day 416: A Good Job Spec

A good, well written job spec can make all the difference in who applies for a job and the ease by which a decision is made about who is the best candidate. If we know what we are looking for and can spell it out well then it will entice those who we want and weed out those we don't. Within all of this the spec has to also be compelling to someone who is just learning about our company. It has to be a call to action for either the candidate seeing it or the recruiter who is hunting for the best person. I love Ernest Shackleton's 1907 ad in London's Times, recruiting a crew to sail with him on his exploration of the South Pole:

Wanted. Men for hazardous journey.
Low wages. Bitter cold.
Long hours of complete darkness.
Safe return doubtful.
Honor and recognition in the event of success.

He ended up with more people than he could hire. What this job spec does is get at the heart of what type of person he valued. He was looking for courage, endurance, stamina, and adventure. When we hire, do we think enough about the core set of values and principles that we want within a person? Bad hires are usually not because of a person not having the right skill set, it is usually about the person not fitting culturally with the company, which brings us back to values and principles. In one of the first stories of hiring in the Bible, Jethro tells Moses what kind of people he should "select" to replace some of Moses' duties. We read this in Exodus 18:21; "But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes." Again, we see values and principles as core to the specifications. If today you are hiring, or being hired, don't forget the importance of putting values first and then letting all the rest flow from there.

Reference: Exodus 18:21 (New Living Testament)

day 415: Work Prayers

How often do we pray over our work? It's interesting that we can find a routine to pray over our meals, but we don't have a routine to pray over our work. How many of us start our day by asking God to help, support and guide us in the work that we are to do throughout the day? If we can ask God to bless a meal that happens over a workday lunch, then we can certainly ask God to bless the day and the work that we do. God has given us each talents that we bring onto our jobs and if we are giving glory to God in all that we do, then He certainly wants us to be blessed at how we use those talents. Jesus says in Mark 11:24; "Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it." So rather than start the day with our To-Do List, let's start the day with our Prayer list and right up at the top, let's be sure and ask God to come to work with us today and to pour his blessing over the work that is to be done! So, take the time that you might spend reading a longer Purposed worKING post and instead put it towards a prayer right now over your job and your work.

Reference: Mark 11:24 (New Living Testament)

Day 414: Becoming "Agile"

Back in the the 1950's an approach to software development was created. Back then it was called, "Iterative and Interactive Development". Over the years it was refined and used on many projects. Over time it also took on the name of "Agile Development." Through time software engineers have reported that 88% of the users feel more productive, 77% see the quality improvements on the systems where it is deployed and best yet, 78% report an increase in business stakeholders satisfaction. I have gotten the opportunity to work with teams who have employed the principles of Agile Development and for the leaders of this movement it looks a lot like a business religion. It has a deep philosophy, rules of engagement, a common language, and a deep set of beliefs by users. In fact, I wish that we as followers of Jesus always had the same commitment and rigor to our beliefs as developers who use the Agile Development process. IID, or Agile, was developed to bring predictability, repeatability, standardization and simplification to a very complex system. It is a great metaphor to our lives and how we live out our lives within our work. Life is full of randomness and can sometimes feel just the opposite of the predictable and standard that we would like to have. What we can do as believers though is use the process standards that God has given us to become more "agile" in our lives. We start with a firm belief and faith in Jesus and our commitment to follow Him as our Savior. From there, He invites us to communion with Him in His Word and our prayers. These, along with the fellowship with other believers provide us with predictable standards; a life process to follow and a community of others who are developing themselves to be better at bringing glory to God in all that that is done. Just like why a software development process was created, the same can be said of what God has given us. Sounds like it is time for us to go to our own life keyboard and start our new development process, today.

day 413: The Final Days...

Much gets done in the 11th hour but usually work that gets done at the last minute comes with some ugliness in the process. It is in the last days, hours and minutes that the true nature of people becomes apparent. Sometimes that will be the good-nature of people who know how to get things done when every one else around them are tired, on edge and cranky. But for most of us, we go into defense mode and our ragged emotions can get the best of us and the not so attractive parts of us surface. Egos take over, frustrations turn into nasty words sprayed across whoever comes into the line of fire, stress and pressure causes us to boil over and self-control melts into trying to control others. I have many example of friendships unraveling in the quest for the finish line in the final days. The final days are never any fun. It is in these times that we need to be self-aware enough to know that our humanness and nature could lead into saying and doing things that we will regret later. It might be useful to keep a check-list of these watch-outs in front of us during these times so that we don't fall into the trap or slide into a hole that we can't dig ourselves out from. In 2 Timothy 3:1-4 Paul describes to Timothy what will happen to people in the final days before Christ returns, but the similarities of how we all can act in our own final days that we face are stark and can be that watch list for us; "You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasures rather than God." It is a harsh list but I suspect there are traits here that are not unfamiliar to any of us who have our backs to the wall and in the final days and hours of stressful projects. If we are in the middle of this now, or see these days coming, let us guard our hearts first and then allow God to guard us against living out any of these traits. May we be guarded, stay safe and true to what we know and believe in any final days.

Reference: 2 Timothy 3:1-4 (New living Testament)

day 412: Work Hard?

Should we work hard? Seems like a silly question doesn't it? Of course we should work hard and our work ethic should drive us to do so. But, not everyone is the same when it comes to this topic. According to the Pew Institutes Research, the last four generations (The Greatest Generation, Silent Generation, Baby Boomers and Generation X) all counted work ethic as a significant part of what defines them. But the newest generation, The Millenials, don't have this in their definition. It's not that they mind work, it is just that when put in the context of the rest of their lives it's not as important and maybe therefore, they just don't see hard work as important as the rest of us. Guess what, we are all going to have to adapt to understand this better over the next decade. What makes any of us want to work hard is that we have something meaningful to work towards. We all can remember one of those situations where we have worked all night on a project and ate the pizza more than once and while we really didn't want to be there, there was no place that we would rather be. Why? Because we felt that work was important and we were making a difference and what we were doing was important at the time. This makes the hard work worth it. I also think that there times when we are called upon to work hard and for us to set the right example we need to dig deep and know that we need to live up to the expectations of others. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul, Silas and Timothy write to the church in Thessalonica and they make it clear that sometimes work will be hard but the expectation is that we pull our weight. They say to the people there in Chapter 3:10; "Even while we were there with you, we gave your this rule: 'Whoever does not work should not eat." That means, they were expected to work, work hard and if not, then the most basic of rewards would be withheld. Maybe we are taking for granted that someone needs us to work hard this week. Maybe with just a little extra effort and oomph we can not only live up to expectations but also exceed those needs. When we do this, I believe we open up the door for more to come our way, but also earn the respect of others, which can lead to our examples being ones that others want to learn about and follow. A little hard work can go a long way.

Reference: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (New Living Testament)

day 411: Happy Problems

When I am in an airport airline lounge I love to listen the conversations happening around me. At the root, they are all the same. They are business people all trying to fix some type of problem. It can be a problem with their travel, a problem with a deal, a problem with an employee, or a problem with a customer. It can be any type of problem and they are working as hard as they can to fix it and make it go away. This is one of the fundamentals of work. We fix problems. But, problems can be weighty and disheartening and they can create stress that leads to other problems. All of the emotions that come from problems and our need to resolve them can be managed. The problems will still be there but our emotions and reactions to problems are ours to control and create. The answer is all in our outlook and how we look at the problems when they come to our doorstep. We get a choice each and every time. We can either let them take over us or we can take over them. In Romans 5:3 Paul says; "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure." He goes on in verse 4 with; "And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectations of salvation." I love those two verses because in them we learn that in those problems, way down deep, are the beginnings of the reminder to us of what our God has sacrificed for us to that we can receive His salvation. So, today, each and every problem can be looked at as happy problems because if we remember these problems that seem so hard to overcome are just the first steps of what is the ultimate expectation! Hard to do, yes. But, that is the strength that God wants us build each and every day, starting today!

Reference: Romans 3:3-4 (New Living Testament)

day 410: The Journey Is Worth It

Some of the happiest people I know are the people who have a job where the work is done each day and at the end of the day there isn't much to stress about. But, most jobs are not so tidy and there is usually something to be done in the longer term so that the work becomes a bit of a journey from here to there. This is where we learn endurance and perseverance. It is also where we learn to plan, pace, sequence and bring the work in on time. Some people become masters at this. Others struggle, but make it happen. And there are those who never quite get it right and go through their work career careening to get things delivered. There is a skill in being able to manage and work on something for an extended amount of time and do so with the same energy level and commitment at the end as when the work was started. Those who can do this earn the respect and the confidence of the people making work assignments and tend to get more and more put on their plate. Consequently, they grow in both stature and rewards. So, we need to know, learn and remember that inside the journey is the real work and completing the journey is what you are expected to do. The story of Eliezer in Genesis 24 is one from which we can learn. He was sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. His task involved a journey, commitment and faith to find completion. He prayed along the way a prayer that we should all pray as we go about our work; "Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey". You may be at the beginning, the middle or near the end of your own work journey. Wherever you are, do not lose faith or energy. Instead call upon God for Him to help you accomplish the purpose. Like He did Eliezer, He will bring you to the right well and be there for you to complete the task and finish the journey.

Reference: Genesis 24:12 (New Living Testament)

day 409: Distress Days

Invariably and almost predictably, will come a day in our jobs which feels like a day of distress. We all know these days. These are the days when no matter what we have going, nothing is going right. These are the days when no one seems happy with our performance and what we are doing for them. These are the days when we don't know who to trust and who does or doesn't have our back. These are the days when our nerves are so raw that we question the tone of each word that comes out of the mouth of others. These are the days when we just can't wait for the day to end. Thankfully, they don't come every day, but every few months or for a flurry once a year they do come and when they hit they hurt. I would like to say that I know a way to avoid them, but I don't. What I do know is how to cope when they do arrive, and arrive they will. We can manage through these times on two planes. On the human side, knowing where we are emotionally so that we recognize our own signs of distress is very important. I think of the story of the boy who digs a hole and is so intent on digging the hole as deep as it can go that he forgets to look up until he finds that he dug the hole so deep that he can't get out. We all are guilty of that on occasion. What we cannot do is forget to look up to know and understand where we are at all times. When the days of distress hit if we try to ignore the warning signs and we don't adjust then we will find ourselves overwhelmed without any way to get our of our own hole. The other plane to manage on is our faith. God allows these days of distress to hit us but He will never give us more than we can handle, if, we are open and willing to take these days to Him for His help. We have many promises of this throughout God's Word. David sings out this promise in Psalm 143:11; "For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress." Today you may be either in or entering a day of distress. Do you know the signs for yourself? And more importantly, are you ready to allow God to be there for you when it hits? Now is the time of preparation, not when the distress is upon you. Start today with asking God to help you through this day and to strengthen your faith in Him and to ready you for anything that comes along. If you do this, the days of distress, when they do come, you will be ready.

Reference: Psalm 143:11 (New Living Testament)

day 408: Useful Time

Every once in a while comes along one of those days when the calendar is clear and we look to that day as the day that we are going to get so much done. We start thinking about the goals for that day and we set aside our projects or the list of what needs to happen and we wake enthusiastically for this day of productivity. But then, something happens. What starts as a day of tight objectives and a high sense of efficiency, somehow unravels into too much time talking on the phone to someone else, getting lost and meandering down the hallways to catch up with someone that we haven't talked to in a while, spending too much time digging on the Internet for something that is really not that important, cleaning out a file cabinet that needed cleaning but really isn't a priority right now, or just not pushing ourselves very hard. Then at the end of the day we say to ourselves, "Where did that day go?" I am making the assumption that I am not alone in this phenomena. What happens is that we become so conditioned to back to back meetings, lists of phones calls that need to be returned urgently that day, emails that must be answered, and deadlines that are precariously looming, to set a pace and cadence for our days. When those milestones and markers aren't there, we tend to allow ourselves to drift and our productivity falls. How we use our time is how we find the usefulness of time. Time moves on with or without us making the most of the hours we are given. When we use up our time well we feel good about that. When we don't we beat ourselves up for wasting something we know is precious. Focusing on how we manage our time and how we expend it is a skill that we all should continue to learn about, practice and try to master. We can call on God to help us in this area. David did in Psalm 90 when he prays; "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom". The more we become better at utilizing our time the more effective we can be and ultimately gain the wisdom we need to meet any situation. I am reminded today that God so wants to come to work with each of us. He wants us to work for His glory and even in the area of time management, He desires us to be the best we can be. Today, let's take our day to Him and ask Him to help us manage what can be the most useful of times.

Reference: Psalm 90:17 (New Living Testament)

day 407: Through a Child's Eyes

We have all been accused at one time or another of "bringing our work home with us". Typically, that is in a negative connotation because we come home with real work to do that we couldn't get done in the office, or we bring our emotional work baggage home with us and we let a stinky day affect how we relate to others who had no bearing or impact on how the day had unfolded for us. Usually others are getting the brunt of a tough day. A watch out for all of us are the children in our lives who through their impressions of how we talk and represent our work, begin to establish their own thoughts about what it must be like to "work" and have a job. Imagine if all a child hears about the job of mom or dad are the negatives and the complaints of how bad the day was or how poorly the boss treated them, or how a co-worker was lazy, etc., then a child's impression of what it must be like to work will be negative and probably not very interesting for them in the future. Purposed worKING was created to help all of us realize our purpose in our work; to bring glory to God in all that we do. If we can't show that at home then we probably are having an even harder time showing it at work. David cries out to God in Psalm 90:16 that our children need to see God's glory in God's work; "...let our children see your glory at work". Let David's words be direction to us as well that we need to ensure that our children can see God's glory at work in us and our jobs so that one day they will also want to work towards the same.

Reference: Psalm 90:16 (New Living Testament)

day 406: Testing

I was in a meeting recently where the debate was around 360 degree feedback. Part of the group felt it was still the best development tool every created and the other part of the group said that it was so random in giving and receiving of the feedback that they felt it was almost dangerous to people. On both sides of the debate though was the agreement that everyone should have some sort of testing and feedback given to them on a regular and frequent basis. Companies have many ways of collecting feedback and providing that back to people. There are all kinds of tests that can be administered to see how someone is being perceived and then growing or not within that feedback. If you are a leader and have not done something like this before, I encourage you to do so. Having a mirror placed in front of you and then testing yourself is a good thing. Athletes do it all the time to measure and monitor their status and progress. There is no reason we in our jobs shouldn't be doing the same. Even we as believers need to be constantly testing and monitoring where we are within our spiritual walk with God. Paul says this to the church in Corinth; "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test." Maybe what we need more today than a work 360 is a good spiritual 360 test. All feedback methods start with a self-assessment. Right now we can start with asking ourselves how committed are we in deepening and strengthening our relationship with the Lord? If the answer is that we are deeply committed, then the actions have to back up the belief with our time in the Word, time in prayer and time in fellowship with other believers. If we want to work to our purpose we have to be prepared and spiritually fit, no different in how we work so hard to be prepared and fit for the work we do for our jobs. Maybe now would be a good time to do a little testing to see where you stack up against what you believe and what you are doing against those beliefs. You may not like the results but like a 360 degree feedback tool, you can't improve upone what you don't recognize and know.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 13:5 (New Living Testament)

day 405: Don't Forget From Where You Came

I find it interesting and sometimes a bit perplexing that companies work hard at making the culture one for all and all for one, but then turn around and run the organization in just the opposite fashion. These are the companies where the senior executives make crazy multiples higher in salary than the front line employee and the front line employee's salary and benefits, etc. are kept as low as possible against a market rate while management and senior management reward themselves more towards their perceived performance and potential in the company. Not all organizations are this way, but there is certainly a common philosophy thread within corporate America that lends itself to not being one for all and all for one, but more being one for a few and all for me. What is also fascinating is that we forget that we all came from the bottom. No one graduates from school or goes into their first job and starts at the top. Granted, not everyone starts in the mail room but we all started at the bottom rung of our profession and found our way further up the ladder over time. Whether or not we get to the top is not the point, what is important is that we ensure that lower rungs of the ladder are sturdy, reliable, secure and safe, if we want others to be able to climb the ladder in the future. In 1 John we are challenged to monitor and be cognizant of how we think about our success and others who are not there yet. It is an applicable word for those of us trying to work our purpose of bringing glory to God through our jobs; "But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help - how can God's love be in that person?" Today, we may be sitting in our chairs of success and not realizing that so many in our organization are struggling and what they need most is a mentor, a word of encouragement, an advocate or even just someone to listen. If you want to find them, you don't have to look far. Just look down the ladder a few rungs and they are there with one foot on the their current rung and the other foot one rung higher with both hands clasped on an even higher rungs, looking no where but up, ready to move if someone will help or invite them. God's love is helping. God's love can be seen through you today if just don't forget from where you came.

Reference: 1 John 3:17 (New Living Testament)

day 404: Write It Down

Ever been to a restaurant and the waiter doesn't write anything down and then off he/she goes to place the order? From the moment of ordering to the time the order comes out on the table, in perfect condition we hope, we worry a little bit about what is going to happen. The waiter thinks that he/she is really impressing us, but in most cases this backfires and we instead fret and our anxiety goes up about the whole ordeal. If the order does come back perfect we don't say at tip time, "Let's really tip big because of his memory", even though that is what they think or wish is going to happen. And if the order is not right at all, then we really take it out on the waiter and say, "All he had to do was write it down". What is interesting about this is that the power of writing something down can create confidence in others, if we let it. Just by showing the concern and taking the time to write down what we have heard or need to do, others around us get a better sense and feeling that we will follow through on what goes on the paper. There are other times when we write things down to chronicle or measure progress what has happened. Minutes of meetings, quality assurance logs, expenditures, travel reimbursements, etc. all are written records of activities for others to use and manage. Without a doubt, writing it down and recording it is important. But way less people understand this than they should. I made it clear as an expectation that everyone who worked for me would carry some sort of notebook into meetings so that when they left the action items and a record of the meeting was written down. There just isn't enough time to go back waste others times and try and recreate a memory. God seemed to be telling Moses the same thing in Numbers 33:2; "At the Lord's direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress." We then go on to read in the rest of the chapter the progress that was made. Is writing it down, somehow holy? Probably not, but it is good form and practice and sometimes that is enough in the form of good advice and direction from the Bible. It reminds me that if we follow God's directions in our lives, and in our work, that we will not be led astray.

Reference: Numbers 33:2 (New Living Testament)

day 403: Financial Independence

While some will say that they work for things more meaningful than financial rewards, I know few people who say they want to work for their entire lives. They work, invest and save for a day when they won't have to work and they will have some financial independence and freedom. That said, there are many, many who focus so much on this goal that financial independence becomes the end game and they miss the joy of work and the purpose that they can bring to their jobs. When we let our quest for financial freedom overtake us then we have missed the point and we are skating towards what could be a difficult career and disappointment. The Fidelity 401K ads encourage us to know and walk around with our "retirement number" in our arms or hanging over our heads. There is certainly nothing wrong with a goal and without them we likely don't achieve what we want to achieve, but we also don't want to find ourselves in a situation where we become obsessed or overtaken by the quest to make money. In Deuteronomy Moses warns the Israelites of can happens when they lose the right perspective; “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt" Let us not, as we work towards the purpose of bringing glory to God in our jobs, lose the context and perspective that we only are able to earn and share in the rewards given to us because He gave us the talents and skills to achieve and succeed. Keeping our eye on Him as the prize will provide us with way more than financial independence, it will provide us with eternal rewards!

Reference: Deuteronomy 8:11-14 (New Living Translation)

Day 402: Weakest Link

We all have said or heard at one point or another, "we are only as strong as our weakest link". This references the links of a chain. If one of the links of the chain are weak, then the whole strength of the chain is compromised. That is why we are to be sure that we hire, train and develop the strongest people we can for our teams. When we have someone on our team who is not as strong as others, then we need to be sure that we are continuously either upgrading or developing to make the whole team stronger. This is not easy to do and it many times will take an ongoing deep analysis of the overall team's strengths as well as for each individual. What is most important is that we are committed to this exercise and that everyone on the team understands this. From here, each individual can grow and become stronger and the team will strengthen together. Yes, the weakest link determines the overall strength and sustainability of the team, just like a chain that holds the burden of any load. As believers we can always be improving our strength by ensuring that we are keeping ourselves close to the Lord in all that we do. We read in this Psalm; "I love you, Lord; you are my strength." By allowing ourselves to fall deeper and deeper in love with God we can build more and more strength in this endeavor we call life. It is important that we never become the weakest link in the chain. God does not want us to be that in our work or our lives. Today, it may time to do a strength test and see just how strong you are. If you determine you need to become stronger, then you know where to go as the source of all strength going forward.

Reference: Psalm 18:1 (New Living Testament)

day 401: Risk Management

I was in a meeting in the Board of Directors room of one of the largest financial institutions in the world and I said to myself, "if only these walls could talk". A senior executive presented on the company and his career and the differences of working at this company versus non-financial institutions. One of the characteristics that stood out was that in his current role that risk management was one of the highest priorities of his and the rest of senior management. Not that it hadn't always been a priority, but now more than ever there is scrutiny from all angles around the risks being taken and how risk is managed and mitigated. I was impressed by how in the number of people who get involved now versus before in risk management that the opportunity for mistakes have gone dramatically down and they are finding themselves better managed and prepared if something does come up. This makes sense to me. So many times we try to go it alone in the areas that we don't want others to see us make or potentially make mistakes. It is almost built in as a way of things getting done in business. But just the opposite, there is safety in numbers. We know that from our school yard days. The Bible tells us the same. In Proverbs we read this; "Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers." It is not only about a nation, it is about a company, an organization, or a team. Without wise leaders these groups fall apart. Without many as advisers we are in danger. To manage risks and to be on the right side of safe, find your trusted advisers and make them part of your routine risk management today and every day. There is no reason to ever go it alone and having those around you who share your same beliefs as trusted advisers will only make it better.

Reference: Proverbs 11:14, NLT

day 400: Understanding Understanding

To understand something, you have to work at it. Sure, sometimes it comes easy and we will understand immediately, but in other cases to really understand all that there is, we have to dig to comprehend the whole subject and most importantly, the downstream ramifications of what may or may not happen from what is in front of us. I am amazed with people who can grasp something quickly and then apply that new found understanding to what they have in front of them now and for the future. To really understand a topic, a problem, a challenge or an issue, I think it takes the ability to look at something like you are looking through a prism. What goes in as white light ends up on the wall as many different colors. This is why to understand fully we have to be willing to take the time, energy and effort to listen intently, not judge on face value and to be self-aware that our own filters don't impeded or taint what is really going on. It feels like that we get this opportunity all day long, every day at our jobs. I am working on a project right now that is requiring the filtering of lots of different people's points of view to get to the heart of the matter, or to get to true understanding of the issues and the challenge. A casual observation would certainly yield a different result than what comes from digging in and giving extra time and attention. We should always seek to find the true understanding in whatever we do as usually much more depends on it than appears, like people's feelings, fragile egos, ulterior motives, etc. There is another reason to try and understand understanding. We read this in Proverbs; "Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding." Having true understanding answers many things for us and when we have answers we find a peace and within that peace can then flow joy. It's hard to be joyful at times of consternation or turmoil. Today, if you are staring down a problem or challenge then do the extra work necessary to gain full understanding. Once you are there, it can only be much, much better than it is now.

Reference: Proverbs 3:13 (New Living Testament)

day 399: Thank Yous

This will be a short post today about thank yous. Today, listen carefully around the office to how many times you hear and use the words, "thank you". Some people end every conversation and email with a thank you, but for some thank you is a hard set of words to use. Imagine that in our jobs the spirit of thankfulness was endemic to the company and that everyone started from a place of being thankful first. How great would that be? That is how we are to be as believers. We see it clearly in Colosians 3:15: "And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." Yes, we are to always be thankful for those around us, for the talents and gifts given to us, for the ability to work, for the chance to be able to influence, for the opportunity to work and live to the purpose of bringing glory to God in all that we do. To that, let us say all day long on this day, "Thank You!"

Reference: Colosians 3:15 (New Living Testament)

day 398: Judgment Wins The Day

When it comes down to it, those who have good judgment win out over those who don't. While not always said explicitly, when it comes to the final decision as to who is going to receive what is being delegated, the person who is delegating has to determine who will best represent how the work should be completed and who will be able to do so in a way that makes everyone proud and assured of completion of the work. To get to that final decision means that the person who has the best judgment will likely win out. We trust people with good judgment. We come to depend upon those with good judgment. And we rest well at night knowing that someone with good judgment will be the person who gets the job done the right way. Last I looked there was no college major in judgment or classes that we can take for continuing education that teaches us how to perfect our judgment. No, good judgment comes from a core set of values and principles that are solid and reoccurring in our decision making and our actions. Judgment can be improved if we become more and more cognizant of making decisions based on our internal value and principle gauge. But, it is an abstract subject for sure and there are many who believe that a person either has good judgment or not and that it is almost innate. It's debatable but here is what we as believers can discern from God's word; "Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment." Whether our judgment is perfect all the time or not, we can rest assured that if we deepen our relationship with the Lord and come to know Him even closer that we can expect our judgment to improve. This makes sense to me since judgment and values and principles are so intimately linked that deeper knowledge of God can only enhance all of the above. So, if today you are faced with the challenge of questioned judgment or a need to strengthen your judgment going forward, then the textbook on developing good judgment sits not far from you in the form of God's Word.

Reference: Proverbs 9:10 (New Living Testament)

day 397: Form, Storm and Norm

The common way that teams and partnerships come together is that they pass through the stages of forming, storming and then norming. Forming is easy. It is just coming together and getting to know one another and starting to work together in the best way possible. Norming is when the team or group begin to fall into a pattern of working together that is based on trust of each other and the following of the patterns of their skills and experiences. It is the middle phase that is the most interesting. The phase known as storming. Few like this phase because it is uncomfortable and not pleasant. This is when the true emotions get put on the table and we find the boundaries with each other. It is also the stage when any lingering issues or harbored feelings get exposed. Some groups never come through this phase because the issues to deal with are just too exposed or raw. Or, the people in the team get their feelings hurt beyond repair. While it is ugly, few good teams ever come to be without going through the storming phase. Those who do go through it successfully can be come very tight and trusting as if they are then almost inseparable. Many great things can happen with a team when they reach this level of togetherness. There is much storming that happens all around us at work and we just need to be ready and sensitive to taking these times and turning them into good. I am reminded of the verse in Job that references God's voice like one that comes from the storms; God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power." Even in the storms God can be there with us. If His voice is in the thunder, then He can certainly be with us as we go through the storming stages in our work. Today would be a great day to ensure that you are taking God to work with you to be there with you in the storms.

Reference: Job 37:5 (New Living Testament)

day 396: 'Dem Be The Rules

Work is managed more through rules than we would even imagine, that is until we sit down and read all the through the policy and procedure book. No wonder some of the most creative people find ways to not go to work for big companies so that they aren't subject to the myriad of rules and regulations. Of course there must be some set of rules in order for any organization to function and operate, but I have always been a believer that in the rule category, less is more. If we fill a book up with policies to try and cover every imaginable situation then we are surely penalizing those that don't need to be penalized and we are creating statutes for the exceptions and that doesn't bode well for a philosophy of trusting those around us. The companies that do it the best, in my mind, are those who manage from a place of values and principles first and rules second, and only when there is no other way around it they put a rule in place. The first time we encounter rules in our lives are as children and each of them are put there to set boundaries to keep us safe and out of harms way. As we grow older we want less boundaries and we search for independence and freedoms. The same can be said for how we work. Within each of our jobs we want as much autonomy and freedom as possible and rules tend only to get in the way. But, they are a way of work life and unless we are in a position to influence how the rules are written, we just have to live within them. King David had the right attitude as it came to rules and laws. He said to God in Psalm 119:44; "Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live." We may not always think that the rules and laws within our work are right, but seeking to understand so that we can live within them will help bring some sense to why and how to manage within them. Don't be a person who lets the rules get you down or cause your attitude to be affected because you don't like the ways things are managed. Do your best, to understand the "whys" behind the rules and then find your own way to work and live within them.

Reference: Psalm 119:144 (New Living Testament)