day 523: "Once In A LifeTime"

We are experiencing "baseball fever" here in the By Area. The San Francisco Giants are in the World Series and are playing their hearts out, and winning (I write this will respect to my Texas readers who are cheering for their Rangers). Every office water cooler group here is talking about the Giants. Orange is the color of the season. Every where you go there is a reference about the Giants. Last night's game was one for the record books and as I listened to one of the post game radio shows, the host remarked, "this game was a once in lifetime game". "Once in a lifetime", is a phrase that gets bantered around when sports teams are playing in post-season championships or when we get a chance to go see something remarkable or unique by way of travel or experience. I am sometimes marveled by the number of times we hear that saying; "once in a lifetime". Why I am struck by it is that we should actually be saying it every day, all day long because each thing we do, no matter how routine or mundane is also "once in a lifetime." Even the assembly line worker who pushes the same button all day long could, if he/she so chose, determine that each time the button was pushed it is a once in a lifetime moment because no two times will that person be thinking the same thoughts, or the environment around them be exactly the same, or can they as a person (who is aging and changing) be exactly the same in two different moments of time. So, each and every day at work and out of work is filled with "once in a lifetime" moments. Then the question is what do we do with these days and times to make them important and memorable. David gives us some insight into this in Psalm 72:18 as he writes of the end of his lifetime; "Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me." David never wanted to let a moment go by that he was not bringing glory to God. As we go through a day of our own once in a lifetimes, let us observe and be aware of how we are making the most of this time. Let us be an example and model to others so that each and every day that we walk with our Lord and allow Him to be our purpose, that we are making the most of our own "once in a lifetime" opportunities.

Reference: Psalm 71:18 (New Living Testament)

day 522: No, It Is Not Sweet

I have noticed over the years that the only place where people are more insistent on getting even and getting revenge than they are on the playground as kids, is at work. Maybe it is because we can so easily take out our frustrations and anger with someone else at work without too many repercussions, or maybe it is because work memories are only as long as the current boss and management team, so people feel more courageous to get even with others, hold grudges and do whatever it takes to put themselves in front of others, especially those that they feel have wronged them in some way. I have spent way too many hours in my career hearing about how someone feels mistreated, taken advantage of, spoken down to, etc. and just about the moment that I could start to feel a little empathy for them, they switch into spewing out their plans on how they will get back at someone or get even against them. Way too much energy is spent on this pervasive attitude versus reconciling, forgiving, forgetting and moving on. It is easy for any one of us to get caught up in this and lose perspective. Paul tells us that this is not becoming of the type of person that God wants us to be. He says in Romans 12:17; "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone." Notice that he says, "anyone". This means our competitors and our enemies too. Today, think about those who have offended you and ask yourself if you are still holding a grudge or worse yet, plotting and planning a revenge. In the eyes of God, revenge is anything but sweet.

Reference: Romans 12:17 (New Living Testament)

day 521: Let's Take A Walk

A few years ago, Hank Stringer (friend and co-author of our book, Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business) had this idea for a video presentation that he called "The Purpose Walk". Hank's idea (which still should be done) was to to have an interviewer take a walk with an accomplished executive and talk about that executive's past, values, principles, learning and then culminate with the executive talking about his/her purpose and what it means to them. I thought these would be fascinating segments to watch and learn from. I also like the idea of taking a walk to clear our heads and to think and talk. I know people who just vacate the office at certain times of the day to clear their head. They usually do this alone, but imagine if we were to take a walk once a day with someone we wanted to learn from or hear their experiences? How great would that be? Well, if wanted to do that, we could. It just takes us starting it and asking someone else if they want to get out of the office for a few minutes, stretch their legs and get some fresh air. Who wouldn't want that? Solomon said that we can become wise this way; "Walk with the wise and become wise..". And if we don't have anyone who wants to walk with us, I know someone who always wants to take a walk with us and will allow us to say anything that is on our mind, talk about any problems we have, and take on any challenge or problem that we have. That walking partner is always there and all we have to do is open up ourselves to Him. You might want to consider taking one of those walks today and see where it leads.

Reference: Proverbs 13:20 (New Living Testament)

day 520: The Arc Of A Day

When we rise in the morning and ready ourselves for work we shift our mind and thinking to going away from our home and loved ones to another place where we may not be as happy or as fulfilled, but know that we have a job to do so we go do it. We give it our best. We forget to call home. We lose track of the hours and along the day we find ourselves more engrossed in our work than the rest of our lives. As the day winds down and the people around us begin to log-off and pack up we do the same and as we commute back to where we spend most of our time we transition back into the other person who now needs to provide time and attention to those who are also in our lives but don't share the 8-16 hours a day that we do when we are working. We refresh in our hours away from the office. We recharge in the love and companionship of family and friends. And then we start it all over the next day. We live the arc of a day, each and every working day that we have. What is amazing about the human spirit and ability is that we find both power and energy in our time away from work and within our work. Together, if balanced, we are enthusiastic and fit to tackle the challenges within and outside of work. But, that arc must be managed and balanced for it all to work correctly. When out of synch then we know how we feel; burned out, exhausted, overwhelmed, etc. I was struck by a verse this past week in John Chapter 17. Jesus is near the end of his earthly life and He prays to His Father; "Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began." I read this verse early in the morning before a day that was destined to be out of balance. There would be no time to rest or no time to communicate outside of the work that needed to be done. It was going to be a day where I was not looking forward to the challenges ahead. And then I read this verse and God spoke to me and said, "take a look at what Jesus/I did and then tell me that you can't get through any day ahead of you". I reread the verse and saw Jesus walking out the door to go do His work and near the end of His day looking forward to returning home and to the time before the work began. I heard Him managing the arc of His day! God knows our arc as He created it for us. Allow Him today to carry us from home to work to home and to make the most of the arc of this day!

Reference: John 17:5 (New Living Testament)

day 519: Slower Can Be Faster

It was Napoleon who was quoted as saying, "Dress me slow for I must ride fast today". Today we have shortened it to, "Slower is Faster". That's not always true but there is some sense in the saying. If we are not prepared, or if we don't think about what we are going to have to do when we get to where we are going, then when we get there, we won't be ready. On the job it is always hurry up and today its about immediacy. We want our information now without hesitation. We want our messages to be pushed to us continuously regardless of where we are and what we are doing. We want to know that those we work with are in constant communication and always on and ready to reply. So, when someone comes along and asks us to sit down, plan, write it out, rehearse, discuss, think or to go slower, we rebel or at the least we don't want to get out of our pattern or lose our momentum. But, sometimes we do need to go slower to be faster. But, it's really hard to do this in today's world. Just to provide some context, this is really not that new. In the Psalms, David wrote about saying to God; "In the day when I call answer me speedily”. He also prayed; “I am in trouble: hear me speedily”. David was not willing to go slow with God, but instead was just like the rest of us and wanted, in this case, his answers, now. But that is not how God works. He works on us slowly so that one day we can go fast with confidence. Think today about what areas in your life are you asking God to hurry up and work at your speed versus His. Also, take a look around your office and see if there some areas where you could benefit from slowing down to see where slower could be faster for you and those around you.

Reference: Psalm 102:2, 69:17 (New Living Testament)

day 518: Obstacles

We all have had work obstacles that kept us from getting done what we think we should have, could have, or wanted to do. Sometimes these obstacles are uncontrollable in the sense that we are provided assignments and people to work with, or circumstances and decisions made are outside of our sphere of influence. But, even with all of that, we are able to control how we think about these obstacles and how we allow ourselves to feel. I am constantly amazed at the people who can come to work each and every day and regardless of the challenges or obstacles in front of them, carry with them a positive attitude and a sense of optimism that no challenge is too great or no obstacle too hard that it can't be overcome. The irony is that these people are also the ones who the boss looks to when she/he has something to be done that seems impossible to achieve. Why? It's simple. The person who cannot see obstacles stopping them, no matter what, are the ones who get the most done. If we look at the obstacles in front of us and shrug our shoulders and say, "it can't be done", then it should be of no surprise that others wouldn't bring us their challenges, their problems to be solved, or their need for advice and counsel. This is not the way we want to be perceived or known. We want our reputation to be one of being the person who seems beyond the challenge and sees the opportunity within the problems. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 7:30; "Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God's work." We are doing God's work when we are bringing glory to Him in the earthly work that we do for a living. If Paul says that even happiness or wealth should not get in the way of doing this work, then surely there is no obstacle we could imagine that should get in the way of us being the best we can be and approaching our work as being filled with many possibilities and really, no obstacles that can stop us.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 7:30 (New Living Testament)

day 517: Pick Your Work Friends Carefully

We aren't always fortunate enough to choose who we work with on our jobs, but we do get to pick our friends. We may be limited by geography, departments or some other reasons but in most cases we still get to choose who our friends are at work. Our friends say a lot about us to others and our friends, whether or not we know it or not, have a huge influence on who are and how we act. I remember working with a person who became a work friend and we all hung out together. He was funny and smart and he had his own sayings about things and before long we all were saying all the same cliches that he said. Some of them were good things and some were bad things. The point is that we chose our friend and before long we all had picked up his habits. For those outside of the clique I am sure now that it looked like Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. The same can be said about what can happen to us when our friends are not such happy people. We can also get dragged down from the attitudes of others and become associated with these attitudes too. In Proverbs we read; "Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people." We need to be careful about who we pick as our friends as they become an extension of us and they also become more influential to ourselves than we may know.

Reference: Proverbs 22:24 (New Living Testament)

day 516: Helping Each Other

Liberty Mutual's most recent television commercial shows one person doing a kind act for another person while someone else is watching and then the person who was watching later does a good act, and so it goes. What is striking about the commercial is that the person who does the act of kindness does not know that they have been seen, nor do they ever know that their act inspired someone else to do the same. The lesson is a powerful one and provides us with an example of how the works of kindness and consideration that we do can turn into something quite powerful and like the commercial, become a chain of good actions. As we work in our jobs, how often do we think about doing that extra act of consideration that others would see as the role modeling of how they are supposed to also be behaving? Jesus told us that there were two commandments that stood above all others, when He said that we are to love the Lord God with all our heart, and also to love our neighbors as ourselves. The Pastor of my church made the point this last weekend that as followers of Jesus, we don't get to choose between the two. There is no "or", it is "and". So, this means that we have to love and treat our neighbors as we love our ourselves and this extends to our co-workers. Today, think about the actions that you will undertake and how those actions either live up to the commandment or doesn't. Our ability to do an act of kindness or provide an unexpected act of consideration, may well be rooted in where our heart is and our relationship with the Lord. Today, start with an action of helping someone else and do so from your heart.

Reference: Mark 12: 29-31 (New Living Testament)

day 515: Work Talk

Sometimes we forget what is work and who is watching when we are working. I don't know if any professional athletes read Purposed worKING, but there are some who I wish did so that they would recognize that when they are working, we are all watching. This past couple of weeks have found me watching lots of hours of baseball. Yes, I have been hanging around the workplace of, in particular, The San Francisco Giants and The New York Yankees. Maybe it is high definition TV or I have gotten better at reading lips but the work talk of baseball players is pretty distinct and a bit salty. And this is not just from the rank and file, but also from the management as the TV cameras head into the dugout. Okay, so most of us don't show up on national television when we are working, but there are plenty of people who are watching and listening. The example that is left with one person, or ten, or thousands, is one that we need to recognize can be long-lasting. It is also hard to recover our reputation once the words start spewing. Paul says to us 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." Some might be wondering why this theme of controlling our language comes up so often in Purposed worKING? The answer lies in the last time any one of us let a word slip that we so wish we wouldn't have said and how quick the word rolled off our tongue. Some areas in our life need more reminding than others. Our work talk could be one of those areas.

Reference: Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Testament)

day 514: Revving Up

Mondays are when the engines start to rev up for the week. Well, actually for most people, Sunday night is the beginning and by the time we hit the bed our mind is already racing and we can toss and turn all night in anticipation or anxiety for what Monday morning and the week will bring. While we want to hit the ground running on Mondays at full speed we still want to ensure that we haven't short-changed our ability to recharge over the weekend, or worse have not given enough time and attention to family or those who also need our relationship energy and time. There is something to be said for coming into the week with a sense of knowing what needs to be done but doing so in a calm and purposeful manner that invites ourselves and others to focus and be deliberate. When the pent up energy comes through the door like the Tasmanian Devil from the Bugs Bunny cartoons that energy can also be the start of a frenetic week that goes in any and all directions. One way to ensure that we rev up in the right way is to place our priorities correctly and to put our mind and spirit where they should be before we hit the office door. David writes in Psalm 37:7; "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act." If we can start today in time with the Lord and before we get all revved up, and we find enough quiet time to be still, then we might find that we how the rest of our day and week goes is more "revved up" than we could have ever imagined. It takes patience, as the verse says, but that patience can turn into something special, if we let God do his work on us first.

Reference: Psalm 37:7 (New Living Testament)

day 513: Counting our Blessings

On this Friday as we go to work we will hear on the radio or read in the news that first time unemployment claims continue to rise. By this time we had expected that the recession to have ended and that job growth would be happening, not have the job picture remain bleak. Technically the "great recession" ended last year but for most people there is still the fear of more to come or a second shoe to drop. Not everyone who reads Purposed worKING has a job right now, but many of you do and as you complete this week, it is important that you consider the job you have now as a blessing. It may not be perfect. It may not be the "dream job". It may not be working for exactly the type of boss or team that you would like, but the job you have right now, in comparison to the over 15 million Americans who can't find any type of work, is a blessing. And, as we read in Matthew 25:29; "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance." Using well the jobs and the work we have been given can begin with thanking the One from which all comes and asking Him how to make the work we do, and the job we have been given, a way for us to bring glory to Him? Let's not forget as we finish this week that each day we are given to bring glory to God through our work is always a blessing that we should never take for granted, but instead do our best to make a blessing for Him and others.

Reference: Matthew 25:29 (New Living Testament)

day 512: Those That Really Help

I work with a CEO who is a great person but doesn't have much of a soft side. This CEO can be known to get right to the point and sometimes to be a little fast in cutting to the chaste. This puts off other people and it can confuse them about the intention and the meaning behind the words. What is meant in all sincerity and caring can come across as dictatorial or worse yet as insensitive and uncaring. It's the difference between a few words and how the words are delivered. Since I know the person well, I also know that there is a lot of caring, empathy and appreciation inside, it just doesn't come out right. As we know, communication is a skill that must be honed and developed over time and it is also a skill that must always be evaluated and improved. This CEO is fortunate in that there are others around the team who can "interpret" for others the real message. After a message is delivered there are others who the team go to to get the reassurance they need and in some cases, some healing and understanding words. This is by no means the best case scenario, but fortunately as the CEO is developing and getting better at communicating, there are others to help. Someday those training wheels of other people having to be the ones who intercede will go away. And if he doesn't improve, then the CEO won't be CEO for long. Communication and words are that vital and that important. What anyone of us who are in leadership positions, or even as teammates, need to recognize is what Solomon tells us in Proverbs; "Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing." It's time that we each begin to take accountability and responsibility for our words and be sure that while we are in this pressure-cooked time of business and work, that we check our cutting remarks and we ensure that we are balanced with words of understanding and healing. Our people, our co-workers and our friends are depending on us and if not us, who?

Reference: Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Testament)

day 511: Don't Be Afraid To Pay

There is always someone who is willing to "help out" and when their assistance is completed they won't take any money and they say "I don't need it", "Don't want it", etc. And usually what we will do is take them up on it and not pay. While on the surface it seems that all is well, what is underneath may not be so calm, cool and collected. When someone says, "No, really, I don't want anything for it.", they may be telling the truth, but sometimes, and I would say more often than we know, what that person really needs is someone to value their contribution and value their work and that shows up in our society as pay. People who would like to be paid but don't say it are not alone. It is very hard for any of us to represent what we feel our worth is so we don't do it. This is why celebrities, sports athletes, etc. have agents. We take it for granted but even the best of the best would have a hard time sitting down across from someone else and actually putting a dollar figure on what they think they are worth. So, they have someone else do it for them. Most of us don't have that person working for us so we offer our services for free or for a reduced value and we write it off as a "gift" to someone else. There is nothing wrong with that at all, but if we are on the side of receiving that "gift" we should think about it before we just accept that they really mean that they don't want anything for the work or the service. If we don't think about it, and don't get it right, then we run the risk of taking advantage of other people and that would run counter to who we are supposed to be. In Romans 4:4 Paul says; "When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive." Today, think about how to reward those who do something extra and something special for you. In this troubled economic day and age we live in, writing them a check as part of the thank you could be the best recognition and valuing you can give them.

Reference: Romans 4:4 (New Living Testament)

day 510: Forced Retirement

We've all at some point or another said that if we knew when our last day on the earth would be that we would live our lives differently. Those who are in their end days of life do. They put their priorities and affairs in order and they spend their waning days on those things that are most important to them in life. That is usually relationships with loved ones. Few will run over to the office and be sure that they have gotten that last memo written, etc. There are still some professions that force people to retire at certain ages. Pilots, some professional firms, university Presidents, etc. all have a retirement age. These are professions where people know when their last days of work will be. I suspect that these people work a little differently too. They probably want to ensure their legacy and they begin to work towards what is important to them before they end their careers. In some ways it is too bad that we don't all have a forced retirement date. If we did, then maybe we wouldn't concern ourselves with the frivolous and unimportant things. It sometimes takes a deadline to get us to focus and find the important. God told the Levites, through Moses, how to plan their final years of work and life. In Numbers 8:24-25 we read; "This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of 25, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by performing guard duty at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service." The Levites knew they had 25 years to serve the Lord and their people in the capacity they were assigned. What if we all began to take the attitude that we have limited time left and because of that we need to ensure that we are focusing on the right things and the important areas of our work and life? Would that change the way you think about what you are going to do today, tomorrow, or into the future?

Reference: Numbers 8:24-25 (New Living Testament)

day 509: Preoccupations

The definition of preoccupation is: 1. the state of being preoccupied, esp mentally,
2.something that holds the attention or preoccupies the mind. At the root of preoccupation is the work occupation. That is what we do for a living. We have an occupation. So, it makes sense that a preoccupation would be something that holds our attention and occupies our mind and time, sorta just like a job does. What is ironic is that our occupation is filled with many, many preoccupations. We can get easily distracted on our jobs with the things that are of so little importance in the big scheme of things that we can become not only preoccupied, but almost obsessed with those things that have crept in and taken over our minds. I wish someone could capture the amount of time and thought that happens in a day when we are thinking about silly things like; who is talking to who, why did they get invited to a meeting and I/we didn't, why is the boss asking two of us to do the same work, who will get the next promotion, why is my budget smaller than yours, how do I get the attention of the boss, etc,. etc. A lot of extraneous things that preoccupy our minds and take away from the work at hand and the bigger goals that we have in front of us. Being preoccupied would not be all bad if we had unlimited time and unlimited energy. But, we all know that our time and energy is limited and if we are going to be the best we can be, we must take advantage of each and every day and hour that we have. This would say that we cannot afford to be preoccupied and instead we must stay on task. The same is true in the bigger picture of our lives. God wants us to be the best we can be at our work and the life that we have been given, but He also wants us to keep it all in perspective. Paul tells us in Colossians to, "Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth." He is not telling us to ignore the world we live in, he is just telling us to not become preoccupied to the point that we lose touch with the bigger picture and the main goal of life. Today, are you preoccupied with something at work that when you think about it a year from now, or even a month from now, it likely won't matter? Those are the things that should be swept aside in favor of focus and priorities. The same should be true with the preoccupations of life.

Reference: Colossians 3:2 (New Living Testament)

day 508: Who's The Boss?

A common event in the workplace is when a new boss shows up on the scene that a power struggle between the person who believes they should be, or should have been, the boss and the new boss. This game over power can be destructive to the team and to the people involved. I have seen teams of people basically ruin the chance for the new boss to succeed. I have also seen the power struggle start and the new boss declare that he/she is the new sheriff and people on the team get pushed out and replaced. This begs the question on why it is it so hard for us to willingly let someone new take over and for us to give that person our 100% support? It's like it is some kind of ego thing that keeps us from allowing a new person to easily slide into the leadership seat and for us to step forward and give that person the respect, support and following that they have been given, or more than likely, that they earned. Maybe it is not just ego that gets in the way, maybe it is also fear of change and fear of the unknown. We get comfortable to the way things have been and we don't want change or anything that is going to disrupt the way it has always been. Regardless, we should try and find a way to be more supportive so that we are known as a person who can accept and welcome change and know our place in the hierarchy of our organization. To not accept our place is to come across as overly ambitious, coveting, envious and even jealous. A good reminder is what Paul told us about how we are to work; "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." If we can work like this, then all the rest falls into the right perspective. If we are working like we are working for the Lord, there is no question about who is the boss and in fact, that would be a silly question. So today, if you are struggling with someone new on the team, a new role, or a new boss, remember that the question is not who's the boss, but rather how willingly are we working for that new boss?

Reference: Colossians 3:23 (New Living Testament)

day 507: Assignments

Each of us, within our jobs and work have an assignment. Sometimes that assignment is the position that we hold, sometimes it is a role or work that we do with our job or is ancillary to our position. Regardless, assignments are how work gets done. Someone makes the assignment and somebody else fulfills the assignment. Then it is about us either liking or disliking the assignment. If we dislike the assignment we are not as likely to do the task as energetically or as well as if we were to have been happy and excited about the assignment when it was received. The difference in our mindset is important. Many times it is hard to accept those things we don't want to do. It is in those times that we need someone else to explain the bigger picture and to give us a vision of why we are doing it, and why what we have been asked to do is important and something that is good and worthwhile for us to spend our time and energy trying to complete. We need to be influenced and encouraged. The problem is that there aren't always people around who will take the time or have the willingness to do this. So, we have to self-motivate and get excited about our assignments all by ourselves even though we don't really want to do so. You may be facing one of those assignments today. You may even be in a job that you don't want. In these times remember that we are placed here to bring glory to God in all that we do; that could be the sole purpose of our work. And if you are wondering about the assignment, remember that all comes from God, within His will and reasoning. In Revelation 4:11 we read; "...For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created." There is the best of all when it comes to understanding the why of the assignments we are given.

Reference: Revelation 4:11 (New Living Testament)

day 506: Open Door Policy

It's often heard when a new leader comes onto the scene that she or he will tell their team that they operate under an "open door policy". This means that the leader is trying to tell everyone that he/she will be accessible and that people on the team should feel free to stop by any time and talk about what is on their mind. In all reality, few really can follow up on that promise as the calendar fills with meetings, travel, management duties, etc. I saw a tweet recently from a friend who said that the person who created the open door policy never got anything done. Having personally worked in a cubicle for seven years and then another two and a half years just out in the open, I can relate to the statement. When our entire management team was sitting out in the open, our version of the closed door was when we would put our iPod ear buds in our ears. Even then, it was very easy for anyone to just walk up and start a conversation. In hindsight, there was many a day when I sure wished I could have been in an office for a few hours each day and shut a door to think and just do. But as a leader, being accessible for those who felt they needed me, probably far outweighed those lost hours of concentration and focus. Even if we don't have an office with a door, being available and having our proverbial doors open to others is a good thing. This is not the only time that we should pay attention to doors that are closed or open. Jesus tells us; "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." So, today, it is not only someone who works for you, or someone you work with who wants you to open the door. God wants you to have the ultimate open door policy for Him at all times.

Revelation 3:20 (New Living Testament)

day 505: Turning Productivity Inside Out

If you run a business, or a part of a business, you are always looking at your productivity levels. It is a measurement that can sometimes be elusive, especially in those jobs and areas where the output is less tangibly measurable, but even so, striving for maximum productivity is one way to know that the business is performing. The government also measures this, but they do it along the lines of the amount of hours being worked versus the number of people working and productivity becomes a measure of how much "work" is being done because someone is on the job longer. We all know that just because someone is at their desk or in the office that it doesn't mean that work is getting done. What we want to know is that when people are working that they are gaining the greatest amount of efficiency and that their output is off the charts. We are looking for the "wow factor" and want to be amazed that so much was done with so little, by so few (I wish I had been the first one to use that line). As we chase productivity we also must be sure and look "inside" and see what else we can do to ensure that everything is running as well-oiled as possible. Since we are talking about humans and not machines, there is plenty to examine and inspect and it becomes hard because no two people are the same. We all boot up differently each day and life has so many variables that we become highly unpredictable and our productivity, our real productivity, can vary over a bad night's sleep, a crying baby, a stalled car, a failing relationship, a bruised ego, or just a bad mood. Paul tells us something about how to find productivity in the book of Titus. He says we have to turn it inside out and look to others first; "Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive." If we want to find productivity from those around us, and ourselves, we have to dig deep first and be sure that the urgent needs of life are solved first and then we will find productivity. Asking a car to run when it is out of oil is asking for trouble. Asking a person to be productive when they carry the weight of worries or crisis on the home front, is asking for failure. As we search for productivity, let's search for solving our core problems first and then productivity will come. This is an area where God wants to come to work with us. Let Him carry those burdens for us so we can work to His glory. Today, spend some time thinking and praying about those areas in your life and in the lives of others where if the urgent problems were solved that a new spring of productivity just might flow.

Reference: Titus 3:14 (New Living Testament)

day 504: Management By Wandering Around

Some of the best executives I have ever worked with were those who hated sitting down or worse yet, being stuck in an office. These executives are people who want to be out, around and among the people. They feel out of touch, stifled and cramped when they are holed up in their offices or a conference room. Don't even try and put them in a meeting room all day long unless that room is full of people who make, move or sell. That's just the way they are. They would rather be walking the halls and talking about the business and what people are doing or what people need from him/her to get their jobs done. Some people call this "managing by wandering around". Whatever you call it, it works. The more visible and in touch an executive is, or any of us are, the more we will be respected for who we are and the better the chance that when we stumble that we get a second chance because people know us beyond a nameplate or a picture of a person they have never met. When a leader gets out and wanders among the people, we can remember another great leader who was always in the streets and with those that others wouldn't be seen. Jesus taught and led by wandering around because this is how he was able to reach the people who needed Him most. It was told long before Jesus walked the earth that He, as God, would be this way; "I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people." We could do well by modeling His actions and walk among our people showing others who we are and let them see us in their environment, where they can be themselves. Let us all feel a little more comfortable to wandering around.

Reference: Leviticus 26:12 (New Living Testament)

day 503: Last One Out, Please Turn Off The Lights

"Last one out, please turn off the lights". This is not an uncommon posting to see in a conference room, a hallway or a lobby of an office building. Yes, some facilities managers have installed the more sophisticated automatic off motion sensors, but most of us are reminded that we have to turn the lights off when we leave the room. It's also a bit of a metaphor for some of us who don't know how to turn it off when we leave the office or our job and we have to be told what to do to shut down and not waste our own energy or take the chance of burning out. Why is it so hard to turn off the proverbial lights behind us? Maybe we worry that if the lights go out or dim that they won't come back on. Or maybe in a funny way we are afraid of the dark when we think the dark represents insecurity in our jobs, or worry about how our co-workers will treat us if we take some time off or try and recharge our batteries. What we should never fear is that if we need rest, that if we go to the right source, that rest will come without worry or concern of our future. That rest does not leave us in the dark, that rest become the light of God. We read in 1 John 1:5; "This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all." As we move through our offices this week and we leave a room, let's use that little cue to remind ourselves that we can flip the switch behind us without any fear of the dark and instead be recharged by God's rest and never ending light.

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

day 502: Sometimes, We Just Have To Take It

There are few things worse on our jobs than being dressed down unfairly by someone with whom we work. Surprisingly, it is not unusual, especially in this fast-paced, sound-bite, text based, Twitter feed, world that we live and work within. Just this last week, in the technology space, there was a public sharing of some emails that were written and sent among some of the best and most well-known angel investors in Silicon Valley. I happen to know all of the players and to a person, they all have their hearts in the right place, but in the world of investing in Silicon Valley, passions run high and people move fast, sometimes too fast. In this case, words were written and expressed that I am sure want to be reeled back in and were never expected to become public, but they ended up in the press. Even those with the biggest hearts and right intentions can have a moment that if given the opportunity for a re-do they would take. This is all part of being human, busy and moving at today’s expected speed. Who in today’s jobs hasn’t had a similar experience with a rash reaction, the emotional email, or the vitriolic voice mail? It just happens. What we have to learn is that most times, we are so much better off just taking it, regardless if we deserve it or not, and trust that what is best will be the outcome. This is so hard to do, I know! But, when we are in that moment and we want to react, then let’s remember that what Jesus endured, without reaction is more than any of us will ever experience. We read what Isaiah prophesied and what came to pass; "He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth." We won’t face this today on the job, but when we face what seems incomprehensible or unfair treatment, ridicule or embarrassment, then let us model our reactions after our Lord and learn to not react or overreact.

Reference: Isaiah 53:7 (New Living Testament)