"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
Back in the the 1950's an approach to software development was created.
Back then it was called, "Iterative and Interactive Development". Over
the years it was refined and used on many projects. Over time it also
took on the name of "Agile Development." Through time software engineers
have reported that 88% of the users feel more productive, 77% see the
quality improvements on the systems where it is deployed and best yet,
78% report an increase in business stakeholders satisfaction. I have
gotten the opportunity to work with teams who have employed the
principles of Agile Development and for the leaders of this movement it
looks a lot like a business religion. It has a deep philosophy, rules of
engagement, a common language, and a deep set of beliefs by users.
In
fact, I wish that we as followers of Jesus always had the same
commitment and rigor to our beliefs as developers who use the Agile
Development process. IID, or Agile, was developed to bring
predictability, repeatability, standardization and simplification to a
very complex system. It is a great metaphor to our lives and how we
live out our lives within our work. Life is full of randomness and can
sometimes feel just the opposite of the predictable and standard that we
would like to have. What we can do as believers though is use the
process standards that God has given us to become more "agile" in our
lives. We start with a firm belief and faith in Jesus and our commitment
to follow Him as our Savior. From there, He invites us to communion
with Him in His Word and our prayers. These, along with the fellowship
with other believers provide us with predictable standards; a life
process to follow and a community of others who are developing
themselves to be better at bringing glory to God in all that that is
done. Just like why a software development process was created, the
same can be said of what God has given us. Sounds like it is time for us
to go to our own life keyboard and start our new development process,
today.
Philippians 3: 13-14 (New Living Translation)
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
day 1148: Help Wanted
"But find some capable, honest men who fear
God and hate bribes."
A good, well written job spec can make all the difference in who applies for a job and the ease by which a decision is made about who is the best candidate. If we know what we are looking for and can spell it out well then it will entice those who we want and weed out those we don't. Within all of this the spec has to also be compelling to someone who is just learning about our company. It has to be a call to action for either the candidate seeing it or the recruiter who is hunting for the best person. I love Ernest Shackleton's 1907 ad in London's Times, recruiting a crew to sail with him on his exploration of the South Pole:
Wanted. Men for hazardous journey.
Low wages. Bitter cold.
Long hours of complete darkness.
Safe return doubtful.
Honor and recognition in the event of success.
He ended up with more people than he could hire. What this job spec does is get at the heart of what type of person he valued. He was looking for courage, endurance, stamina, and adventure. When we hire, do we think enough about the core set of values and principles that we want within a person? Bad hires are usually not because of a person not having the right skill set, it is usually about the person not fitting culturally with the company, which brings us back to values and principles. In one of the first stories of hiring in the Bible, Jethro tells Moses what kind of people he should "select" to replace some of Moses' duties. We read this in Exodus 18:21; "But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes." Again, we see values and principles as core to the specifications. If today you are hiring, or being hired, don't forget the importance of putting values first and then letting all the rest flow from there.
Reference: Exodus 18:21 (New Living Testament)
A good, well written job spec can make all the difference in who applies for a job and the ease by which a decision is made about who is the best candidate. If we know what we are looking for and can spell it out well then it will entice those who we want and weed out those we don't. Within all of this the spec has to also be compelling to someone who is just learning about our company. It has to be a call to action for either the candidate seeing it or the recruiter who is hunting for the best person. I love Ernest Shackleton's 1907 ad in London's Times, recruiting a crew to sail with him on his exploration of the South Pole:
Wanted. Men for hazardous journey.
Low wages. Bitter cold.
Long hours of complete darkness.
Safe return doubtful.
Honor and recognition in the event of success.
He ended up with more people than he could hire. What this job spec does is get at the heart of what type of person he valued. He was looking for courage, endurance, stamina, and adventure. When we hire, do we think enough about the core set of values and principles that we want within a person? Bad hires are usually not because of a person not having the right skill set, it is usually about the person not fitting culturally with the company, which brings us back to values and principles. In one of the first stories of hiring in the Bible, Jethro tells Moses what kind of people he should "select" to replace some of Moses' duties. We read this in Exodus 18:21; "But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes." Again, we see values and principles as core to the specifications. If today you are hiring, or being hired, don't forget the importance of putting values first and then letting all the rest flow from there.
Reference: Exodus 18:21 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
day 1147: How Fast Is The Future Moving?
"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope"
How fast does the future move? We find ourselves saying that the future "sneaks up on us", but that isn't true as the future comes at us no fast than how time of the future passes. Yet, is does feel like the future comes at us fast and sometimes it can even startle us. I was at the Institute of the Future this past week and walked away being reminded that while we can't predict the future we can, if we work at it hard enough begin to make some assumptions about what might happen that would prepare us for when the future does arrive. But still, the future does like to snap our heads back every now and then. Thanks to this picture given to me by futurist Herman Gyr, you can expect to have your eyes opened. Compare these pictures from the past two Installments of the Pope:
This picture also stands as a reminder to us that our time on this earth is fleeting and that our future is to be firmly planted in God's Kingdom. God has His plan for each of us and when and how that future shows up is not in our hands, but instead are to be given to Him for us to follow in faith. As we think about how we will bring glory to God in our work today, tomorrow and going forward, let's focus on what we can do today to be prepared and ready for what God has in store for us. His future for us is bright!
Reference: Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)
How fast does the future move? We find ourselves saying that the future "sneaks up on us", but that isn't true as the future comes at us no fast than how time of the future passes. Yet, is does feel like the future comes at us fast and sometimes it can even startle us. I was at the Institute of the Future this past week and walked away being reminded that while we can't predict the future we can, if we work at it hard enough begin to make some assumptions about what might happen that would prepare us for when the future does arrive. But still, the future does like to snap our heads back every now and then. Thanks to this picture given to me by futurist Herman Gyr, you can expect to have your eyes opened. Compare these pictures from the past two Installments of the Pope:
This picture also stands as a reminder to us that our time on this earth is fleeting and that our future is to be firmly planted in God's Kingdom. God has His plan for each of us and when and how that future shows up is not in our hands, but instead are to be given to Him for us to follow in faith. As we think about how we will bring glory to God in our work today, tomorrow and going forward, let's focus on what we can do today to be prepared and ready for what God has in store for us. His future for us is bright!
Reference: Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
day 1146: An Outfit of Humility
"The Humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged."
I didn't pay much attention to J.C. Penney before they hired Ron Johnson away from Apple and started one of the great experiments in retail history. Ron, along with Steve Jobs, had built what no one else imagined with their retail empire of Apple and they had done so by breaking all of the rules of retail and thinking something totally different. And, they succeeded wildly. The Board of J.C. Penney wanted some of that magic for their brand so they hired Ron and off he went. But, there was a difference. The culture of Penney's was not Apple. Ron had to not only sell a business plan to his Board and consumers, he had to win over the staff of J.C. Penney all the way down to the store level. Case studies will be written at Harvard and Stanford about this one and what went wrong. Did the Board not have enough courage and patience to see the experiment through? Did Ron have it wrong and what worked at Apple would never work at a clothing retailer? Or was it that that the DNA of Penney's that dates back to the founder, as a man of humility was so strong that any leader without that same value would fail with the rank and file? We may never know the whole story, but let's never count out humility, or lack thereof, as a driver of success and failure. With wholesale change, there has to be both those who lead from the front and those who lead from the back.
If we want to be different and have our faith shine brightly in the workplace, then just just don an outfit of humility and wear it to work for a week and watch what happens. Humility is the simplest of characteristics to embrace and embody, and yet one of the hardest for most who are successful and striving to achieve. Let's be careful to not get too full of ourselves as pride is just as obvious, if not more so, than humility.
Reference: Psalm 69:32 (New Living Translation)
I didn't pay much attention to J.C. Penney before they hired Ron Johnson away from Apple and started one of the great experiments in retail history. Ron, along with Steve Jobs, had built what no one else imagined with their retail empire of Apple and they had done so by breaking all of the rules of retail and thinking something totally different. And, they succeeded wildly. The Board of J.C. Penney wanted some of that magic for their brand so they hired Ron and off he went. But, there was a difference. The culture of Penney's was not Apple. Ron had to not only sell a business plan to his Board and consumers, he had to win over the staff of J.C. Penney all the way down to the store level. Case studies will be written at Harvard and Stanford about this one and what went wrong. Did the Board not have enough courage and patience to see the experiment through? Did Ron have it wrong and what worked at Apple would never work at a clothing retailer? Or was it that that the DNA of Penney's that dates back to the founder, as a man of humility was so strong that any leader without that same value would fail with the rank and file? We may never know the whole story, but let's never count out humility, or lack thereof, as a driver of success and failure. With wholesale change, there has to be both those who lead from the front and those who lead from the back.
If we want to be different and have our faith shine brightly in the workplace, then just just don an outfit of humility and wear it to work for a week and watch what happens. Humility is the simplest of characteristics to embrace and embody, and yet one of the hardest for most who are successful and striving to achieve. Let's be careful to not get too full of ourselves as pride is just as obvious, if not more so, than humility.
Reference: Psalm 69:32 (New Living Translation)
Friday, May 24, 2013
day 1145: Two-Factor Authentication
"For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."
Lots of noise all of a sudden about who owns the patent for two-factor authentication that many services like Twitter, Google, Facebook, etc. use. In case you don't know what that means here is how it is explained from TechCrunch article: "For the unfamiliar, two-factor authentication is a mechanism intended to make it more difficult for hackers to access accounts that aren’t their own. When a user attempts to log in to a service from an unrecognized computer, the service sends a one-time password to an alternative device (like, say, a cell phone) known to belong to that user. At least theoretically, hacking a user’s account would thus require access to that device in addition to their password." Two-factor authentication is what we do in the analogue world everyday. We verify and check with others before we say something, make a decision or use information as a proof point. Well, at least, that's what we should be doing. Too many times we leave things to a one point authentication, usually our own, and as we know that can get us into real trouble when things aren't really the way they seem. Doubling back and getting that extra authentication and verification can be the difference between credibility and embarrassment.
God gives us our own two-factor and more authentication. We are promised that when two or more of us gather in His name, He will be there also. How cool is that? When spending time today with another believer, in the office or out of the office, be sure and validate with each other that you have invited Christ into the conversation. I know with full certainty that He will authenticate and be there with you.
Have a great three-day Memorial Day weekend. Purposed worKING will be back bright and early on Tuesday May 28th.
Reference: Matthew 18:20 (New Living Translation)
Lots of noise all of a sudden about who owns the patent for two-factor authentication that many services like Twitter, Google, Facebook, etc. use. In case you don't know what that means here is how it is explained from TechCrunch article: "For the unfamiliar, two-factor authentication is a mechanism intended to make it more difficult for hackers to access accounts that aren’t their own. When a user attempts to log in to a service from an unrecognized computer, the service sends a one-time password to an alternative device (like, say, a cell phone) known to belong to that user. At least theoretically, hacking a user’s account would thus require access to that device in addition to their password." Two-factor authentication is what we do in the analogue world everyday. We verify and check with others before we say something, make a decision or use information as a proof point. Well, at least, that's what we should be doing. Too many times we leave things to a one point authentication, usually our own, and as we know that can get us into real trouble when things aren't really the way they seem. Doubling back and getting that extra authentication and verification can be the difference between credibility and embarrassment.
God gives us our own two-factor and more authentication. We are promised that when two or more of us gather in His name, He will be there also. How cool is that? When spending time today with another believer, in the office or out of the office, be sure and validate with each other that you have invited Christ into the conversation. I know with full certainty that He will authenticate and be there with you.
Have a great three-day Memorial Day weekend. Purposed worKING will be back bright and early on Tuesday May 28th.
Reference: Matthew 18:20 (New Living Translation)
Thursday, May 23, 2013
day 1144: Priority Shifts
"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
Sometimes it is better to face it than to deny it; work can become all-consuming. It happens to the best of us. We have priorities and we reset our priorities over and over. God first, family second, work third. And then what happens is that someone who cares for us either gently (or angrily) points out that "we've done it again" and our priorities have turned back into, work first...work second...and work third. I've had it happen to me so many times in my career that I can't count the conversations and the looks in the mirror. I also see it happening around me all the time. Right now I have a very good friend who is all-consumed with work. He loves the job and company so he is happy and his wife and kids are happy that he is happy, but everyone knows that this period of never letting the Blackberry out of his hand or not having anything to talk about other than work, just can't go on forever. But, yet it goes on and on and before long years have passed. Why is it that we let our work take over our lives? The same work that we can't wait to retire from or get a vacation away from, we allow to creep in and infest every waking moment and thought? It's almost self-punishment, but I would venture to say that nearly all of us have had this happen to us, more than once. Last year a young man, who is wise beyond his age, asked me what to do to keep from having work take over his life. My advice was that because work is always additive (more to do, more to take on, etc.) that thinking that one can subtract work and fill the glass with something else will never succeed. Instead, other things need to be poured into the life glass that are important enough to displace work. Like the glass that is already full, drop some pebbles in to get rid of some of the water.
As believers we have the great additive to displace our obsession with work. Our minds that are full and flowing with thoughts about our jobs need to be freed by adding in other thoughts. God calls this prayer. Read along in 1 Thessalonians: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Note, "never stop praying". If you suffer from the all-consuming obsession of work and you find yourself caught in the priority spiral of work first and all other second, then begin to replace the obsessive thoughts with prayer and watch what happens. Start today with the top of your prayer list being a request to God to have His thoughts and His words replace the thoughts of work and then say that prayer over and over throughout the day. God wants us all-consumed with Him first and from there He will take good care over of us and over our work. There is no better time that today to let God be the one who rearranges our priorities.
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New Living Translation)
Sometimes it is better to face it than to deny it; work can become all-consuming. It happens to the best of us. We have priorities and we reset our priorities over and over. God first, family second, work third. And then what happens is that someone who cares for us either gently (or angrily) points out that "we've done it again" and our priorities have turned back into, work first...work second...and work third. I've had it happen to me so many times in my career that I can't count the conversations and the looks in the mirror. I also see it happening around me all the time. Right now I have a very good friend who is all-consumed with work. He loves the job and company so he is happy and his wife and kids are happy that he is happy, but everyone knows that this period of never letting the Blackberry out of his hand or not having anything to talk about other than work, just can't go on forever. But, yet it goes on and on and before long years have passed. Why is it that we let our work take over our lives? The same work that we can't wait to retire from or get a vacation away from, we allow to creep in and infest every waking moment and thought? It's almost self-punishment, but I would venture to say that nearly all of us have had this happen to us, more than once. Last year a young man, who is wise beyond his age, asked me what to do to keep from having work take over his life. My advice was that because work is always additive (more to do, more to take on, etc.) that thinking that one can subtract work and fill the glass with something else will never succeed. Instead, other things need to be poured into the life glass that are important enough to displace work. Like the glass that is already full, drop some pebbles in to get rid of some of the water.
As believers we have the great additive to displace our obsession with work. Our minds that are full and flowing with thoughts about our jobs need to be freed by adding in other thoughts. God calls this prayer. Read along in 1 Thessalonians: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Note, "never stop praying". If you suffer from the all-consuming obsession of work and you find yourself caught in the priority spiral of work first and all other second, then begin to replace the obsessive thoughts with prayer and watch what happens. Start today with the top of your prayer list being a request to God to have His thoughts and His words replace the thoughts of work and then say that prayer over and over throughout the day. God wants us all-consumed with Him first and from there He will take good care over of us and over our work. There is no better time that today to let God be the one who rearranges our priorities.
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New Living Translation)
day 1143: The Long View Investor
"Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you"
I've been having lots of conversations over the past few weeks about the current state of venture and angel investing and how those companies that are good, profitable and viable, but because they will never grow to be $100MM in revenue or beyond, can't find investment money. It's bothered me because it might well be that these small tech companies (profitable and with $5MM - $20MM in revenue) may well be the small businesses of tomorrow, like local hardware stores, restaurants, dry cleaners were the small businesses of yesterday. I find this exciting as it means that every Main Street in America could have their own Silicon Alley. But, we have to find a way to value and find investments for these smaller ventures that will never go public or get bought out by the larger company that is looking for big acquisitions. There has to be a model that values the long term, small and steady growth companies if we want to create lots of long-lasting jobs and support small private business owners. If you are a venture investor, angel investor, or small business owner reading this, I'd be interested in your thoughts on how to solve the problem.
As believers, we can think of our own spiritual lives as individual, long-lasting, growth oriented spiritual ventures. Our ministries are likely with those we work with daily as we work in the secular world. We may wonder at times if our contributions to kingdom expansion are significant enough for God to care or take notice. That is one thing we should never be concerned with, as God values us each individually and tells us that in Romans as we are to measure ourselves by our amount of faith. God is the greatest of all people investors. He accepts us where we are and values us way beyond what we are truly worth! And, he takes an eternal view for us. As we go into this day, let's think about how we can lift Him up through our example and giving glory to Him for what we have and what we do. That is, after all, our purposed worKING!
Reference: Romans 12:3 (New Living Translation)
I've been having lots of conversations over the past few weeks about the current state of venture and angel investing and how those companies that are good, profitable and viable, but because they will never grow to be $100MM in revenue or beyond, can't find investment money. It's bothered me because it might well be that these small tech companies (profitable and with $5MM - $20MM in revenue) may well be the small businesses of tomorrow, like local hardware stores, restaurants, dry cleaners were the small businesses of yesterday. I find this exciting as it means that every Main Street in America could have their own Silicon Alley. But, we have to find a way to value and find investments for these smaller ventures that will never go public or get bought out by the larger company that is looking for big acquisitions. There has to be a model that values the long term, small and steady growth companies if we want to create lots of long-lasting jobs and support small private business owners. If you are a venture investor, angel investor, or small business owner reading this, I'd be interested in your thoughts on how to solve the problem.
As believers, we can think of our own spiritual lives as individual, long-lasting, growth oriented spiritual ventures. Our ministries are likely with those we work with daily as we work in the secular world. We may wonder at times if our contributions to kingdom expansion are significant enough for God to care or take notice. That is one thing we should never be concerned with, as God values us each individually and tells us that in Romans as we are to measure ourselves by our amount of faith. God is the greatest of all people investors. He accepts us where we are and values us way beyond what we are truly worth! And, he takes an eternal view for us. As we go into this day, let's think about how we can lift Him up through our example and giving glory to Him for what we have and what we do. That is, after all, our purposed worKING!
Reference: Romans 12:3 (New Living Translation)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
day 1142: Current See
"Don’t copy the behavior
and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will
for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
A friend of mine recently started a job search. He said he was looking for someone to tell him how to look and dress in a "hipper" fashion. At first, I thought, "Don't worry about it" but after thinking about it more, he indeed did need to project a younger and hipper image for the work and the type of company he wants to work. While it seems superficial, how we dress and how our company is perceived as it relates to "youthfulness" can make a difference. We are experiencing a bit of a "hipster" boom here in the Bay Area that coincides with the tech boom. The Mission District of San Francisco has become Williamsburg west. South of Market on a workday has a look and feel to it that is unique to the tech industry. It's not just that someone is making it all up, it's a movement that has a distinct look and feel. If we want to reach this age group then we need to "look the part" to associate with them in a way that they understand and relate. We might call it the "Current see" of this generation.
God asks us to not conform to the world, but He also has put this world around us to be able to reach for Him. Ours is to put on the Armor of God and be ready to go into battle for Him. There is nothing wrong with being current and being best positioned to reach others...that is a good thing. Our danger is not that we are out of touch with the world, but that the world pulls us out of touch with God. We need to watch that we don't let our "current see" confuse and blur our eternal look.
Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)
Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)
A friend of mine recently started a job search. He said he was looking for someone to tell him how to look and dress in a "hipper" fashion. At first, I thought, "Don't worry about it" but after thinking about it more, he indeed did need to project a younger and hipper image for the work and the type of company he wants to work. While it seems superficial, how we dress and how our company is perceived as it relates to "youthfulness" can make a difference. We are experiencing a bit of a "hipster" boom here in the Bay Area that coincides with the tech boom. The Mission District of San Francisco has become Williamsburg west. South of Market on a workday has a look and feel to it that is unique to the tech industry. It's not just that someone is making it all up, it's a movement that has a distinct look and feel. If we want to reach this age group then we need to "look the part" to associate with them in a way that they understand and relate. We might call it the "Current see" of this generation.
God asks us to not conform to the world, but He also has put this world around us to be able to reach for Him. Ours is to put on the Armor of God and be ready to go into battle for Him. There is nothing wrong with being current and being best positioned to reach others...that is a good thing. Our danger is not that we are out of touch with the world, but that the world pulls us out of touch with God. We need to watch that we don't let our "current see" confuse and blur our eternal look.
Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)
Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)
Monday, May 20, 2013
day 1141: Strategists
"I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!”
When I worked at PepsiCo we actually had a group of people who were assigned to work on strategy for the corporation. I didn't know better then, but what a fun group that would have been to have worked. On the surface they looked very quantitative as numbers were what were used to validate strategic directions, but these really were the people who were leading the visioning of the company. It was interesting when they would present drastic strategic shifts that would many times bring in outside "experts" to shore up their positions. I guess, even the smartest of the smartest need others to validate their thinking. What I learned from this group is how important it is to have someone whose job it is to be thinking long, visioning and dreaming about what they future could be. We tend to all get so consumed in our own jobs and immediate deliverables that we don't take, or have, the time to think about what might be. Is there someone who is taking the time to think long, dream big and author the direction of your future?
The Bible values Prophets highly as they readied generations for the coming of Christ and opened the eyes, ears and hearts of so many leaders to the ways of God. God wants each of us to dream big and think long about the work we can do for the Kingdom. It may be that God is speaking to us about this right now, but we can't clear our minds and become still enough to hear His words for us. Today could be the great day to find other believers to pray with you about the direction that you should be moving! If in our earthly work we surround ourselves with those who have the time to think long and dream big, then let's also surround ourselves with those who can spiritually also help us to do so. This is the gift and power of church and small groups.
Reference: Numbers 11:29 (New Living Translation)
When I worked at PepsiCo we actually had a group of people who were assigned to work on strategy for the corporation. I didn't know better then, but what a fun group that would have been to have worked. On the surface they looked very quantitative as numbers were what were used to validate strategic directions, but these really were the people who were leading the visioning of the company. It was interesting when they would present drastic strategic shifts that would many times bring in outside "experts" to shore up their positions. I guess, even the smartest of the smartest need others to validate their thinking. What I learned from this group is how important it is to have someone whose job it is to be thinking long, visioning and dreaming about what they future could be. We tend to all get so consumed in our own jobs and immediate deliverables that we don't take, or have, the time to think about what might be. Is there someone who is taking the time to think long, dream big and author the direction of your future?
The Bible values Prophets highly as they readied generations for the coming of Christ and opened the eyes, ears and hearts of so many leaders to the ways of God. God wants each of us to dream big and think long about the work we can do for the Kingdom. It may be that God is speaking to us about this right now, but we can't clear our minds and become still enough to hear His words for us. Today could be the great day to find other believers to pray with you about the direction that you should be moving! If in our earthly work we surround ourselves with those who have the time to think long and dream big, then let's also surround ourselves with those who can spiritually also help us to do so. This is the gift and power of church and small groups.
Reference: Numbers 11:29 (New Living Translation)
Friday, May 17, 2013
day 1140: Staff Meetings
"Never stop praying."
If we work, we've all attended a Staff Meeting. Now, I don't want to take away from those Managers who spend a great amount of time and energy to prepare and ready for this meeting so that the participants walk away from the time thinking that this was most well-spent time of the week and with high anticipation for the next one. Now, that said, I'd make a prediction here (and feel free to push back on me) that the number of staff meetings that we attend that we think are the best of hour of the week, are a very small number and percentage. I know Managers (and I hesitate to call them Leaders because of this) who only have staff meetings because someone else tells them that they need to do so. The hour they spend with their staff are not terribly productive and little or no thought has gone into the time. Thus, the output is not nothing exciting. What if every staff meeting in the company was not only productive, but spirited, exciting and the most anticipated hour of the week? What a company that would be and a what a competitive advantage that company would have over others!
When we come to our daily prayer time with Jesus, do we come prepared or do we treat it more like a staff meeting? Do we just go through the motions or do we drop to our knees in anticipation of what the outcome will be? Do we come prepared to converse and ask of Jesus the prayers that only He can answer? Are we bringing to Him those things in our life that we are willing to turn over to Him to resolve? We are taught to be in continuous prayer and we can do so with our Lord. He doesn't desire us to be rote with Him! Let's consider today our prayer time, not like a staff meeting, but 1:1 time with the Almighty, our eternal CEO/Chairman and let's be sure that we are making the most of every second!
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (New Living Translation)
If we work, we've all attended a Staff Meeting. Now, I don't want to take away from those Managers who spend a great amount of time and energy to prepare and ready for this meeting so that the participants walk away from the time thinking that this was most well-spent time of the week and with high anticipation for the next one. Now, that said, I'd make a prediction here (and feel free to push back on me) that the number of staff meetings that we attend that we think are the best of hour of the week, are a very small number and percentage. I know Managers (and I hesitate to call them Leaders because of this) who only have staff meetings because someone else tells them that they need to do so. The hour they spend with their staff are not terribly productive and little or no thought has gone into the time. Thus, the output is not nothing exciting. What if every staff meeting in the company was not only productive, but spirited, exciting and the most anticipated hour of the week? What a company that would be and a what a competitive advantage that company would have over others!
When we come to our daily prayer time with Jesus, do we come prepared or do we treat it more like a staff meeting? Do we just go through the motions or do we drop to our knees in anticipation of what the outcome will be? Do we come prepared to converse and ask of Jesus the prayers that only He can answer? Are we bringing to Him those things in our life that we are willing to turn over to Him to resolve? We are taught to be in continuous prayer and we can do so with our Lord. He doesn't desire us to be rote with Him! Let's consider today our prayer time, not like a staff meeting, but 1:1 time with the Almighty, our eternal CEO/Chairman and let's be sure that we are making the most of every second!
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (New Living Translation)
Thursday, May 16, 2013
day 1139: Know It All?
“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! However,
we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a
line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a
large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”
Every company and organization has those who "know it all". In fact, we call them that; "Know it alls". We probably learned this term when we were kids. But, back then we probably said this out of jealousy because the kid on the front row with the hand up probably did know it all. But, in business we run into people who are "Know it alls" and they are not very popular because as we all know, no one knows it all. In the workplace, those who think they know it all are also the worst listeners and have a very high ego. What we also know is that being the "Know it all" is a dangerous place to sit as the first day that they are wrong there will be plenty of people ready to point it out and dethrone them. It's never a good thing to be a "Know it all" and no company does well with allowing these people to have too much influence.
We never want to be known as "Know it alls" either. It is the opposite of what Jesus taught us to be. When Peter and Jesus were talking about taxes and Jesus told Peter to go fish (his profession) and that Peter would find a fish with a coin in his mouth, you can only imagine what was going through Peter's mind. I know I would have wanted to say, "Hey Jesus, in case you missed it, I've been fishing for a long time and am pretty good at it, and with all due respect, fish don't swallow coins and if they did, the chance of me catching one that has one in its mouth, well, you might just want to keep that idea to yourself Jesus". But, see if Peter had said that, he would have been trusting on his own knowledge and not the knowledge of Jesus. In this case Peter wasn't a "Know it all"! And thankfully he wasn't as we then learn of another miracle of Jesus and the lesson that each of us should never trust in our own knowledge before trusting in His first!
Reference: Matthew 17: 26-27 (New Living Translation)
Every company and organization has those who "know it all". In fact, we call them that; "Know it alls". We probably learned this term when we were kids. But, back then we probably said this out of jealousy because the kid on the front row with the hand up probably did know it all. But, in business we run into people who are "Know it alls" and they are not very popular because as we all know, no one knows it all. In the workplace, those who think they know it all are also the worst listeners and have a very high ego. What we also know is that being the "Know it all" is a dangerous place to sit as the first day that they are wrong there will be plenty of people ready to point it out and dethrone them. It's never a good thing to be a "Know it all" and no company does well with allowing these people to have too much influence.
We never want to be known as "Know it alls" either. It is the opposite of what Jesus taught us to be. When Peter and Jesus were talking about taxes and Jesus told Peter to go fish (his profession) and that Peter would find a fish with a coin in his mouth, you can only imagine what was going through Peter's mind. I know I would have wanted to say, "Hey Jesus, in case you missed it, I've been fishing for a long time and am pretty good at it, and with all due respect, fish don't swallow coins and if they did, the chance of me catching one that has one in its mouth, well, you might just want to keep that idea to yourself Jesus". But, see if Peter had said that, he would have been trusting on his own knowledge and not the knowledge of Jesus. In this case Peter wasn't a "Know it all"! And thankfully he wasn't as we then learn of another miracle of Jesus and the lesson that each of us should never trust in our own knowledge before trusting in His first!
Reference: Matthew 17: 26-27 (New Living Translation)
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
day 1138: Counter Trends
"Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years!"
It's hard, but not impossible to make prognostications about future trends and we will be right some percentage of the time. But, to make predictions that are counter to trends that we see now or expect to emerge, well that takes guts and the risk of being right is much . We all know plenty of people around us who can stand around and be dark and gloomy, predicting the worse. Unfortunately, they will be right at some point like the weather forecaster who always predicts some chance or rain...yes, it will rain at some point, so he/she can say they were right. But, to find people in our companies who see the future in a totally different light and predict that the trends will take a 90 degree turn, well, those people are precious and if fortunate enough to have one or more of them, then do all you can to hold onto them and keep them thinking and talking! Those companies who set the trends, not just follow are the leaders of tomorrow. When we were all writing long and exhaustive blogs and posts, who would have thought that 140 character real-time messaging would make sense. Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone thought so...thus Twitter.
It's not hard for us as believers to know what the counter trends are all around us. Our workplaces are consistent with competition, backbiting, negativity, speaking ill will of others, etc. Yet, our faith is grounded in love, humility, encouragement, grace, forgiveness and positive words. When we stand and act upon our values and beliefs we are counter trending and this is noticed. It's that easy, and that hard. Will you find yourself going with or being counter to the trends around you?
Reference: James 5:17 (New Living Translation)
It's hard, but not impossible to make prognostications about future trends and we will be right some percentage of the time. But, to make predictions that are counter to trends that we see now or expect to emerge, well that takes guts and the risk of being right is much . We all know plenty of people around us who can stand around and be dark and gloomy, predicting the worse. Unfortunately, they will be right at some point like the weather forecaster who always predicts some chance or rain...yes, it will rain at some point, so he/she can say they were right. But, to find people in our companies who see the future in a totally different light and predict that the trends will take a 90 degree turn, well, those people are precious and if fortunate enough to have one or more of them, then do all you can to hold onto them and keep them thinking and talking! Those companies who set the trends, not just follow are the leaders of tomorrow. When we were all writing long and exhaustive blogs and posts, who would have thought that 140 character real-time messaging would make sense. Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone thought so...thus Twitter.
It's not hard for us as believers to know what the counter trends are all around us. Our workplaces are consistent with competition, backbiting, negativity, speaking ill will of others, etc. Yet, our faith is grounded in love, humility, encouragement, grace, forgiveness and positive words. When we stand and act upon our values and beliefs we are counter trending and this is noticed. It's that easy, and that hard. Will you find yourself going with or being counter to the trends around you?
Reference: James 5:17 (New Living Translation)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
day 1137: Reserves
"...Give us our food day by day."
It would be a very unlikely Board meeting that someone wasn't looking at the cash reserves of the company and making a projection of how much was needed over a future time period. The cash reserves are a surplus to be invested/spent on acquisitions/R&D or delivered back to the shareholders at some point. Or, the cash reserve is the tank by which the company that is not yet at cash flow positive survives. Either way, cash reserves telling to the overall health of the company. With way too much cash on the balance sheet (e.g., Apple) one must wonder if the company is being aggressive enough in their innovation or market expansion. With too little cash then the company can't take risks either and spend too much time in fundraising mode. Analysts and investors look at cash reserves as an important part of the narrative of the company. Too much, too little, hoarding, overspending, etc. are all part of the balancing act of an organization and the actions/measures it must take to grow and thrive...or survive.
We face our own reserve challenges, whether it be cash, savings, energy or time. God does not teach us to store up any of these while on earth but instead to look daily for our supply. The Israelites received manna from heaven daily and were given a limited amount of time that it would last. Why didn't God just load them up and be done with it? Because, He wants us to trust in Him, not on ourselves or other people. That is why He taught us to pray for our daily food That word daily is all about our cadence of trust and reliance on Him. If we are not returning to Him at least daily then we need to question what are we doing with our reserves and if we are storing up too much of us and not enough of Him?
Reference: Luke 11:3 (New Living Translation)
It would be a very unlikely Board meeting that someone wasn't looking at the cash reserves of the company and making a projection of how much was needed over a future time period. The cash reserves are a surplus to be invested/spent on acquisitions/R&D or delivered back to the shareholders at some point. Or, the cash reserve is the tank by which the company that is not yet at cash flow positive survives. Either way, cash reserves telling to the overall health of the company. With way too much cash on the balance sheet (e.g., Apple) one must wonder if the company is being aggressive enough in their innovation or market expansion. With too little cash then the company can't take risks either and spend too much time in fundraising mode. Analysts and investors look at cash reserves as an important part of the narrative of the company. Too much, too little, hoarding, overspending, etc. are all part of the balancing act of an organization and the actions/measures it must take to grow and thrive...or survive.
We face our own reserve challenges, whether it be cash, savings, energy or time. God does not teach us to store up any of these while on earth but instead to look daily for our supply. The Israelites received manna from heaven daily and were given a limited amount of time that it would last. Why didn't God just load them up and be done with it? Because, He wants us to trust in Him, not on ourselves or other people. That is why He taught us to pray for our daily food That word daily is all about our cadence of trust and reliance on Him. If we are not returning to Him at least daily then we need to question what are we doing with our reserves and if we are storing up too much of us and not enough of Him?
Reference: Luke 11:3 (New Living Translation)
Monday, May 13, 2013
day 1136: Allowance Given
"Always be humble
and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each
other's faults because of your love."
We make allowances for things at work, all day long, every day. Few projects are on time and perfect. No deal doesn’t have allowances made and compromises taken. Even new buildings have value engineering allowances taken so it doesn’t quite end up being the same as what the original design held for the facility. We are used to making allowances to get things done and have others see our point of view. We give, we take, we give, we take. It is the way of business. The same is true with our bosses and co-workers. In order to get our way, sometimes we have to make our own allowances to be sure that others side with us as we go forward. Allowances are an every day part of work. However, we all know people who make allowances with everything but when it comes to other people. These are the people who fail to see the human side of an instance, or they see it and refuse to acknowledge the weaknesses and fallibility of people. With them, one mistake and you can be marked. We all know these types of bosses and co-workers. I was doing a reference recently for an executive and I had to come clean and say that I felt the one real issue with this person was their inability to give others a break, or allow them to work to high but not perfect standards, standards that not even this executive could claim to meet. Yes, the executive wanted to hold others to a standard that they can’t even uphold. Somewhere in here is, “don’t do as I do, or say….do as I think you should do.” We all need to have someone give us some allowance in our work.
None of us are so perfect that we aren’t going to stub our toe or slip up once in a while. Paul tells us in Ephesians that by being people who can look past the current issues and focus on the good of people, etc.; that we can also still be successful; “"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." You see, if we truly loved as Paul says we should, then it would not be hard to allow the faults of others. But because we love something else more; ourselves, our career, the money that comes from the job, the power, etc. we don’t allow ourselves to accept the weaknesses in others. Today, think about who others think you are. Are you one who is known by others for the allowances you will take, or the hard-liner who is just waiting for the first slip up? We know that God has high standards when it comes to work and excellence at what we do, but He is not a God who doesn’t at least give us an allowance a day. He is the God who wants you to turn over yourself to Him so that he can assure that the right allowances are given and taken.
Reference: Ephesians 4:2 (New Living Testament)
We make allowances for things at work, all day long, every day. Few projects are on time and perfect. No deal doesn’t have allowances made and compromises taken. Even new buildings have value engineering allowances taken so it doesn’t quite end up being the same as what the original design held for the facility. We are used to making allowances to get things done and have others see our point of view. We give, we take, we give, we take. It is the way of business. The same is true with our bosses and co-workers. In order to get our way, sometimes we have to make our own allowances to be sure that others side with us as we go forward. Allowances are an every day part of work. However, we all know people who make allowances with everything but when it comes to other people. These are the people who fail to see the human side of an instance, or they see it and refuse to acknowledge the weaknesses and fallibility of people. With them, one mistake and you can be marked. We all know these types of bosses and co-workers. I was doing a reference recently for an executive and I had to come clean and say that I felt the one real issue with this person was their inability to give others a break, or allow them to work to high but not perfect standards, standards that not even this executive could claim to meet. Yes, the executive wanted to hold others to a standard that they can’t even uphold. Somewhere in here is, “don’t do as I do, or say….do as I think you should do.” We all need to have someone give us some allowance in our work.
None of us are so perfect that we aren’t going to stub our toe or slip up once in a while. Paul tells us in Ephesians that by being people who can look past the current issues and focus on the good of people, etc.; that we can also still be successful; “"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." You see, if we truly loved as Paul says we should, then it would not be hard to allow the faults of others. But because we love something else more; ourselves, our career, the money that comes from the job, the power, etc. we don’t allow ourselves to accept the weaknesses in others. Today, think about who others think you are. Are you one who is known by others for the allowances you will take, or the hard-liner who is just waiting for the first slip up? We know that God has high standards when it comes to work and excellence at what we do, but He is not a God who doesn’t at least give us an allowance a day. He is the God who wants you to turn over yourself to Him so that he can assure that the right allowances are given and taken.
Reference: Ephesians 4:2 (New Living Testament)
Friday, May 10, 2013
day 1135: Working In The Shadows
"Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”
During the Great Recession people who lost their jobs or who
had their income reduced had to get creative to find ways to make money. Driven by necessity and fueled by the
innovation that brought technology to us cheaply (the Cloud), we are seeing a
new revolution of business growth that is unlike any other form we have seen,
or can actually be counted today. Collaborative Consumption is a term used
today for those who reuse and/or re-purpose assets or available time for
pay. Those pink mustached cars are cars
and drivers that would have been parked yet someone saw an opportunity to re-purpose their car when they didn’t need it for driving. The bake sale that happens every day now out
of the kitchen from someone who loves to cook, has the extra time and a kitchen
that sits empty and unused except for three times a day. The garage sale that is
now every weekend with the entire neighborhood contributing their unused and
unwanted items. Airbnb that allows us to
rent our rooms , apartments and homes when we aren’t around. All of these
happen within the “shadows” of how we count and measure employment in
America. I guess it has always happened
but since ebay, it has gotten bigger and bigger. It is good for our economy and
the shadow is growing. Those in the
shadows also think about products and services differently. They don’t waste. They won’t overspend. They
move quickly. They think ahead. They
desire products and services that speak to their situation and appreciate that
they work and live outside of the norm and the expected.
I am reminded of the Apostles after Jesus’ death who went
into the shadows of society to shed God’s light for others to see. Evangelism and the carrying of Jesus’ message
many times happens in the shadows and like the shadow economy works, in ways
that are unexpected. We never know when we are going to have the opportunity to
share our testimony of what God has done for us. I love when I hear that
someone came to know and love the Lord from the relationship they had with
someone with whom they worked. And those shadow can be long and lasting. When God promised Abraham generations of descendents, little did anyone know what the impact of that long shadow would be. If there is a place of shadow that God wants to
shine within, it is the workplace. Consider that the extra or re-purposed time
and energy you have could be going to work for the Kingdom’s expansion. And, yes that can happen right there, at
work.
Reference: Exodus 31:13 (New Living Translation)
Thursday, May 9, 2013
day 1134: Working In Concert
"Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?"
You can tell the difference between those who can just read
financial statements and those who really know financial statements. Those who read them can make sense of them
and explain the numbers, but those who can read them and then turn them into
the story of the business, are ones who actually know what to do to make them
better. The two statements that any of
us will be given when we are looking at or into a business will be the income
statement and the balance sheet. In a
recent Businessweek article Mark Hurd, from Oracle, said that these two
documents “Work in concert”. On their
own the Income Statement or Balance Sheet can tell you many things about the
business, but it is not until you see them both together can you tell how
healthy, or unhealthy, is the business. So, with these two documents (and enough history with
these) then one can begin to see and create a story about the business. There are patterns that can be ascertained
and even some assumptions that can be made about what kind of business this is
and how it compares to competitors. The
Income Statement and the Balance Sheet are inextricably intertwined and that is
how they work on concert. We can only
hope that we are finding many opportunities in our business to have everything
work as in concert as the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet.
We can’t explain how it works, but we believe and know in
our deepest being that the Father , the Son, and the Holy Spirit work in
concert to bring us as close to God as we want to be. This idea of working in concert seems to me
to be a godly idea. Throughout the Bible we are taught to love each other and
told how to treat and respect our fellow human beings. We are told that when
two or more come together that God will there as well. We know that in concert the Bible, prayer and
fellowships with other believers can yield amazing results. So, it is upon us to show through our lives
and working that we also can work in concert with others. When we do this, we are modeling what we are
taught. When we don’t then we are being
examples of the opposite. As we consider
the type of team member we are being, or what kind of subordinate or boss we
are, then let’s remember that we should strive to always “work in concert”.
Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:16 (New Living Translation)
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
day 1133: Shutdowns
"Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen!"
Experiencing a shutdown is inevitable. We have all had it happen and we will have it
happen again. It could be as simple as a
favorite restaurant shutting down, or the dry cleaner going out of business, or
our favorite TV show being cancelled. It
can also be quite painful when an expensive product we own no longer gets
serviced or gets shut down. If you own a Fisker electric car you certainly know
what this means. In a few months, on July 1, Google will shut down Reader. Is
this cataclysmic like it might feel like when the local school gets shuttered
because of budget cuts, probably not, but if you liked, used and depended on
Reader, then there will be a certain amount of pain and inconvenience you will
feel and probably a little grief too when it finally disappears. Last month I was in negotiation to purchase
an online service that I love and depend on heavily that will soon be shutdown
if no other suitor comes along (I so wanted to make the deal, but couldn’t
bring it together). What we hope from
companies is that when they shutdown or discontinue a service or product that
they give us lots of warning, more than we think we need, and then over communicate
with us on what we can expect and when. Google giving the amount of notice they
did was great. There is plenty of time
to find other ways to manage one’s RSS needs. I’m not a Reader user, but I
suspect that if I Googled how to manage RSS feeds that Google will be directing
us to other great services. The consumer
relationship is a tricky one and when loyalty occurs we have to be ready to
live up to what comes with it, in the good, the bad and the shutdown times.
How blessed we are to know that there will never be a
shutdown of God’s love, grace and mercy over us. It is only us that create
shutdowns with God and that is when we pull the plug or put something else
between us and Him. I often wonder what it must feel like to God to have so
much love for us and then have us turn our back or deny Him the love back. When we aren’t living and working in a way
that is extending and furthering His glory in all that we do, it is like we are
shutting Him down. Consider how it is that we are working in our jobs that is
shutting Him out and down? Our words?
Our actions? Our pride? Our actions toward others? Let’s not be ones who create a shutdown!
Reference: Psalm 41:13 (New Living Translation)
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
day 1132: Silent Skill
“Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me - a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.”
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