"So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."
As an output of many strategic planning sessions is the distillation of the business objectives into the "one big thing" that needs to get done before all others. Once a business or an organization can clearly define and articulate what that one big thing is there is a certain clarity and alignment that will appear. But, getting to that one big thing is difficult, really difficult. With all of the competing priorities, getting to the one big thing means letting other things go and many times getting people to give up their pet projects or the areas that they think they must fulfill to move themselves forward. But, this is where we have to be disciplined and focused so that we can see what the one big thing is and not waiver. Organizations that can get there and and stay there are the ones that succeed. Those who try and do too much and become too watered down in their efforts and resources end up never finding the power of focus and alignment.
When King David told his son Solomon that the Temple was to be his to build, he defined for Solomon the one big thing that he was to do. David then challenged him in how he was to get the Temple built and what kind of leader he was to be, but this was all in the pursuit of building the Temple to the best of Solomon's ability. While in our own lives it may be hard to come to our one big thing, God calls us each and every day to bring glory to Him in all that we do and when we do that to spread His word to others. If we were to take on this as our one big thing, then we could know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the focus of our lives would be fruitful and pleasing to God. Today, consider what has been the one big thing to date? Is it what you want it to be or is today a day to reconsider, realign and refocus?
Reference: 1 Chronicles 28:10 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
day 679: Summer Hours
"Lazy people are a pain to their employer. They are like smoke in their eyes or vinegar that sets the teeth on edge."
It is officially the first full work week of summer and many businesses have now moved into summer hours where with a little shifting of the schedule Friday afternoons are "off" and employees are encouraged to make the most of the weekends. In the places I worked where we had summer hours it was a great thing, even though it sometimes caused a we vs. they with those who had to work over the weekends, but for the most part it was a welcomed time of the year. However, what would happen with summer hours is that it also brought out those who not only wanted to cut the corner of the summer hours, but would try and take advantage of it to slack off even further. Maybe it is just summer, but the lazy days and lazy attitudes can cause real strife and concern in the business. In this day and age, management is watching for productivity more than ever and whatever looks like laziness is going to get called out and remembered, so let's not let these summer hours, or this summer be a time where we drift into becoming lazy about our work.
Proverbs tells how an employer reacts to lazy workers. It is not good and Solomon's descriptors are vivid reminders that we don't want to ever be thought of as lazy. Beyond wanting to be considered good and hard workers for our career management and advancement, we also don't want to be lazy as an example for others. God has given us plenty of work to do and He promises us strength and power in our work, so if we are lazy in anything that we do, then we are telling and showing others that our God doesn't really provide, or that we don't care about the example that we set for others. Let's be real, we are always being watched, evaluated and compared and at the most base level, our ability to demonstrate that we are never lazy, but instead bring to our jobs a strong work ethic, can provide a foundation of credibility with others. As we go into summer, let's not slip into "summer hours" that aren't of a standard that we would want others to admire and respect.
Reference: Proverbs 10:26 (New Living Testament)
It is officially the first full work week of summer and many businesses have now moved into summer hours where with a little shifting of the schedule Friday afternoons are "off" and employees are encouraged to make the most of the weekends. In the places I worked where we had summer hours it was a great thing, even though it sometimes caused a we vs. they with those who had to work over the weekends, but for the most part it was a welcomed time of the year. However, what would happen with summer hours is that it also brought out those who not only wanted to cut the corner of the summer hours, but would try and take advantage of it to slack off even further. Maybe it is just summer, but the lazy days and lazy attitudes can cause real strife and concern in the business. In this day and age, management is watching for productivity more than ever and whatever looks like laziness is going to get called out and remembered, so let's not let these summer hours, or this summer be a time where we drift into becoming lazy about our work.
Proverbs tells how an employer reacts to lazy workers. It is not good and Solomon's descriptors are vivid reminders that we don't want to ever be thought of as lazy. Beyond wanting to be considered good and hard workers for our career management and advancement, we also don't want to be lazy as an example for others. God has given us plenty of work to do and He promises us strength and power in our work, so if we are lazy in anything that we do, then we are telling and showing others that our God doesn't really provide, or that we don't care about the example that we set for others. Let's be real, we are always being watched, evaluated and compared and at the most base level, our ability to demonstrate that we are never lazy, but instead bring to our jobs a strong work ethic, can provide a foundation of credibility with others. As we go into summer, let's not slip into "summer hours" that aren't of a standard that we would want others to admire and respect.
Reference: Proverbs 10:26 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
day 678: Conflict Management
"People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace."
I recently had the opportunity to experience a corporate culture where conflict management truly happens and is not like it is in most places, conflict avoidance. Few people relish the idea of conflict, and in fact we might tag those people with having an anger management issue. But, there is a healthy way to manage conflict and most organizations never get to that point. Rather, when conflict does arise either people avoid it or if they do try and manage the emotions around the conflict and it is uncomfortable and both sides of the conflict are spending so much time trying to manage themselves and assessing whether or not how the other person is responding that the true reason for the conflict never gets resolved. What we want is to be in a place where people can speak openly with each other, disagreeing without causing those extra emotions to rise up. Think how freeing it would be to be able to point out something we think is wrong without worrying that we are going to hurt someones feelings or that they are going to lash back out at us? In this culture I saw, disagreeing, expressing opinions and challenging each other was not just the norm, it is expected. The reason this works at this business is because there is a foundation of values and principles that are built on trust and everyone doing what is is right for the business first and themselves second. When this is real and obvious to all, it can be really powerful. So many companies would benefit from being able to openly manage conflict without hidden agendas, politics, or the worry of what someone else is going to think.
Solomon tells us that we should not avoid conflict, especially when we see wrong. It is then that he calls for us to bring forward not only a reproof, but a bold one at that. But, how do we do that in a way that doesn't alienate us from others, or cause others to be hurt when challenged? It starts with the relationship we have built with others. If we have established a relationship that is grounded in trust and our caring about the other person then even though they may not like what we have to say, there will be a level of respect and acceptance that we would never be able to reach if we hadn't taken the time and the energy to have already invested in them. We can start today in building those relationships that are strong and credible and from there be able to not let wrong pass, but instead be a voice of wisdom and influence when we step forward and speak out, without the worry of conflict.
Reference: Proverbs 10:10 (New Living Testament)
I recently had the opportunity to experience a corporate culture where conflict management truly happens and is not like it is in most places, conflict avoidance. Few people relish the idea of conflict, and in fact we might tag those people with having an anger management issue. But, there is a healthy way to manage conflict and most organizations never get to that point. Rather, when conflict does arise either people avoid it or if they do try and manage the emotions around the conflict and it is uncomfortable and both sides of the conflict are spending so much time trying to manage themselves and assessing whether or not how the other person is responding that the true reason for the conflict never gets resolved. What we want is to be in a place where people can speak openly with each other, disagreeing without causing those extra emotions to rise up. Think how freeing it would be to be able to point out something we think is wrong without worrying that we are going to hurt someones feelings or that they are going to lash back out at us? In this culture I saw, disagreeing, expressing opinions and challenging each other was not just the norm, it is expected. The reason this works at this business is because there is a foundation of values and principles that are built on trust and everyone doing what is is right for the business first and themselves second. When this is real and obvious to all, it can be really powerful. So many companies would benefit from being able to openly manage conflict without hidden agendas, politics, or the worry of what someone else is going to think.
Solomon tells us that we should not avoid conflict, especially when we see wrong. It is then that he calls for us to bring forward not only a reproof, but a bold one at that. But, how do we do that in a way that doesn't alienate us from others, or cause others to be hurt when challenged? It starts with the relationship we have built with others. If we have established a relationship that is grounded in trust and our caring about the other person then even though they may not like what we have to say, there will be a level of respect and acceptance that we would never be able to reach if we hadn't taken the time and the energy to have already invested in them. We can start today in building those relationships that are strong and credible and from there be able to not let wrong pass, but instead be a voice of wisdom and influence when we step forward and speak out, without the worry of conflict.
Reference: Proverbs 10:10 (New Living Testament)
Monday, June 27, 2011
day 677: Pros and Cons
"So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves."
A common decision-making process is to sit down and list out two columns worth of information; the pros and the cons. At the end of the exercise, we can look at the list in front of us and decide what is the best course of action. Businesses do the same thing as we are asked in the workplace to list out the positives and the negatives and then we hope that the positives outweigh the negatives so the decision can be made. In fact, we are expected to think in this fashion before we ever go into a meeting with a point of view. If we just say, "This is what I think we should do", without the backup of thinking, then we won't get very far before someone will ask us how we came to this position and at the very least we need to be able to say that we weighed out the pros and cons. While it may seem a lot heavier and more sophisticated than that, most business decisions are made just that way and our ability to objectively make an assessment of the pros and cons becomes an important decision-making skill.
In our work lives, in the rest of our life, and in our spiritual life we are also faced with constant decisions and our minds are always playing out the pros and cons. In Galatians 5:16-24, Paul provides us with an obvious pro and con list. (It's worth pulling out your Bible of choice now and following along.) First in this writing he tells us the cons of following the desires of a sinful nature. That list alone is daunting and we can only imagine being tagged with these as our identity and who we are. He then goes on to then list the fruits of the spirit as the pros of denying that sinful nature and instead letting the Holy Spirit rule our lives. This is indeed a fruitful list of pros. Paul lists out (depending on the version of the Bible you are using, 16 different sinful ways and nine fruits of the spirit. But like any other decision-making, the numerical size of the list doesn't decide the weight of the decision. The power of the words and the fulfilled life that we can live if we embody the fruits of the spirit are the best pros in life that we could ever imagine.
Reference: Galatians 5:16-26 (New Living Testament)
A common decision-making process is to sit down and list out two columns worth of information; the pros and the cons. At the end of the exercise, we can look at the list in front of us and decide what is the best course of action. Businesses do the same thing as we are asked in the workplace to list out the positives and the negatives and then we hope that the positives outweigh the negatives so the decision can be made. In fact, we are expected to think in this fashion before we ever go into a meeting with a point of view. If we just say, "This is what I think we should do", without the backup of thinking, then we won't get very far before someone will ask us how we came to this position and at the very least we need to be able to say that we weighed out the pros and cons. While it may seem a lot heavier and more sophisticated than that, most business decisions are made just that way and our ability to objectively make an assessment of the pros and cons becomes an important decision-making skill.
In our work lives, in the rest of our life, and in our spiritual life we are also faced with constant decisions and our minds are always playing out the pros and cons. In Galatians 5:16-24, Paul provides us with an obvious pro and con list. (It's worth pulling out your Bible of choice now and following along.) First in this writing he tells us the cons of following the desires of a sinful nature. That list alone is daunting and we can only imagine being tagged with these as our identity and who we are. He then goes on to then list the fruits of the spirit as the pros of denying that sinful nature and instead letting the Holy Spirit rule our lives. This is indeed a fruitful list of pros. Paul lists out (depending on the version of the Bible you are using, 16 different sinful ways and nine fruits of the spirit. But like any other decision-making, the numerical size of the list doesn't decide the weight of the decision. The power of the words and the fulfilled life that we can live if we embody the fruits of the spirit are the best pros in life that we could ever imagine.
Reference: Galatians 5:16-26 (New Living Testament)
Friday, June 24, 2011
day 676: Pattern Recognition
"Then, as accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives."
Recently I have been presented the opportunity to do some consulting with numerous businesses. These businesses span a number of different industries. The people are different, the names of the companies are different, and what they produce is different, but at the root, they are the same. What is different about companies is the outside, but on the inside the patterns of business are the same. Businesses run on patterns that they have designed and continue to use over and over to ensure that the business runs the same way as consistently as it can. Once we can see the pattern and recognize it then we can apply the learning from other companies to their pattern. It takes time to hone the skill of pattern recognition and you have to see enough patterns to ensure that you aren't seeing something for the first time. Every now and then, we can be surprised at an innovative way of going about the conducting of business, but for the most part, the patterns are set and we can learn and build from what we have seen and know. How much time are we putting into learning and knowing the pattern of our business? It's important to know and understand if we are ever to make improvements and bring best practices into our companies. I know too many people who try and apply new ideas and concepts on top of a pattern they don't really understand and then who leave a business frustrated because their ideas wouldn't take hold.
Patterns are also important in our personal and spiritual lives. No better example of a pattern maker was there than Jesus. There are a number of places in the Gospels that we learn of His patterns. Jesus had a pattern for His life that we can follow and apply to our own lives. He was a reader of the scriptures (Luke 4:16), He had a set time each day for his prayer time (Mark 1:35) and He had a place that he went to pray, as we read, in Luke 22:39, that he regularly visited. The New Living Testament says that this was the "usual" place that He went. Let's step back and see if we can recognize a pattern and apply it to our lives? If Jesus, of all people, had a pattern, then why wouldn't we follow the same one? It's a simple pattern to recognize: Read God's Word and pray and do both of these regularly and in a pattern of when and where, so to make it a habit. It's a simple but so powerful pattern to recognize and follow and of course, apply to our own lives.
Reference: Luke 22:39 (new Living Testament)
Recently I have been presented the opportunity to do some consulting with numerous businesses. These businesses span a number of different industries. The people are different, the names of the companies are different, and what they produce is different, but at the root, they are the same. What is different about companies is the outside, but on the inside the patterns of business are the same. Businesses run on patterns that they have designed and continue to use over and over to ensure that the business runs the same way as consistently as it can. Once we can see the pattern and recognize it then we can apply the learning from other companies to their pattern. It takes time to hone the skill of pattern recognition and you have to see enough patterns to ensure that you aren't seeing something for the first time. Every now and then, we can be surprised at an innovative way of going about the conducting of business, but for the most part, the patterns are set and we can learn and build from what we have seen and know. How much time are we putting into learning and knowing the pattern of our business? It's important to know and understand if we are ever to make improvements and bring best practices into our companies. I know too many people who try and apply new ideas and concepts on top of a pattern they don't really understand and then who leave a business frustrated because their ideas wouldn't take hold.
Patterns are also important in our personal and spiritual lives. No better example of a pattern maker was there than Jesus. There are a number of places in the Gospels that we learn of His patterns. Jesus had a pattern for His life that we can follow and apply to our own lives. He was a reader of the scriptures (Luke 4:16), He had a set time each day for his prayer time (Mark 1:35) and He had a place that he went to pray, as we read, in Luke 22:39, that he regularly visited. The New Living Testament says that this was the "usual" place that He went. Let's step back and see if we can recognize a pattern and apply it to our lives? If Jesus, of all people, had a pattern, then why wouldn't we follow the same one? It's a simple pattern to recognize: Read God's Word and pray and do both of these regularly and in a pattern of when and where, so to make it a habit. It's a simple but so powerful pattern to recognize and follow and of course, apply to our own lives.
Reference: Luke 22:39 (new Living Testament)
Thursday, June 23, 2011
day 675: First-Hand Knowledge
"Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen...And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. "
Reporting is a universal part of business. Without regular and credible reports then we have no idea how a business is performing. The best reporting is usually followed up by first-hand anecdotes/knowledge. There is nothing better than knowing someone inspected the activity, or the numbers, or the results before attesting to and sharing the information. It's not always possible but being able to see and put your hands on the information just builds the credibility and comfort level. Too much time is taken up in the defense of reporting that doesn't have substantiation or close enough knowledge to explain and answer questions. Any time we hear, "let me get back to you on that", probably means that somewhere someone hasn't dug in deep enough or isn't close enough to the data. We serve our companies, our bosses and our peers well by not serving up that which doesn't have a set of eyes that have been on it.
Many generations passed in the Old Testament. While there was some form of writing, accounts, stories, and lessons were passed down through the words spoken. Not everything got written down and people depended on each other to remembers what they saw and heard to pass along and down through the generations. We are fortunate to have God's Word as the written history of what happened in the early times. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't still be passing along what we have seen and learned about God and what He has done for us. There is nothing more powerful than what we have seen with our own two eyes. If we see God at work, there is no reason to hold it to ourselves either. We are to share God's glory with others. Today, what will you see that you can pass along as first-hand knowledge?
Reference: Deuteronomy 4:9 (New Living Testament)
Reporting is a universal part of business. Without regular and credible reports then we have no idea how a business is performing. The best reporting is usually followed up by first-hand anecdotes/knowledge. There is nothing better than knowing someone inspected the activity, or the numbers, or the results before attesting to and sharing the information. It's not always possible but being able to see and put your hands on the information just builds the credibility and comfort level. Too much time is taken up in the defense of reporting that doesn't have substantiation or close enough knowledge to explain and answer questions. Any time we hear, "let me get back to you on that", probably means that somewhere someone hasn't dug in deep enough or isn't close enough to the data. We serve our companies, our bosses and our peers well by not serving up that which doesn't have a set of eyes that have been on it.
Many generations passed in the Old Testament. While there was some form of writing, accounts, stories, and lessons were passed down through the words spoken. Not everything got written down and people depended on each other to remembers what they saw and heard to pass along and down through the generations. We are fortunate to have God's Word as the written history of what happened in the early times. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't still be passing along what we have seen and learned about God and what He has done for us. There is nothing more powerful than what we have seen with our own two eyes. If we see God at work, there is no reason to hold it to ourselves either. We are to share God's glory with others. Today, what will you see that you can pass along as first-hand knowledge?
Reference: Deuteronomy 4:9 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
day 674: Out Of Stock
“When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do” (John 6:5-6).
In business one of the worst things that can happen is to be "out of stock". This is a retail term that comes from the moment when the shelf is empty. If a shelf is empty because there is no product, then there won't be sales and somewhere a consumer is unhappy. Out of stock issues can come from both problems and opportunities. Problems that cause us to miss production and fulfillment demands can be fixed and are typically identifiable and with some better planning and execution not happen again. There are also times when the product is in such high demand that we just can't keep up. We can be fooled into believing that this is a good problem, but not really. If we miss the momentum wave and then lose the curiosity or interest of the consumer then we run the risk of never getting them back. Staying in stock, staying up to date (if running a service), and staying ahead to never go out of stock is a set of planning and operational skills that need to be resident in an organization.
In our own lives we also can feel like we are running "out of stock". These can be times when our emotional stock is low, our energy stock is depleted, our relationship strength is faltering, or our confidence level is emptying. As believers we never need to worry about God allowing us to run out of stock. When the Disciples were faced with not enough food to feed the multitudes, it wasn't just about being out of stock with food, it was also about their reputation and the their duties to Jesus being held accountable. From the outside looking in it probably looked like there had been poor planing and someone should have thought ahead to plan for the feeding of this many people. But, when that didn't happen and the Disciples had nothing else to fall back on, Jesus was right beside them with the answer and the solution. Now, He had to say it a few times and then prove it to them, but they finally got it and taught us a lesson. That lesson today is that if we truly believe and have a strong enough faith, then we never need to worry about running "out of stock".
Reference: John 6: 5-6
In business one of the worst things that can happen is to be "out of stock". This is a retail term that comes from the moment when the shelf is empty. If a shelf is empty because there is no product, then there won't be sales and somewhere a consumer is unhappy. Out of stock issues can come from both problems and opportunities. Problems that cause us to miss production and fulfillment demands can be fixed and are typically identifiable and with some better planning and execution not happen again. There are also times when the product is in such high demand that we just can't keep up. We can be fooled into believing that this is a good problem, but not really. If we miss the momentum wave and then lose the curiosity or interest of the consumer then we run the risk of never getting them back. Staying in stock, staying up to date (if running a service), and staying ahead to never go out of stock is a set of planning and operational skills that need to be resident in an organization.
In our own lives we also can feel like we are running "out of stock". These can be times when our emotional stock is low, our energy stock is depleted, our relationship strength is faltering, or our confidence level is emptying. As believers we never need to worry about God allowing us to run out of stock. When the Disciples were faced with not enough food to feed the multitudes, it wasn't just about being out of stock with food, it was also about their reputation and the their duties to Jesus being held accountable. From the outside looking in it probably looked like there had been poor planing and someone should have thought ahead to plan for the feeding of this many people. But, when that didn't happen and the Disciples had nothing else to fall back on, Jesus was right beside them with the answer and the solution. Now, He had to say it a few times and then prove it to them, but they finally got it and taught us a lesson. That lesson today is that if we truly believe and have a strong enough faith, then we never need to worry about running "out of stock".
Reference: John 6: 5-6
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
day 673: Strategic Shifts
"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."
One of the scariest things to do in business is to conduct a real strategic plan exercise. When done right, strategic plans have the input of many stakeholders and should feel like a comprehensive 360 degree look at the business, the market, the opportunities and the challenges. Coming out of the study will be a set of new targets and direction for the organization. Then, whoever is in charge has to answer the questions of "why not?" to all of the great ideas that have been presented. These can be as daunting like, how to double the size of the business in a specified time frame, or adding to or shedding parts of the business, or even as drastic as changing course and entering into new business segments. Whatever they are, they take courage to adopt and fortitude to implement. Someone once told me, "Vision is imagining that which cannot yet be seen." That is what we do when we make strategic shifts, we vision what cannot yet be seen. That is why it is scary and why we need to be courageous and strong to make the shifts. Businesses, or any organization, need to undertake regular strategic evaluations to stay healthy, pointed in the right direction and growing.
We also should take strategic inventory every now and then to be sure that our lives are pointing the direction that they should. God has given us the direction and the path to follow but are we sure that those things in our life where we spend our time, our energy and our resources are aligned to that plan? It is one thing to know the direction, it is another to align ourselves in that direction. Just like the strategic shifts and the tough decisions a business may have to take, we personally have to make those same hard calls. And yes, sometimes it does take courage. But, God gives us His promise that He will go in front of us so all we have to do is follow Him and He will not fail us or leave us alone. To have that promise should give us all the courage and strength we need to make the necessary and needed strategic shifts in our lives.
Reference: Deuteronomy 31:6 (New Living Testament)
One of the scariest things to do in business is to conduct a real strategic plan exercise. When done right, strategic plans have the input of many stakeholders and should feel like a comprehensive 360 degree look at the business, the market, the opportunities and the challenges. Coming out of the study will be a set of new targets and direction for the organization. Then, whoever is in charge has to answer the questions of "why not?" to all of the great ideas that have been presented. These can be as daunting like, how to double the size of the business in a specified time frame, or adding to or shedding parts of the business, or even as drastic as changing course and entering into new business segments. Whatever they are, they take courage to adopt and fortitude to implement. Someone once told me, "Vision is imagining that which cannot yet be seen." That is what we do when we make strategic shifts, we vision what cannot yet be seen. That is why it is scary and why we need to be courageous and strong to make the shifts. Businesses, or any organization, need to undertake regular strategic evaluations to stay healthy, pointed in the right direction and growing.
We also should take strategic inventory every now and then to be sure that our lives are pointing the direction that they should. God has given us the direction and the path to follow but are we sure that those things in our life where we spend our time, our energy and our resources are aligned to that plan? It is one thing to know the direction, it is another to align ourselves in that direction. Just like the strategic shifts and the tough decisions a business may have to take, we personally have to make those same hard calls. And yes, sometimes it does take courage. But, God gives us His promise that He will go in front of us so all we have to do is follow Him and He will not fail us or leave us alone. To have that promise should give us all the courage and strength we need to make the necessary and needed strategic shifts in our lives.
Reference: Deuteronomy 31:6 (New Living Testament)
Monday, June 20, 2011
day 672: Quiet
"...Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. "
I was recently on a train where the quiet car was full. Not long after that I checked out the quiet sections of a couple of airport airline lounges. They weren't full but they were well populated. The truth of the matter is that we are running out of places to be peaceful and quiet. The last bastion of being unconnected was the airplane cabin but even now with Go-Go Inflight that quiet and unconnected spot is disappearing. We are now at risk of being connected 24-7 and the only thing keeping us from being always on and always working is our own self-discipline (hard), the disapproving words of our family, friends, and loved ones (hard to hear), or the boundaries that the boss/company would put on us to not always be ready to work at all times (hard to believe). There is no such thing as a true vacation any longer. Few are able to truly vacate for the entire time. The weekend before going back to work turns into the time of catch-up or each day we find ourselves checking in. We haven't any idea what the long-term ramifications will be of this heightened level of working, but I suspect it won't be good and that there will be some form of backlash that will be hard to reconcile. We may already be seeing some of it from the people who have been doing double or triple the amount of work they did three years ago who are now looking for their next job because they feel understaffed and/or underpaid and under appreciated. If we have any any influence at all over the constant and increasing work "noise" level that is happening then let's think long and hard about how we modulate what we can. Some quiet time and lessened noise would be a good thing.
We are told many times in the Bible that we need to get quiet and still to hear God's voice speaking to us. It is in the quiet times that we can know that He is God! We are challenged to get away from others and commune with God in our own quite times and personal places. Isaiah says that in God's rest and quiet we can find our confidence and strength. Today, let's be sure that we have found some quiet time with God. This can be through our Bible reading time or our prayer time. Just take a part of today and let that be the quiet that we can listen for God and let Him renew us for the next crazy and loud time that is coming.
Reference: Isaiah 30:15 (New Living Testament)
I was recently on a train where the quiet car was full. Not long after that I checked out the quiet sections of a couple of airport airline lounges. They weren't full but they were well populated. The truth of the matter is that we are running out of places to be peaceful and quiet. The last bastion of being unconnected was the airplane cabin but even now with Go-Go Inflight that quiet and unconnected spot is disappearing. We are now at risk of being connected 24-7 and the only thing keeping us from being always on and always working is our own self-discipline (hard), the disapproving words of our family, friends, and loved ones (hard to hear), or the boundaries that the boss/company would put on us to not always be ready to work at all times (hard to believe). There is no such thing as a true vacation any longer. Few are able to truly vacate for the entire time. The weekend before going back to work turns into the time of catch-up or each day we find ourselves checking in. We haven't any idea what the long-term ramifications will be of this heightened level of working, but I suspect it won't be good and that there will be some form of backlash that will be hard to reconcile. We may already be seeing some of it from the people who have been doing double or triple the amount of work they did three years ago who are now looking for their next job because they feel understaffed and/or underpaid and under appreciated. If we have any any influence at all over the constant and increasing work "noise" level that is happening then let's think long and hard about how we modulate what we can. Some quiet time and lessened noise would be a good thing.
We are told many times in the Bible that we need to get quiet and still to hear God's voice speaking to us. It is in the quiet times that we can know that He is God! We are challenged to get away from others and commune with God in our own quite times and personal places. Isaiah says that in God's rest and quiet we can find our confidence and strength. Today, let's be sure that we have found some quiet time with God. This can be through our Bible reading time or our prayer time. Just take a part of today and let that be the quiet that we can listen for God and let Him renew us for the next crazy and loud time that is coming.
Reference: Isaiah 30:15 (New Living Testament)
Friday, June 17, 2011
day 671: The Cloud
"Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it."
Everywhere you turn, there is talk of "The Cloud". Amazon made a splash a few years ago when they introduced their cloud services. Salesforce.com is built in the cloud. Box.net markets themselves on the cloud. Apple has put their own name on it with, the "iCloud". It used to be that clouds meant bad weather, or the things that blocked the sun. We counseled people who had their "head in the cloud". But today, business is moving into the cloud and it's the billions of dollar idea. The cloud we are talking about is actually a set of servers that allow for a company or user to not have to have clients and servers to run applications and software. This is a big deal for developers who now don't have to expend money or resources on running their own hardware. For users it puts many applications anywhere that we couldn't get to before unless we were at our own PC. We don't have to understand all of the intricacies of new technology, but it is good that we stay current on where the technology is going and how it can apply in our business. If an organization or business today doesn't explore cloud computing then they are likely to miss out on some real enhancements.
The Bible is full of accounts of clouds and the metaphors that come with them. From the clouds came the rainbow that is a lasting promise today from God. God's voice came from the cloud declaring that Jesus was His Son. Jesus left the earth in a cloud as His disciples watched. The people of Israel found their way through the desert by following the cloud that would tell them it was time to move on in their journey. God was in all of these clouds! There a real clouds and there are the metaphors that teach us lessons. As another daily worKING reminder of who has given us this opportunity to bring glory to God, let's let ourselves be triggered back to think about our Lord when we are hearing about, learning and using our new technology definition of "The Cloud".
Reference: Exodus 40:35-37 (New Living Testament)
Everywhere you turn, there is talk of "The Cloud". Amazon made a splash a few years ago when they introduced their cloud services. Salesforce.com is built in the cloud. Box.net markets themselves on the cloud. Apple has put their own name on it with, the "iCloud". It used to be that clouds meant bad weather, or the things that blocked the sun. We counseled people who had their "head in the cloud". But today, business is moving into the cloud and it's the billions of dollar idea. The cloud we are talking about is actually a set of servers that allow for a company or user to not have to have clients and servers to run applications and software. This is a big deal for developers who now don't have to expend money or resources on running their own hardware. For users it puts many applications anywhere that we couldn't get to before unless we were at our own PC. We don't have to understand all of the intricacies of new technology, but it is good that we stay current on where the technology is going and how it can apply in our business. If an organization or business today doesn't explore cloud computing then they are likely to miss out on some real enhancements.
The Bible is full of accounts of clouds and the metaphors that come with them. From the clouds came the rainbow that is a lasting promise today from God. God's voice came from the cloud declaring that Jesus was His Son. Jesus left the earth in a cloud as His disciples watched. The people of Israel found their way through the desert by following the cloud that would tell them it was time to move on in their journey. God was in all of these clouds! There a real clouds and there are the metaphors that teach us lessons. As another daily worKING reminder of who has given us this opportunity to bring glory to God, let's let ourselves be triggered back to think about our Lord when we are hearing about, learning and using our new technology definition of "The Cloud".
Reference: Exodus 40:35-37 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
day 670: Praise Forward
“Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth - a stranger, not your own lips.”
If we ever wonder what we can do to make a real difference at work, it is simple; just learn how to praise forward. What is this praise forward thing, you ask? In business we don’t praise forward, we only praise backward. We don’t recognize what could happen and be done, we instead only praise and recognize and praise after the results are in and the tally counted. We have a very difficult time in wanting to move forward and provide praise before the actuals can be counted? But why? In business we are afraid about getting ahead of ourselves and providing praise on others when we don’t know if we will be associated with those who succeed or those who fail. Maybe we become afraid to be tagged by association. The truth is that if we praise forward, and we are wrong that we still move forward because we have encouraged and tried to prop up others. While it is sometimes hard to help and support others it is this that moves others forward. Companies and organizations that appreciate and recognize those who that praise forward will be the companies that progress.
As believers, we are the first to be the ones who should praise forward. We are not to be the ones who seek, look for, or expect our own praise. If it comes from others then it is nice to receive, but this is not what we should expect or need to receive. We of all people are not to be the ones who want to receive any praise. What we do from day to day, or what we expect to happen from our actions, we should never be ones who keep score from the praise we might receive, even when we think we deserve it. The only praise we ever should want is from God Himself when we stand before Him and thank Him for the privilege and honor to have served Him to our best and fullest capacity.
Reference: Proverbs 27:2 (New Living Testament)
If we ever wonder what we can do to make a real difference at work, it is simple; just learn how to praise forward. What is this praise forward thing, you ask? In business we don’t praise forward, we only praise backward. We don’t recognize what could happen and be done, we instead only praise and recognize and praise after the results are in and the tally counted. We have a very difficult time in wanting to move forward and provide praise before the actuals can be counted? But why? In business we are afraid about getting ahead of ourselves and providing praise on others when we don’t know if we will be associated with those who succeed or those who fail. Maybe we become afraid to be tagged by association. The truth is that if we praise forward, and we are wrong that we still move forward because we have encouraged and tried to prop up others. While it is sometimes hard to help and support others it is this that moves others forward. Companies and organizations that appreciate and recognize those who that praise forward will be the companies that progress.
As believers, we are the first to be the ones who should praise forward. We are not to be the ones who seek, look for, or expect our own praise. If it comes from others then it is nice to receive, but this is not what we should expect or need to receive. We of all people are not to be the ones who want to receive any praise. What we do from day to day, or what we expect to happen from our actions, we should never be ones who keep score from the praise we might receive, even when we think we deserve it. The only praise we ever should want is from God Himself when we stand before Him and thank Him for the privilege and honor to have served Him to our best and fullest capacity.
Reference: Proverbs 27:2 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
day 669: The Golden Path
“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”
When I worked in the fast moving consumer goods business, the sales and marketing team were always talking about the importance of the “golden path”. For those not in the business of selling products in retail, this is the path that a retail store wants to force us to walk as we shop in a store. Grocery stores are the best of the best at this and through the in-aisle displays, end-cap displays and specials they can get almost all of their shopping traffic to walk the same route. If you are a manufacturer and you can get on the golden path at the right point and place, then sales can also become golden. Other businesses also have their own golden path as it relates to customer and consumer interactions. Certainly in the online world driving consumers to the right pages in a sequence can be just as much of an impact as getting someone to walk down a physical store aisle. Even internally we see that we all walk paths, follow routines and process, and systematically do similar things day-to-day, week-to-week and year-to-year. Without a path to follow or a process to subscribe to it would be no wonder why disorganization and randomness may appear in a business. We can all benefit from finding and knowing the golden paths of our businesses and then trying to stay on them.
In our walk with the Lord, He also sets us on His golden path. It is always there, right in front of us to choose to follow, or not. When we trust in Him and follow, we find that He will lead and provide for us as we need. It is when we take our self-inflicted detours that we can find ourselves moving away. The direction signs to the path come from the Word of the Bible, our prayer time and our fellowship with other believers. How hard are we looking for God’s path for us and then once we are on it, how hard are we working to stay consistently on it? If the golden path has seemed to elude us, then today is the day to crack back open that Bible and ask God to show us His way back for us.
Reference: Psalm 143:8 (New Living Testament)
When I worked in the fast moving consumer goods business, the sales and marketing team were always talking about the importance of the “golden path”. For those not in the business of selling products in retail, this is the path that a retail store wants to force us to walk as we shop in a store. Grocery stores are the best of the best at this and through the in-aisle displays, end-cap displays and specials they can get almost all of their shopping traffic to walk the same route. If you are a manufacturer and you can get on the golden path at the right point and place, then sales can also become golden. Other businesses also have their own golden path as it relates to customer and consumer interactions. Certainly in the online world driving consumers to the right pages in a sequence can be just as much of an impact as getting someone to walk down a physical store aisle. Even internally we see that we all walk paths, follow routines and process, and systematically do similar things day-to-day, week-to-week and year-to-year. Without a path to follow or a process to subscribe to it would be no wonder why disorganization and randomness may appear in a business. We can all benefit from finding and knowing the golden paths of our businesses and then trying to stay on them.
In our walk with the Lord, He also sets us on His golden path. It is always there, right in front of us to choose to follow, or not. When we trust in Him and follow, we find that He will lead and provide for us as we need. It is when we take our self-inflicted detours that we can find ourselves moving away. The direction signs to the path come from the Word of the Bible, our prayer time and our fellowship with other believers. How hard are we looking for God’s path for us and then once we are on it, how hard are we working to stay consistently on it? If the golden path has seemed to elude us, then today is the day to crack back open that Bible and ask God to show us His way back for us.
Reference: Psalm 143:8 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
day 668: Knowledge Transfer
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”
Knowledge transfer is a hallmark of successful companies. If knowledge can’t move from one person to another or from one generation of leaders to another, then companies stagnate and can even die. There are plenty examples of companies that were on the top of the heap and then after the group of leaders who held the knowledge either left or didn’t learn fast enough, the company falls, fails and never recovers. But, companies or organizations who know how to transfer knowledge from person to person or throughout the organization can build upon a knowledge base and improve. When we look at those organizations that have gotten better and better are those that can learn. Without learning we can’t grow. If we can’t transfer the knowledge we have, either formally or informally, then it’s nearly impossible to grow. If any of us are somewhere where we don’t feel like we can transfer knowledge then we can take it upon ourselves to ensure that we are transferring at least what we know. If we hold it to ourselves, then what good is that? So, today, find someone who can benefit from something we know and transfer it to them.
We read in Hosea that if we don’t have knowledge, knowledge of God, then we are at real risk, even as Hosea writes, the risk of being destroyed. Is this really a risk that we want to take? We have at our fingertips the full knowledge that we need. God gave us his Word, His Book, to read, explore, dive into and most importantly, to make real in our lives. If we can make the knowledge real for each and every one of us and make it personal to the point that we thirst for more knowledge then we will never be at the point of the risk that Hosea tells us about. The knowledge that we need to transfer can never be passed along unless we obtain the knowledge ourselves? Any of us who have ever been asked by a child, the question that can’t be answered unless we really “know”, knows that we have to obtain the knowledge first before it can be transferred. So, what have we been doing today to increase our own knowledge to then be transferred?
Reference: Hosea 4:6 (New Living Testament)
Monday, June 13, 2011
day 667: Service
"There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord."
It's not that abnormal to hear someone talk about "servant leadership" as a way of managing and leading. Books have been written on the subject and there are many seminars to attend, etc. But seldom do we hear that is is important to be a servant co-worker. To help others and to serve them is not something we talk about much. Yet, those who take the time to help others, and to "serve" them and their needs and priorities over their own usually turn out to be the people who others find their way to liking. It makes good sense but why is it so hard to be one of these people? If we don't work for a servant leader then the idea of spending time on other people may not be recognized or rewarded from the boss so it doesn't become a part of the culture. If we could all adopt the concept that we can and should serve others before ourselves, just think how much better the workplace would be? There's no reason why this can't be started, today. I have seen many a team or department full of servant co-workers and it can be traced back to one or a couple of people who infectiously and consistently maintain an attitude of servitude. So, why wait? Think about being the person in your company, or team to create a servant attitude culture starting today!
The idea of serving is universal and there are many ways to do so. What we are told by Paul is that regardless of how we serve we should continue to remember that the focus and the reason for our servitude comes from our service to the one Lord. As we serve others we want them to see our service of the Lord shining brightly through us. As we go about serving others, let us remember that we are doing so in His name and that our own consistent and willing attitude towards others can open up the door to share with others the message of our Lord. So, let us serve, serve always, and serve well, all in His name!
Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:5 (New Living Testament)
It's not that abnormal to hear someone talk about "servant leadership" as a way of managing and leading. Books have been written on the subject and there are many seminars to attend, etc. But seldom do we hear that is is important to be a servant co-worker. To help others and to serve them is not something we talk about much. Yet, those who take the time to help others, and to "serve" them and their needs and priorities over their own usually turn out to be the people who others find their way to liking. It makes good sense but why is it so hard to be one of these people? If we don't work for a servant leader then the idea of spending time on other people may not be recognized or rewarded from the boss so it doesn't become a part of the culture. If we could all adopt the concept that we can and should serve others before ourselves, just think how much better the workplace would be? There's no reason why this can't be started, today. I have seen many a team or department full of servant co-workers and it can be traced back to one or a couple of people who infectiously and consistently maintain an attitude of servitude. So, why wait? Think about being the person in your company, or team to create a servant attitude culture starting today!
The idea of serving is universal and there are many ways to do so. What we are told by Paul is that regardless of how we serve we should continue to remember that the focus and the reason for our servitude comes from our service to the one Lord. As we serve others we want them to see our service of the Lord shining brightly through us. As we go about serving others, let us remember that we are doing so in His name and that our own consistent and willing attitude towards others can open up the door to share with others the message of our Lord. So, let us serve, serve always, and serve well, all in His name!
Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:5 (New Living Testament)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Our Resume of Life
While I am on vacation, I thought I would share my latest speaking message I was honored enough to be able to deliver at my church last weekend.
This is from Cornerstone Church in San Francisco on Sunday, May 29th.
http://cornerstone-sf.org/tv/detail/356
Purposed worKING will return daily on June 13th
This is from Cornerstone Church in San Francisco on Sunday, May 29th.
http://cornerstone-sf.org/tv/detail/356
Purposed worKING will return daily on June 13th
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Purposed worKING Update
It's vacation time so Purposed worKING will return on Monday June 13th and will pick up then for day 667. Thank you for your readership and may we all bring glory to God in all that we do in our work and our lives! - Rusty
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
day 666: What's In A Number?
"Let one who has understanding solve the number of the beast for it the number of a man. his number is 666"
I knew this day was coming and I wondered whether or not to ignore it and not reference the devilish number of 666, but since Purposed worKING is about how we bring glory to God in our work, even the day of 666 can be woven into what we do in our jobs for in business the bottom line is also about a number. The numbers that we have to pay attention are only one of three things; too large, too small, or just right. But, we always have something to say about the numbers and yes, the numbers we work with all day long can be their own "beasts" that we have to deal with and bear the burden of explaining, rationalizing, massaging or pushing through. No matter where we go, numbers are with us and they won't go away. How we do deal with numbers is important though. If we decide to "shave a number" or not count all of the numbers, or inflate or deflate a number, or hide a number then we run the risk of putting our reputations in danger and destroying all that we have worked so hard to build. No number is worth throwing it all away, which is what can happen when we allow the numbers to control us versus the other way around. So, today, take a look at the numbers in front of you and provide them the respect they deserve and don't allow yourself to become enslaved to any of them to where you would lose your perspective. Many a person has lost a great job over not caring for the numbers or trying to manipulate them for their own advantage. Don't allow yourself to be or become one of those people.
Reference: Revelation 14:18 (New Living Testament)
I knew this day was coming and I wondered whether or not to ignore it and not reference the devilish number of 666, but since Purposed worKING is about how we bring glory to God in our work, even the day of 666 can be woven into what we do in our jobs for in business the bottom line is also about a number. The numbers that we have to pay attention are only one of three things; too large, too small, or just right. But, we always have something to say about the numbers and yes, the numbers we work with all day long can be their own "beasts" that we have to deal with and bear the burden of explaining, rationalizing, massaging or pushing through. No matter where we go, numbers are with us and they won't go away. How we do deal with numbers is important though. If we decide to "shave a number" or not count all of the numbers, or inflate or deflate a number, or hide a number then we run the risk of putting our reputations in danger and destroying all that we have worked so hard to build. No number is worth throwing it all away, which is what can happen when we allow the numbers to control us versus the other way around. So, today, take a look at the numbers in front of you and provide them the respect they deserve and don't allow yourself to become enslaved to any of them to where you would lose your perspective. Many a person has lost a great job over not caring for the numbers or trying to manipulate them for their own advantage. Don't allow yourself to be or become one of those people.
Reference: Revelation 14:18 (New Living Testament)
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