"Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people!"
"Come see this!", says the marketing person as she drags her team's finance person into a conference room to show her the mock-ups of the latest marketing campaign.
"Look here", says the accountant to his cube mate as he finds a ledger entry mistake that they had been searching.
"Let's go see what they are up to", says the CEO to his Assistant as they walk out to the shop floor to inspect the new distribution warehouse. When we are proud of something we want to show it off. When we are inquisitive about something that we think could be exciting, we want to go see it. When both occur at the same time, magic in the workplace happens. The moments when we see something that we marvel at and the times that we get a chance to gaze upon a product, an idea, or a service in action, that is innovative or new to us can be indelible. When I worked in the videogame business it was constant show and tell and each and every instance was usually more eye-opening and jaw dropping than before. Many times it seemed like the future was developing right in front of our eyes. The power of showing and seeing is like no other. Words cannot adequately describe what can be shown. If you are only telling and not showing and wondering why others aren't getting excited about what you are working on, then you may want to rethink and start showing more.
As believers in the workplace we can also let others see what God has done in our lives by not just telling but also by showing. We need to tell but if we don't also show in our daily lives how God works in us and how we allow Him to lead our lives, then our words will be hollow and not exciting. Today, let's think about what we have to do to start showing to others what miraculous things God has done for us. Can we start today being as excited about showing that off as we are a new idea that we came up with for work?
Reference: Psalm 66:5 (New Living Testament)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Day 643: A Simple Choice
"You both precede and follow me"
One of the earliest leadership lessons I was taught was to either "lead, follow or get out of the way". Seems simple on the surface but very hard to do. Much of the confusion in the workplace has to do with us not knowing which of the three we should be doing at the same time others are also figuring it out. Many a toe has been stepped on and ball dropped because we are confused on which role we should be playing. Lots of consultants have made a ton of money trying to teach people and organizations on the differences. However, we can all get better at this just by asking the question when we are unsure and then listening for the direction and following from there. We like to make that mistake too in once we hear what role we are supposed to take we fight it and rebel instead of falling into the lane we are supposed to be in and getting comfortable with it. Do you know what role you are supposed to take today on each project or task you have in front of you? It's not always the same and even if you are the boss, you are sometimes meant to follow or get out of the way.
King David describes the One, and the only One who leads and follows consistently each and every day in our lives. How wonderful it is to know that in all that we do that the Lord both precedes and follows us and even more glorious to know that He never gets out of the way even when we elbow Him out. Let's go into today allowing Him to lead and thanking Him for following so closely. In that time of thanks also ask Him what role He wants you to take today with others. Because He precedes us He will show us the way we are supposed to take.
On another note, it is a sad day in that a true servant and soldier of our Lord passed on to heaven last night. Since at 12 years old when I first read his book, "The Cross and the Switchblade", Reverend David Wilkerson, has been a voice in my life. I never had the honor of meeting him but felt like I knew him. In recent years his daily devotional has touched me and his words have found their way into this blog many times over. Please add his wife who was injured in the car accident, the rest of his family and his church into your prayers today.
Reference: Psalm 139:5 (New Living Testament)
One of the earliest leadership lessons I was taught was to either "lead, follow or get out of the way". Seems simple on the surface but very hard to do. Much of the confusion in the workplace has to do with us not knowing which of the three we should be doing at the same time others are also figuring it out. Many a toe has been stepped on and ball dropped because we are confused on which role we should be playing. Lots of consultants have made a ton of money trying to teach people and organizations on the differences. However, we can all get better at this just by asking the question when we are unsure and then listening for the direction and following from there. We like to make that mistake too in once we hear what role we are supposed to take we fight it and rebel instead of falling into the lane we are supposed to be in and getting comfortable with it. Do you know what role you are supposed to take today on each project or task you have in front of you? It's not always the same and even if you are the boss, you are sometimes meant to follow or get out of the way.
King David describes the One, and the only One who leads and follows consistently each and every day in our lives. How wonderful it is to know that in all that we do that the Lord both precedes and follows us and even more glorious to know that He never gets out of the way even when we elbow Him out. Let's go into today allowing Him to lead and thanking Him for following so closely. In that time of thanks also ask Him what role He wants you to take today with others. Because He precedes us He will show us the way we are supposed to take.
On another note, it is a sad day in that a true servant and soldier of our Lord passed on to heaven last night. Since at 12 years old when I first read his book, "The Cross and the Switchblade", Reverend David Wilkerson, has been a voice in my life. I never had the honor of meeting him but felt like I knew him. In recent years his daily devotional has touched me and his words have found their way into this blog many times over. Please add his wife who was injured in the car accident, the rest of his family and his church into your prayers today.
Reference: Psalm 139:5 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
day 642: Work On Display
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.”
Those of us who don’t work with our hands don’t have many opportunities to put our work on display. I guess you could say that every interaction and every meeting is a display of our work and that would be true, but putting our work on display to me means being able to stop everything around us and allow for others to see the fruits of our labors and the craft, art, experience and skill that goes into making something that others will view and appreciate. Those who do something with their hands, and their minds, get to do this. It can be something behind a display case or as open and as grand as building, a park, a car, a sculpture, the performance of a piece of music, or a painting. Whatever it is, when someone creates something that is going to go on display something extra gets added and that extra is many times what makes the display something special or extraordinary. It’s the moment of having to have the work done that can be the driver of going above and beyond to get it done. We would be better in our work world if everyone had a chance to display their work. Pencils and thinking would sharpen. Goals, budgets and timelines would tighten. Teamwork would advance. Our ability to complete and strive to exceed in pleasing our customers would go up. To have that same commitment and dedication to perfect something is what the artisan or craftsman has that makes them unique. If Corporate America could capture more of this type of thinking and attitude then think how much better we would be.
God’s handiwork finds itself on display regularly. As the verse says, “the skies display his craftsmanship”. The skies are not the only place we have to look to see His display. We have to look no further than in the mirror to see something that He created that goes on display daily. If we think of ourselves that way then the privilege and burden we carry is increased. We do carry that responsibility and we are to think of ourselves as a display of what God wants others to see in Him. We carry His reputation and His image with us into every meeting and every occasion in our lives. Today is God calling you to become a better display of Him? He wants you to be the best you can be in bringing glory to Him in all that you do, so he needs you to be sure that what if on display of Him in you is the best that you can be.
Reference: Psalm 19:1 (New Living Testament)
Those of us who don’t work with our hands don’t have many opportunities to put our work on display. I guess you could say that every interaction and every meeting is a display of our work and that would be true, but putting our work on display to me means being able to stop everything around us and allow for others to see the fruits of our labors and the craft, art, experience and skill that goes into making something that others will view and appreciate. Those who do something with their hands, and their minds, get to do this. It can be something behind a display case or as open and as grand as building, a park, a car, a sculpture, the performance of a piece of music, or a painting. Whatever it is, when someone creates something that is going to go on display something extra gets added and that extra is many times what makes the display something special or extraordinary. It’s the moment of having to have the work done that can be the driver of going above and beyond to get it done. We would be better in our work world if everyone had a chance to display their work. Pencils and thinking would sharpen. Goals, budgets and timelines would tighten. Teamwork would advance. Our ability to complete and strive to exceed in pleasing our customers would go up. To have that same commitment and dedication to perfect something is what the artisan or craftsman has that makes them unique. If Corporate America could capture more of this type of thinking and attitude then think how much better we would be.
God’s handiwork finds itself on display regularly. As the verse says, “the skies display his craftsmanship”. The skies are not the only place we have to look to see His display. We have to look no further than in the mirror to see something that He created that goes on display daily. If we think of ourselves that way then the privilege and burden we carry is increased. We do carry that responsibility and we are to think of ourselves as a display of what God wants others to see in Him. We carry His reputation and His image with us into every meeting and every occasion in our lives. Today is God calling you to become a better display of Him? He wants you to be the best you can be in bringing glory to Him in all that you do, so he needs you to be sure that what if on display of Him in you is the best that you can be.
Reference: Psalm 19:1 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
day 641: Staying Relevant
“…They soon forgot his works”
I did an interview this week for MORE magazine on how to stay relevant in job search and hiring technology. As a part of the line of questioning I was also asked what someone who has been out of the workforce for a few years needs to know about technology and how can they stay relevant? It’s a hard question to answer in that anyone who gets away from the workplace for a few years is going to miss the introduction of new technologies and who they are used in the workplace. I think about someone who had become a stay at home parent during the mid-90’s and early 2000’s and really missed the whole internal to the workplace internet boom and all that came with it. When someone mentioned a Wiki-page, the had no idea what they were talking about. These things are going to happen and there isn’t much any of us can do about it if we are out of the workplace. But, we can stay in touch through friends, through reading and stay up to date with what technology that comes to us at home so that we stay open to learning new ways. The same home productivity tools are being developed for adoption as work and we can certainly keep abreast of those and what we do on our ipads and home operating systems. There is pretty much an “App” for anything if we are open to looking and learning.
The same can be said of our spiritual journey and our ability to be all that God wants us to be at work and in our lives. God’s piece of Technology that was given to us is His Word. If we aren’t consistently and constantly trying to learn and bring more of the Word into our lives then we run the same risk of falling behind in where we could be in our lives. We are called on each day to be relevant to others and if we are not up to date on what God wants us to know and be able to share, handle, lead, encourage or just hear, then we have missed an opportunity to be as far along on our journey as we could be. Today, are staying relevant by being in God’ Word daily? Are you finding a place of consistency in your prayers? Are you keeping up to date with that other believers are learning, experiencing and sharing? We are to stay relevant for our Lord so that we can be prepared for any of the work that He brings our way.
Reference: Psalm 106: 13 (New Living Testament)
I did an interview this week for MORE magazine on how to stay relevant in job search and hiring technology. As a part of the line of questioning I was also asked what someone who has been out of the workforce for a few years needs to know about technology and how can they stay relevant? It’s a hard question to answer in that anyone who gets away from the workplace for a few years is going to miss the introduction of new technologies and who they are used in the workplace. I think about someone who had become a stay at home parent during the mid-90’s and early 2000’s and really missed the whole internal to the workplace internet boom and all that came with it. When someone mentioned a Wiki-page, the had no idea what they were talking about. These things are going to happen and there isn’t much any of us can do about it if we are out of the workplace. But, we can stay in touch through friends, through reading and stay up to date with what technology that comes to us at home so that we stay open to learning new ways. The same home productivity tools are being developed for adoption as work and we can certainly keep abreast of those and what we do on our ipads and home operating systems. There is pretty much an “App” for anything if we are open to looking and learning.
The same can be said of our spiritual journey and our ability to be all that God wants us to be at work and in our lives. God’s piece of Technology that was given to us is His Word. If we aren’t consistently and constantly trying to learn and bring more of the Word into our lives then we run the same risk of falling behind in where we could be in our lives. We are called on each day to be relevant to others and if we are not up to date on what God wants us to know and be able to share, handle, lead, encourage or just hear, then we have missed an opportunity to be as far along on our journey as we could be. Today, are staying relevant by being in God’ Word daily? Are you finding a place of consistency in your prayers? Are you keeping up to date with that other believers are learning, experiencing and sharing? We are to stay relevant for our Lord so that we can be prepared for any of the work that He brings our way.
Reference: Psalm 106: 13 (New Living Testament)
Monday, April 25, 2011
day 640: Suprises!
"He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying."
Anyone who has ever managed someone else has probably told the people who report to them, "I don't like surprises so keep me informed." Or am I alone in that? I suspect not because in business, no one likes surprises. Even good surprises can come back to bite us. When we have a blow away quarter then the CFO wants to know why we didn't forecast better as she has to answer the questions from analysts who want to know why there wasn't any guidance to the growth? They want to know because shareholders may miss a big stock upturn that comes when they weren't expecting it to happen. On the flip side, bad news that is a surprise is even worse. We all know what happens when that happens. So, in business, we do the best we can to ensure that surprises don't occur. In most cases there is plenty of information and analysis available so that surprises don't happen and we can be ahead of the game. We just have to work hard enough at it to understand and be ahead of the information flow. This also means knowing our people well enough to ensure they don't drop a surprise on us. I have had many a manager or executive over the years be surprised by a resignation and I always had to question why that is? Again, if close enough to a person and enough time spent with them talking, and this won't come as a surprise either.
Thousands of years ago, yesterday morning, a whole bunch of people were surprised when they found the tomb of Jesus empty. This surprise turned out to be the greatest gift to mankind and had the Disciples and others listened carefully enough or known the scriptures well enough they would have not been surprised at all that Jesus rose from the grave after death. While we don't have accounts that go into depth about those who did know the scriptures in the full way, I suspect that there were more than one who when they heard of the resurrection of Jesus that they did realize Him as the Messiah risen and prophecies were fulfilled. They would not have been surprised that it all happened because they would have been waiting for it to have occurred. It's interesting that even today we find ourselves surprised when God works in our lives and heals, fulfills, answers prayers, sends someone into our lives, comforts, and gives us joy. Why are we surprised when His Word is chocked full of His promises and what His glory can be? How are we surprised if we have been in constant conversation with Him? As we start this week after Easter, let us not be surprised that God is with us at all times. Let's instead be excited that everything He promised continues to come true and truer with each passing day and let us dig into His Word and into conversation with Him about each of these things that will assuredly come to pass.
Reference: Matthew 28:6 (New Living Testament)
Anyone who has ever managed someone else has probably told the people who report to them, "I don't like surprises so keep me informed." Or am I alone in that? I suspect not because in business, no one likes surprises. Even good surprises can come back to bite us. When we have a blow away quarter then the CFO wants to know why we didn't forecast better as she has to answer the questions from analysts who want to know why there wasn't any guidance to the growth? They want to know because shareholders may miss a big stock upturn that comes when they weren't expecting it to happen. On the flip side, bad news that is a surprise is even worse. We all know what happens when that happens. So, in business, we do the best we can to ensure that surprises don't occur. In most cases there is plenty of information and analysis available so that surprises don't happen and we can be ahead of the game. We just have to work hard enough at it to understand and be ahead of the information flow. This also means knowing our people well enough to ensure they don't drop a surprise on us. I have had many a manager or executive over the years be surprised by a resignation and I always had to question why that is? Again, if close enough to a person and enough time spent with them talking, and this won't come as a surprise either.
Thousands of years ago, yesterday morning, a whole bunch of people were surprised when they found the tomb of Jesus empty. This surprise turned out to be the greatest gift to mankind and had the Disciples and others listened carefully enough or known the scriptures well enough they would have not been surprised at all that Jesus rose from the grave after death. While we don't have accounts that go into depth about those who did know the scriptures in the full way, I suspect that there were more than one who when they heard of the resurrection of Jesus that they did realize Him as the Messiah risen and prophecies were fulfilled. They would not have been surprised that it all happened because they would have been waiting for it to have occurred. It's interesting that even today we find ourselves surprised when God works in our lives and heals, fulfills, answers prayers, sends someone into our lives, comforts, and gives us joy. Why are we surprised when His Word is chocked full of His promises and what His glory can be? How are we surprised if we have been in constant conversation with Him? As we start this week after Easter, let us not be surprised that God is with us at all times. Let's instead be excited that everything He promised continues to come true and truer with each passing day and let us dig into His Word and into conversation with Him about each of these things that will assuredly come to pass.
Reference: Matthew 28:6 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
day 639: A Resume From Today!
"...Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you."
Call it a resume. Call it a profile. Call it a bio or call it a "CV" (mostly a term used in Europe, but there is a real difference versus a resume says About.com; "The primary differences between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) are the length, what is included and what each is used for. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education. While a resume is brief and concise - no more than a page or two, a CV is a longer (at least two page) and more detailed synopsis. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. In Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, employers may expect to receive a CV. In the United States, a curriculum vitae is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.") Probably more than you wanted to know, but I reference all of the above because at some point we all write down something about ourselves and give it to others to obtain a job. Even if we are filling out an application with our work history, we are completing our resume (or maybe even our CV) for someone else to make a decision about whether or not we should be hired. So, they are important and we should all have some form of one handy and ready to go, just in case. How we write these tells much about us. What we choose to highlight, reference, or call-out about our experiences and learning can indicate our priorities. My best advice is to always seek out someone who is skilled at looking at and reviewing resumes and have them take a look at yours before you send it out. You will likely get feedback that can make it better.
The same can be said of the resume that we are writing today for ourselves. If we were to spend time at the end of the day listing our accomplishments and had to fill in a full resume from just one day's experience, what would we say about ourselves? How would we describe our education or our extra activities that we accumulated in this one day? How would we complete our accomplishments and the measurements that go with it? How many different jobs did we do today and did we spend enough time on each one? Did we finish everything that we started? These are questions not only about our work, but about our life and how we show up for God on our job. If we had to submit today's resume to God, would he take a look at it and give us more of His work to do or would he not see much that would give him the confidence that we should be provided more? Fortunately, our God never withholds His grace and love. Think about today's resume and see if it can't be improved?
Reference: 2 Corinthian 3:2 (New Living Testaments)
Call it a resume. Call it a profile. Call it a bio or call it a "CV" (mostly a term used in Europe, but there is a real difference versus a resume says About.com; "The primary differences between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) are the length, what is included and what each is used for. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education. While a resume is brief and concise - no more than a page or two, a CV is a longer (at least two page) and more detailed synopsis. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. In Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, employers may expect to receive a CV. In the United States, a curriculum vitae is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.") Probably more than you wanted to know, but I reference all of the above because at some point we all write down something about ourselves and give it to others to obtain a job. Even if we are filling out an application with our work history, we are completing our resume (or maybe even our CV) for someone else to make a decision about whether or not we should be hired. So, they are important and we should all have some form of one handy and ready to go, just in case. How we write these tells much about us. What we choose to highlight, reference, or call-out about our experiences and learning can indicate our priorities. My best advice is to always seek out someone who is skilled at looking at and reviewing resumes and have them take a look at yours before you send it out. You will likely get feedback that can make it better.
The same can be said of the resume that we are writing today for ourselves. If we were to spend time at the end of the day listing our accomplishments and had to fill in a full resume from just one day's experience, what would we say about ourselves? How would we describe our education or our extra activities that we accumulated in this one day? How would we complete our accomplishments and the measurements that go with it? How many different jobs did we do today and did we spend enough time on each one? Did we finish everything that we started? These are questions not only about our work, but about our life and how we show up for God on our job. If we had to submit today's resume to God, would he take a look at it and give us more of His work to do or would he not see much that would give him the confidence that we should be provided more? Fortunately, our God never withholds His grace and love. Think about today's resume and see if it can't be improved?
Reference: 2 Corinthian 3:2 (New Living Testaments)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
day 638: Now (Redux)
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."
First published on Day 127 - Friday, April 3, 2009
We just finished the first quarter of the year and started the second. And for sure already in boardrooms and offices across the country companies are making their projections for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th quarters and for the full year. This is how business works. We don't live in the present. We are always planning and forecasting the future. The future can be exciting and become consuming and we want to get there as fast as we can. Sometimes the future can be bleak and full of expected trouble and we know we have to go there but we go with worry and trepidation. The future can get in the way of living for the present and enjoying and working with the life that we have been given. In C.S. Lewis' classic book, "The Screwtape Letters", the devils' undersecretary named Screwtape explains to his agent and nephew named Wormwood that God doesn't want us to work and live in the future if it is going to get in the way of glorifying God in the present. Read along as two devils correspond on what we as humans shouldn't do: "To be sure the Enemy (God) wants men to think of the Future too - just so much as is necessary for now planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow. The duty of planning the morrow's work is today's duty; though its material is borrowed from the future, the duty, like all duties, is in the Present. This is now straw splitting. He (God) does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasures in it. We (the devil) do (does). His (God's) ideal is a man, who having worked all day for the good of posterity (if that is his vocation), washes his mind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded in the moment that is passing over him. But we (the devil) want a man hag-ridden by the Future...we want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow's end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present". We are told in Proverbs that the plans that we have for our future are not in our hands anyway; "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." As we plan our future business and our jobs, we should remind ourselves that the earthly future that overtakes our ability to focus, live and be who are to be in the present is not the future we should be pursuing.
Reference: Proverbs 16:9 (New Living Testament), C.S. Lewis: "The Screwtape Letters"
First published on Day 127 - Friday, April 3, 2009
We just finished the first quarter of the year and started the second. And for sure already in boardrooms and offices across the country companies are making their projections for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th quarters and for the full year. This is how business works. We don't live in the present. We are always planning and forecasting the future. The future can be exciting and become consuming and we want to get there as fast as we can. Sometimes the future can be bleak and full of expected trouble and we know we have to go there but we go with worry and trepidation. The future can get in the way of living for the present and enjoying and working with the life that we have been given. In C.S. Lewis' classic book, "The Screwtape Letters", the devils' undersecretary named Screwtape explains to his agent and nephew named Wormwood that God doesn't want us to work and live in the future if it is going to get in the way of glorifying God in the present. Read along as two devils correspond on what we as humans shouldn't do: "To be sure the Enemy (God) wants men to think of the Future too - just so much as is necessary for now planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow. The duty of planning the morrow's work is today's duty; though its material is borrowed from the future, the duty, like all duties, is in the Present. This is now straw splitting. He (God) does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasures in it. We (the devil) do (does). His (God's) ideal is a man, who having worked all day for the good of posterity (if that is his vocation), washes his mind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded in the moment that is passing over him. But we (the devil) want a man hag-ridden by the Future...we want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow's end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present". We are told in Proverbs that the plans that we have for our future are not in our hands anyway; "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." As we plan our future business and our jobs, we should remind ourselves that the earthly future that overtakes our ability to focus, live and be who are to be in the present is not the future we should be pursuing.
Reference: Proverbs 16:9 (New Living Testament), C.S. Lewis: "The Screwtape Letters"
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
day 637: Understand?
"A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered."
We speak. We listen. Others speak. Others listen. But when way too many conversations are over there wasn't a lot of hearing going on and worse, no understanding occurred. To understand is to allow oneself to have some empathy, to consider another person's feelings, and to give a little of our own point of view to get to a common place. When we hear without these things then we never reach a true level of understanding. And that is why it so often happens that we can all sit in a room, hear the same words and walk out with different understandings. If we could calculate the amount of time and energy that is put out in corporate America in trying to find clarity and understanding, after we thought it was already achieved, the productivity numbers would skyrocket. It's a simple but hard thing to achieve. So, how to be better at gaining understanding? Don't be afraid to ask the follow up question. Don't hold back on asking someone else to repeat back to you their understanding of a situation. And don't be impatient to taking a few more minutes to assure that everyone is on the same page before they leave the room. By the way, shared understanding the first time around is a real morale booster in a company. If the culture is one where people understand each other all the time, then that bodes well for it being a place where people will want to work.
To get to being an understanding person is to be as Solomon says, "even-tempered". This makes sense to me. If we are ones to get bothered easily, have a short-fuse, or fly off at the handle, then we certainly are not ones who will take the time to listen to the whole story or to hear out both sides of an argument. Being even-tempered is to be the type of person that others want to be around and who others will bring their challenges and problems. Being even-tempered can create an aura of calm, cool and collected, which will lead to many a question as to why we don't let our feathers get ruffled. That question is the perfect time to let the other person know that there are other things that are more important than the moment at hand. It is this moment that we can share the larger picture and the faith that we have. It may not always work out that way, but I do know that if we are the type of people who others tip-toe around there won't be many questions on how we got that way that will allow for our faith to be the good reason. Understand?
Reference: Proverbs 17:27 (New Living Testament)
We speak. We listen. Others speak. Others listen. But when way too many conversations are over there wasn't a lot of hearing going on and worse, no understanding occurred. To understand is to allow oneself to have some empathy, to consider another person's feelings, and to give a little of our own point of view to get to a common place. When we hear without these things then we never reach a true level of understanding. And that is why it so often happens that we can all sit in a room, hear the same words and walk out with different understandings. If we could calculate the amount of time and energy that is put out in corporate America in trying to find clarity and understanding, after we thought it was already achieved, the productivity numbers would skyrocket. It's a simple but hard thing to achieve. So, how to be better at gaining understanding? Don't be afraid to ask the follow up question. Don't hold back on asking someone else to repeat back to you their understanding of a situation. And don't be impatient to taking a few more minutes to assure that everyone is on the same page before they leave the room. By the way, shared understanding the first time around is a real morale booster in a company. If the culture is one where people understand each other all the time, then that bodes well for it being a place where people will want to work.
To get to being an understanding person is to be as Solomon says, "even-tempered". This makes sense to me. If we are ones to get bothered easily, have a short-fuse, or fly off at the handle, then we certainly are not ones who will take the time to listen to the whole story or to hear out both sides of an argument. Being even-tempered is to be the type of person that others want to be around and who others will bring their challenges and problems. Being even-tempered can create an aura of calm, cool and collected, which will lead to many a question as to why we don't let our feathers get ruffled. That question is the perfect time to let the other person know that there are other things that are more important than the moment at hand. It is this moment that we can share the larger picture and the faith that we have. It may not always work out that way, but I do know that if we are the type of people who others tip-toe around there won't be many questions on how we got that way that will allow for our faith to be the good reason. Understand?
Reference: Proverbs 17:27 (New Living Testament)
Monday, April 18, 2011
day 636: All
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind."
Have you ever had a conversation with your boss where the boss asks you to "give half of all you have to give"? Of course you haven't. What our bosses want from us is to give "all" of what we have to give towards any of the work that is to be done. Business is an all or nothing play. No one who has ever gone into business for themselves expects to succeed if they aren't willing to give it their all. We all know the stories of those who mortgaged all they had to make their business work. Even those who end up failing are proud of giving their all to making it work even though it didn't. In the start-up world, entrepreneurs get credit and credibility even for trying and failing if they truly gave it their all. When we get inside of bigger organizations something gets lost in the translation and we run into people and may even end up working along side of them where they are not giving their all and it is obvious to others. These people are not usually welcomed into the team and if they are there, they are not well-respected. They can also be very damaging to others around them who might have the tendency to not push themselves and slack off. It is important that those who manage or lead the culture of the organization remove or change the behaviors and actions of those who don't want to give their all. We are in a business climate that demands us all to give our all. That doesn't mean at the sacrifice of our health, our families or our relationships, but when we are at work, let's try and set an example of one who gives their all to objectives of our work.
We also know where else we have to give our all. When in Luke the religious expert was asked by Jesus how the man interprets the laws of Moses and he answers that we are to give our all to the Lord, he spoke for what we all must do. God asks us to give our "all" to Him. That is our heart, our soul, our minds and our strength. Giving "all" is a hallmark of the Christian life. Are we giving our all today or are we holding some back and not letting ourselves realize what comes from being all in?
Reference: Luke 10:27 (New Living Testament)
Have you ever had a conversation with your boss where the boss asks you to "give half of all you have to give"? Of course you haven't. What our bosses want from us is to give "all" of what we have to give towards any of the work that is to be done. Business is an all or nothing play. No one who has ever gone into business for themselves expects to succeed if they aren't willing to give it their all. We all know the stories of those who mortgaged all they had to make their business work. Even those who end up failing are proud of giving their all to making it work even though it didn't. In the start-up world, entrepreneurs get credit and credibility even for trying and failing if they truly gave it their all. When we get inside of bigger organizations something gets lost in the translation and we run into people and may even end up working along side of them where they are not giving their all and it is obvious to others. These people are not usually welcomed into the team and if they are there, they are not well-respected. They can also be very damaging to others around them who might have the tendency to not push themselves and slack off. It is important that those who manage or lead the culture of the organization remove or change the behaviors and actions of those who don't want to give their all. We are in a business climate that demands us all to give our all. That doesn't mean at the sacrifice of our health, our families or our relationships, but when we are at work, let's try and set an example of one who gives their all to objectives of our work.
We also know where else we have to give our all. When in Luke the religious expert was asked by Jesus how the man interprets the laws of Moses and he answers that we are to give our all to the Lord, he spoke for what we all must do. God asks us to give our "all" to Him. That is our heart, our soul, our minds and our strength. Giving "all" is a hallmark of the Christian life. Are we giving our all today or are we holding some back and not letting ourselves realize what comes from being all in?
Reference: Luke 10:27 (New Living Testament)
Friday, April 15, 2011
day 635: Tax Day
"Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' But Jesus knew their evil motives. 'You hypocrites!' he said. 'Why are you trying to trap me? Here, show me the coin used for the tax.' When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, 'Whose picture and title are stamped on it?' 'Caesar’s', they replied. 'Well, then,' he said, 'give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
It's "Tax Day" in the United States (well, actually in this year of 2011 it's Monday, April 18. The traditional tax return filing deadline is April 15 of each year, but the IRS has approved April 18, 2011 as the tax filing deadline for 2010 Tax Returns and extension requests in observation of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia). Tax Day always brings with it a lot of stress and emotion and in these recent times even more emotion and conversation about what we should or shouldn't be paying in taxes for our government. These discussions, at work, at home, at parties, or wherever can get us riled up and can cause us to lose control of our emotions and/or words. Our discourse about politics and government has an edge to it today that I cannot ever remember before. I find myself right there too and the conversations that I am most sorry for or ashamed of after are too often rooted in politics. As we work with with others it is important that we not let our politics taint or hurt what are otherwise great relationships. Also, politics in the workplace can be career damaging, so in this area it might be best to just keep it to ourselves unless asked and even then, to only share with the highest level of sensitivity and respect of the opinions, thoughts, and feeling of others.
Jesus gave us all we need to know about our priorities and actions as it relates to our government views. He said that we are to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and then give to God what belongs to Him. As we think about all that we have, it is a small part of our life that we owe back to our government. While no one likes taxes, what I hear Jesus saying is that to not let what has to be given back in taxes to be a focus or the overriding concern. What He wants us to do is instead focus on what is to be given back to Him and that is who and all we are. As we complete those tax forms (and have the few extra days this year) let us do so with our hearts and minds in the right place and more ready than ever to render ourselves more to Christ and what He wants from us. Let's use April 15 as another marker and reminder of the gift that God gave to us in Jesus, the gift that comes without any owing, obligation, or tax and continues to multiply and multiply for each of us.
Reference: Matthew 22:17-21 (New Living Testament)
It's "Tax Day" in the United States (well, actually in this year of 2011 it's Monday, April 18. The traditional tax return filing deadline is April 15 of each year, but the IRS has approved April 18, 2011 as the tax filing deadline for 2010 Tax Returns and extension requests in observation of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia). Tax Day always brings with it a lot of stress and emotion and in these recent times even more emotion and conversation about what we should or shouldn't be paying in taxes for our government. These discussions, at work, at home, at parties, or wherever can get us riled up and can cause us to lose control of our emotions and/or words. Our discourse about politics and government has an edge to it today that I cannot ever remember before. I find myself right there too and the conversations that I am most sorry for or ashamed of after are too often rooted in politics. As we work with with others it is important that we not let our politics taint or hurt what are otherwise great relationships. Also, politics in the workplace can be career damaging, so in this area it might be best to just keep it to ourselves unless asked and even then, to only share with the highest level of sensitivity and respect of the opinions, thoughts, and feeling of others.
Jesus gave us all we need to know about our priorities and actions as it relates to our government views. He said that we are to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and then give to God what belongs to Him. As we think about all that we have, it is a small part of our life that we owe back to our government. While no one likes taxes, what I hear Jesus saying is that to not let what has to be given back in taxes to be a focus or the overriding concern. What He wants us to do is instead focus on what is to be given back to Him and that is who and all we are. As we complete those tax forms (and have the few extra days this year) let us do so with our hearts and minds in the right place and more ready than ever to render ourselves more to Christ and what He wants from us. Let's use April 15 as another marker and reminder of the gift that God gave to us in Jesus, the gift that comes without any owing, obligation, or tax and continues to multiply and multiply for each of us.
Reference: Matthew 22:17-21 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, April 14, 2011
day 634: Quiet Ambition
"This should be your ambition; to live a quiet life, minding your own business...
There are many ways to derail a career but at least in legitimate ventures other than a complete lack of integrity, the most consistent way to kill a great career is to be outwardly and overly ambitious. When someones ambition becomes known and the person wears that ambition loudly and openly in full view of others something happens where few if any wants to help make those ambitions come true. Whether it is envy, resentment, or something else, there is not a lot of energy expelled by others to support someone who is overly ambitious. In fact, it is just the opposite. Those who have quiet ambitions and work on the behalf of helping others are the individuals who others want to help and push forward. Yet, we get in our head that we have to be loud, that we have to be boisterous, and that we have to let others always know what we want or we fear that we will get left behind or not recognized. This is likely our pride, our ego, and our insecurities all coming to bear at once. But, it is a killer and the overly ambitious can find themselves lonely and left behind.
Paul tells us that part of our ambition should be to be quiet in our life and keep our business to ourselves. What I hear Paul saying to me is that if my ambition is too strong and I am loud with my life then my ambition is not only wrong, but could be damaging to me and others. This is a strong word for us who are in this fast-moving and always changing world in which we work. The work world tells us to be "out there", to be self-promoting, to Facebook and Tweet ourselves into the lives of others, to publish ourselves, etc. Yet Paul counters this culture with asking us to reset our ambitions and to find a quiet way of living. It is a good challenge for all of us to check our ambitions, check our volume level, and to check our hearts as it relates to what is important in the larger scheme of things. Today, ask yourself where is your ambition and how loud of a life are you living? Too loud today?
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (New Living Testament)
There are many ways to derail a career but at least in legitimate ventures other than a complete lack of integrity, the most consistent way to kill a great career is to be outwardly and overly ambitious. When someones ambition becomes known and the person wears that ambition loudly and openly in full view of others something happens where few if any wants to help make those ambitions come true. Whether it is envy, resentment, or something else, there is not a lot of energy expelled by others to support someone who is overly ambitious. In fact, it is just the opposite. Those who have quiet ambitions and work on the behalf of helping others are the individuals who others want to help and push forward. Yet, we get in our head that we have to be loud, that we have to be boisterous, and that we have to let others always know what we want or we fear that we will get left behind or not recognized. This is likely our pride, our ego, and our insecurities all coming to bear at once. But, it is a killer and the overly ambitious can find themselves lonely and left behind.
Paul tells us that part of our ambition should be to be quiet in our life and keep our business to ourselves. What I hear Paul saying to me is that if my ambition is too strong and I am loud with my life then my ambition is not only wrong, but could be damaging to me and others. This is a strong word for us who are in this fast-moving and always changing world in which we work. The work world tells us to be "out there", to be self-promoting, to Facebook and Tweet ourselves into the lives of others, to publish ourselves, etc. Yet Paul counters this culture with asking us to reset our ambitions and to find a quiet way of living. It is a good challenge for all of us to check our ambitions, check our volume level, and to check our hearts as it relates to what is important in the larger scheme of things. Today, ask yourself where is your ambition and how loud of a life are you living? Too loud today?
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
day 633: Wait And See Attitude
"...He went in, sat with the guards, and waited to see what was going to happen to Jesus."
You'd think that at work it would be one of the easiest places to get someone to take a stand and have a point of view. Yet, it can be just the opposite and the workplace can become filled with many people who just take a wait and see attitude and don't declare their position until they are pretty sure that they know what is going to be decided so they don't get on the wrong side of the decision makers. Wait and see attitudes can be deadly to a corporate cultures. Yet, the same decisions makers who don't want this as part of their culture are the same people who can be the ones who promulgate and create this culture. If someone is punished or ridiculed for having a POV, then they will not bring forth their point of view next time asked. We don't think we do this, but all we have to do is not reinforce and reward the stepping-forward as much as the right answer and we end up with a culture that holds back. It certainly can be less subtle than that but the subtleties are just as powerful in the message that they deliver. Leaders and co-workers need to go overboard in welcoming and encouraging a "there is no crazy idea or wrong point of view" philosophy, or otherwise human nature will take over and people will move into wait and see mode.
We read in the account of Matthew that Peter chose to take a wait and see attitude as Jesus was being taken to the cross. That wait and see attitude found him not close to Christ in the worst moments of his earthly life and also found Peter denying his affiliation with Jesus when asked. Peter's moment of shame that has been told many times over came in a time when he decided to adopt a wait and see attitude instead of staying firm and forceful in his point of view. Interestingly, Peter was one who had a point of view that was so strong a few hours before that he was willing to die and swing a sword for Jesus. If Peter can change that fast then what can each of us do? Lots worse for sure. God doesn't want us to take a wait and see attitude. He gives us all we need to stand up and be firm in our point of view and convictions: He stands with us in His Word, He provides reinforcement in prayer, He gives us His other followers who are there with us. Are we standing up today or are we in wait and see mode? Let's make the choice today and when faced with moments where we can lean forward with His/our point of view, let's not miss those opportunities. We are here too shortly to only wait and see.
Reference: Matthew 26:58 (New Living Testament)
You'd think that at work it would be one of the easiest places to get someone to take a stand and have a point of view. Yet, it can be just the opposite and the workplace can become filled with many people who just take a wait and see attitude and don't declare their position until they are pretty sure that they know what is going to be decided so they don't get on the wrong side of the decision makers. Wait and see attitudes can be deadly to a corporate cultures. Yet, the same decisions makers who don't want this as part of their culture are the same people who can be the ones who promulgate and create this culture. If someone is punished or ridiculed for having a POV, then they will not bring forth their point of view next time asked. We don't think we do this, but all we have to do is not reinforce and reward the stepping-forward as much as the right answer and we end up with a culture that holds back. It certainly can be less subtle than that but the subtleties are just as powerful in the message that they deliver. Leaders and co-workers need to go overboard in welcoming and encouraging a "there is no crazy idea or wrong point of view" philosophy, or otherwise human nature will take over and people will move into wait and see mode.
We read in the account of Matthew that Peter chose to take a wait and see attitude as Jesus was being taken to the cross. That wait and see attitude found him not close to Christ in the worst moments of his earthly life and also found Peter denying his affiliation with Jesus when asked. Peter's moment of shame that has been told many times over came in a time when he decided to adopt a wait and see attitude instead of staying firm and forceful in his point of view. Interestingly, Peter was one who had a point of view that was so strong a few hours before that he was willing to die and swing a sword for Jesus. If Peter can change that fast then what can each of us do? Lots worse for sure. God doesn't want us to take a wait and see attitude. He gives us all we need to stand up and be firm in our point of view and convictions: He stands with us in His Word, He provides reinforcement in prayer, He gives us His other followers who are there with us. Are we standing up today or are we in wait and see mode? Let's make the choice today and when faced with moments where we can lean forward with His/our point of view, let's not miss those opportunities. We are here too shortly to only wait and see.
Reference: Matthew 26:58 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
day 632: Motives
"He is the one who examines the motives of our heart."
A fair amount of time is spent trying to figure out what the motives are behind an action or words spoken. Think for a moment about the times we have had to stop and question someones motives and then plan or build a strategy around addressing those motives, which sometimes can be thought of as questionable. In the business press we are constantly reading stories asking about the motives of Boards and CEOs as they make decisions on pay, acquisition, investment, divestment, partnering, etc. Everyone questions motives and too seldom in the workplace are the motives made transparent enough. How much better would our workplaces be if we could count on the motives being pure and never having to worry about the hidden agenda or false motives being used? Alas, it is not to be and reality is that we learn to manage around motive considerations and thus, we waste a lot of time. The best we can do is to be sure that we never play the game and instead ensure that we speak out loud about what our motives are then stay true to them. Those who do this will attract others who do the same and little by little each of us can make it a little better.
To be as pure as we should be we must also always be examining what our own true motives are. While we may say one thing, if we keep asking ourselves, "why" until we run out of answers then we can find true motives and be consistent to those. It is not always easy to get to the bottom of our true, really true, motives because we have to be honest with ourselves and that is not always easy as we don't always like the truth. It is in these times that we have to not only trust in ourselves but also place our trust in God to ensure that we know what those true motives are. God will be true in His evaluation and provide us with the lens that we need to really see into ourselves. We just need to ask Him and then listen. We may not like what we hear, but that's okay. Today, ask Him to reveal what the motives of our hearts are and then lean on Him to help you bring those motives in line with your actions and words. God is giving us this gift of transparency, let's allow Him to do His work on us so that we can be pure and consistent in our work.
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (New Living Testament)
A fair amount of time is spent trying to figure out what the motives are behind an action or words spoken. Think for a moment about the times we have had to stop and question someones motives and then plan or build a strategy around addressing those motives, which sometimes can be thought of as questionable. In the business press we are constantly reading stories asking about the motives of Boards and CEOs as they make decisions on pay, acquisition, investment, divestment, partnering, etc. Everyone questions motives and too seldom in the workplace are the motives made transparent enough. How much better would our workplaces be if we could count on the motives being pure and never having to worry about the hidden agenda or false motives being used? Alas, it is not to be and reality is that we learn to manage around motive considerations and thus, we waste a lot of time. The best we can do is to be sure that we never play the game and instead ensure that we speak out loud about what our motives are then stay true to them. Those who do this will attract others who do the same and little by little each of us can make it a little better.
To be as pure as we should be we must also always be examining what our own true motives are. While we may say one thing, if we keep asking ourselves, "why" until we run out of answers then we can find true motives and be consistent to those. It is not always easy to get to the bottom of our true, really true, motives because we have to be honest with ourselves and that is not always easy as we don't always like the truth. It is in these times that we have to not only trust in ourselves but also place our trust in God to ensure that we know what those true motives are. God will be true in His evaluation and provide us with the lens that we need to really see into ourselves. We just need to ask Him and then listen. We may not like what we hear, but that's okay. Today, ask Him to reveal what the motives of our hearts are and then lean on Him to help you bring those motives in line with your actions and words. God is giving us this gift of transparency, let's allow Him to do His work on us so that we can be pure and consistent in our work.
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (New Living Testament)
Monday, April 11, 2011
day 631: Who Are We Pleasing?
"For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people."
A work imperative, whether spoken or not, is to please others. Others can be the Board, the CEO, customers, partners, our boss, our bosses boss, our peers, our subordinates, or our community, etc. The organization, known as a company is also in the business of pleasing customers and shareholders. Long ago, when I worked at Frito-Lay, Inc. we talked of not only pleasing but also delighting our consumers. It certainly makes sense that this is what companies have to do and it therefore would flow through the organization that pleasing others is an imperative. This is all good, as long as we know who it is that we are to please and then we ensure that we have balanced that pleasing with all of the other pleasing that must go on. For example, someone whose sole focus is on pleasing their boss and ignoring all others will end up with nicknames from their peers and won't be considered a good team player. Conversely, one who chooses to just please his/her team and ignores what the boss, or the larger organization cares about, will also run aground when it comes to garnering the support of the larger company initiatives. So, this pleasing thing is a delicate game to play and must be managed intently. The best employees are those who find the balance and realize that pleasing is situational and a skill to be learned, practiced and perfected.
For those of us who know that our larger purpose is to please and bring glory to God in our work, the idea of who are we pleasing comes easier in some ways. True pleasing is an inside out activity and attitude. What I mean is that if we are most concerned, first with the pleasing of God, and we live and work to that principle first, then what will come from us should be a spirit of pleasing others, and doing so in a way that is evident and correct. When we get mixed up is when we forget that pleasing God comes first and that is to be the true overriding objective. If we start with pleasing others first then we will likely get mixed up in some way and priorities will falter and we may even find that while we think we are doing well, what we are really doing is pleasing only ourselves. Today, think about who you are pleasing? Where have you been putting your precious time and energy and to what purpose? If you find yourself starting with pleasing yourself or others first, then it is time to reshuffle the priorities and get back to pleasing first God and the rest to follow.
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (New Living Testament)
A work imperative, whether spoken or not, is to please others. Others can be the Board, the CEO, customers, partners, our boss, our bosses boss, our peers, our subordinates, or our community, etc. The organization, known as a company is also in the business of pleasing customers and shareholders. Long ago, when I worked at Frito-Lay, Inc. we talked of not only pleasing but also delighting our consumers. It certainly makes sense that this is what companies have to do and it therefore would flow through the organization that pleasing others is an imperative. This is all good, as long as we know who it is that we are to please and then we ensure that we have balanced that pleasing with all of the other pleasing that must go on. For example, someone whose sole focus is on pleasing their boss and ignoring all others will end up with nicknames from their peers and won't be considered a good team player. Conversely, one who chooses to just please his/her team and ignores what the boss, or the larger organization cares about, will also run aground when it comes to garnering the support of the larger company initiatives. So, this pleasing thing is a delicate game to play and must be managed intently. The best employees are those who find the balance and realize that pleasing is situational and a skill to be learned, practiced and perfected.
For those of us who know that our larger purpose is to please and bring glory to God in our work, the idea of who are we pleasing comes easier in some ways. True pleasing is an inside out activity and attitude. What I mean is that if we are most concerned, first with the pleasing of God, and we live and work to that principle first, then what will come from us should be a spirit of pleasing others, and doing so in a way that is evident and correct. When we get mixed up is when we forget that pleasing God comes first and that is to be the true overriding objective. If we start with pleasing others first then we will likely get mixed up in some way and priorities will falter and we may even find that while we think we are doing well, what we are really doing is pleasing only ourselves. Today, think about who you are pleasing? Where have you been putting your precious time and energy and to what purpose? If you find yourself starting with pleasing yourself or others first, then it is time to reshuffle the priorities and get back to pleasing first God and the rest to follow.
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (New Living Testament)
Friday, April 8, 2011
day 630: Gracious Conversations - part 2
"Let your conversations be gracious and effective, so that you will have the right answer for everyone."
We have all been in conversations where in a matter of minutes shorter than we imagined a whole bunch of good work gets done. It's almost like everyone was tuned in exactly to the same frequency and it is all signal and no noise. You almost want to give high fives on the way out of the conversation because it was so productive and effective. Now, on the flip side, we have certainly been in conversations that go around in circles for so long that we are dizzy. At the end of what seems like forever, nothing is decided or any clearer and we sigh and say under our breath, "what a waste of time". Why do some conversations work and others don't? I would present forward that those that work the best are when underlying the conversation there is already a foundation of aligned values, principles and objectives that is mortared together with trust. When we find ourselves in those types of conversations they are effective and we should consider ourselves fortunate when they occur because they are not the standard fare. But, it's important for productivity that we strive for these types of effective conversations and we work hard to establish the building blocks that will allow conversations to be the best they can be.
When Paul gives his direction to the Colossians about how to be gracious in conversation he also tells them to strive for effectiveness because gracious and effective conversations will lead to the right answers. We too often struggle for the right answers and we can't find them because we didn't hear what we were supposed to hear or we just aren't in tune with another person well enough to find the right answers for everyone. What Paul was saying to all of us is that we can first of all have an effective conversation by controlling our language so that it is filled with graciousness. From there he is telling us that the correct answers for everyone also lie in doing what it takes for the conversation to be effective. That means listening. That means taking what someone else says into their context. That means being engaged enough with them that they want to talk back. There are many points to having an effective conversation, but let us remember that Paul serves us well by calling out graciousness as the forerunner of effectiveness. How gracious are we being in our conversations and how much are we striving for effective conversations versus just letting the words be what they may be? Today, think about this as you enter into what will be many conversations and check and see when these were effective and when they weren't and what we can learn from the differences.
Reference: Colossians 4:6 (New Living Testament)
We have all been in conversations where in a matter of minutes shorter than we imagined a whole bunch of good work gets done. It's almost like everyone was tuned in exactly to the same frequency and it is all signal and no noise. You almost want to give high fives on the way out of the conversation because it was so productive and effective. Now, on the flip side, we have certainly been in conversations that go around in circles for so long that we are dizzy. At the end of what seems like forever, nothing is decided or any clearer and we sigh and say under our breath, "what a waste of time". Why do some conversations work and others don't? I would present forward that those that work the best are when underlying the conversation there is already a foundation of aligned values, principles and objectives that is mortared together with trust. When we find ourselves in those types of conversations they are effective and we should consider ourselves fortunate when they occur because they are not the standard fare. But, it's important for productivity that we strive for these types of effective conversations and we work hard to establish the building blocks that will allow conversations to be the best they can be.
When Paul gives his direction to the Colossians about how to be gracious in conversation he also tells them to strive for effectiveness because gracious and effective conversations will lead to the right answers. We too often struggle for the right answers and we can't find them because we didn't hear what we were supposed to hear or we just aren't in tune with another person well enough to find the right answers for everyone. What Paul was saying to all of us is that we can first of all have an effective conversation by controlling our language so that it is filled with graciousness. From there he is telling us that the correct answers for everyone also lie in doing what it takes for the conversation to be effective. That means listening. That means taking what someone else says into their context. That means being engaged enough with them that they want to talk back. There are many points to having an effective conversation, but let us remember that Paul serves us well by calling out graciousness as the forerunner of effectiveness. How gracious are we being in our conversations and how much are we striving for effective conversations versus just letting the words be what they may be? Today, think about this as you enter into what will be many conversations and check and see when these were effective and when they weren't and what we can learn from the differences.
Reference: Colossians 4:6 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
day 629: Gracious Conversations - part 1
"Let your conversations be gracious and effective, so that you will have the right answer for everyone."
It seems that everyone has someone in their work and life experience that when the other person speaks, it just rubs us the wrong way. No matter how slight the word, it can stir an emotion or cause us to shut down and not listen. I know an executive who has one of those people that they have to work with regularly and no matter what is important that the other person has to say, this executive shuts them down and won't listen. When challenged on it, the executive says, "I just can't listen to any of it." In reality, what the person says tot eh executive is not wrong, but the chemistry is wrong. I've seen this many times and I'm not sure what to do about it. I have a couple of people in my life who are this way with me, and I am sure I cause the same reaction in some people too. What I have learned is that it is not what the person is saying or how they are saying it to me that matters. What matters is what and how I say my words back. If I shut down or come back with words that are less than respectful, listening, or gracious then it is me that is at fault, not the other person. While it would be great to have perfect chemistry with everyone, it's not the real world for that to happen so instead we have to manage ourselves and ensure that we are don't become the one to fault.
Paul tells us that our conversations should be gracious. Why would he go out of his way to bring this point out? In his line of work, where contention was always present and opposing views was part and parcel for the day, Paul understood the power of a gracious word over one that creates more charge and heat. Since the words that come from our mouths are so important, we can be served well by monitoring and parsing out those words that are not gracious or welcoming. A gracious word goes a long way in having others want to hear what we have to say. Let's check our words today and replace other words that we might use and see if we can't add some grace to the conversations.
Reference: Colossians 4:6 (New Living Testament)
It seems that everyone has someone in their work and life experience that when the other person speaks, it just rubs us the wrong way. No matter how slight the word, it can stir an emotion or cause us to shut down and not listen. I know an executive who has one of those people that they have to work with regularly and no matter what is important that the other person has to say, this executive shuts them down and won't listen. When challenged on it, the executive says, "I just can't listen to any of it." In reality, what the person says tot eh executive is not wrong, but the chemistry is wrong. I've seen this many times and I'm not sure what to do about it. I have a couple of people in my life who are this way with me, and I am sure I cause the same reaction in some people too. What I have learned is that it is not what the person is saying or how they are saying it to me that matters. What matters is what and how I say my words back. If I shut down or come back with words that are less than respectful, listening, or gracious then it is me that is at fault, not the other person. While it would be great to have perfect chemistry with everyone, it's not the real world for that to happen so instead we have to manage ourselves and ensure that we are don't become the one to fault.
Paul tells us that our conversations should be gracious. Why would he go out of his way to bring this point out? In his line of work, where contention was always present and opposing views was part and parcel for the day, Paul understood the power of a gracious word over one that creates more charge and heat. Since the words that come from our mouths are so important, we can be served well by monitoring and parsing out those words that are not gracious or welcoming. A gracious word goes a long way in having others want to hear what we have to say. Let's check our words today and replace other words that we might use and see if we can't add some grace to the conversations.
Reference: Colossians 4:6 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
day 628: Heading Out To The Blue Waters
"Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish."
There are many "strategic frameworks" out there for how to think about growing and developing a business. One that I like and have heard more over the past couple of years is the difference between being in the "red water" versus the "blue water". Both involve where you send your boat to fish. The red water signifies going out to the same place where others are fishing and competing in a place where the sharks or other predatory fish know there is fishing occurring. They color the water from the work they are also doing while fishing is occurring. The waters are chopped up with competition and the fallout of all the competition together being in one place. Blue water signifies heading out past the competition to waters that are yet to be fished and having that part of the sea to yourself. The danger of course in always doing this is that you are out there alone, there might not be fish there to catch, you spend lots of time and fuel to get there, and once there, you may not be able to afford to return, especially if there are no fish to catch in that blue water. Regardless, it is a good metaphor for how each of us have to think about the new areas of our businesses and work, and our lives. Will we want to fish in the red or blue water and what are the pros and cons of each?
Jesus gives us the metaphor as well when he challenges Simon Peter to take the boat out in the deeper water. At first Peter argues back that they have been fishing all night and are tired and haven't caught anything. But then in better judgment he says, "But if you say so, we will try again". As we know, the boat overflowed with fish when they went into the deeper waters. What Christ is telling us is that it is okay to go into the deeper waters, if we go with Him. It may well be that He was also saying that staying in the shallow waters, or the red water with the rest is not where we are supposed to be but instead in the blue waters where we must trust more on Him and less in ourselves or the conventional wisdom of the world. Today, pull out the depth gauge and determine where you have been fishing. Is it in the safe but cluttered waters or are you out there in the blue with God's hand on the rod with you? It may just be that it is time for you to head out to the blue waters!
Reference: Luke 5:4 (New Living Testament)
There are many "strategic frameworks" out there for how to think about growing and developing a business. One that I like and have heard more over the past couple of years is the difference between being in the "red water" versus the "blue water". Both involve where you send your boat to fish. The red water signifies going out to the same place where others are fishing and competing in a place where the sharks or other predatory fish know there is fishing occurring. They color the water from the work they are also doing while fishing is occurring. The waters are chopped up with competition and the fallout of all the competition together being in one place. Blue water signifies heading out past the competition to waters that are yet to be fished and having that part of the sea to yourself. The danger of course in always doing this is that you are out there alone, there might not be fish there to catch, you spend lots of time and fuel to get there, and once there, you may not be able to afford to return, especially if there are no fish to catch in that blue water. Regardless, it is a good metaphor for how each of us have to think about the new areas of our businesses and work, and our lives. Will we want to fish in the red or blue water and what are the pros and cons of each?
Jesus gives us the metaphor as well when he challenges Simon Peter to take the boat out in the deeper water. At first Peter argues back that they have been fishing all night and are tired and haven't caught anything. But then in better judgment he says, "But if you say so, we will try again". As we know, the boat overflowed with fish when they went into the deeper waters. What Christ is telling us is that it is okay to go into the deeper waters, if we go with Him. It may well be that He was also saying that staying in the shallow waters, or the red water with the rest is not where we are supposed to be but instead in the blue waters where we must trust more on Him and less in ourselves or the conventional wisdom of the world. Today, pull out the depth gauge and determine where you have been fishing. Is it in the safe but cluttered waters or are you out there in the blue with God's hand on the rod with you? It may just be that it is time for you to head out to the blue waters!
Reference: Luke 5:4 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
day 627; Budget Management
"And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?"
It's about this time of the year that those on an annual fiscal calendar year start looking at how the first quarter shaped up and start thinking about what changes in the budget should happen. If an organization is on a July fiscal year then full budget planning for next year is taking place and decisions are being made as to what department gets funded more fully than others. The doling out game starts and decisions are made. Sometimes those decisions are obvious and clear, but at other times it's ambiguous and opaque. It actually is quite simple in how these decisions are made. When the CEO/CFO, or whoever is in charge of the budget allocations, looks back over the past year, she/he looks to see who has done the most with what was given to them in the past and then starts from there. It's called putting good money after good. It doesn't make much sense to allocate more budget to those who didn't do much, or anything, with their past allotments. To reward poor past budget management would be putting good money after bad. If an area of the company needs to be invested in, and their is not someone at the head of that area that is trusted to do well with the finances, then likely that person gets changed out before more dollars will be given to them. So, it becomes important to know and realize that past budget performance is the best predictor of future budget trends.
Faithfulness with money, especially other people's money, which is what most of us are managing when we work for companies, is a strong indicator to others of the character that we bring forward into the world. It is hard to trust anyone who we see cutting corners or who are not ensuring that the money flows in the right direction. I have seen more than one person risk or lose a career over a few dollars that they decided to mismanage. Regardless of how well-liked or well-respected, the mismanagement of finances can bring someone down fast. If we are to be the shining example that Christ desires us to be, then this is an area that we must also be aware of and manage well. Shortcuts, corner-cutting, fudging or trying to hide an expense are not examples of faithfulness, nor examples of the One who we follow. Today let us pray that we are showing faithfulness in all that we do.
Reference: Luke 16:12 (New Living Testament)
It's about this time of the year that those on an annual fiscal calendar year start looking at how the first quarter shaped up and start thinking about what changes in the budget should happen. If an organization is on a July fiscal year then full budget planning for next year is taking place and decisions are being made as to what department gets funded more fully than others. The doling out game starts and decisions are made. Sometimes those decisions are obvious and clear, but at other times it's ambiguous and opaque. It actually is quite simple in how these decisions are made. When the CEO/CFO, or whoever is in charge of the budget allocations, looks back over the past year, she/he looks to see who has done the most with what was given to them in the past and then starts from there. It's called putting good money after good. It doesn't make much sense to allocate more budget to those who didn't do much, or anything, with their past allotments. To reward poor past budget management would be putting good money after bad. If an area of the company needs to be invested in, and their is not someone at the head of that area that is trusted to do well with the finances, then likely that person gets changed out before more dollars will be given to them. So, it becomes important to know and realize that past budget performance is the best predictor of future budget trends.
Faithfulness with money, especially other people's money, which is what most of us are managing when we work for companies, is a strong indicator to others of the character that we bring forward into the world. It is hard to trust anyone who we see cutting corners or who are not ensuring that the money flows in the right direction. I have seen more than one person risk or lose a career over a few dollars that they decided to mismanage. Regardless of how well-liked or well-respected, the mismanagement of finances can bring someone down fast. If we are to be the shining example that Christ desires us to be, then this is an area that we must also be aware of and manage well. Shortcuts, corner-cutting, fudging or trying to hide an expense are not examples of faithfulness, nor examples of the One who we follow. Today let us pray that we are showing faithfulness in all that we do.
Reference: Luke 16:12 (New Living Testament)
Monday, April 4, 2011
day 626: Showing Up For Others
"He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John.."
Not a day goes by that we don't have some sort of issue or problem that we wish we had someone else to go through it with us. I can remember some of the most stressful points in my career and they were when I had to go through something alone. I can also remember having the team aligned and there for each other and how much easier, or at least comforting, it was to have others around. None of us want to walk into battle alone but many times in the work place the system dictates such and those who were with us in the easy times somehow are conveniently not around when the fire starts to burn. We look around us and we find that we are standing alone. A lesson for all of us is to know who are those who we can count on to be there with us, regardless of what will come our way. And vice versa. Who counts on us to be unwavering support? We will all be better to have and know who the core team is and where everyone on that team stands.
Never feel wrong in asking others to walk through the worst with you. As we approach Easter, my Pastor is leading us through a series called "A Journey Through the Cross" in Matthew Chapter 26. We have been learning what the last days and hours were all about and even Jesus wanted and knew that it would be better to go through the hardest times with those who he could count on the most. He called together Peter, John and James to just be with him while he prayed in the garden. Unfortunately, they didn't do the one thing that Jesus asked them to do in that hour, but it provides us a great example of how it is okay to need others and call upon on them as well as teach us that when others call on us to show up and be with them that is a noble service and we should agree. So, today, are you being called on and you need to show up for someone else? Or, do you need to call on others to support you? Either way, today would be a good day to answer these questions and if either are "yes" then do something about them.
Reference: Matthew 26:37 (New Living Testament)
Not a day goes by that we don't have some sort of issue or problem that we wish we had someone else to go through it with us. I can remember some of the most stressful points in my career and they were when I had to go through something alone. I can also remember having the team aligned and there for each other and how much easier, or at least comforting, it was to have others around. None of us want to walk into battle alone but many times in the work place the system dictates such and those who were with us in the easy times somehow are conveniently not around when the fire starts to burn. We look around us and we find that we are standing alone. A lesson for all of us is to know who are those who we can count on to be there with us, regardless of what will come our way. And vice versa. Who counts on us to be unwavering support? We will all be better to have and know who the core team is and where everyone on that team stands.
Never feel wrong in asking others to walk through the worst with you. As we approach Easter, my Pastor is leading us through a series called "A Journey Through the Cross" in Matthew Chapter 26. We have been learning what the last days and hours were all about and even Jesus wanted and knew that it would be better to go through the hardest times with those who he could count on the most. He called together Peter, John and James to just be with him while he prayed in the garden. Unfortunately, they didn't do the one thing that Jesus asked them to do in that hour, but it provides us a great example of how it is okay to need others and call upon on them as well as teach us that when others call on us to show up and be with them that is a noble service and we should agree. So, today, are you being called on and you need to show up for someone else? Or, do you need to call on others to support you? Either way, today would be a good day to answer these questions and if either are "yes" then do something about them.
Reference: Matthew 26:37 (New Living Testament)
Friday, April 1, 2011
day 625: The Benefits Of Prefinishing
"The stones used in the construction of the Temple were prefinished at the quarry, so the entire structure was built without the sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site."
Being prepared and ready for what is next is like bringing in prefinished materials to a work site. Just the word, "prefinished" tells a story in itself in how we think about our work. If we are more about prefinishing than starting from scratch on site, then we likely to be better ready for the curve balls that inevitably come our way. This week I was coaching a CEO who was getting ready to have a difficult meeting. I encouraged him to spend time the night before writing down the three points that he wanted to get across and to be conscious of getting those three points across before the conversation was completed. I asked him to bring his thoughts in prefinished. This doesn't mean that he, and all of us at some point, have to shift and be ready to make accommodations or changes, but we are so much better off when we come ready and prefinished.
The same can be said in how we approach bringing glory to God in our work. We can also come prefinished to our jobs if we have prepared our spirit through prayer, reading God's Word and being in fellowship and accountability for when we hit the office door. We can come prefinished and ready for what will come our way. It may well be that this prefinishing is what allows us to keep from being marred, scraped up, dinged and dented. Not that we have any promises that we will have it any easier or better off than a non-believer, but we know that God will never put more on us than we can bear. And, if we do the work to be even that much more ready then we can reap the benefits that God wants to give us. This weekend think about where you can be more prefinished and then start working on that now.
Reference: 1 Kings 6:7 (New Living Testament)
Being prepared and ready for what is next is like bringing in prefinished materials to a work site. Just the word, "prefinished" tells a story in itself in how we think about our work. If we are more about prefinishing than starting from scratch on site, then we likely to be better ready for the curve balls that inevitably come our way. This week I was coaching a CEO who was getting ready to have a difficult meeting. I encouraged him to spend time the night before writing down the three points that he wanted to get across and to be conscious of getting those three points across before the conversation was completed. I asked him to bring his thoughts in prefinished. This doesn't mean that he, and all of us at some point, have to shift and be ready to make accommodations or changes, but we are so much better off when we come ready and prefinished.
The same can be said in how we approach bringing glory to God in our work. We can also come prefinished to our jobs if we have prepared our spirit through prayer, reading God's Word and being in fellowship and accountability for when we hit the office door. We can come prefinished and ready for what will come our way. It may well be that this prefinishing is what allows us to keep from being marred, scraped up, dinged and dented. Not that we have any promises that we will have it any easier or better off than a non-believer, but we know that God will never put more on us than we can bear. And, if we do the work to be even that much more ready then we can reap the benefits that God wants to give us. This weekend think about where you can be more prefinished and then start working on that now.
Reference: 1 Kings 6:7 (New Living Testament)
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