"It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
On this 700th post of Purposed worKING, I looked at the history of Pat Robertson's 700 Club television show and thought that there would be some biblical reference to the name. What I found was this: "In 1962, the station suffered financially and almost closed. To keep the station on the air, WYAH decided to produce a special telethon edition of the show. For the telethon, Robertson set a goal of 700 members each contributing $10.00 per month, which was enough to support the station. Robertson referred to these members as the '700 Club' and the name stuck. The telethon was successful and is still held annually." (source: Wikipedia.org).
Yesterday, I wrote of seed investments and this stands as another example of how a small investment in something can make a huge difference. I doubt that any of the 700 people who donated $10 back in 1962 would have envisioned that nearly 50 years later that $10 would still be around and reaping far beyond what was sowed.
One little seed can make a huge difference. This is what God said to us with the parable of the mustard seed. He was telling us that we need to be the fertile and receptive soil for the seed that He is continuously sowing in us. And then, it is important that we spread the seed to others. As we work, as we go about our daily business, we can spread the seed and expand the Kingdom of God. Let us think about how we can do that and let us each find our ways to do so, with the power that comes from Him.
Thank you for being here daily through 700 posts of Purposed worKING! Consider yourselves part of our own "700 Club".
Reference: Matthew 13:32 (New Living Testament)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
day 699: Seed Investments
"It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
There is lots of talk about the importance of small businesses in America and them being the backbone of our economy. In the area of the country where I live, the California Bay Area, our economy certainly thrives and survives on the technology start-ups that pop up from the investments made in new small businesses. Silicon Valley is made up of smart, educated entrepreneurs who build teams, products and services from the investments made by Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists. It is said many times that the most risky investment is the seed investment because if the company doesn't grow quickly and attract new capital at higher valuations, then the seed investor gets washed out. It is true, but it takes the courage and conviction of seed investors to make small businesses grow. When we plant a seed, we can't see what is happening underground. We continue to water and fertilize until we see a growth shoot and then we do all we can to keep it growing and protected from the elements that would like to make sure it doesn't grow. That is seed investing and it's important that there be those who are there to do this, otherwise, there will be no new company seeds to grow. Imagine if Sergey and Larry hadn't had the seed investments by Ron Conway and others. Without Google, the world would be certainly different and business as we know it today would not be as rich or as open to all of us (Google powers this blog in fact).
Jesus told us that His Kingdom was just like one mustard seed that once planted and allowed to grow, would provide us a tree that would be the largest of the garden so that it could be full of birds to perch on its' branches. From one seed comes a powerful and pervasive tree. God wants to plant his seed in us and then for us to allow it to grow and prosper. God has made the ultimate seed investment. He provides all we need to allow the Kingdom of God to grow in us and for us to spread that Kingdom to others. Today, think about the investment that Jesus and the Father made for each of us and consider the seed that he wants us to grow to become. Let us take that seed and spread the Kingdom of God to all those around us.
Reference: Matthew 13:32 (New Living Testament)
There is lots of talk about the importance of small businesses in America and them being the backbone of our economy. In the area of the country where I live, the California Bay Area, our economy certainly thrives and survives on the technology start-ups that pop up from the investments made in new small businesses. Silicon Valley is made up of smart, educated entrepreneurs who build teams, products and services from the investments made by Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists. It is said many times that the most risky investment is the seed investment because if the company doesn't grow quickly and attract new capital at higher valuations, then the seed investor gets washed out. It is true, but it takes the courage and conviction of seed investors to make small businesses grow. When we plant a seed, we can't see what is happening underground. We continue to water and fertilize until we see a growth shoot and then we do all we can to keep it growing and protected from the elements that would like to make sure it doesn't grow. That is seed investing and it's important that there be those who are there to do this, otherwise, there will be no new company seeds to grow. Imagine if Sergey and Larry hadn't had the seed investments by Ron Conway and others. Without Google, the world would be certainly different and business as we know it today would not be as rich or as open to all of us (Google powers this blog in fact).
Jesus told us that His Kingdom was just like one mustard seed that once planted and allowed to grow, would provide us a tree that would be the largest of the garden so that it could be full of birds to perch on its' branches. From one seed comes a powerful and pervasive tree. God wants to plant his seed in us and then for us to allow it to grow and prosper. God has made the ultimate seed investment. He provides all we need to allow the Kingdom of God to grow in us and for us to spread that Kingdom to others. Today, think about the investment that Jesus and the Father made for each of us and consider the seed that he wants us to grow to become. Let us take that seed and spread the Kingdom of God to all those around us.
Reference: Matthew 13:32 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
day 698: Momentum
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."
We are just a few days away from August, which gets called the the "dog days of summer". This old adage refers to those hot, steamy, sweltering days when even the dogs don't do anything but lie on the floor or in the shade looking for rest and cool. We aren't really that different as the summer months trigger vacation time and for lots of companies, downtime. Morale in the summer is sometimes hard to measure as people's minds are in so many different places that getting focused on the business at hand becomes hard. In Europe, many companies shut down for the month of August knowing that they are pushing water uphill for productivity. Keeping momentum is hard for a business. One rough quarter or even a bad product review or customer complaint can stall or divert momentum. This is why it is so important for businesses to have a longer-term compelling and exciting vision that aligns everyone and keeps the momentum going, even when things slow down. Without this, we are vulnerable to any which thing that comes along and distracts us or looks at all to be negative.
The same can be said in our own lives. God expects us to lean on Him and plow through the difficulties of life. Like a business that doesn't have a vision or strategy, the same can happen to us if we don't have our focus in the right place. What God does for us is to give us Him as a place to firmly fix our gaze and then allow ourselves to be pulled up and over the mountains of life. Paul tells us that we have all the desire and power we need to do those things that are pleasing to God. All we have to do is allow Him to continue to work within us and to tap into that unlimited reserve that builds momentum for us. Clearly, it is up to us to allow God into our lives, but what a blessing to have Him there for us at all times.
Reference: Philippians 2:13 (New Living Testament)
We are just a few days away from August, which gets called the the "dog days of summer". This old adage refers to those hot, steamy, sweltering days when even the dogs don't do anything but lie on the floor or in the shade looking for rest and cool. We aren't really that different as the summer months trigger vacation time and for lots of companies, downtime. Morale in the summer is sometimes hard to measure as people's minds are in so many different places that getting focused on the business at hand becomes hard. In Europe, many companies shut down for the month of August knowing that they are pushing water uphill for productivity. Keeping momentum is hard for a business. One rough quarter or even a bad product review or customer complaint can stall or divert momentum. This is why it is so important for businesses to have a longer-term compelling and exciting vision that aligns everyone and keeps the momentum going, even when things slow down. Without this, we are vulnerable to any which thing that comes along and distracts us or looks at all to be negative.
The same can be said in our own lives. God expects us to lean on Him and plow through the difficulties of life. Like a business that doesn't have a vision or strategy, the same can happen to us if we don't have our focus in the right place. What God does for us is to give us Him as a place to firmly fix our gaze and then allow ourselves to be pulled up and over the mountains of life. Paul tells us that we have all the desire and power we need to do those things that are pleasing to God. All we have to do is allow Him to continue to work within us and to tap into that unlimited reserve that builds momentum for us. Clearly, it is up to us to allow God into our lives, but what a blessing to have Him there for us at all times.
Reference: Philippians 2:13 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
day 697: Motivation
"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works."
Do good and do well seems to be the rage. Tom's Shoes have become very popular and I don't think it is just because of the style and the fashion aspects. The fact that they give a pair of shoes away with each pair sold means something to lots of consumers. Pepsi said they aren't turning back on their Refresh campaign where they give money to non-profits vs. spend the money on advertising. Zynga has given millions away as part of their Farmville game. Buy and give back can be a powerful force and motivator for consumers. More companies should think about what they could be doing to bring about the motivation of other good works.
We are challenged to think about ways that we can motivate others to acts of love and good works. There is no better example of how to bring about love and good works than to be the example and the type of person who is committed to motivating others. We should be asking ourselves, always, what other ways can we be that motivator? Imagine that each of us thought about our actions and work in a way that when there is an inflow that we also give back, like Tom's Shoes? Could we? Would we? An act of goodness and and act of love is the following of the acts of our Lord. Let's spend some time today thinking about what we could do?
Reference: Hebrews 10:24 (New Living Testament)
Do good and do well seems to be the rage. Tom's Shoes have become very popular and I don't think it is just because of the style and the fashion aspects. The fact that they give a pair of shoes away with each pair sold means something to lots of consumers. Pepsi said they aren't turning back on their Refresh campaign where they give money to non-profits vs. spend the money on advertising. Zynga has given millions away as part of their Farmville game. Buy and give back can be a powerful force and motivator for consumers. More companies should think about what they could be doing to bring about the motivation of other good works.
We are challenged to think about ways that we can motivate others to acts of love and good works. There is no better example of how to bring about love and good works than to be the example and the type of person who is committed to motivating others. We should be asking ourselves, always, what other ways can we be that motivator? Imagine that each of us thought about our actions and work in a way that when there is an inflow that we also give back, like Tom's Shoes? Could we? Would we? An act of goodness and and act of love is the following of the acts of our Lord. Let's spend some time today thinking about what we could do?
Reference: Hebrews 10:24 (New Living Testament)
Monday, July 25, 2011
day 696: Dependable Advisers
This post from David Wilkerson's ongoing blog was just too good to not re-post as our day 696 Purposed worKING read. May we all call on our most dependable adviser today!
OUR DEPENDABLE ADVISER
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]
I don’t give financial advice—but I am in touch with the world’s one and
only dependable adviser! For every question I have on any matter, my trusted
adviser has an answer. He has been with our ministry since the very beginning.
When we moved our offices back to New York City, he moved with us. And he has
directed every real estate transaction we’ve made here. He helped us buy the
historic Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway, where Times Square Church now
holds services.
Yet he’s not only our financial and real estate adviser, he’s also our
attorney, family adviser, counselor and travel guide. Indeed, he guides us in
literally everything we do and face. The last time I talked with him (which was
this morning), he assured me he would continue to provide steady guidance for us
throughout the coming difficult times. He told me we had nothing to worry about.
Best of all, my adviser doesn’t mind if I call him every day and at any time
during the day. My adviser encourages me, “You don’t have to worry about a
thing. I’ve been through these kinds of things many times before.” It is
amazing to see throughout the Bible that time after time, in every kind of
crisis, God has always been intimately involved with his people.
The Lord was involved with David, the psalmist, when he fell on hard times.
David returned home with his army to Ziklag and found his town reduced to ashes
by a band of raiders (see 1 Samuel 30). David’s home had been destroyed and
his family taken captive—there was nothing left. Everything he worked
for—his cattle, his furnishings, his possessions—were gone. David had no
one to turn to in that moment, as his own soldiers were ready to stone him
because they blamed him for leading them into battle and leaving their loved
ones unprotected.
Scripture says David turned to his adviser (and mine): “David inquired at the
Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he
answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail
recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8). David followed his adviser’s counsel—and he
did recover all!
OUR DEPENDABLE ADVISER
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]
I don’t give financial advice—but I am in touch with the world’s one and
only dependable adviser! For every question I have on any matter, my trusted
adviser has an answer. He has been with our ministry since the very beginning.
When we moved our offices back to New York City, he moved with us. And he has
directed every real estate transaction we’ve made here. He helped us buy the
historic Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway, where Times Square Church now
holds services.
Yet he’s not only our financial and real estate adviser, he’s also our
attorney, family adviser, counselor and travel guide. Indeed, he guides us in
literally everything we do and face. The last time I talked with him (which was
this morning), he assured me he would continue to provide steady guidance for us
throughout the coming difficult times. He told me we had nothing to worry about.
Best of all, my adviser doesn’t mind if I call him every day and at any time
during the day. My adviser encourages me, “You don’t have to worry about a
thing. I’ve been through these kinds of things many times before.” It is
amazing to see throughout the Bible that time after time, in every kind of
crisis, God has always been intimately involved with his people.
The Lord was involved with David, the psalmist, when he fell on hard times.
David returned home with his army to Ziklag and found his town reduced to ashes
by a band of raiders (see 1 Samuel 30). David’s home had been destroyed and
his family taken captive—there was nothing left. Everything he worked
for—his cattle, his furnishings, his possessions—were gone. David had no
one to turn to in that moment, as his own soldiers were ready to stone him
because they blamed him for leading them into battle and leaving their loved
ones unprotected.
Scripture says David turned to his adviser (and mine): “David inquired at the
Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he
answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail
recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8). David followed his adviser’s counsel—and he
did recover all!
Friday, July 22, 2011
day 695: Aligned Interest
"Workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eats its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer's interest will be rewarded."
Aligned interest is a big deal these days in business. Shareholders demand aligned interest between their investments into the company and the rewards that management receives. The same is being driven from the top to the bottom in organizations as senior management looks for ways to align the interest of the front-line employee with their interest. There are all kinds of incentive and alignment systems and tools, but nothing is better than everyone believing, deeply, that they are all working toward a common goal and if this goal is achieved then they know that they will receive commensurate rewards for that achievement. Call it what you want, profit-sharing, bonus pools, etc., but whatever it is, pure alignment goes a long way. I was speaking with a senior executive about how this level of alignment can also reinforce accountability, which only assists in ensuring that goals will be achieved. He told me, "it's one of the hardest achievements in any business." He is right.
As workers, who are also working to bring glory to God in all that we do, let us also ensure that we are doing our part to earn the rewards. As Solomon says in Proverbs, the prelude to the rewards is our tending the fig tree, and doing it well. Let's be sure that we are doing our part so that the rewards we receive are well-earned and deserved. When we work hard and pull our part, our interests become aligned with our employers who expect such. Let's be sure that we are always aligned in that way and that we protect those interests.
Reference: Proverbs 27:18 (New Living Testament)
Aligned interest is a big deal these days in business. Shareholders demand aligned interest between their investments into the company and the rewards that management receives. The same is being driven from the top to the bottom in organizations as senior management looks for ways to align the interest of the front-line employee with their interest. There are all kinds of incentive and alignment systems and tools, but nothing is better than everyone believing, deeply, that they are all working toward a common goal and if this goal is achieved then they know that they will receive commensurate rewards for that achievement. Call it what you want, profit-sharing, bonus pools, etc., but whatever it is, pure alignment goes a long way. I was speaking with a senior executive about how this level of alignment can also reinforce accountability, which only assists in ensuring that goals will be achieved. He told me, "it's one of the hardest achievements in any business." He is right.
As workers, who are also working to bring glory to God in all that we do, let us also ensure that we are doing our part to earn the rewards. As Solomon says in Proverbs, the prelude to the rewards is our tending the fig tree, and doing it well. Let's be sure that we are doing our part so that the rewards we receive are well-earned and deserved. When we work hard and pull our part, our interests become aligned with our employers who expect such. Let's be sure that we are always aligned in that way and that we protect those interests.
Reference: Proverbs 27:18 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
day 694: Give It All Up, Really?
"But among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant."
At some point in our careers, we all reach the pinnacle of what we can do and then we perform at that level until we take ourselves out, or get replaced. Father time has a way of ensuring that all of us get to a point where we just can't do any better than what we have already done, and it is at that point that companies and organizations have to make a hard decision to ensure that they continue on to get stronger and better. Any of us who have had to deliver that message knows how hard it is to send and even harder for someone to receive. Most organizations are not built to allow someone to step back into positions of lesser responsibility and carry on. Up or out is the norm and even if not, usually a person's ego or familiarity with the way they worked, gets in the way of being able to stick around in a lesser role. I just finished a biography of T.E. Lawrence (we know him best as Lawrence of Arabia) and the British military used to let guys like Lawrence, who were forced to retire by an age standard as an officer, to reenlist at the lowest rank, under an assumed name. For those who all they knew was the military, this could be life-saving. How wonderful it would be for organizations to be this open and welcoming so that someone could continue on and transition in the final quarter of their work life in a way that didn't leave them waiting for the axe to fall.
Jesus challenges us to never become so full of ourselves that we can't take the lowest of ranks and for those of us who are leaders to realize that we are here to serve others, not the other way around. When we practice servant leadership, it is not only rewarding to others, it can also be freeing to us. When we subordinate our egos and spend our time to work with all levels of co-workers, we are giving back in a great way. Most importantly, we are modeling the life of our Lord, who didn't see rank, titles, or authority. The One who had all the authority and power, always gave it away so that others were built up and strengthened. What can we be doing today to be more His way?
Reference: Luke 22:26 (New Living Testament)
At some point in our careers, we all reach the pinnacle of what we can do and then we perform at that level until we take ourselves out, or get replaced. Father time has a way of ensuring that all of us get to a point where we just can't do any better than what we have already done, and it is at that point that companies and organizations have to make a hard decision to ensure that they continue on to get stronger and better. Any of us who have had to deliver that message knows how hard it is to send and even harder for someone to receive. Most organizations are not built to allow someone to step back into positions of lesser responsibility and carry on. Up or out is the norm and even if not, usually a person's ego or familiarity with the way they worked, gets in the way of being able to stick around in a lesser role. I just finished a biography of T.E. Lawrence (we know him best as Lawrence of Arabia) and the British military used to let guys like Lawrence, who were forced to retire by an age standard as an officer, to reenlist at the lowest rank, under an assumed name. For those who all they knew was the military, this could be life-saving. How wonderful it would be for organizations to be this open and welcoming so that someone could continue on and transition in the final quarter of their work life in a way that didn't leave them waiting for the axe to fall.
Jesus challenges us to never become so full of ourselves that we can't take the lowest of ranks and for those of us who are leaders to realize that we are here to serve others, not the other way around. When we practice servant leadership, it is not only rewarding to others, it can also be freeing to us. When we subordinate our egos and spend our time to work with all levels of co-workers, we are giving back in a great way. Most importantly, we are modeling the life of our Lord, who didn't see rank, titles, or authority. The One who had all the authority and power, always gave it away so that others were built up and strengthened. What can we be doing today to be more His way?
Reference: Luke 22:26 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
day 693: Weeding Out
"Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn."
In business we are always working to separate the good versus not as good performers. The number of hours that go into trying to figure out the best way to evaluate the performance of someone and then to go about that performance management process is more than anyone ever expects. But, performance management is important so that we can ensure that we are getting the best performance from individuals that collectively turns into overall improved performance of the company. Organizations that just take a punt on this and don't try and manage performance are not helping themselves. So, we have to separate the wheat from the weeds and ensure that we are feeding and harvesting the wheat and getting rid of the weeds. But, it doesn't happen overnight and there is a time when we have to be able to let the two work next to each other and still retain and motivate the best people. That's an art and what we can call "good management". If we aren't thinking about this today, or almost all of the time, then we are not doing our jobs and we could be letting the best performers get choked out.
Jesus gave us the parable of the Wheat and Weeds. He was telling us that we are going to have to, in this world, grow among all kinds of people and things that can happen to us and that he expects for us to be the wheat and to be there, ready for harvest. Until then, we cannot get discouraged, confused or compromised as we live and work among the weeds. Together we grow, until our day of harvest. If we can realize that God is good and that with even all the things in this world than can try and drag us down or break us, God gives us all that we need to grow strong and tall among it all, so that we are ready on harvest day. Today, don't despair over all the weeds around us, instead, rejoice in the promise of God for what will come.
Reference: Matthew 13:30 (New Living Testament)
In business we are always working to separate the good versus not as good performers. The number of hours that go into trying to figure out the best way to evaluate the performance of someone and then to go about that performance management process is more than anyone ever expects. But, performance management is important so that we can ensure that we are getting the best performance from individuals that collectively turns into overall improved performance of the company. Organizations that just take a punt on this and don't try and manage performance are not helping themselves. So, we have to separate the wheat from the weeds and ensure that we are feeding and harvesting the wheat and getting rid of the weeds. But, it doesn't happen overnight and there is a time when we have to be able to let the two work next to each other and still retain and motivate the best people. That's an art and what we can call "good management". If we aren't thinking about this today, or almost all of the time, then we are not doing our jobs and we could be letting the best performers get choked out.
Jesus gave us the parable of the Wheat and Weeds. He was telling us that we are going to have to, in this world, grow among all kinds of people and things that can happen to us and that he expects for us to be the wheat and to be there, ready for harvest. Until then, we cannot get discouraged, confused or compromised as we live and work among the weeds. Together we grow, until our day of harvest. If we can realize that God is good and that with even all the things in this world than can try and drag us down or break us, God gives us all that we need to grow strong and tall among it all, so that we are ready on harvest day. Today, don't despair over all the weeds around us, instead, rejoice in the promise of God for what will come.
Reference: Matthew 13:30 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
day 692: "How Could This Have Happened?"
"An enemy has done!, the farmer exclaimed."
Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire media magnate is well known for his statement to his management team, "Bury your mistakes". It's actually not a bad strategy, if you have the money to do it, and you also take the time and energy to understand what caused the mistake in the first place so that you don't end up repeating and then burying the mistake again. But sometimes, like what is happening in the UK right now with the NewsCorp newspaper organization, the mistakes, when surfaced, can be so obvious, that all you can do is ask yourself, "How could this have happened?". There are times when the finger-pointing, deflecting and blaming doesn't do any good, and if we are honest with ourselves, we know that what happened is that we took our eye off the ball and we let something slip by us and it became a way of doing business and it really is bad when it catches up to us. NewsCorp is not the first, and won't be the last. What looks like a single mistake, like an oil well explosion, turns out to be a safety and reporting systemic problem. We all have these hidden mistakes waiting to happen, and we have to be diligent to constantly be evaluating and assessing where these weak points might be.
In the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, the King had a legitimate excuse to what was going to be a big problem. He had an enemy who decided that the best way to thwart a successful harvest of the wheat was to fill the King's fields with seeds of weeds. When realized, they surely had to ask, "How could this have happened?" But, when the King found the reason, he didn't panic, he didn't try and cover it up, he didn't look for the scapegoat, he made the best of it and he made sure that everyone knew that for a while it was going to be ugly and unpredictable, but that at harvest time it would all work out. We need to be more like the King in our lives. The weeds are just part of our lives and there isn't anyone to blame or get angry against. Instead, it is us that we have to manage and stay positive with our lives being the example of the wheat that an can grow and thrive, even among the weeds. If we spend too much of our time and energy (both which are precious), asking "How could have this happened?", then we are not listening to the consistent and always present answer that is coming from Him.
Reference: Matthew 13:28 (New Living Testament)
Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire media magnate is well known for his statement to his management team, "Bury your mistakes". It's actually not a bad strategy, if you have the money to do it, and you also take the time and energy to understand what caused the mistake in the first place so that you don't end up repeating and then burying the mistake again. But sometimes, like what is happening in the UK right now with the NewsCorp newspaper organization, the mistakes, when surfaced, can be so obvious, that all you can do is ask yourself, "How could this have happened?". There are times when the finger-pointing, deflecting and blaming doesn't do any good, and if we are honest with ourselves, we know that what happened is that we took our eye off the ball and we let something slip by us and it became a way of doing business and it really is bad when it catches up to us. NewsCorp is not the first, and won't be the last. What looks like a single mistake, like an oil well explosion, turns out to be a safety and reporting systemic problem. We all have these hidden mistakes waiting to happen, and we have to be diligent to constantly be evaluating and assessing where these weak points might be.
In the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, the King had a legitimate excuse to what was going to be a big problem. He had an enemy who decided that the best way to thwart a successful harvest of the wheat was to fill the King's fields with seeds of weeds. When realized, they surely had to ask, "How could this have happened?" But, when the King found the reason, he didn't panic, he didn't try and cover it up, he didn't look for the scapegoat, he made the best of it and he made sure that everyone knew that for a while it was going to be ugly and unpredictable, but that at harvest time it would all work out. We need to be more like the King in our lives. The weeds are just part of our lives and there isn't anyone to blame or get angry against. Instead, it is us that we have to manage and stay positive with our lives being the example of the wheat that an can grow and thrive, even among the weeds. If we spend too much of our time and energy (both which are precious), asking "How could have this happened?", then we are not listening to the consistent and always present answer that is coming from Him.
Reference: Matthew 13:28 (New Living Testament)
Monday, July 18, 2011
day 691: Stickiness of Friends
:There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."
The technology world is awash in a new social network; Google+. I'm not really sure how many more social networks I need, but I have accepted my invitation to Google+ and I can see some advantages to the Circles and Streams. It is also interesting in that in this new social network I can now categorize my friends more so than in the past. The definition of friends continues to evolve and I can see that more and more of business will revolve around the concept of friendship. Friends are sticky. That means that if we can get friends involved or interested in the same things, then they are more likely to stick with something together. If we trust our friends more than others, then it makes sense that we would tap into those same people for recommendations, supports, guidance, etc. But, this demands an even further deepening and stratification of the definition of friend. I'm not sure who can truly define who is a friend or not better than each one of us individually, but it is certainly something for us to watch in our businesses, because if we can get our customers to tap into their friends for us, then we can see a new set of customers emerge.
In our personal, work, and spiritual lives, God calls on us to define our friends to an even deeper level. We are not to be the type of friends who would tear each other down through competition, envy or coveting. We as Solomon says, are to know that "a real friend sticks closer than a brother". That means, never turning way and always being there for each other. Sure, brothers may argue and not always see eye-to-eye, but they are always to come back to each other and be there when needed. We call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be sure that we are living up to that label and standard that comes with the definition set by Solomon. Today, let's think about our friends and check whether or not we are sticking with them.
Reference: Proverbs 18:24 (New Living Testament)
The technology world is awash in a new social network; Google+. I'm not really sure how many more social networks I need, but I have accepted my invitation to Google+ and I can see some advantages to the Circles and Streams. It is also interesting in that in this new social network I can now categorize my friends more so than in the past. The definition of friends continues to evolve and I can see that more and more of business will revolve around the concept of friendship. Friends are sticky. That means that if we can get friends involved or interested in the same things, then they are more likely to stick with something together. If we trust our friends more than others, then it makes sense that we would tap into those same people for recommendations, supports, guidance, etc. But, this demands an even further deepening and stratification of the definition of friend. I'm not sure who can truly define who is a friend or not better than each one of us individually, but it is certainly something for us to watch in our businesses, because if we can get our customers to tap into their friends for us, then we can see a new set of customers emerge.
In our personal, work, and spiritual lives, God calls on us to define our friends to an even deeper level. We are not to be the type of friends who would tear each other down through competition, envy or coveting. We as Solomon says, are to know that "a real friend sticks closer than a brother". That means, never turning way and always being there for each other. Sure, brothers may argue and not always see eye-to-eye, but they are always to come back to each other and be there when needed. We call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be sure that we are living up to that label and standard that comes with the definition set by Solomon. Today, let's think about our friends and check whether or not we are sticking with them.
Reference: Proverbs 18:24 (New Living Testament)
Friday, July 15, 2011
day 690: Before Giving Advice
"What a shame, what folly, to give advice before listening to the facts!"
Think with me for a moment about the number of companies and people who make a living from giving advice that we listen to and influence our business and life decisions. I can list a number of those quickly; consultants, analysts, professional services, attorneys, money managers, authors, etc. We take advice in all day long and within our companies we are expected to give advice to others whether they be customers, partners, vendors, or co-workers. Advice is part of what makes business go round. However, in order to give good and sound advice we must know what we are are talking about and be committed to getting to the truth. To give the best advice, we must do the hard work to get to and represent what are the facts. That means a lot of digging, evaluating, and listening. Too many times we read or hear of companies that find themselves in a jam because they never got to the facts and instead gave poor or misguided advice and assurances. This can be a real problem and with one or more of these, then a companies credibility can be damaged beyond repair. If we are leading any part of an organization that gives advice, then we need to do the hard work and listen for the facts and then only provide our advice based on the truth, on the facts.
God calls on us to be ones that others can count on as people of truth. The fact is that if we don't represent the truth and facts that we are misrepresenting the One who we follow. Let's never find ourselves in a situation where we are giving advice or counsel that is not based on the facts. Solomon says that is it beyond shameful, that is is "folly", or foolishness to do so. God doesn't need any of us to look like we are not established and grounded in the truth and facts. Today, don't take the shortcut or cut the corner. Go spend the extra time and listen and find the facts before providing that advice or speaking out.
Reference: Proverbs 19:13 (New Living Testament)
Think with me for a moment about the number of companies and people who make a living from giving advice that we listen to and influence our business and life decisions. I can list a number of those quickly; consultants, analysts, professional services, attorneys, money managers, authors, etc. We take advice in all day long and within our companies we are expected to give advice to others whether they be customers, partners, vendors, or co-workers. Advice is part of what makes business go round. However, in order to give good and sound advice we must know what we are are talking about and be committed to getting to the truth. To give the best advice, we must do the hard work to get to and represent what are the facts. That means a lot of digging, evaluating, and listening. Too many times we read or hear of companies that find themselves in a jam because they never got to the facts and instead gave poor or misguided advice and assurances. This can be a real problem and with one or more of these, then a companies credibility can be damaged beyond repair. If we are leading any part of an organization that gives advice, then we need to do the hard work and listen for the facts and then only provide our advice based on the truth, on the facts.
God calls on us to be ones that others can count on as people of truth. The fact is that if we don't represent the truth and facts that we are misrepresenting the One who we follow. Let's never find ourselves in a situation where we are giving advice or counsel that is not based on the facts. Solomon says that is it beyond shameful, that is is "folly", or foolishness to do so. God doesn't need any of us to look like we are not established and grounded in the truth and facts. Today, don't take the shortcut or cut the corner. Go spend the extra time and listen and find the facts before providing that advice or speaking out.
Reference: Proverbs 19:13 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
day 689: Acceptance: Part 4 - Fertile Ground
"The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted."
If we can remove the acceptance problems of our cultures so that new talent can come into the organization and quickly take hold and establish deep roots, unencumbered by others, then we will be building companies that can continuously grow and scale. This becomes a significant competitive advantage over the other organizations who are after the same talent. Especially in this day and age, talent is evaluating closely the cultures of new companies. They are using great online tools and resources to be able to look inside a company culture before they decide where to take the next job. (I am on the Board of Directors of one of these companies; http://glassdoor.com and I highly recommend that anyone who is considering, or for sure, before interviewing with the company, check out Glassdoor.com) Companies that get past their acceptance problems (as read about in Part 1-3 of this series) will find themselves getting better talent and multiplying their effectiveness, many times over.
Jesus' promise to us about what our lives can be like if we just accept Him and His message and allow ourselves to be fertile ground is in itself reason enough to get rid of our own acceptance problems. Our personal harvest can be abundant. Why would we wait another day to turn ourselves over to Him and let Him be the farmer of our lives? He not only wants to plant Himself deeply within us, but then wants to nourish, feed and see us grow. What farmer plants a field to get anything less than a bountiful harvest? It doesn't come over night, but the harvest season is always so fulfilling and rewarding. Let's today let God's seeds take hold and let us accept all that He wants for us and our lives.
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
If we can remove the acceptance problems of our cultures so that new talent can come into the organization and quickly take hold and establish deep roots, unencumbered by others, then we will be building companies that can continuously grow and scale. This becomes a significant competitive advantage over the other organizations who are after the same talent. Especially in this day and age, talent is evaluating closely the cultures of new companies. They are using great online tools and resources to be able to look inside a company culture before they decide where to take the next job. (I am on the Board of Directors of one of these companies; http://glassdoor.com and I highly recommend that anyone who is considering, or for sure, before interviewing with the company, check out Glassdoor.com) Companies that get past their acceptance problems (as read about in Part 1-3 of this series) will find themselves getting better talent and multiplying their effectiveness, many times over.
Jesus' promise to us about what our lives can be like if we just accept Him and His message and allow ourselves to be fertile ground is in itself reason enough to get rid of our own acceptance problems. Our personal harvest can be abundant. Why would we wait another day to turn ourselves over to Him and let Him be the farmer of our lives? He not only wants to plant Himself deeply within us, but then wants to nourish, feed and see us grow. What farmer plants a field to get anything less than a bountiful harvest? It doesn't come over night, but the harvest season is always so fulfilling and rewarding. Let's today let God's seeds take hold and let us accept all that He wants for us and our lives.
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
day 688: Acceptance: Part 3 - Thorns
"The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted."
New talent has been hired, oriented and starting in their new job. Everyone is really excited and accepting. The employee gets going and everything is good until they start to get into the thick of it with their co-workers. On the surface the team looks accepting and welcoming, but once the work starts to get done, the thorns of politics start to come out. All of a sudden, everywhere the employee turns it feels like they are getting stuck and before long they are so deep into the thorns that it feels choking and constricting. They go home and ask themselves, "Why am I doing this to myself?" After months of this, they either give up or we don't want to hear what they are telling us about the politics, the back-biting, the hidden agendas, etc. and we label them as a misfit and malcontent, and we let them go. Meanwhile the thorn bushes have found another victim and once they have some open space, they insidiously grow into each other, making it even harder for the next person coming in. Thorns of politics and bad behavior are hard to see from the surface so we have to be willing to go in and do the dirty work of removing them at the root. If we don't then new talent will never be accepted and we won't ever let any of the new talent to come in and take real root.
Jesus' message comes to us and we let Him in and then we let the busy nature of our lives, our other interests and commitments, our other influences to, like thorns, squeeze Him out until His message is choked and can never grow in our lives. If we really think about it, any new aspect of our lives whether it be a new relationship or a new activity or interest must have to room to take hold and grow into us otherwise all of the other things and people in our lives will push it out. Our acceptance of God is the same way. We have to make room for Him in our lives or He can never take root and grow within us. It's really nasty work removing those thorn bushes and it demands the courage and resistance to pain to get in there and take them out at the root. But, if we don't then there will never be room for Him. Let's not let the thorn bushes in our lives be the reason why we have an acceptance problem.
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
New talent has been hired, oriented and starting in their new job. Everyone is really excited and accepting. The employee gets going and everything is good until they start to get into the thick of it with their co-workers. On the surface the team looks accepting and welcoming, but once the work starts to get done, the thorns of politics start to come out. All of a sudden, everywhere the employee turns it feels like they are getting stuck and before long they are so deep into the thorns that it feels choking and constricting. They go home and ask themselves, "Why am I doing this to myself?" After months of this, they either give up or we don't want to hear what they are telling us about the politics, the back-biting, the hidden agendas, etc. and we label them as a misfit and malcontent, and we let them go. Meanwhile the thorn bushes have found another victim and once they have some open space, they insidiously grow into each other, making it even harder for the next person coming in. Thorns of politics and bad behavior are hard to see from the surface so we have to be willing to go in and do the dirty work of removing them at the root. If we don't then new talent will never be accepted and we won't ever let any of the new talent to come in and take real root.
Jesus' message comes to us and we let Him in and then we let the busy nature of our lives, our other interests and commitments, our other influences to, like thorns, squeeze Him out until His message is choked and can never grow in our lives. If we really think about it, any new aspect of our lives whether it be a new relationship or a new activity or interest must have to room to take hold and grow into us otherwise all of the other things and people in our lives will push it out. Our acceptance of God is the same way. We have to make room for Him in our lives or He can never take root and grow within us. It's really nasty work removing those thorn bushes and it demands the courage and resistance to pain to get in there and take them out at the root. But, if we don't then there will never be room for Him. Let's not let the thorn bushes in our lives be the reason why we have an acceptance problem.
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
day 687: Acceptance: Part 2 - Shallowness
"The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted."
Yesterday we explored that one of the reasons it is so hard for new talent to join and integrate into our companies is that we have created a pavement like barrier that never allows new talent to find a place and take root. Another cultural watch-out would be to evaluate those employees who come into the company and seem to get off to a great start and start taking hold but within a time-frame stop performing and growing. It is almost like they reach a plateau and then never quite live up to the expectations that we had for them when hired. Before we blame it all on that we we made a bad hire we should look and see how deeply we have invested in them. It may well be that the new person comes in, establishes themselves but then never gets developed or taught about the company and culture much beyond what they learned in orientation. They may also not have been given a way to get to know more people in the company, or have been given a mentor/buddy to show them the ropes. They become like seeds that are planted in shallow ground; they can take root and grow but they are not going to be able to go deep and establish themselves enough that they get fed, or watered enough and when the winds blow hard or something comes around to wash them out, that they too easily just go away. It may be that just the demands and the heat of the pressures cause them to just burn out and with no understanding or context of the company, they make the easy choice and leave. Providing only a shallow layer for new people to take root is an acceptance problem that we want to make sure is not part of our culture.
Jesus says that the Farmer sows the seeds into the shallow ground and it all looks good at first but when the sun comes out that the plants quickly wilt and die. We are so like this aren't we? We go to church on Sunday and we leave so excited and replenished in His message and with each passing day of the week and the heat of the world, we can feel like we are wilting under the pressure and we just burn out. What God promises us is that it doesn't have to be this way. If we truly accept His ongoing gifts and we commit to go deep with Him, He won't let us wilt. But, that acceptance is our choice and we have to be willing to provide the soil of our lives that allow for His promising message to go deep and then tap into His nourishment. We can start today with opening up His Word and allowing him to take deeper roots in our lives.
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
Yesterday we explored that one of the reasons it is so hard for new talent to join and integrate into our companies is that we have created a pavement like barrier that never allows new talent to find a place and take root. Another cultural watch-out would be to evaluate those employees who come into the company and seem to get off to a great start and start taking hold but within a time-frame stop performing and growing. It is almost like they reach a plateau and then never quite live up to the expectations that we had for them when hired. Before we blame it all on that we we made a bad hire we should look and see how deeply we have invested in them. It may well be that the new person comes in, establishes themselves but then never gets developed or taught about the company and culture much beyond what they learned in orientation. They may also not have been given a way to get to know more people in the company, or have been given a mentor/buddy to show them the ropes. They become like seeds that are planted in shallow ground; they can take root and grow but they are not going to be able to go deep and establish themselves enough that they get fed, or watered enough and when the winds blow hard or something comes around to wash them out, that they too easily just go away. It may be that just the demands and the heat of the pressures cause them to just burn out and with no understanding or context of the company, they make the easy choice and leave. Providing only a shallow layer for new people to take root is an acceptance problem that we want to make sure is not part of our culture.
Jesus says that the Farmer sows the seeds into the shallow ground and it all looks good at first but when the sun comes out that the plants quickly wilt and die. We are so like this aren't we? We go to church on Sunday and we leave so excited and replenished in His message and with each passing day of the week and the heat of the world, we can feel like we are wilting under the pressure and we just burn out. What God promises us is that it doesn't have to be this way. If we truly accept His ongoing gifts and we commit to go deep with Him, He won't let us wilt. But, that acceptance is our choice and we have to be willing to provide the soil of our lives that allow for His promising message to go deep and then tap into His nourishment. We can start today with opening up His Word and allowing him to take deeper roots in our lives.
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
Monday, July 11, 2011
day 686: Acceptance: Part 1 - Pavement
"The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted."
A major challenge for every organization is how well the culture can accept and integrate new talent. New people represent new ideas, new ways of thinking, experiences and practices that come from other organizations, and potentially new standards of performance and excellence that raises the bar for everyone. However, it is not unusual at all to hear the stories of people who get rejected within a few months and leave an organization scratching their heads wondering what happened. While we like to quickly tag the problem on the new employee we should also look at our culture and be sure that we don't have an acceptance problem. It may well be that we say we want to accept new talent but what is really happening is that we are not providing a soft landing or an easy place for the new person to take root. Think about it. Everyone is used to doing it their own way and ensconced in their own jobs that they don't want to give up any turf, so when the new person comes in they can't find a crack in the pavement to establish themselves. It's a worthy cultural diagnosis to understand what it is about our culture that doesn't make it easy for new people and whether or not we have created such a barrier to new people that it feels like a seed trying to find a place when planted on top of pavement.
Jesus tells us that we have an acceptance problem too. In Matthew he says, that we are the soil and he is the seed and that some of us are just like pavement and that when His message is spread to us that we just let the message sit on top of a hard footpath, that leaves the farmer's seeds getting carried away and eaten by birds. God is constantly sowing His seed for us and we have to choose and decide if we are going to accept Him. What is for sure is that if we don't soften ourselves and make room for Him that we become like pavement that doesn't allow anything in and that is not good. Today, take a moment and let's ask ourselves how open we are open to accepting His message for us. Have we opened ourselves up, or are we instead layering on another layer of pavement that doesn't allow for Him to take hold in our lives?
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
A major challenge for every organization is how well the culture can accept and integrate new talent. New people represent new ideas, new ways of thinking, experiences and practices that come from other organizations, and potentially new standards of performance and excellence that raises the bar for everyone. However, it is not unusual at all to hear the stories of people who get rejected within a few months and leave an organization scratching their heads wondering what happened. While we like to quickly tag the problem on the new employee we should also look at our culture and be sure that we don't have an acceptance problem. It may well be that we say we want to accept new talent but what is really happening is that we are not providing a soft landing or an easy place for the new person to take root. Think about it. Everyone is used to doing it their own way and ensconced in their own jobs that they don't want to give up any turf, so when the new person comes in they can't find a crack in the pavement to establish themselves. It's a worthy cultural diagnosis to understand what it is about our culture that doesn't make it easy for new people and whether or not we have created such a barrier to new people that it feels like a seed trying to find a place when planted on top of pavement.
Jesus tells us that we have an acceptance problem too. In Matthew he says, that we are the soil and he is the seed and that some of us are just like pavement and that when His message is spread to us that we just let the message sit on top of a hard footpath, that leaves the farmer's seeds getting carried away and eaten by birds. God is constantly sowing His seed for us and we have to choose and decide if we are going to accept Him. What is for sure is that if we don't soften ourselves and make room for Him that we become like pavement that doesn't allow anything in and that is not good. Today, take a moment and let's ask ourselves how open we are open to accepting His message for us. Have we opened ourselves up, or are we instead layering on another layer of pavement that doesn't allow for Him to take hold in our lives?
Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23 (New Living Testament)
Friday, July 8, 2011
Day 685: Fair Trade
"The Lord demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard."
Fair trade treaties are written between countries to ensure that a set of business standards are set and followed. We have laws in the United States that regulate how we can advertise, market, represent products, set pricing, etc. Yet, with all of this, we find businesses and business people who still try and tilt the scales away from fairness and take advantage of a consumer or a vendor. What should be fair, can easily end up being unfair. I sometimes marvel at the companies that have payment terms that are on receipt (immediate) when they themselves won't pay their vendors for 30, 60 or even 90 days. We take it for granted that this is fair because the company gets the cash flow, etc. but for that vendor who barely makes it by, they don't see the fairness. We seem to forget in business and how/when we create our policies and practices that what is good for one should be good for another, or better said, we should only do unto others what we would want done to us. If we lead a business, or any part of it, it would be a good practice to review and evaluate policies against a standard of true fairness.
As believers, followers of Jesus, and striving to be good business people, we can't ignore the words of Solomon in Proverbs 16:11. He tells us that the Lord "demands" fairness. Notice this is not, "wants" or "desires", Solomon tells us that fairness is a requirement! And, this is not in some events and circumstances, but instead in "every business deal". It is God who sets the standard that we must follow. If we cut a corner, if we tip the scales, if we don't establish fairness as our way of doing business, then we are not living up to His standards. Today, let's take a look at how fair we are being and be sure that we are working and living up to His standard!
Reference: Proverbs 16:11 (New Living Testament)
Fair trade treaties are written between countries to ensure that a set of business standards are set and followed. We have laws in the United States that regulate how we can advertise, market, represent products, set pricing, etc. Yet, with all of this, we find businesses and business people who still try and tilt the scales away from fairness and take advantage of a consumer or a vendor. What should be fair, can easily end up being unfair. I sometimes marvel at the companies that have payment terms that are on receipt (immediate) when they themselves won't pay their vendors for 30, 60 or even 90 days. We take it for granted that this is fair because the company gets the cash flow, etc. but for that vendor who barely makes it by, they don't see the fairness. We seem to forget in business and how/when we create our policies and practices that what is good for one should be good for another, or better said, we should only do unto others what we would want done to us. If we lead a business, or any part of it, it would be a good practice to review and evaluate policies against a standard of true fairness.
As believers, followers of Jesus, and striving to be good business people, we can't ignore the words of Solomon in Proverbs 16:11. He tells us that the Lord "demands" fairness. Notice this is not, "wants" or "desires", Solomon tells us that fairness is a requirement! And, this is not in some events and circumstances, but instead in "every business deal". It is God who sets the standard that we must follow. If we cut a corner, if we tip the scales, if we don't establish fairness as our way of doing business, then we are not living up to His standards. Today, let's take a look at how fair we are being and be sure that we are working and living up to His standard!
Reference: Proverbs 16:11 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
day 684: The Truth
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
It seems that wherever we turn, there is the pursuit of truth and a distrust in the process of getting there. Institutions that once were thought to only provide truth are now suspect. What appeared to be the truth, turns out to be not true. People claim to be telling the truth, only to find that they have lied. What we know to be true doesn't get claimed as such because it would be harmful to the career of a person. We regulate for truth in advertising and truth in labeling and ingredients. Businesses have been forced into transparency to keep the truth revealed. And yet, with all of this, the truth evades us and we many times give up on getting to the truth because it is too hard, too painful, or too exposing of others. The amount of time we spend in the office trying to get to the truth and then holding onto it long enough to build upon it would be a staggering number of hours if we could quantify such a thing. As we know, the truth is hard to find and hard to maintain, but we must do that in our businesses if we are to succeed in the long run and be able to hold our heads high.
As believers we know where the truth comes from and His truth is liberating and empowering. When we have His truth in our hearts we also are given an inner voice, a compass, a direction, that keeps talking to us about the importance of carrying that truth, and all truths throughout our whole lives. If we don't follow the truth then we are turning our backs on Him and telling the rest of the world that He is not who He says He is. When we don't uphold the truth and live and work by the truth then we run the risk of being hypocritical in front of others. If there is anyone who must live and work by the truth, it is us!
Reference: John 8:32 (New Living Testament)
It seems that wherever we turn, there is the pursuit of truth and a distrust in the process of getting there. Institutions that once were thought to only provide truth are now suspect. What appeared to be the truth, turns out to be not true. People claim to be telling the truth, only to find that they have lied. What we know to be true doesn't get claimed as such because it would be harmful to the career of a person. We regulate for truth in advertising and truth in labeling and ingredients. Businesses have been forced into transparency to keep the truth revealed. And yet, with all of this, the truth evades us and we many times give up on getting to the truth because it is too hard, too painful, or too exposing of others. The amount of time we spend in the office trying to get to the truth and then holding onto it long enough to build upon it would be a staggering number of hours if we could quantify such a thing. As we know, the truth is hard to find and hard to maintain, but we must do that in our businesses if we are to succeed in the long run and be able to hold our heads high.
As believers we know where the truth comes from and His truth is liberating and empowering. When we have His truth in our hearts we also are given an inner voice, a compass, a direction, that keeps talking to us about the importance of carrying that truth, and all truths throughout our whole lives. If we don't follow the truth then we are turning our backs on Him and telling the rest of the world that He is not who He says He is. When we don't uphold the truth and live and work by the truth then we run the risk of being hypocritical in front of others. If there is anyone who must live and work by the truth, it is us!
Reference: John 8:32 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
day 683: Inside The Boardroom
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."
We often wonder what those Boardroom conversations must be like. We may know who the Board of Directors are within a company, but we probably never get a chance to meet many of the Directors or get to know them beyond a superficial level. And what really happens in this Board meetings anyway? Especially, in the closed door sessions? Along with keeping the company business going there is a lot of peace-making that happens. CEOs and Chairmen of the Board have to always be thinking about how to keep everyone aligned, on agenda and at peace. This is hard because each person on a Board comes to the body with their own personal level of knowledge and understanding of the business, their own experience filters, their own personality traits, and their own likes and dislikes of the management team and other Board members. At the core, each person is just a normal person from their own walk of life, but still this has to be managed to keep the group cohesive. The bottom line is that if we have any group of people who share a core set of common values and principles then things become a whole lot easier. I remember reading about Alfred Sloan when he was the Chairman of the Board of General Motors and how he would never allow a unanimous vote of approval from his Board because he felt if that happened then somewhere management had not presented the full story to the Board, so he would take preliminary votes and if it was all one-sided he would send management off to come back with a better and deeper understanding of the issues for a real vote later. That was gutsy because he trusted his Board so much that he was willing to give up peace for an open conversation that included dissension. Any of our Board meetings, or any management team sessions would be best served to get to this level of working.
Maybe the most influential group of people to ever gather into a "boardroom" were the Disciples that Jesus gathered. But even them, like all of us, had a hard time coming together, operating, believing and staying aligned and in peace. The late David Wilkerson gives us his take on this group:
"You would do well to consider the men to whom Jesus first gave his peace. None of them was worthy, and none had a right to it.
Think about Peter. Jesus was about to bestow his peace on a minister of the
gospel who would soon be spewing out cursings. Peter was zealous in his love
for Christ, but he was also going to deny him.
Then there was James and his brother John, men with a competitive spirit,
always seeking to be recognized. They asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand when he ascended to his throne in glory.
The other disciples were no more righteous. They simmered with anger at James and John for trying to upstage them. There was Thomas, a man of God who was given to doubt. All of the disciples were so lacking in faith, it amazed and stressed Jesus. Indeed, in Christ’s most troubling hour, they would all forsake him and flee. Even after the Resurrection, when the word spread that “Jesus is risen,” the disciples were slow to believe.
But there’s even more. These were also confused men. They did not understand the ways of the Lord. His parables confused them. After the Crucifixion, they lost any sense of unity they had, scattering in all directions.
What a picture: These men were full of fear, unbelief, disunity, sorrow, confusion, competitiveness, pride. Yet it was to these same troubled servants that Jesus said, “I am going to give you my peace.”
The disciples weren’t chosen because they were good or righteous; that much is clear. Nor was it because they had talent or abilities. They were fishermen and day laborers, meek and lowly. Christ called and chose the disciples because he saw something in their hearts. As he looked into them, he knew each one would submit to the Holy Spirit.
At this point, all that the disciples had was a promise from Christ of his peace. The fullness of that peace was yet to be given to them, at Pentecost. That’s when the Holy Spirit would come and dwell in them. We receive the peace of Christ from the Holy Spirit. This peace comes to us as the Spirit reveals Christ to us. The more of Jesus you want, the more the Spirit will show you of him—and the more of Christ’s actual peace you will have."
And to that, I say, Amen!
Reference: John 14:27-28 (New Living Translation)
We often wonder what those Boardroom conversations must be like. We may know who the Board of Directors are within a company, but we probably never get a chance to meet many of the Directors or get to know them beyond a superficial level. And what really happens in this Board meetings anyway? Especially, in the closed door sessions? Along with keeping the company business going there is a lot of peace-making that happens. CEOs and Chairmen of the Board have to always be thinking about how to keep everyone aligned, on agenda and at peace. This is hard because each person on a Board comes to the body with their own personal level of knowledge and understanding of the business, their own experience filters, their own personality traits, and their own likes and dislikes of the management team and other Board members. At the core, each person is just a normal person from their own walk of life, but still this has to be managed to keep the group cohesive. The bottom line is that if we have any group of people who share a core set of common values and principles then things become a whole lot easier. I remember reading about Alfred Sloan when he was the Chairman of the Board of General Motors and how he would never allow a unanimous vote of approval from his Board because he felt if that happened then somewhere management had not presented the full story to the Board, so he would take preliminary votes and if it was all one-sided he would send management off to come back with a better and deeper understanding of the issues for a real vote later. That was gutsy because he trusted his Board so much that he was willing to give up peace for an open conversation that included dissension. Any of our Board meetings, or any management team sessions would be best served to get to this level of working.
Maybe the most influential group of people to ever gather into a "boardroom" were the Disciples that Jesus gathered. But even them, like all of us, had a hard time coming together, operating, believing and staying aligned and in peace. The late David Wilkerson gives us his take on this group:
"You would do well to consider the men to whom Jesus first gave his peace. None of them was worthy, and none had a right to it.
Think about Peter. Jesus was about to bestow his peace on a minister of the
gospel who would soon be spewing out cursings. Peter was zealous in his love
for Christ, but he was also going to deny him.
Then there was James and his brother John, men with a competitive spirit,
always seeking to be recognized. They asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand when he ascended to his throne in glory.
The other disciples were no more righteous. They simmered with anger at James and John for trying to upstage them. There was Thomas, a man of God who was given to doubt. All of the disciples were so lacking in faith, it amazed and stressed Jesus. Indeed, in Christ’s most troubling hour, they would all forsake him and flee. Even after the Resurrection, when the word spread that “Jesus is risen,” the disciples were slow to believe.
But there’s even more. These were also confused men. They did not understand the ways of the Lord. His parables confused them. After the Crucifixion, they lost any sense of unity they had, scattering in all directions.
What a picture: These men were full of fear, unbelief, disunity, sorrow, confusion, competitiveness, pride. Yet it was to these same troubled servants that Jesus said, “I am going to give you my peace.”
The disciples weren’t chosen because they were good or righteous; that much is clear. Nor was it because they had talent or abilities. They were fishermen and day laborers, meek and lowly. Christ called and chose the disciples because he saw something in their hearts. As he looked into them, he knew each one would submit to the Holy Spirit.
At this point, all that the disciples had was a promise from Christ of his peace. The fullness of that peace was yet to be given to them, at Pentecost. That’s when the Holy Spirit would come and dwell in them. We receive the peace of Christ from the Holy Spirit. This peace comes to us as the Spirit reveals Christ to us. The more of Jesus you want, the more the Spirit will show you of him—and the more of Christ’s actual peace you will have."
And to that, I say, Amen!
Reference: John 14:27-28 (New Living Translation)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
day 682: Tracking
"And the very hairs of your head are numbered."
I worked with a Chief Operating Officer whose working statement was: "Inspect what you expect and expect what you inspect". As can be imagined, in order to inspect what is expected, the business must have metrics and measurables that can be ranked, stacked, compared and evaluated. Finding the root metrics is one of the hardest things to do. Businesses that can get those down to five or less can really drive results. Those that measure tens if not hundreds of factors can find themselves awash and overwhelmed with trying to compile, count and decipher the data into useful information. I was in a meeting recently where the group I was with was able to get the root metrics down to two...an incoming and an out-flowing measurement, both that were clear and obvious so that if either of these were moving we would be able to see and impact the health of the organization. It was like the light-bulb came on when the two were thrown out on the table to discuss. It was so evident that we then wondered why we had missed them for so long. Being able to track the root causes and influences of a business and use that tracking to gauge progress and bring about improvement may be the best business tools of all.
We are blessed to know that God tracks us too. We, as His children, are the core and most important thing to Him. In Matthew He tells us that He is watching, counting, and tracking us. To think that the hairs on our head are numbered is for God to say yo us that everything about us is important to Him. What a gift that truly is to know that He cares that much. For us then to not take our spiritual growth seriously is to ignore and to take God's attention that He has for us for granted. Let's today step back and see what we are measuring and tracking in our own lives and see if we can't come to the root measurements that can make an eternal difference.
Reference: Matthew 10:30 (New Living Testament)
I worked with a Chief Operating Officer whose working statement was: "Inspect what you expect and expect what you inspect". As can be imagined, in order to inspect what is expected, the business must have metrics and measurables that can be ranked, stacked, compared and evaluated. Finding the root metrics is one of the hardest things to do. Businesses that can get those down to five or less can really drive results. Those that measure tens if not hundreds of factors can find themselves awash and overwhelmed with trying to compile, count and decipher the data into useful information. I was in a meeting recently where the group I was with was able to get the root metrics down to two...an incoming and an out-flowing measurement, both that were clear and obvious so that if either of these were moving we would be able to see and impact the health of the organization. It was like the light-bulb came on when the two were thrown out on the table to discuss. It was so evident that we then wondered why we had missed them for so long. Being able to track the root causes and influences of a business and use that tracking to gauge progress and bring about improvement may be the best business tools of all.
We are blessed to know that God tracks us too. We, as His children, are the core and most important thing to Him. In Matthew He tells us that He is watching, counting, and tracking us. To think that the hairs on our head are numbered is for God to say yo us that everything about us is important to Him. What a gift that truly is to know that He cares that much. For us then to not take our spiritual growth seriously is to ignore and to take God's attention that He has for us for granted. Let's today step back and see what we are measuring and tracking in our own lives and see if we can't come to the root measurements that can make an eternal difference.
Reference: Matthew 10:30 (New Living Testament)
Friday, July 1, 2011
day 681: Seriously
"So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work."
By its' nature, work is serious. While we sometimes work to make it fun, if not taken seriously then work that is done in not serious fashion can do real damage. Without seriousness, the bridge fails, the plane stops flying, the food is undercooked, the room is unclean, the diagnosis is wrong, the presentation is flawed, etc. We have to take work seriously. In fact, those businesses who are able to find a way that all the people who work within the company realize how important, critical and serious the work they do really is and how it fits into a bigger picture, are able to get more productivity and engagement from their people. And, it's not about being able to say that the work that is being done is changing the world. While that would be nice, and some organizations are working on those types of projects, for most it is about the work that is being done being completed in way that is of the highest quality and standards of excellence. This matters. Serious work matters. Organizations that bring out the best of people and their seriousness to their jobs are doing something right.
When Solomon took over the responsibility to build the Temple, his Father, David, told him, "..Take this seriously". It was serious work. What this verse tells me is that God's work is serious and we are to take our responsibility of upholding and building up our part of God's Temple seriously. Anything in our life that we take seriously, we will find ourselves focused and aligning the rest of our life to accomplish or achieve that goal or task. Those things that we don't take seriously, or that we take lightly, don't usually get done and if they do, it's never as good as it could have been had we put more of ourselves into it. God asks us to live a life that reinforces Him to others as us being examples of what it means to follow and love the Lord. Is there anything that could be more serious? God calls us to a great and abundant life in following Him, but with that comes us taking it seriously.
Reference: 1 Chronicles 28:10 (New Living Testament)
By its' nature, work is serious. While we sometimes work to make it fun, if not taken seriously then work that is done in not serious fashion can do real damage. Without seriousness, the bridge fails, the plane stops flying, the food is undercooked, the room is unclean, the diagnosis is wrong, the presentation is flawed, etc. We have to take work seriously. In fact, those businesses who are able to find a way that all the people who work within the company realize how important, critical and serious the work they do really is and how it fits into a bigger picture, are able to get more productivity and engagement from their people. And, it's not about being able to say that the work that is being done is changing the world. While that would be nice, and some organizations are working on those types of projects, for most it is about the work that is being done being completed in way that is of the highest quality and standards of excellence. This matters. Serious work matters. Organizations that bring out the best of people and their seriousness to their jobs are doing something right.
When Solomon took over the responsibility to build the Temple, his Father, David, told him, "..Take this seriously". It was serious work. What this verse tells me is that God's work is serious and we are to take our responsibility of upholding and building up our part of God's Temple seriously. Anything in our life that we take seriously, we will find ourselves focused and aligning the rest of our life to accomplish or achieve that goal or task. Those things that we don't take seriously, or that we take lightly, don't usually get done and if they do, it's never as good as it could have been had we put more of ourselves into it. God asks us to live a life that reinforces Him to others as us being examples of what it means to follow and love the Lord. Is there anything that could be more serious? God calls us to a great and abundant life in following Him, but with that comes us taking it seriously.
Reference: 1 Chronicles 28:10 (New Living Testament)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)