day 901: Witness Protection

"And this is what he says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding."


In the past weeks there have been a number of news stories about companies and organizations that are caught in lawsuits from shareholders, employees, and customers.  These suits cover the spectrum of external and internal issues and have made the front page of newspapers around the world.  With lawsuits that we read about in the papers or online, we aren't ever getting the full story as the defendants can only say that they believe the allegations to be false and they plan to vigorously defend their innocence. The problem with this is that in the midst of all of this; public opinion is being shaped and sides are drawn, sometimes never to hear the truth in the outcome and reputations are destroyed and lost in the process.  It is sad to watch and we all can only pray that we are not put in the middle of one of these and if we are, that we are always ready with our response and actions.  Great PR and legal counsel that has us ready ahead of time, before the crisis, are worth their weight in gold.

In one of the issues bubbling up right now, I know there are believers who are caught up in the mess.  I have reached out to them for support and prayed that their witness is protected and not damaged during these times.  When we are under fire and under attack we are weakened and we can find ourselves making bad decisions and only hurting ourselves more.  This is the time we need to reach forward and support each other and if it is us in the crossfire, reach to those who can support and lift us up.  Our reputations are are our witness and when damaged they are hard to repair.  Though, through God, all is possible.  The recent passing of Chuck Colson (if you don't know his story, you should) reminds us that our God is one of repair and restoration if we lean unto Him for who we really are.  I pray that witnesses will be protected today and that yours and mine are secure today in His arms.

Reference:  Job 28:28 (New Living Testament)

day 900: Wealth Creation

"Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold? Does my happiness depend on my wealth and all that I own?"

Now having been around the track a few times I can watch those who have worked for me succeed and yes, career wise, even pass by me on their own way to the top of their organizations and career.  I love nothing more than to see it happen.  With it also I can see some who are accumulating great amounts of wealth and struggling on what to do with it.  I have long said that as humans we are not built for fame or fortune that comes to us too fast or prematurely.  For some, who happen to be in the right company at the right time, an enormous amount of wealth creation can occur and then others watch to see if they are ready and able to handle what is happening.  I become fearful for these people and I do my best to encourage them to not lose perspective and don't get caught in the traps that come from too much trappings too fast. We don't do a great job with coaching and mentoring people during these times. We need look no further than to the world of professional sports and celebrities to see how wealth creation can destroy someone.  As we lead our companies and we bring up the next generation we would do well to spend the extra time in teaching someone how to manage their finances and how to keep this in a perspective that doesn't lose the long view.


As believers we know how hard it is for a rich man to find his way to heaven.  It is not because God does not love the rich, it is because the rich are more likely to love their wealth than God. The more we are financially secure the more self-dependent we become and that is the anti-thesis of how we are to live.  We are to give ourselves to God and be dependent on Him, not on ourselves or our wealth.  Money can be a great thing when we know how to manage it, how to keep it in tow, and how to not let it become the lord of our lives. While today you may not be concerned with having too much money, the question still remains as to how much the creation of wealth is driving decisions, thoughts, life patterns and our actions?  Let's today ask the question that Job poses for us and be sure that we are being honest with ourselves to know the true answer.

Reference: Job 31:24 (New Living Testament)

day 899: We Can't All Have An "Insta"

"Early the following spring, during the twentieth year of King Artxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine."
  
These are heady days in the tech market.  IPOs, acquisitions, high valuations, tight talent market, etc. Companies are being founded left and right and finding the money to do so with a velocity we haven't seen in 20 years (yes it has been that long since Netscape, AOL, Yahoo!, etc. hit the scene).  With this new generation and set of expectations comes the desire for speed and instant gratification, again. The recent purchase of Instagram and others who feel like overnight successes have us anxious to make things happen quickly and not miss the momentum that could come from being there first, or being in the right place at the right time. But, we aren't all going to see instant success.  In fact, only a few will, the rest will take lots of time, with many never getting there at all.  But, something about us wants it all, right now.  We have to guard against that mentality as best we can.  I ran into a friend the other evening who said that he was looking forward to his company going public in July.  He should be as the company has been at it for a long time and it isn't an overnight phenom by any measure. We are better off to sign our teams up for the long run and have them in shape to take on any distance, and if the finish line comes to us early, then feel fortunate.

Our God and our faith is not an "insta" kind of thing.  Even though we can accept Jesus and all He has to give us in an instant, the Christian life is one of continuance, endurance, commitment, and steadfastness. We learn this in many part of the Bible and the book of Nehemiah is a great example of being willing to wait and be ready for the moment when God allows us to act. Nehemiah knows what he must do but he waits a half a year until the moment is right and then he makes his request to the king.  We can take hear that not all is going to come to us instantly and that each and every day that we stay faithful, eyes fixed on Him, moving our lives and our examples towards the cross, that the rewards will be there in full abundance.  Do not give up hope.  Do not despair.  Stay strong and make today a step forward.

Reference: Nehemiah 2:1 (New Living Testament)

day 898: Utilities

"Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end."

Anyone who has upgraded to a smartphone has seen that we have been provided as a standard utility a compass. I don't think I have really ever used it but it's nice to have it there if I ever need it.  What is the best thing about a compass is that no matter where we are we can get a reading on where is north. It would be great to have within our businesses a readily available utility for everyone within the company to know exactly where we are, where we are going, and even best, how to get there. A "compass utility" that every employee could carry with them so if they ever got lost would be great.  There's really not a perfect one of these, but a clear communication, a roadmap, a easily understood mission or vision statement can go a long way in providing the utility to help employees find their way. Every organization should consider finding their own utility that accomplishes this goal.

Paul nails this for us when he tells us that we should keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as the only utility we ever need. How great it is that we have this built-in compass for the truth.  We should consider each and every day that we need to fix our eyes on the utility that was given to us and use it as a our positioning to make the most of this life that God has given us!

Reference: Hebrews 12:2 (New Living Testament)

day 897: Trademarks

"In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"

I am working with a couple of start-ups now that are releasing new products into the market and invariably, the topic of trademarking has come up.  It does each and every time someone releases something new.  I'm a believer that trademarks are important to pursue, obtain and defend.  If for no other reason, it is the company's identity and a point of pride to have a trademark that can built upon and marketed with the hope of reaching and becoming a household moniker/name.  Getting a trademark is hard but keeping it is just as hard.  You have to use it and stay consistent in its' use to be able to claim and defend it in the future.  Look no further than companies like Xerox and Kleenex who had their trademark become generic because they didn't protect the use and defend their marks. My advice is always to find a mark that can truly become yours and then build walls around it for your own use and be sure to treat it as purely and proudly as you would your own personal name.

John gives us interchangeable trademarks for God when he tells us that the Word and God are synonymous.  What a glorious mark God has given us to use with knowing that the Word is God.  Knowing this, it is our responsibility as the keepers and advancers of God's Kingdom on earth to use the Word as God expects and to keep the mark alive for others.  The only way we can do this is to be inside of God's Word and to get to know it like we were getting to know God, which when we read, study, memorize, speak and do God's Word, we are.  How much time are taking out of each day to build up,  protect and advance God's trademark in our own lives and in the lives of others?

Reference: John 1:1 (King James Version)

day 896: Success Patterns

"Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed."

I wrote about it last week and it continues to dominate the business sections.  That is the Facebook IPO and all that surrounds the event. As I write this now, the stock is down 13% from it's offering price and all of the skeptics are pounding on their chests.  Many like to say that the success of Facebook, and other internet companies, has come too easily and that because of this we shouldn't value these companies as highly as those that have been around for many decades, if now not centuries.  I would point out though that even though Facebook has only been around for eight years that the person hours that have gone into that company might rival that of decades of an established company. A pattern of success for start-ups is the commitment and sheer energy, hours and cycles that go into the company.  Anyone who has studied Mark Zuckerberg knows that he has been nearly one-dimensional over the last eight years with his work on Facebook dominating everything else in his life.  It certainly has paid off for him and I believe he has earned his success. His success pattern has been one of extreme commitment, dedication and devotion to something he loved, his business.

Joshua gave us a verse about a success pattern for our own lives and that is in how we utilize God's Word.  Think about if we were as committed and devoted to God's Word as we were to the other things in our lives, what might happen for us?  Joshua says that we need to meditate and obey to receive success.  So, simply, think this way about the Bible:  Adopt the pattern of "reading, thinking, speaking and doing" to achieve success.  Read God's Word.  Think about the Bible day and night. Speak out what we have learned and know from the Bible (verses, lessons, etc.), and then do what God's Word says.  It is then that we will find the success that God wants us to have.  It's a simple, but not always easy pattern to follow, but one that we should not ignore.

Reference: Joshua 1:8 (New Living Testament)

day 895: Until It Sinks In

"A third time He asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Many business leaders can't understand why their messages and communications don't stick with employees.  The level of frustration can be very high when messages either don't get through or don't stick.  Sometimes it is not the message, it is the continuity of the message.  Let's face it, one of the major issues that any organization has is getting people to take accountability for communication. And, it's not only the sending part but just as importantly, the receiving end.  It's very easy for someone who was to have heard something to blame the sender for "poorly communicating".  That's why, as leaders or managers, we need to know what we want to say, say it, and then say it over and over until it sinks in.  A good lesson is that we shouldn't stop saying the same thing until someone we really trust says, "Boss, we got it."  It's important to note that we really can't over communicate and consistency of message is a positive, not a negative by any means.

Jesus was a great communicator and He used repetition many times in His communication. From many examples we can see that we as human beings have to be told over and over, questioned over and over, and repeated to before things will sink again.  The symbolism and impact of Jesus asking Peter three times if he loved Him paralleled the three times that Peter denied Jesus previously.  The Pastor of my church, http://Cornerstone-sf.org, recently taught on this and pointed out that Jesus was also using the three times of questioning to Peter to also help him work through his own self-doubts.  We could all stand to have Jesus ask us more than once if we love Him and to reaffirm to ourselves and Him that we do!  Let's today ask ourselves what is it that we are communicating to others and ourselves over and over and what messages do we need to continue to reinforce to bring glory to God in the work we do?

Reference: John 21:17 (New Living Testament)

day 894: Recruiting Messages

"Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!"

I was interviewed a few times last week about the perks and comforts that Silicon Valley is once again lavishing on employees and whether or not this is necessary, and if it even works.  The answer is not simple because one size does not fit all and the challenges of supply and demand of talent drives many decisions as it relates to these extras.  But, I have always fallen back on the fact that none of the perks matter if a company doesn't have a core message that resonates with prospective employees regarding the vision of the company, the vision for employees and how the company will be able to bring to life the professional and personal hopes and dreams of each and every employee.  That is what really matters.  If a company has that right, then the other extras are icing on the cake.  Without the cake though, the icing is just expensive nutrient empty fluff that really doesn't matter.  It's our jobs to be sure that there is a there there and that our recruiting message of the company is one of substance, first.

Jesus recruited well.  He was able to bring together a group of men, from all walks of life, who followed Him and then went on to be writers, scholars, teachers, pastors, and leaders of the Christian life that we know now.  Jesus recruited with a message about what He had to offer these men but also He connected at a level that brought the message alive to them.  Telling the two fishermen, Andrew and Simon (Peter) that He would teach them to fish for people was maybe one of the greatest lines for recruiting someone ever said.  These were fishermen, so they understood what He was saying.  He couldn't have made it more personal and relevant to them.  In our own lives as we recruit others to the Kingdom are we using our own personal examples and true relationships to our most powerful way of persuading?  Jesus was in touch with what would stir and move Andrew and Peter.  If we are not paying attention to what it is that means something to others then we will miss our opportunity to have the right words at the right moment for them and will have missed the true recruiting message.

Reference: Mark 1:17 (New Living Testament)

day 893: Facing Up, Part 4

"I tell you the truth, when you were young; you were able to do as you liked"

Today is the day.  Facebook goes public and we will see if they can garner the $104B market valuation they desire, making it the largest single initial public offering in history.  Where I live here in Silicon Valley there has been a palpable buzz all week. And today is the day.  Today, Facebook grows up.  Today, for the first time in the company's history the focus of employees won't be on the product or the number of users but instead in the number behind the stock symbol, "FB".  From this point on the price of the stock will become an interest for all and an obsession for most inside the company. Back in the late '80's I was a part of PepsiCo becoming the first Fortune 500 company to provide stock options to all employees.  All 450,000 employees, other than those in countries where stock options were illegal, received "Share Power Grants".  The idea was to align the entire company from CEO to Hourly employees with a common measure.  It was exciting and it lasted for many years.  And then over time the stock price stopped increasing, the small number of shares that someone received were not meaningful any longer, employees started to realize that the company and themselves could be performing extraordinarily and because of macroeconomic forces the stock price would stay down, and employees lost hope and faith in the program. It will be awhile before that happens to Facebook employees but all of the ramifications of having a public measure that matters to an employees checkbook is a growing up pain that Facebook is now certain to experience.


Where we establish our measures and fix our eyes for a prize is important as we grow up spiritually. When we were young in spirit, we may not have been able to let go of many of the parts of the of the world that we think establish our identity and self-esteem.  But, if we are growing and facing up to this maturation process, then we will get better and better at discerning those things that are in God's will and are moving the Kingdom forward, and those that aren't. We are bombarded with the messages to care about the opposite. Let's today, as we take measure, be sure that we are fixed on and staying consistent on the things of the Kingdom and the disciplines that He has given us to exercise.


Reference: John 21:18 (New Living Testament)

day 892: Facing Up, Part 3

"I tell you the truth, when you were young; you were able to do as you liked"

Next Monday will be different at Facebook.  Mark Zuckerberg and his team will have a whole new constituency to satisfy.  It's not that they are not used to satisfying a billion people each day, but in their new world, they won't be trying to make people happy who use their product for the fun of it, but instead they will be trying to make people happy who have invested and expect a return on their money. That is a whole different set of people to care, communicate and keep delighted.  The roller coaster of emotions that goes through an executive of a public company when the shareholders start to speak up is interesting.  Shareholders are a necessary thing, unless you don't need their capital or you don't need to provide liquidity to original investors and employees.  But, when a company goes public, the team and the Board now have to take into consideration what a large group of unrelated people are thinking.  At the end of the day, they don't have much power as they mainly vote with their buys and sells but they can make a lot of noise and cause a lot of discomfort.  No matter our business or organization, there are people who feel more greatly invested in the company or cause and we have to take them into greater consideration as we go about our business of communicating and making decisions that affect them.

It's so easy in our everyday work lives to blow past and miss those who are working with us.  What we don't realize, or take the time to evaluate, is how invested they feel in a project or a task.  If we are less invested than them then we run the risk of downplaying or ignoring their needs and desires.  This is part of growing up and maturing in our work.  The greater risk for us as believers is that if we don't pay attention to others and be sensitive to them then our insensitivity can dilute our witness.  Think about it today as we think about growing up and facing up to where God wants us to grow and develop as workers for His Kingdom.

Reference: John 21:18 (New Living Testament)

day 891: Facing Up, Part 2

"I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked..."

Facebook is going public this week.  It will be the largest market valued internet related IPO in history.  Around the world nearly a billion people who use Facebook will be watching and interested in how the rest of the world (or at least the financial community) values Facebook and its product and services.  It's a very interesting time for the company and the financial markets as there are many skeptics who are doing their best to temper the market reaction.  I suspect some of the naysayers are those who aren't able to purchase the IPO stock, but that's a different lesson.  The day Facebook goes public, they will change as a company.  Those who have never run a public company know what I am talking about, those, like many of the Facebook leaders, who have never done so, think they understand the difference, but they won't until it happens.  It will be a culture shock to them. Overnight, they have to grow up and that is not easy to do and with growth comes those growing pains that we forget or have never experienced.  The advice I can give to any company or team that is going to go through immediate growing up is to be surrounded by strong advisers, counsel and people who have been there, done that, and have scars to prove it. Youth is a wonderful thing, but it comes with learning by trial and error.  When you are in the public eye and scrutiny of the markets learning this, the hard way, should try and be avoided.

Jesus tells us that we have to put away things of our childhood and youth, if we are going to grow up and become wiser. You'd think it would be easy to do as all of that frivolity and wasted time and effort we'd now want to not only avoid but have never happen again.  But, as human beings we have a streak in us that doesn't want to let go to those times, thinking, and actions.  So, we hold onto them until some situation teaches us again, the hard way, the lesson, for good. The daily work events that we are thrust into allow us a choice each and every day on how to act, react and speak.  If we are still the same person that we were years ago, last year, last month, or last week, then we might be hanging on too dearly to something that needs to be let go.  Our example that we bring to the workplace each and every day needs to be one of continued growth, developing wisdom, and the look of Christ in how we act, react and speak. A growing up step is first knowing where we are now.  Let's today, and over the next couple of days as we read about the Facebook IPO and the stories of the challenges of their growing up, let's reflect on our own lives and what we can be doing to face up up to who God needs us to be.

Reference: John 21:18 (New Living Testament)

day 890: Facing Up, Part 1

" I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked;..."

There's been lots of news so far and there will be more in the coming days about the impending Facebook IPO.  As the larger stories about the company's financial capability get written we also see the stories about the team and the "human interest" stuff.  The one that caught my eye yesterday was the fashion story of Mark Zuckerberg and his "hoodie".  It appears that he decided to wear his hoodie to the investor meetings and that caused some stir among Wall Street.  One investor went as far to say as it was "disrespectful".  I chuckled.  I was always taught that you dress like the customer and if you followed that rule you'd be fine.  In this case, on the surface, it would seem that the Wall Street guy was correct, but when you get down under it, with the over-subscribed demand for Facebook IPO shares, the table has been turned and Mark and Facebook are the customers with all of the money guys wanting/needing their share of the action. If they don't buy into Facebook and the company gets the $104B market valuation, then they have egg on their face.  There is no doubt that the Facebook team are going to go through growing pains but for the moment, until Friday, they are still the young turks, in control of their own destiny and acting so.  There will be a moment soon when it won't feel that way and they will need to grow up.  More on that tomorrow...

Jesus had an exchange with Peter about growing up and foretelling what the end of Peter's life would be about.  It was a good word for all of us in our spiritual journey.  To know what it is to grow older and wiser in our walk with Christ we have to be willing to give up those things that we did when we were "young" and maybe not so wise.  The same can happen to us each day.  We grow older and wiser with each passing day and each moment of decision.  If we think about this regularly, we will find that we can stop for a moment and think before we act or before we speak and apply the filter of what would I have done before and what should I be doing now...later when I know more.  Today, we are going to be faced with decisions that demand us to think backwards before acting forward; decisions that force us to face up to who we are and also who we want to be.  Let's consider each moment and decision in that light today and see if we are growing older and wiser and more like who Christ wants us to be.

Reference:  John 21:18 (New Living Testament)

day 889: Background Accuracy

"I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and message."

The removal of Yahoo's CEO is a front page news story because once again, we see a senior executive not telling the truth.  And we wonder why we don't trust CEOs and companies?  I know the process of hiring a senior executive very well and in this case there were many misses that could have been easily avoided had everyone from the candidate, to the recruiting agency, to internal HR team who might have been working with the Board, whoever had responsibility for the background check, and of course, the Board itself and whoever was leading the search committee.  Wow, this story just goes to show the magnification of making a mistake but it also points to the importance of ensuring integrity is the backbone of the values and principles of a company.  Beyond the "miss", there was also the long days from the time of disclosure that it took the Board to make the decision to oust the CEO.  For many, that was just as troubling as missing that he has falsified his education credentials.  The fact that there was some debate over his removal could also be seen as a sign of integrity not being a foundational value of the company.  Let's consider and realize that this moment is one that should remind us that who we say we are and what we do are significantly intertwined and are being watched my many.

This lesson stands true in our own professional and personal lives as well. Paul tells us that he had real, legitimate and accountable feats to boast about but in the likeness of Jesus, he chose not to do so and instead wanted to be sure that the congruity between who he said he was and what he did was as flawless as a man could make it to be. It is a great lesson for each of us as there are many moments a day when we have the opportunity to inflate a story, or build up just a little our part in the effort, or position ourselves slightly in better light than others.  Let's check ourselves today and do our own background check to be sure that we are aren't allowing ourselves to think more highly of who we are than what others can see.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 12:6b (New Living Testament)

day 888: Auditing The Books

"I search my soul and ponder the difference now."

I had  lunch with a former public accountant and CFO. As we talked about many things, one of the topics we touched on were the challenges of financial accounting in these days of high-scrutiny, increased government regulations, and an overall anxiety from shareholders about how companies are managed and in particular, how the financial accounting is being done and reported. A Chief Accounting Officer that I once worked with taught me that a good bookkeeper (the old-fashioned term for financial controllers and accountants) is continuously examining the books and the financial records, and at the end of the financial period, where it be a month, quarter or fiscal year, that the process should be in place for a very fast close. He used to to say that a slow close left time for creativity. And, as we all know, two words that should never be paired are "creative" and "accounting". The lesson learned from good bookkeeping is that there must be constant examination and scrutiny to ensure that the books are being kept correctly and that the numbers add up. It just makes sense.

Yet in our own lives, how often do we do our self-examinations to assure ourselves that we are being who we say we want to be and more importantly, who God wants us to be? If you are like me, not often enough. We might leave that examination period to be on Sunday morning, for example. Or we may leave that examination time for when we are in trouble and need to rethink how we are living because we are in a jam or a bad space. But, as the good bookkeeper knows; to find a problem after the end of a financial period, is to find a problem way too late. The only way to ensure that everything adds up and can be accounted for is to be looking at the books every single day. We must learn to do the same. King David not only examined himself continuously, he would go deep into his own personal accounting. We read in Psalm 77:6; "I search my soul and ponder the difference now." He searched his soul to see where he stood in the eyes of God and to determine where he needed to make life course corrections. How often are we taking an account of our lives? How regularly do we self-examine our own personal books? Today, would be a good day to take a few minutes and check and see if everything is adding up the way you think God wants you to be? Today would be good day to do some good bookkeeping to make sure that all is in order, just in case today you are called to close your book!

Reference: Psalm 77:6 (New Living Testament)

day 887: Morning Words (Redux)

"If you shout a pleasant greeting to your neighbor too early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse".

Ever notice how our mood and reactions in the morning are very dependent on the words of others? In fact, our whole day can be influenced by the first words that are spoken to us in the morning. The same can be said from others about the first words they hear from us. I have always been an early bird so other than the whispered, "Have a great day. Love you" to Patti in the dark on the way out of the house, my next words are likely to be to other people who I am interacting with on a "work basis". I have learned over the years to choose those words carefully as my words may well be the first words they hear of the day as well. So, we are both vulnerable and also both highly influential with what we have to say to each other in the morning. I am not one for small talk so I tend to jump right in and get going before I allow someone else to say, "Good morning". It is not a good trait of mine. What I have learned over the years is to temper myself and allow others to "wake up" by hearing something good from me and also allowing them to tell me something good that has happened to them. The simple exchange of, "Good morning. Hope your day is off to a good start. How was your evening (or weekend as Monday mornings are even more critical)?", can go a long way in setting the tone for the conversation and this person's day.

Solomon reminds us of how our morning words can go awry if we are not deliberate and thoughtful, "If you shout a pleasant greeting to your neighbor too early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse". But, it was well-intentioned you say to yourself. That's not really good enough. We need be thoughtfully-intentioned as much as well-intentioned. This morning may have already started for you, but tomorrow, try to find some new "morning words" and see if they make a difference.

Reference: Proverbs 27:14 (New Living Testament)

day 886: Fundamentals Matter

"Unless you are faithful in small matter, you won't be faithful in large ones."

I was having a conversation with a dear friend and very successful senior executive who is reaching the end of his career.  Upon a moment of reflection about his career arc, he pointed out that a turning point for him was when he realized what he was really good at and realized that it was time to forget everything else and focus just there.  He went on to say that it was then that he began to see his job differently, and like finding a higher level of definition, he could see that his job and what he was really good at, was all about the fundamentals and ensuring that they happen flawlessly, over and over, each and every time.  He sounded like a great sports coach.  The great ones know how to see the game and break it down to the basics and the fundamentals and then build a team from those, long before offense, defense and strategy show up. The fundamentals matter and it's interesting to me that it is with age, experience and wisdom that they can come into clearer view.

The same is so true in our spiritual journey and walk.  Jesus tells us so as he more than once reminds us of the small things, the fundamentals if you were, that must be believed, followed and exercised.  If we are to live the full and abundant life that He has given us then we must pay attention to the fundamentals.  And certainly, if we are to work to our purpose of bringing glory to God in all that we do, we have to follow and exercise those fundamentals as faithfully as we can.  Today, let's do a check-in and see how we are doing on the fundamentals and being faithful to the small matters.

Reference: Matthew 16:10 (New Living Testament)

day 885: Advice

"Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket."

Have you ever received a piece of advice or feedback that you said after, "I sure wish you would have told me this earlier and I could have done something about it!" We likely all have had this happen to us at one time or another. This is one of my beefs with an annual performance appraisal/feedback process. Because bosses know that they have a time in the year later to give the feedback they store it all up and hold it until that one moment and by then some of it is so old that it isn't actionable or relevant. Feedback and advice is not like wine. It does not get better with time. Feedback and advice is best when delivered as close to the event or circumstance as possible. It's a little like training a dog. It doesn't do any good to scold or reward a dog for something that happened earlier. To be most effective it has to be on the spot. I'm not saying we are like dogs, but maybe we are when it comes to feedback and advice. Look, if it was easy to give advice on the spot then we all would do it. We worry about whether or not we are going to say the right thing, or that we will be providing the right advice, or that we will hurt someone's feelings, etc. There is lots to consider, yes, but we should remember that timely advice can outweigh all the rest of the concerns.

Solomon gives us a promise in Proverbs 25:11 about being timely; "Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket." Let's consider today if we are sitting on some advice and feedback that we need to give but have been hesitant to do so. Let's also be bold enough to go and seek the advice/counsel/feedback that we know is out for us but will not come to us unless we ask now. Let's let timeliness rule for a bit and see what comes of being able to take in and give out what can be most actionable.

Reference: Proverbs 25:11 (New Living Testament)

day 884: Growth Gardening

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth"

I like to write on what it takes to get a start-up and seed investment out of and off the ground.  It's not easy and few make it, but there is a pattern that can be followed once you have seen it enough times. That still doesn't guarantee success but at least you aren't just stabbing in the dark.  That pattern is really not that much different than a new idea or initiative in a larger company, it's just that the risk profile is much, much different.  Regardless, anything new needs certain elements to allow it to grow.  Knowing and recognizing what those elements are and then providing them in the right amount and at the right time can make all the difference in the world between success and failure.  It's always worth stopping and asking, "What does this (idea, initiative, person, company, etc.) need right now and tomorrow to make it work (grow)?"  And then, from there, step back and find the right person to provide those things in a way that makes growth happen.  When was the last time we stopped and asked that question and really thought of it as such?  How about today and then we can do a little growth gardening!

I've used the verse above from 1 Corinthians a number of times because in one sentence it say so much to me. In this context we need to remember that no matter what we think we can do as people, that in the end, we are really not "anything" in how something comes together or not.  As Paul says, it is "only God who gives the growth".  How much of our time and energy are we spending on making something grow on our own, when instead we should be turning the growth over to God?  Sure, we need to keep planting and watering the right things in our lives, but then it is His to bring the growth, or not.  I see too many people, myself included sometimes, who are overly consumed with the growth that we think should be happening so we take it into our own hands, only to be frustrated when it doesn't happen as we think it should.  Today, let's let God take over the growth part and let's us get back to the basics and trusting that He knows best for us and will pace the growth for us in His own time, not ours.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:7 (New Living Testament)

day 883: Bumped

“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

Anyone who ever travels much has been bumped at some point; bumped from a flight or bumped down from a class of service.  Patti and I were heading to Kentucky earlier in the week.  The day started great and we were settled in our first-class seats on the American flight when there was a mechanical issue with the plane.  What happened next, after hours of waiting was that we ended up on another plane, far in the back, in middle seats with her in front of me and me one row back.  It was not comfortable and not a lot of fun, which was much different from what we had expected that morning. Instead, we ended up being bumped and having to go with the flow.  We all get bumped at some point.  Sometimes it in some class of service, but sometimes it can be in our careers and in much more important areas of our business.  I was talking to a friend recently who had a business deal fall apart on him, for no fault of his own, and what seemed a few days earlier like a sure thing, dematerialized into nothing at all.  He felt that feeling of being bumped.  Later, I listened to an executive who was on the rise in his career only to have his boss replaced and within weeks having the conversation with HR that the new boss was interested in taking the position in a different direction and that this executive was now out of a job.  He felt significantly bumped.  It happens, so we might as well be ready. But like so many things in life, it is always harder to be ready for it when it happens to us.

Jesus gives us a whole different angle on being bumped.  He reminds us that at the time when we feel like we should be first, that what we really need to be thinking and realizing is that the better place for us may well be further back in the line, down the ladder, or behind the pack.  Let's try today to not focus as much on the front or the top so that when the bump does come that instead of feeling angry, betrayed, or desperate, that we instead put our trust forward to Him and recognize that no matter where we get bumped, we are right where He wants us to be!

Reference: Matthew 20:16 (New Living Testament)

day 882: Living By the Rules

"Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live." For every rule, there is someone who wants everyone to abide by it, someone who wants to change it, someone who doesn’t care whether it is there or not, and someone who just wants to break the rule.  Some people, like entrepreneurs are wired to look past the rules and then try and create new ones that best benefit their cause.  They start from a place of bringing about change, new, improved or different and then go from there.  If properly channeled this can be the secret of success and the drive that is needed to push through with a startup or new venture.  Staring down the barrel of conventional wisdom and not blinking is an admiral trait.  That said, this works best at the top of the organization with Founders/CEOs and is less effective the further spread into the organization this goes.  Sure, we talk a lot about “intrapreneurs”, but at the end of the day if everyone in the organization was about bucking the system, there wouldn’t be a system at all and that would translate to chaos and anarchy.  And, as we are mature enough to know those two characteristics cannot sustain a company.  So, let’s celebrate the entrepreneurs and the rule busters, but let’s also be sensible about it and be sure that all that we build is built on a foundation of the right values, principles and ethics. God gave us laws first and then underpinned those with a set of values that should be inarguable. Even those who don’t believe can’t argue that the lessons of Jesus are applicable to a better organization and life.  Those of us who believe know that they are so much more. The lessons of Jesus are the love that He gave to us and the example of how we are to live out that love for others to see, recognize and become believers themselves.  How do we do this?  We do it through following His rules and subordinating ourselves to Him.  There are some times in life where living by the rules is the best route to take.  Reference: Psalm 119:114 (New Living Testament)

day 881: Capital: Part Three - Value

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth"

 The issue with lots of investors (and Board of Directors for that matter) is that for what they were selected doesn’t necessarily translate to what the company or organization needs.  Investors what bring capital to the table many times don’t have either relevant industry experience or subject matter knowledge to really help the company along in the early days.  What they bring forward it money and something that they have accomplished along the way that got them into the investor seat.  This could have been that they were part of a company homerun exit for the firm and because of this they brought them inside to the investment firm.  Lots of times though that same very successful person will not have the depth of operating experience that the CEO/Founder craves.  They will certainly have tons of financial savvy and knowledge, connections with other investors and that network can be important for sure.  There are many investors who feel like their greatest contribution is helping the company land the next round of funding at an up valuation. And again, there is great value in that, but it’s not everything.  Founders/CEOs/Senior Team members should really not look to their financial investors to be the be all and end all. Instead they should be sure to look to round out their Board, fill in the gaps and ensure that around the table is a great blend of people who all share the same values, principles and desires for the future of the company.

Paul tells us where it is that we must stay focused and look towards for what we need to grow. How easy it is for us to get “distracted and swayed” by the advice of the world around us.  Look no further than the number of self-help and self-improvement books that are published each year.  Need a new diet, a new attitude, a new outlook, a new look, a new anything, and there is a book for it.  Add in the motivational and inspirational speakers, CDs, podcasts, websites, etc. and there is no shortage for ways to better and grow.  But, Paul tells us not to expect that true growth and value-add to come from these things.  He directs us back to the one always trusted, always relevant and always value-adding voice and that is the voice of God in our lives.  As we look around us to for the value that others can bring to us, let’s not put our faith there.  Let’s be sure and recognize that the truth only lies with Him!

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:7  

day 880: Capital: Part Two - Ideas

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth"

New investors are exciting because they bring fresh thoughts and ideas to a business.  But, they also bring naive and inexperienced views to a business that they haven't been in the trenches with long enough to begin making declarations.  The smart capital investors will take their time to listen, learn and then begin to express their thoughts/points of view. I have always encouraged anyone who is new into a situation to be sure for a good period of time to end every sentence with a question mark.  Anything other than that, even if it is a soft suggestion that ends in a period, will be heard as an exclamation point and cause the people who are taking the input to say things to themselves like; "What does she know?", or "He hasn't been here long enough to understand our business", or "Who does he think he is?".  These can all be avoided with intelligent and thought-provoking questions, such as, "Have we ever thought about this differently?".  Simple to do, hard to stay to disciplined to do.  But, if we want our best ideas to be listened to and heard, we need to be sure that we have earned our place to provide that input.  Earning is different than purchasing the right, and that is where many new investors get tangled.  It's a good thing to remember that no place in the terms or purchase agreement did it say that the investment provides the ability to have all ideas listened to and implemented.

We must also check ourselves in how we present our own ideas to others.  The same value of listening and learning before we speak can make a difference in our relationship with co-workers, bosses, customers, etc.  I have thought that part of the reason that Jesus taught in parables was because He wanted our minds to be reasoning and thinking while we listen/read His words.  He could have been really prescriptive in His directions but He chose another method, which gave Him so much credibility with so many because those on the receiving end could see and hear themselves in His words.  We should take that model to heart and think about what our words are expressing about who we are, and more importantly, what others are seeing as a reflection from us.  Let's strive today for that reflection to be the face, mind and ideas of Christ.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:7