planning is that it is an opportunity to think big, think long and think creatively without limitations or putting boundaries around the thinking. After all of the ideas are worked through and consensus is gained on what is important, it is then that the hard work starts. This is when we sign up for the important initiatives and start to work towards how to achieve all of the long-range ideas. Long-range planning also means long-range working. While it is nice to have short-term deliverables so that we can see and feel achievement, much of the best work we can do is the work that is long-range, strategic and may never feel like it is totally done. A friend of mine, when I asked him how he saw his job going he started talking about the next 15 years and what he, or someone else, could do over that time frame. How many of us think in that amount of years when it comes to our jobs and what we can do for our companies? It is hard to think and act in long-term ways. We are so conditioned now for short-term results that we struggle to think about the long-term future in front of us. We should be grateful that our God does not think that way. We read in Philippians that God is with us for the long-run; "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." If God is willing to work in us for as long as it takes, then we can do the same. We can look to the future and be the ones who are into our work for the long run. Those that can think and work in the long-range are many times those who are thought of as most strategic and those who others know they can count on. If there are areas in your work where you know that you need to think longer and more strategically, today would be a good day to start thinking and doing your own long-range planning.

Reference: Philippians 1:6 (New Living Testament)