day 1085: Sequestration

"He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years."

Sequestration is the word of the week.  When Congress first started using the word to define what would happen with government spending if a financial deal could not be struck, I had to look up the word.  Here is the Dictionary.com definition:

1. The action of taking legal possession of assets until a debt has been paid or other claims have been met.
2. The action of taking forcible possession of something; confiscation

Sequestration is not a word that we find being used daily in business, although with its recent frequency it could be that we begin renaming accounts payable or collection departments, the "Sequestration Department". The idea that one party will take forcible possession of anything from someone else can make us feel uncomfortable and is not something we do everyday in our businesses. However, we are competitive and we love to take market share, win over customers, obtain shelf-space, etc.  Business is naturally competitive and we each need to have a healthy dose of competitiveness in our company.  Winning and growing has to be a part of our corporate DNA.  We may not be "sequestering" others business, but we do want to be sure that we are seizing opportunities and gaining each and every day.

The book of Revelation is a believers guide to the future.  While when we read this book of the Bible, we can become frightened, confused, bewildered or circumspect, we can glimpse into what we can expect.  Revelation can challenge the faith and belief of the most steadfast, but there is a great promise in what is written.  God says that He will seize Satan and take back control of the earth and each of us.  We are so blessed to have free choice and to be able to live our lives for Him, but not because He makes us do so.  At any time God can sequester back what He created and what is His.  We need not worry though because when He does, it will be because He has returned for us and to seize each of us as His treasures.  That is a sequestration that we should all look forward to happening.

Reference: Revelation: 20:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1084: The Discipline Of Constraint

"Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair."

One of the easiest things to lose in business is the discipline to be constrained.  There are no shortage of ideas, sometimes really big and great ideas, but being disciplined to show constraint is a real skill and one that is correlated to success.  Having a ruthless discipline to stay focused without drifting is not an ordinary trait that we find across companies and leaders.  Most cannot help themselves from building on, adding in, expanding, or brainstorming for the next big idea, before the current mission is accomplished.  In yesterday's post about the Dunbar Model, we read that it might be that our physiological and neurological constraints of being able to hold a maximum of 150 meaningful relationships is a good thing to know and understand. Similarly, if we were to understand that we are not built with constraint as a normal human trait we could learn to discipline ourselves to this need.  In a recent Businessweek article, the successful venture capitalist Jerry Murdock said this about constraints (as he was referencing Dunbar's theory); "And it's the constraints that make great architecture. It's the constraints that make great companies".  Consider if your organization understands and has in its' DNA the discipline of constraint.

God's Word is chocked full of the need for us to practice constraint in our lives.  Many will read these constraints as legalism and as such, rebel against them and say that they are taking away from our abundantly-to-be-lived lives.  But, as we know, with constraint comes learning.  With constraint comes an increase in our understanding and context of an issue, problem or opportunity.  With constraint comes time, longer-thoughts, and conversation.  It's worthwhile to take stock of our lives and know where we are practicing constraint and where we are not.  If we are seeking to hear, understand and know God, it is more than likely that we will find Him in the places where we are disciplined and showing constraint than in the places where we are not.

Reference: Proverbs 1:3 (New Living Translation) 

day 1083: The Dunbar Model

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock."

Much of the platform for social media is built off of the research of a psychologist, Robin Dunbar.  What his research shows is that in our social circles we can only handle a maximum of 150 relationships that are deep enough that if we ran into one of these people in a public place (restaurant/bar/coffee shop) that we wouldn't feel embarrassed about joining them (us being uninvited). Malcolm Gladwell has also used Dunbar's work for his source material. It's not only fascinating research it is also extremely helpful as we consider how we build out our corporate organizations, communication patterns, management teams and sales forces.  It is not unusual that we will find that in large corporations that the head of a large department or function doesn't know many of the people and if Dunbar is right, then there are a whole lot of people on that team that if the leader bumped into them at Starbucks, he/she wouldn't just come over and sit down and begin a conversation, in fact, they might not even recognize their team member at all, which causes another set of issues.  Looking into the Dunbar model could shed light on many aspects of our business and organizations and we should read more about his work.  If the largest and most successful social media companies are paying attention, we should also.

The Dunbar Model is one that we, as believers, can also recognize as important.  If we are limited by some human capacity on average to 150 meaningful relationships, then right there is the group for us to recognize as ones who we can and should be sharing and making our faith real. We tend to think that if we aren't reaching outside of our natural borders (like when we feel like we need to do missionary work in Africa, when there is plenty of hopelessness and need in our own communities) that we aren't fulfilling God's great commission.  Could it be though that what really is most important is what starts in the places where we have the greatest influence, credibility and knowledge.  Think today about your Dunbar 150 and consider whether or not you are putting enough weight and commitment to this group as it relates to being the testimony and carrier of God's message.

Reference: Ezekiel 36:37 (New Living Translation)

day 1082: Idols

"Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me."

I am writing this before the Oscars are presented.  You will be reading this the morning after.  I don't know who will win, but there is a pretty good chance that there will be plenty of lifting up above the head the little gold statue of Oscar. Some will actually kiss Oscar. Others will talk directly to it as they thank those who helped them get to the podium.  And yes, there will be those who thank God for helping them get to this point in their career.  It is not ours to judge so I always take that thank you to God as sincere, otherwise, why would they do so?  But, like in all of our work and the rewards that we can achieve we need to be sure that we understand what the "idol" is that we are pursuing.  "Businessperson of the Year" isn't given out, but we each are striving to achieve this.  Our companies love to be on the most admired, best places to work, fastest growing, best quality, etc. lists.  In a way we are all striving and working towards our moment of recognition.  What we must remember in our business is from whom it is we are hoping to accept the award!  Let's be sure that we are seeking the recognition from our customers and employees, not just our shareholders, our Boards or ourselves.  The latter might feel good for the moment, but it's the other constituents that we want to really please.

God told us to make sure that we never create any idols on this earth that we put in competition with Him. We have to be really careful here because they may not, and usually are not, made of gold or silver in the form of an idol, but they are gold and silver that comes in many forms and likenesses.  Money, fame, recognition, and power are all by-products of being good at our jobs and work.  Each of these can turn sour though as we know.  Greed, pride, selfishness, etc. can be the outcome of what originally felt innocent to begin.  There is nothing wrong in the pursuit of excellence, accomplishment or quality. But, when these get away from us and become the end game and we lose what our true focus should be, then we are running afoul of what God's purpose for us is to be. Let's use this day to remind ourselves of perspective and what it is that we are really trying to achieve.

Reference: Exodus 20:23 (New Living Translation)

day 1081: House of Cards

"...No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us."

When Netflix came on the scene, they basically ran Blockbuster out of business.  Before Netflix we thought nothing of walking the shelves of the movie rental store and saying to each other, "Have you seen this?".  Now, just a few years later, that seems so long ago and such an antiquated way to watch a movie at home. Since the introduction of the home DVD delivery model, Netflix has already reinvented it self twice.  Once was with the on-demand streaming of movies and the other was two weeks ago with the introduction of their new self-produced series, "House of Cards".  When Netflix first announced that they would be underwriting their own series, Hollywood took notice because they could see a new competitor in content creation, not just content distribution. But little was written or contemplated that they would create an even more significant new model with how they would deliver the series.  What happened at the beginning of February was that Netflix leapfrogged everyone by providing all episodes of the first season at the same time.  No more waiting for a week to get to the next installment.  If I want to sit and watch the entire season on a rainy weekend, I can. Or I can chunk it into any size of consumption that I want.  It is brilliant and has shifted the power of the consumer/viewer even further into the driver's seat.  This house of cards they have built will stand and the question is, just how long it is going to take for other content creators and distributors to do the same.  The TV networks have to be wondering how they can respond.

Our God was the first to make everything He wants us to have available, but not without a price.  That price is that indeed sometimes we do have to wait and accept.  We aren't always waiting on God though, we are also waiting on our own readiness to be able to accept what God has to offer.  In my own life I am learning more each day that the delivering of God's blessings aren't dependent on Him, they are dependent on me.  He is like a broadcaster who sends out the signals continuously.  My ability to pick it up and tune in is all with me. God never has, nor ever will provide us a house of cards that can easily be felled.  His is a firm foundation and does indeed counter the world we live within with a lesson of waiting for the greatest return and reward.  In God's time, when things come too soon, they may not be of God.  Let's consider today what we are expecting of Him and what it is about our willingness, or not, to surrender to his timing that may be holding the blessing back. 

Reference:  Jeremiah 14:22 (New Living Translation)

day 1080: Jumping To Conclusions

“Be still, and know that I am God!"

Maybe it is just me but it seems like we are now in a world where we like to jump to conclusions before we really know the outcome or the full story.  Possibly it is the 24-hour news cycles or the condensing down what is supposed to be full thoughts into 140 characters, or the need to get out a status post before someone else, or maybe it is the attention deficit that seems built more and more into our culture, but we are continually moving into a time of quick judgements, speaking before we think, and writing before we have the facts.  As such, we need to be on even a greater watch on the reflection and reputations of our companies and their products and services.  We can see in the news daily how an executive or a company gets themselves twisted from partial information being communicated or someone with less than half the truth trying to grab a soundbite.  It would be naive to think that we are ever going to slow back down and more than naive to think that we will stop partial thinking.  What we can do though is work really hard to ensure that we are telling complete stories about our businesses and not falling into the trap of allowing others to define us.  The Marketing and/or PR team/leader who can keep the company ahead of the conclusions that will inevitably be jumped towards, are worth their weight in gold.

"Be still and know that I am God".  What a clear, forceful and at the same time, promising sentence. The Psalmist gave us this to make sure that we are listening to God in the stillness that He speaks to us.  I can also though hear in these words for our current culture that we are to be still and know who is God.  It is so easy to be quick with our words of judgment and cynicism.  Maybe what God is telling us it to "cut it out" and be still and let Him be God, not us who try and lord ourselves over others with our opinions and strong points of view.  Maybe we are not to be publishing to the world what our critiques and criticisms are about others.  Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp, Glassdoor, etc. are all great, but let's consider what is constructive, what is damaging, and what is just a jump to the conclusion that hurts more than helps.

Reference: Psalm 46:10 (New Living Translation)

day 1079: Organization Charts

"His army was enrolled according to ancestral clans. From Judah there were 300,000 troops organized in units of 1,000, under the command of Adnah."

Organization charts are as old as time. From the beginning we have had armies and the breakdown of the troops into smaller, more manageable units constitutes an organization and thus a way to see this breakdown visibly is an organization chart.  Lots of books have been written on how to organize and the newest to break the scene is "The Org: The Underlying Logic of the Office" by Ray Fisman and Tim Sullivan.  What the authors do is not only tell us about how companies can organize but also how we can provide greater productivity and efficiency through how we define work, incentives and output. They also posit that at the end of the day that how most companies have organized is pretty good and that with all of the fancy and innovative organization schemes that there is room for improvement, but we can still find that the traditional also works. The need for Managers still exist and the need for someone to define and hold accountable an outcome is still in fashion.

Even Jesus showed us a way to organize around His 12 disciples.  Much more than 12 (which I will explore again soon) and there comes a need for someone in between.  What I find fascinating and reassuring in Christ is that He never needed to put someone between Him and us.  Some religions do that, but as we read in God's Word, He is the way, the truth and the life and we are all to be organized around Him, directly to Him. So, as we think today about how we organize our work and our lives, let's be sure and keep Him at the top of the organization chart!

Reference: 2 Chronicles 17:14 (New Living Translation)

day 1078: Staying Vigilant

"O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord."

Staying vigilant and keeping watch over our companies, products, deals, services and reputation can be a full-time job. In today's world we have things like "Net-Promoter" scores, Yelp, Reputation.com, Klout, etc. that are all trying to keep us vigilant in our pursuits of the best and best thought about.  Staying vigilant is not easy. It takes discipline and commitment. As many of your know, I am a runner (although right now I am not as a I battle with a knee issue) and I marvel in the commitment and dedication of the elite distance runners. One of my childhood running heroes was Frank Shorter (the last American to win the Olympic Marathon Gold Medal - 1972 in Munich). Recently he was interviewed and he had this to say about vigilance, "What my childhood taught me was to be eternally vigilant.  Vigilance involves consistency. I learned the solace or routine."  To be vigilant is certainly all about consistency and sometimes, as Shorter points out, there isn't any glamor in a routine, but it is always about the routine that we can find consistency and predictability, both which can lead to improvements in quality and service.

God calls each of us to be vigilant in our journey to know Him better and to work and act in His will. Anytime we are striving for something, it takes vigilance to get there. If not, then it might not be something worth pursuing.  What is great about God is that he gives us all the tools and resources we need so it is just up to us to show that vigilance that moves us forward.  We have His Word.  We have prayer to enter into conversation with Him.  We can listen and feel the Holy Spirit moving in our lives.  We have fellow believers for fellowship.  We have our churches for deeper learning and opportunities to serve.  So, yes, it just comes back on us and our willingness to stay vigilant.

Reference:  Isaiah 62:6 (New Living Translation)

day 1077: Dedications

"King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek."

When we typically use the word "Dedicated" in business we are speaking in terms of how dedicated someone might be to their job or to the company.  We don't have many instances where we are actually "dedicating" something unless it is to recognize a milestone, achievement or historical reference. That takes time and alignment to want to reflect a person, group, or team for this dedication.  I remember once when we created a creativity award and we ended up dedicating it to the company's first Chief Creative Officer and company co-founder.  Since then that person has left the company and actually become a competitor.  I should check in and see if that award is still being given in his dedication.  So, there is risk in dedicating things to human beings.  We see it in statues and memorials when later people fall in their reputation.  It is a dangerous thing, so we tend to default into not dedicating anything at all.

References in the Old Testament of dedication are about dedicating those treasures gained in battle and war to the Lord. David and those who followed him continued to dedicate their "plunders".  Later we learn that we as human beings are God's treasures and we are to dedicate our lives to Him.  God allows for the risk that we in our lives will always cause some issue that can tarnish our dedication to Him.  But, he continues to ask and accept that we are dedicated to His calling, will and name.  What a gift and challenge this is for us all.  To be dedicated to God is a purpose that can't be trumped.  We need to each consider what this means in our lives and what we must do to stay as pure and committed as we can.  Today, think about how we should act and react and keep front of mind that we are each to be one of God's dedications.

Reference: 1 Chronicle 18:11 (New Living Translation)

day 1076: Slowing Us Down

 "Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became mighty in both speech and action"

 I have had many an occasion to counsel people about their career development. Almost all of those conversations include me reminding them that regardless of how they feel they are being developed directly, they are being developed indirectly by the experiences they are gaining and the learning that they pick up each and every day. In these times when many people feel "trapped" in their job with no immediate course of change available, it is important that every day we realize we are being developed in some way for the future that will come. Yes, the future will come.  If you have studied Moses you will remember how God called him in his later years to do what he thought he was going to do in his mid-life, but had actually been developed and prepared for in his early years. In Acts 7:22 we read; "Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became mighty in both speech and action". All he was taught in his early years, he carried with him while in his midlife he pursued the life of a shepherd and leading his family. And then he put it all together later in his life. We are so determined to manage our careers fast and furiously. We don't take the long-view very often, unless we are forced to do so. Otherwise, we think that we must gain as much experience and move ourselves up as fast as we can.

Maybe in this time when everything around us feels it has slowed us down, God is trying to say something to each of us about what we can do when we aren't all-consumed with that next promotion or move. Perhaps God is trying to tell us that while we don't recognize it, He is developing us in the jobs we are in now and that He wants us to realize that we are on His time frame, not ours. If today, you are feeling the anxiety of not moving up or not feeling like you are being developed or grown, then take an inventory of the things you are able to do today with confidence, versus the things that weren't so comfortable not that long ago. You are growing, if you are allowing yourself to grow. While you may not be able to recognized your development, God can see it clearly and is at work in you today.

Reference: Acts 7:22 (New Living Testament)

day 1075: Making Some Sacrifices

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep."

 

Work is full of sacrifices. I know that in my career I have used this line so many times, I couldn't count; "This is one of those instances where we are just going to have to make some sacrifices". This can apply to how far we go in negotiations on a deal, how we work with someone else on the team, how we expend our resources, or maybe even how we expend our own time and energy. The irony is that within our jobs proper we really aren't making any true sacrifices. The better terms are probably concessions or compromises. I have always felt that sacrifice is an overused and misunderstood term. Just look at the first four dictionary definitions: "1. the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage, 2. the person, animal, or thing so offered. 3. the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. 4. the thing so surrendered or devoted." If you really offer up something at work like those definitions then you have made a sacrifice. Our jobs typically don't ask us often to take it to those extremes. However, a part of work does ask us to make that type of sacrifice when we look at what we give up outside of work for the time and energy we devote to our jobs. We do, so many times, sacrifice our loved ones to our work. We make them a distant priority and before long we look back on the months and years and wonder where they went. Our families wonder the same thing. 

 

We also sacrifice, too many times, our time with God and our walk with Him when we don't take Him to work with us and we put Him second or further down the priority list. When we surrender our full attention to our work then we have, in essence, sacrificed ourselves to our jobs, leaving behind God and our loved ones. This sounds bleak and dark and it is when we don't keep a light shined on ourselves. Today, think about how you are spending your energy, time and your being. Are you putting everything you have into your job and not leaving anything left over to spend on God, your family and those who need you? If you are answering yes, and we all do at some point in our careers, then remind yourself that there was someone else who made an ultimate sacrifice for us. We read in John 10:11; "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." Let us use this verse to remind ourselves that our shepherd has already made His sacrifice for us and that we now need to not turn our back on that sacrifice, but instead follow our shepherd first and allow Him to lead our way. Do that and we will find that any sacrifices we are asked to make are only the right ones.

Reference: John 10:11 (New Living Testament)

day 1074: Order

"Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way."

Business starts and ends with the need for order.  What is bought from us and sold to a customer is called an order.  Without orders we don't exist.  In order to fulfill an order, there must be order.  Order is critical to business success.  Yet, order is so hard to achieve and most of our days are spent with some time and energy expended in finding, creating, recreating, establishing, or guaranteeing order in our work processes.  Why this is so important is because any organization that is charged with delivering or fulfilling a brand promise must understand that having order in that delivery is the difference between success and failure.  Why is this?  It is because business is made of people and without someone giving us order(s) we, when left to our own device, will bring randomness and as many different ways of going about work as there are people assigned to and working within the company. The irony is that the human physiological operating system is exactly the same across every human being, until it gets to the mind, and then from there, it's one for one and we each operate differently within our reasons of choice, desire, wants, and needs. So, it is incumbent on us to bring order to our work and work that hard for success.

God brought the world order and then gave man free choice and we created chaos.  He loves order and it can be seen throughout His Word.  We are built in His image so we should pursue order within our lives if we want to have others see His image in us. Those who live within order are usually thought of as "together" and that is a great first start.  With order we fulfill promises, we let less people down, and we find time to give of ourselves when called upon.  Is there enough order in your life?  Are you looking to Him for the ensuring that the priorities of your life are ordered correctly?  Let's think about order to today.

Reference:  Genesis 1:31 (New Living Translation)

day 1073: Valley of Decision

"Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the Lord will soon arrive."

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the GRAMMYs in Los Angeles.  Our seats are just up to the right of the stage a few rows off of the floor.  It's a great vantage point for the stage but also to slightly look down on the floor for all of the anxious artists, managers, producers and labels who are waiting to see if they win, or not.  If you watch someone close enough you can see the nervousness build as their award category approaches.  There are a whole lot of people down on that floor in what looks like the bottom of a valley waiting on a decision that can change the course and trajectory of their career.  While it is awesome to be GRAMMY nominated, once you are a winner you are always known as a GRAMMY Award-winning artist.  We don't have many awards in other industries that are as prestigious or as-long lasting as what the entertainment industry does with their annual recognition.  But that doesn't mean that we don't each have some decision that we wait on in our business that is also course changing.  These might come seasonally, annually or even weekly.  Knowing how to handle ourselves when we sit in the valley of decision so that win, lose, tie, or not get any recognition at all doesn't ruffle us or get in the way of moving the business forward, is the key.

I  watched the movie "Flight" (I had to watch it by myself in a hotel room stay because Patti won't watch it given her fear of flying) and without giving away the story, Captain Whittaker, the role that Denzel Washington plays and was Oscar nominated for, has his moment in the valley of decision.  We learn what he decides to do and how it impacts the rest of his life.  For many, God allows us to find our way into our own valley of decision to make the decision to follow Him.  While the valley of decision doesn't always mean that we have hit bottom; certainly many come to Him without a crisis, it is for sure that we have to face ourselves in that moment and be willing to be brutally honest in the decision to put ourselves second and Him first.  We must ask ourselves: where are we walking along the valley of decision and have we decided and re-decided to walk through that valley with God being the One to lead us out?

Reference: Joel 3:14 (New Living Translation)

day 1072: Lying Around, Part 2: "White Lies"

“I must know one thing,” the king replied, “and tell me the truth.”...

Businessweek ran a story in last week's edition titled, " - "The Lies We Tell at Work :Why dishonesty thrives at the office" by reporter Christopher Bonanos. Part of his story has a side window that details a number of places and times when it is okay to tell a lie.  These came from David Wescott's drawing from Janine Driver, author of "You Can't Lie to Me" and Carol Kinsey Goman, author of a new book titled, "The Truth About Lies in the Workplace".  The sidebar says that in these areas that "workplace dishonesty is the best policy":

• You have to discuss appearance
• You hope to avoid injury
• You hate kids (talking about bring your kids to work day)
• You're negotiating a salary
• You're terrified of your boss
• You're leaving the company

Really? I am in no way dismissing that "white lies" are not a tacitly accepted way of work, but that doesn't make it right. Companies that accept less than the truth, even at the smallest levels and think that wink-wink is okay to take care of a difficult conversation, or smoothing over the discomfort that comes from confronting conflict will find themselves with a culture where the line moves further and further away from telling the truth.  Companies that don't tell the truth to each other miss the opportunities to make better decisions and to avoid mistakes and sidesteps. It's harder to find examples of companies who speak the truth consistently and at all costs culturally, but they are there and they are worth emulating.  Can we even honestly say to ourselves that we hold our companies and our people accountable for full and transparent truth and not accepting even a "white lie".

Please know I write this as guilty as anyone in this area.  The "white-lie" is so easy to manufacture and say that they can become part of our daily conversations.  A good test for me is that when confronted with that moment, if the words that come in our minds are the easy ones to say, then they should be checked before saying them.  The truth is usually in the uncomfortable and come with a moment that needs thoughtful consideration.  It is in that moment that we can't take the easy way out.  A "white-lie" is not "white" to God and not to others who see right through them. Our example to others and our purpose to bring glory to God in our work is too important and critical to allow a "white lie" to tarnish or ruin the work that God wants to do through us.

Reference: 2 Samuel 14:8 (New Living Translation)

day 1071: Lying Around - Part 1: "Everybody Does It"

“I must know one thing,” the king replied, “and tell me the truth.”...

Businessweek ran a story in last week's edition titled, " - "The Lies We Tell at Work :Why dishonesty thrives at the office" by reporter Christopher Bonanos. The title page of the story looked like this:

How often have you heard this list? 

• "I really loved working with her. We didn't have any problems"
• "Yep, we're almost done with that research"
• No, I never got the message.  How weird"
• "Wow, traffic was horrible getting in"
• "It wasn't my choice. My boss made me do it"
• "Oh, that dinner was work-related"
• "I don't think I got that e-mail - maybe it's in my spam folder"
• "I can't. I have a doctor's appointment today at 5 p.m."

Every been guilty of these, or others?  Of course you have, we all have.  The article basically says, "Everybody does it". As Christopher Bonanos writes, lies are part of the workplace.  But, does that make them right?  Bonanos gives both sides of lying, but fortunately ends the article with "And our theory is that being honest is at the core of how we really want to perceive ourselves".  The article is worth reading because this reminds us that lying is rampant and that companies that allow this create a very dangerous culture.

I am sure you know where I am going with this.  Just because "everybody does it", doesn't mean that we can.  Hiding behind that "everyone does it" is as ludicrous as when he heard Lance Armstrong say to the public that he didn't see drugging as cheating because everyone else did it too.  Imagine standing in front of God and justifying being dishonest with this argument?  Ours is a greater responsibility and we simply cannot be part of the crowd that is "lying around".  Today, yes today, we each will have tens, if not multiples of that times where we can speak truth or tell a lie.  Let's today be about standing up and not "lying around".

Reference: 2 Samuel 14:8 (New Living Translation)

day 1070: The Power of Touch

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked."

This past week I was sick everyday, but I had to push through as best I could.  I made most of my meetings (some I just had to cancel) but I certainly wasn't at my best.  In the concern for others, I refused to shake hands or hug (I am a hugger).  On more than one occasion I left meetings and other sessions (including a speaking engagement where a whole bunch of people hung around to talk to me later) feeling like something wasn't right and that I had not completed what I was supposed to do.  It was the loss of touch.  It was not being able to conclude or thank someone without some form of physical connection.  It's a strange thing in this world where we have to be so politically correct, but still where touch is so powerful as a sign or respect, caring and gratitude.  Companies have many ways to "touch" their consumers and employees.  Maybe not always physically, but in other ways that cement the bond and reinforce emotions.  Are we using every opportunity we have to create that "touch" in our businesses and in our professional interactions?

Jesus said aloud, "Who touched me?", when the woman reached through the crowd to get just a touch of his robe. Nowhere do we have a better example of the "power of touch" than there.  One person yearning and the other person (God) receiving and willing to pour Himself out from just the outreached hand and touch of the desiring.  This is our God; One who is waiting for us to reach to touch Him.  We have many ways to do so and and we have many ways to be one who touches others on His behalf,and even more importantly be there for those who reach out to receive a touch. Jesus provides His life and God's Word as the guidebook for how we are to touch others.  Are we doing all that we can to be sure that we are reflecting His touch?

Reference:  Luke 8:45 (New Living Translation)

day 1069: Evil

"Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God."

Google has in their mission statement to "Do no evil".  It's a good and noble mission, but really hard to define and pin down as a definition. Their direction was born out of software engineers/techies who don't want to see technology be used in forms that take advantage of people, invade on the rights or the privacy of users, steal code from competitors, or otherwise do things that people would think unsavory or wrong.  The other day I was talking to a fellow entrepreneur, and he described a company that had recently changed its' business model and user capabilities to be more restrictive, (before you pay I might add), and he described them as "evil".  Interestingly, the other dynamics here are that this company is number one in its' space, has grown through user-submittted data and depends on the activity of its' users to keep the site relevant and needed (and it is both right now in a huge way).  Recently, they moved the bar on what you can do free versus paid, forcing more people to have to pay before they could do what they were able to do before for for free.  Are they evil?  I don't think that is the word, but it's a good lesson to watch and learn from.  If a product or service depends on the user to be the content creators and then turns around and begins to charge (even if fairly) for the user to manipulate, search freely, or maximize the use of their own content, then the term "evil" may get applied.  No one wants to be thought of as evil, and once tagged as such, it is hard to turn it around.

We don't usually use the word "evil" for people unless they do something heinous.  But, that doesn't mean that we can't be seen as "untruthful", "unfair", "duplicitous", "uncaring", etc. and in the mind of others, be right on the edge of the "e" word.  We have to be careful and watchful if we want to be role models for Christ and have the opportunity to profess our faith in a way that others will want to listen and recognize credibility and authenticity.  All day long today we will have the opportunity to draw a bright line between us and evil, or the likes of evil.  It only takes a misstep to cross the reputation line so let's be more than careful.  Let's be diligent and forthright in how we conduct ourselves today and everyday.

Reference: Romans 6:13 (New Living Translation)

day 1068: The Ad-Meter

"Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, 'Look into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that - too many to count!' And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith."

I am writing this the week before SuperBowl, so I have no idea which advertisement will come out on top of the "Ad-Meter" on Monday AM.  Here is my prediction though:  The winner will have highlight an animal, or a small child, or something outlandishly on the edge as the subject matter.  We will see and for sure, we will all be watching.  The SuperBowl is an American moment.  We stop and gather around the TVs in living rooms, restaurants, bars, etc. across the country to watch one game.  Companies all know, going back to the beginning that this remains one of the most impacting points in time to launch or showcase a product, service or company.  We can be assured that the big bucks being spent to buy the time is backed up with big dollars to produce these ads.  I only worked for one company that every bought SuperBowl ad time and that was PepsiCo.  I can tell you from experience that we were just as excited to see our products being aired during this time as we were to watch the game. The ads shown externally can/will be powerful messages internally as we all like to show, tell and have others like what we do and where we work. Companies show off during the SuperBowl and then they have to be able to back up it all up come Monday when the expectations become high.  So, let's see what the "Ad-Meter" says on Monday and then let's see who backs it up most powerfully and successfully with their actions.

SuperBowl ads remind me of what God was telling Abram (later Abraham) about what he could expect in the future when God took him outside and told Abram to look into the sky and count the stars; "Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, 'Look into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that - too many to count!' And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith." It's one thing to tell, it is another thing to be able to show while telling. Being able to back up who you are, what you want to do, and what others can expect from you, with a real-life story and something to point towards to show someone else what you say can and will happen is very powerful. If you can show versus just tell it is only making true the adage, "actions speak louder than words". As we all know, we are judged and evaluated by our actions way more than our words. As you think about today and what you have on your agenda, what is it that you can point to and show versus just say and tell? You may find that the more you show the stronger the message and the more others will look to you as one who follows through and lives your words out not just through your words, but through your actions. That level of credibility opens up all kinds of possibilities for you. This way your life, as you live it, is more than just the results of an "Ad-Meter".

Reference: Genesis 15:4-6 (New Living Testament)

day 1067: X's and O's

"Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure."

It's Friday, but not just any old Friday...it's the Friday before SuperBowl and there is a pretty good chance that most of you who are reading this today already know where you will be Sunday afternoon to watch the big game. Since it is a classic east coast vs. west coast game, we can expect the TV viewership to be up. It doesn't hurt that the 49ers haven't played in a SuperBowl in a long time, that the opposing coaches are brothers and that it is Ray Lewis' last game, regardless.  It's a super game just waiting to happen and for two weeks we have heard about everything that there is to be said about the game.  And there have been plenty of analysis about the offense and defense needed to win the game.  The X's and the O's matter.  The same happens in our companies - we have an offense and defense strategy that we keep in front of ourselves and our teams at all times.  That is, if we want to win.  Hitting the marketplace without a fresh set of X's and O's and each player knowing their roles and plays for the week is like sending out a team onto the field to figure it out on their own.  No one wins the SuperBowl that way.  The winner on Sunday and next week and forward will be the team that executes the best on their X's and O's.

"God is Good". This is not a new statement for us.  We have heard it since we were children.  It is a statement filled with "O's.  But even in this life of X's that we live, the statement holds up.  Drop an "O" and we still know that "God is God".  So, as believers we can trust in God for our offense and defense.  All we have to do is join and suit up for His team. Everyday is the SuperBowl for God.  Let's be sure and play our position well for Him today!

Reference: Psalm 73:1 (New Living Translation)