PURPOSED worKING: Finding Real Purpose In Your Worklife

day 818: From Worship To Workplace

2012-02-02T05:48:00.000-08:00

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever"

Yesterday on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle's Bay Area section there was a story titled "From worship to workplace". The article detailed about how an old abandoned Catholic church in San Francisco had been purchased by a group of investors who are now renovating it to turn it into a start-up incubator. That means that when the building is all done what was once a place of worship will be a place of businesses teaming with young entrepreneurs with new ideas and racing to market. Once again this goes to show how powerful the environment can be and why people want to work in creative and non-traditional spaces. It's in these places that maybe the best thinking occurs, where the mind is freed or triggered to be able to have the room to ideate. We don't have to go buy and rehab churches for creative space, but finding ways to break the conventional could yield some interesting results.

I also like the article's headline because it is a good reminder that this is what we actually do every week; we go from worship to workplace and we choose whether or not we will stay in a worshipful attitude on Monday or leave it behind until next weekend. King David tells us his approach to life when he praises God for all the great things that He does for him and David knows that he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. While in a few months a bunch of start-up employees will be working in a former house of worship, we can now dwell in the house of the Lord today, tomorrow and forever. What a promise and assurance that God has given us! Are we taking full advantage of the house of the Lord for our lives? Let's try and be people who don't find any distinction or distraction between worship and the workplace!

Reference: Psalm 23:5-6

day 817: Mental Assent

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

"For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."

Trying to get people to move from compliance to real commitment is a constant challenge for any business or organization. We do the best we can to describe what is most important to us, paint a vision of the future, and then hire the people we think have the most passion and commitment. But, even when we think we have it all right, we get it wrong somewhere along the way and we end up spending a whole bunch of time re-convincing someone, or worse yet, having to deal with a people problem. What we want to move people from is working solely with their heads and hands to adding working with their hearts. To make this happen, we must reach and touch them where they are, deep in their values and principles. If we can align there then we have the best chance of having someone truly commit to the business and task at hand. These means starting with knowing what we truly believe about the business and then communicating that to others in way that they identify and believe for themselves.

This past week in the Sunday School class I teach, the title of the lesson was "Heart Faith or Mental Assent". As I taught the children about the difference, I realized that all of us could use the lesson to be repeated to us. It's not enough to just say we believe and then let our actions say the opposite. When this happens it brings to question from those around us about what is real and what is not? So often it is easy to just mentally agree with something but never let it take root within us so that it affects our actions. It is in our actions that our belief can be seen and where our faith is grounded. It's a great question for each of us today...where are we mentally assenting and where are we truly believing?

Reference: Romans 10:10 (New Living Testament)

day 816: Triple E's

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

"The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed..."

As business people we love to celebrate success. The truth is that we walk in the shoes of those before us to be able to truly succeed. And usually those are large shoes to fill, like triple E's. Not everyone understands how much they have benefited from others who have walked before them. The small number of companies that actually spend time celebrating their history, and specifically, those who made a difference, are few. We typically forget quickly who it was that did this job before us. But, think if we were to spend more time remembering or celebrating those before us and also learning from them, their good and their bad? Might we make less mistakes or even be better when we realize how big the shoes are to fill so that we could move forward with greater humility?

Amy L. Sherman wrote a recent book called, "Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good". She describes that in our calling we have the opportunity to address the three e's in front of us; "ethics, evangelism, and excellence". Much of what we talk about in Purposed worKING can be wrapped into these three "e's". If we don't pay attention to those three things then our vocational "calling" will never fulfill our purpose of bringing glory to God in all that we do. If we can indeed walk in the triple e's then we will be on the right path. Today, let's consider whether or not we have incorporated the triple e's into our everyday work callings?

Reference: Proverbs 11:10 (New Living Testament)

day 815: Breaking Bread

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose."

There is always an underlying tension between working together with co-workers or working independently. In business, within companies, we need to work together, towards a common purpose or we will never succeed. The Economist magazine wrote, "Business is a remarkable exercise in cooperation. For all the talk of competition 'red in tooth and claw', companies in fact depend on persuading large numbers of people - workers and bosses, shareholders and suppliers - to work together to a common end. This involves getting lots of strangers to trust each other. It also increasingly involves stretching trust across border...the word company is derived from the Latin words cum and pane, meaning 'breaking bread together.'" Let's remember this the next time we are requested to go our to dinner with someone else in the company. We may not want to go, but that time breaking bread together is all part of finding the cooperation that makes business work.

I personally am not the biggest fan of lots and lots of time being spent with each outside of work (because I like to spend time at home too), but I get how important it is to spend time with our co-workers outside of the office. What can be powerful about this time is that we get to establish relationships that are deeper than we could ever reach in the office. It is in these times that we get the opportunity to reveal the areas of our life that are important to us, like our faith. How we think about this time, is important. As we break bread with others, then let's not forget that true cooperation comes from when we share a set of values and principles with someone else. And, let's not miss this unique opportunity we have to share what is most important to each of us.

Reference: Philippians 2:1-3 (New Living Testament)

day 814: Clock Builders (Redux)

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom".

After this past's week's State of the Union Address, I thought it would be good to revisit a part of the original "Built to Last"

One of the best business books of our time is "Built to Last" by Collins and Porras. In their book they detail a number of ways that we can be better managers and co-workers. One of the lessons that has stuck with me over the years has been the lesson of the difference between being a time-teller and a clock-builder. A time-teller is someone who needs to have everyone come to them for all information, details, direction and knowledge. This makes them feel important and needed. But, what we find over time, is that these people become bottle-necks and obstacles to others growing and getting better. At some point these people get moved aside because they slow the operation beyond acceptance and no one wants to work for them any longer. Instead of being a time-teller, what Collins and Porras say we should be are clock-builders. These are people who have the confidence in themselves to let loose of having to have people come to them for "what time it is" and information, but instead they build clocks for others to use and then they teach them how to use them. Everyone benefits and learns and the clock-builders see their influence and capacity expand.

Part of why I find this metaphor so compelling and thought-provoking is that there is nothing more precious and personal than our time. If you want to really provoke negativity, just have your time wasted or waste the time of someone else. We all are given the same amount of time in a day and we are expected to make the most of our time to deliver our purpose within our work and our jobs. If we ourselves cannot manage our time well then we cannot expect to make the most of the time we have. David prays the prayer of time management in Psalm 90:12: "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom". Each day our clocks are counting down towards an end moment and we must make the most of each and every day that we have been given. Today, at work, there will be many opportunities to make the most of your time, waste your time, and/or do the same for others. As you approach this day, see if today can be a day where we pray the prayer of David and we find in our own way, the way to be a clock-builder so that we can be there for others and have all the time we need to focus on our purpose becoming the center of our jobs.

Reference: Psalm 90:12 (New Living Testament)

day 813: Command And Control

2012-01-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

"Anyone who doesn't love me will not do what I say."

There are many leadership styles that we can learn about and adopt. The one that comes most easily to lots of people is the style of "command and control". We learn it from growing up when we are raised. We learn it in school from teachers. We learn it from examples of authority all around us. Then we go to the work world and someone tries and teach us a new way because "command and control" is not considered empowering, inclusive, or collaborative enough. But, at the end of the day, when the pressure is on, time is short and stuff needs to get done now and right, old faithful "command and control" takes the stage. The irony is that at that moment, none of seem to mind that approach. It's when the goal is not clear or decisive and we are wandering around trying to figure out what we are supposed to do that we rebel against "command and control". This is why leadership is situational and one size does not fit all. Like a great baseball pitcher, we have to have more than the high fastball in our repertoire.

Lots of books have been written on the leadership style of Jesus and how we can apply His principles to our business and personal lives. The Bible, as we know from Purposed worKING, is chalked full of leadership and work lessons. Jesus was amazing in that He provided a clear and decisive message that isn't hard to understand and He was very clear with His disciples in what He wanted done, why, and when. But He was able to do this with a touch that was like no other. Even in how he spoke, which was underpinned with the power of God, He did so with humility and sensitivity to all around Him. He led as a servant, but was very much in control. Our challenge, my challenge, is to find that servant humility, follow His commands, and allow Him all the control of us that He desires.

Reference: John 14:24 (New Living Testament)

day 812: The Influencers - Part 2, The Bad Guys

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

The power of the influencers is quite awesome in today's business world. Twice last week I heard/read this question:

"Are you best off:

1. Getting 3 minutes on CNN.

2. Getting published in the Sunday Opinion section of the "New York Times" and having your column reach #6 on the most emailed list.

3. Having "a guest post you wrote, published on the blog of someone else who has a large readership?"

And the answer is #3."

According to what I read, having Tim Ferris (author of the Four Hour Work Week) say something good was the only promotion that significantly pushed up the book of author Michael Ellsberg, from #1,295 to #45 on Amazon best seller list.

The power of influencers is here to stay.

What we have to watch for is also the power of the negative influencers. In this age of 140 characters I find it easier to say something negative, be cynical, or pithy than it is to say something good and then say why. If this is true, then we need to watch even more closely what the influencers are saying and feeling about our businesses.

It's sad, but true, that our human nature makes it so easy for us to say something bad about someone else. We do it all the time and then wish we could pull back those words, but it is too late. Negative influence is cancerous and goes around the office too fast. But, we can be the blockers and change that if we desire. We are told in 3 John that "those who do evil prove that they do not know God". Wow. When we don't do or say the right things we are actually telling (and influencing) others that we are ones who don't know God. This is dangerous territory if we understand and realize that our influence can carry far beyond what we think possible. Let's consider and sit with this today and be sure that we aren't getting swept up in the bad stuff that is swirling around us but instead breaking out of the cycle to stand up for what is right and good.

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 811: The Influencers - Part 1, The Good Guys

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

Much of the success of products and services getting known in today's business environment is all about the influencers. We must take the influencers seriously and understand what they are saying, how they are feeling, and what's next on their mind. If we can be one step in front of them, and sway their influence, then that is our best chance to have them say what we want/need them to say or "Like". Yes, that "Like" button is important. Back in the day when I was in the videogame business we would bring in the influencers and have them play the game before it was finished and then listen to them to incorporate their feedback into the game. When the game finally came out if they saw their ideas/suggestions, we had a better chance of them being positive influencers. Upstream contact and engagement with the influencers can go a long way.

Like it or not, we are all influencers, to someone. Actually it is impossible to hide from this even if we don't know who the person is that we are influencing. We have to know this about ourselves if we are to be effective in our ability to bring glory to God in our work. If we recognize and take on the responsibility of being an influencer then we can work to set the right examples and follow through with what God asks us to do. In 3 John we are asked to, "Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children...". Yes, you are an influencer. So the question is, what kind of influencer are you?

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 810: High Five

2012-01-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

"Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds."

In the business world when we have a success it just doesn't seem appropriate to do the up in the air hip or chest bumps. (I don't think they have a name, so let's call them "Air Bumps"). Nor do we do celebratory end-zone dances. About the best we get is a high five, a hug, a slap on the back, or maybe a fist bump. But, we want to, and we need to have a way to celebrate our successes and let the excitement out. Even just a little bit of encouragement can go a long way. I was running on Saturday and about 7 miles into my 9.5 mile run I ran by a gentleman at least 25 years my senior. As I was approaching him he held out his hand to give me a high five as I passed him. I responded with a gentle tap and a "Thank you". He turned it around and said, "Go get 'em". I was encouraged and I found a burst of energy from that small gesture. We all need it and in business we need it often. Consider when the last time was you gave a high five to someone on the team?

In Hebrews we are challenged to encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord to bring forward "outbursts of love and good deeds". This verse is so good because it reminds us how hard it is to stay in the zone of encouragement and focus on love and our good deeds. We need others around us who can keep us propped up and recognizing the things that we are doing and vice-verse. We can also encourage those around us as we see them doing those things that are upright in the Lord. Let's today work on where our high-fives can be best put to use and see if we can't make a difference in how we encourage others. I suspect that the better we get at this the more we might see those high fives coming back our way too.

Reference: Hebrews 10:24 (New Living Testament)

day 809: Witholdings

2012-01-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

"...The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do right"

There is lots of talk today about who pays how much tax and why. Politicians are having to defend their tax rate even thought they paid what was due to be paid. Corporations have also been under scrutiny for their tax rate payments, or lack thereof. The tax system is so complex that when we hear about what an entity has or has not paid in taxes we can't make sense of it anyway. What we do know is that we have to pay our taxes and that is whether we like it or not. In the corporate world some of the highest paid professionals are those who know how to manage the complex tax laws to ensure that a company is not paying one more penny than is required. Today, many international corporations will have offices and operations in place like Switzerland, the Caymans and Ireland to avoid paying higher taxes. It's a complicated subject and usually charged with some emotion, depending on what seat you sit. But, at the end of the day, what the government can withhold within the law, is what we have to abide within.

As workers we also pay taxes and we have those withheld from our paychecks. It is the law and we have to follow the law in order to be doing what is right. What David tells us in the Psalms is that if we do what is right that those things that are good will not be withheld from us. What we are being told is that in all that we do, let's stand upright and follow the moral compass and direction that we are given from God and be on the right side of all that we do. Going back to taxes for a second, I know many people who are small business owners where they have a choice in how they report their income. That choice is about doing the right thing, or not. God has given us a promise. Do the right thing and the good things for us will be delivered. See where I am going? What might feel like is good for us, but causes us to not do the right things, will hurt us in the long run, and worse yet, remove the blessings that God wants to give us. It's something for us all to think about when we think of what we may be withholding from God when we don't do the right thing.

Reference: Psalm 84:11 (New Living Testament)

day 808: Thou Shall Not Steal

2012-01-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

:Thou shall not steal"

Yesterday there were many places on the internet that were dark in protest and demonstration of not supporting current legislation regarding internet piracy. The SOPA/PIPA bills have caused quite a stir and controversy between content creators and content distributors. Hollywood and Silicon Valley are not happy with each other right now. This is not a new struggle and it predates the internet. Content creators have always been highly protective of their intellectual property (rightfully so) and done all they can to maximize the opportunities from their work. Before the internet, copying, plagiarism, recreating, etc. were all there. The internet and file-sharing (which Napster introduced many of us too) just made the problem worse and put the opportunity to use and manipulate intellectual property in the hands of the masses. Technology companies want to democratize content distribution so that more people can see and enjoy the content creators' work. At the heart of the issue, and there is a compromise and a middle-ground to be reached; it is about the respect of another and being honest, or not. It comes down to basic values that are either followed or not. If someone steals from another, there will be repercussion and backlash, whether it is legislated or not. We are all better off starting from a place of honesty to build trust and when that happens consistently then many of the questions fall away.

Moses brought us God's written word when he delivered the Ten Commandments. God knows our nature so He had to be blunt and clear with us, "Thou shall not steal". Sounds easy to understand, but if it is so easy to not to do, then why did God have to tell us not to do it? Because, Father knows best, that's why! We should all take a good hard look at ourselves and how we work. Do we steal? On the big things, of course not, but how about on the little things where cutting a corner, smoothing out an expense report, knocking off an hour early here and there, taking credit for someone's idea, copying that photograph from the web for our work without paying for it? Do we do those? The little things are as big, if not bigger than the obvious stuff. At least, in God's eyes they are. He didn't say "Thou shall not steal the big and noticeable stuff". At the heart of who we are, let's be sure that we don't find ourselves stealing.

Reference: Exodus 20:15

day 807: The Finish Line

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

Work is never really finished. well, that is if if the company is committed to growth and expansion. Even short-term wins and completions are actually starting points for new initiatives and goals. When companies are at their best is when there is enough of an exciting and over-arching vision that all of the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly work is never done, but always pushing towards that vision. Even when people leave their positions the work will stay and someone else picks it up and goes. I can remember working with people who were getting ready to retire and it was hard for them to find the right time to make the leap as they still felt there was so much left to do (or at least the conscientious people felt this way.) As we lead our companies, or work on a team, we are best off to sign up for the Marathon and ready ourselves for a long run, and if we get to pull up short, then great, but otherwise our head is in the run for the long one. That's a lot better than thinking there is a finish line that is there, but gets moved out.

Our work to bring glory to God in all that we do never finishes either. Each and every day that we bring our talents to our work, doing the best we can to set an example that others will want to follow and see Jesus within us, is only just another step on a journey that should never end until we get to stand face to face with Jesus. The most awesome of things is that God gives us all of the tenacity, perseverance, energy and power we need to keep going until we get to see the finish line, if we only allow Him to give all to us that He so desperately wants to give. I know I write of it often, but I was reminded of what God wants to be with us the other day when I saw a film clip of a father going off to work and his son (maybe 5 years old) standing at the front door begging to go to work with Daddy. As the father drives off the son stands in the front window looking so sad. God so wants us to take Him to work with us so that he can do His work within us. Just imagine what it would be like if we all were committed to do so. There's a finish line to aspire to reach!

Reference: Philippians 1:6 (New Living Testament)

day 806: A Special Way...

2012-01-17T05:52:00.000-08:00

"O, Lord, the God of my master. Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way."

We all seek to have an upper hand, a competitive advantage, a secret sauce, or a special way that our competition doesn't have or has to yet to realize. This quest causes us to move fast, act deftly, and to make investments in areas that are yet uncertain. Why do we do this? Well, we know that if we get someplace first and can stake our ground and that even being there a day earlier makes it harder for others to catch up. So, we spend lots of time and money on R&D just looking for that one advantage, regardless of how small the advantage could be. This search for the competitive advantage is part of what drives us and our businesses and it certainly does keep us on the cutting edge and pushing the envelope, which does make us more innovative and ultimately better. If if feels like the company is lagging or getting sluggish, then it might be time to step back and examine whether we are still seeking that edge and special way. If we aren't then we should stop and reset to find a way to do so.

Eliezer went off to do the work of the Lord, but still asked to be guided in a "special way". As we think about our own work and how hard we strive to have an edge in what we do, whatever that job is, we would be better if we also asked God to guide us a "special way". Imagine what and how we could work if we really turned it over to the Lord to allow us to walk and follow in that "Special way". If there is something that we need to get done today that we have been holding onto and have struggled to find success with, then that may be what God is calling us to give up to Him and let Him take over the finish line. If we are to work to His glory, we have to allow Him to come to work with us and be there with us throughout all that we do. Consider starting today with the prayer of Eliezer, "O, Lord, the God of my master. Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way."

Reference: Genesis 24:42 (New Living Testament)

day 805: The Rise Of Productivity

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive."

The rise of productivity as a key measurement is nothing new, but in the last three years we have put the focus on this number more than I can ever remember. Analysts are obsessed with how much productivity a company is returning. That is, how much are they getting done with the least number of people they can. I mean, I get it, but taken to the extreme, which is what we tend to be doing in all that we do in the business world these days, a high productivity number can lead to unwanted results like burn-out, morale issues, turnover, etc. As in most, if not all things, moderation is called upon to help us be able to manage over the long run. If we are solely focused on the short-term and an indicator like productivity we can lose sight of the bigger picture and certainly the needs of our people. Let's not allow ourselves to become fixated on productivity as it will drive us to other measures that could be more harmful in the long run.

If each of us want to be the most productive in whatever we do, then we have to learn to give it up for ourselves in order to help and assist others. When we do that, we are being truly productive in a definition that is beyond a measure. Too much of our time can be spent on ourselves and what we want to do and we can lose what and should be our true focus. How much time are we spending on the needs of others versus our own? If seems really weird to have on our to-do list to take care of the needs of those around us, but that is what we are called to do. If we do, then we will see the rise in our productivity with a return that goes toward the Kingdom. Consider that definition of productivity for our pure and authentic measurement.

Happy Martin Luther King Day. Purposed worKING will be back on Tuesday the 17th.

Reference: Titus 3:14 (New Living Testament)

day 805: Sign Up. Follow. Share.

2012-01-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations..."

If we tried, it would be hard to find a successful consumer focused company that does not have a social media strategy. At the end of the day and all the talk about search engine marketing (SEM)and search engine optimization (SEO), both of which are important to understand and have an expertise about, nothing will work unless you have people who will sign up with you (in whatever form you choose them to do so), then follow you, and finally share with others what they have learned or like about your company. It comes down to those three simple concepts. And, of course, for that to even remotely work we must have a product or service that is worthy of consumers spending their time, energy and social capital to sign up, follow and share. We would all be wise to stop and consider what it is that we are asking others to sign up for, how easy we can make it for them to follow and what are we making exciting and compelling enough for them to want to share.

This past weekend at my church in San Francisco, http://www.cornerstone-sf.org, (you may need to copy this into your browser as Blogger link insert is not working correctly), our Pastor asked me to share a few minutes about how we could use social media to get the word out about a new service and location in the city. We had created a small insert card for the weekly service handout and it was detailed about how to Sign up, Follow, and Share. As I was preparing for the short talk I was going to do it was not lost on me that what we want to have happen in Social Media, is the same message that Jesus gave us about how we are to live and express our faith. He asked us to sign up with Him. He then asked us to follow Him, each and every day of our lives, and He asked us to share the good news of His message and gospel. Thousands of years since Jesus walked the earth, we are still being called to do the same things with technology that could never then been imagined. God is calling each of us to Sign Up, Follow and Share. How are we doing in that calling?

Reference: Matthew 28:19 (New Living Testament)

day 804: Negotiating Principles, Part 3 - When It's All Over

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

"And the Lord said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it. The Lord went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent."

It's not easy to conclude tough negotiations and then want to head out for dinner together or celebrations afterwards. Sure, there is that moment when we shake hands, smile and maybe for large-scale stuff, take a picture or two. But, there usually needs to be a little space after it's all over. It's not a bad idea to take that moment and go our separate ways but not without being sure that we have our next steps defined and it's usually a good idea to have that first goal/milestone defined so we have a set time to come back together. But, at the moment, it's okay to step way and not force it.

Even Abraham and the Lord went their separate ways after they had completed their negotiations. We read that they separated and the Bible doesn't indicate that there was any emotion associated with it, they just went their own way and back to where they felt the best. As we go through tough conversations and negotiations it's okay to recognize that we all need some space and to give it to each other might be one of the best deal gifts we could provide. This is a good reminder that getting to yes is hard. Compromise has to happen and with that comes a healing of wounds. Time takes care of those wounds and a little air can help too. Something to think about if you are trying to bring to close a hard negotiation/deal this week and you want to do it in a way that leaves the best impression and jumping off point.

Reference: Genesis Chapter 18

day 803: Negotiating Principles, Part 2 - Finding Shared Objectives

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

"And the Lord said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it. The Lord went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent."

We sit across the table or we pass back and forth documents trying to get another party to agree to our point of view or proposal. If we are smart we have spent a fair amount of time trying to understand what the objectives are and what the underlying things that are highly valued. If we can find that these are shared between both parties then there is much to work with. It's when there aren't any of these then and we we find that aren't any that are shared then we end up getting nowhere and if we are really smart then we will know that it is better to walk away than try and force a deal between two parties that don't have shared values/principles/objectives. It's really, really important that we have have this understanding and perspective before we go into a deal or negotiation process. It's worth the extra time and thinking.

Abraham was able to negotiate with the Lord. When we read this account in Genesis 18 it is nothing short of remarkable. To negotiate with the Lord? As I read this account again recently, I realized that one reason why this negotiation worked was that both Abraham and the Lord had a shared objective and values. They both wanted to save the righteous people and wanted to make sure they were spared. This is why God was willing to hold back on the destruction so Abraham could come up with an (what turned out to be a smaller and smaller) amount of righteous people. In our own lives we are faced with negotiations and deals everyday. Our workday is filled with them. It's worth the time to find the shared objectives/values so that we can come to the table with a position that is principle based. That position is one that won't go unnoticed.

Reference: Genesis 18

day 802: Negotiating Principles, Part 1 - Equal Footing

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

"And the Lord said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it. The Lord went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent."

I was part of a negotiations recently where both sides of the table tried to act that they were on equal footing. The truth of the matter is that someone is always lesser than the other side and it's important to know who is who, and most importantly to know which party you are. If the other side is the strong side of the negotiations and we try and play on the same plane we run the risk of being seen as disrespectful. If it is the other way around and we don't understand that we are the stronger player and miss this then we can come across as arrogant or overbearing. A great deal is one where both sides feel like there is a win and that starts with knowing and appreciating each other. Knowing where we each stand is an important part of that process.

When Abraham negotiated with the Lord about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he did out of the greatest respect and humility. Abraham certainly knew where he stood in relation to God. Abraham had no power or leverage. All he could do was reach to the Lord for an understanding and appreciation of his request. Many times in Genesis Chapter 18 we read that Abraham requested the Lord to make concessions but not before each time he spoke he would humble himself before the Lord. It's worth reading the Chapter to understand the example that Abraham is giving us. To reach someone else for what we need, we should humble ourselves to them so they will listen and appreciate what we are requesting. Consider today how much can be gained by taking this approach.

Reference: Genesis Chapter 18

day 801: Rejection

2012-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

"For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!"

I was walking down the street in San Francisco behind a young guy who was having a conversation on his phone. I didn't need to know who he was or what he was talking about to understand the conversation. I have had that conversation myself many, many times and I have been on the other side of the call just as many times. I heard the guy say into his phone, "Okay, I understand. I'm disappointed for sure but there are a lot of smart people who are investing money into this space and I am just sorry that you are not one of them. We will keep you up to date on how we are doing and if we need further funding I will be sure and let you know before we go back out for more fundraising." This is the life of the entrepreneur or a businessperson. Rejection is part of the deal. If we can't accept the rejection that comes with trying to raise funds, close deals, make sales, get partners, etc. then we probably shouldn't be in the business. The key is how to take rejection and have it make us stronger, more resilient and more committed.

Rejection can make us stronger. We've just got to see it that way. If we allow rejection to get us down or to callous us to our compassion and understanding of others then we aren't looking at what we have been given in the right way. Who can not stand in awe of the rejection that Jesus took for each one of us and then persevered through something that none of us will have to endure, all for the goodness on the other side, for us. As we go through the daily rejections of life and especially in our workplaces, let's consider that how we handle and accept those rejections is a reflection to others on how we are modeling the life of Christ, or not. It's something to think about seriously.

Reference: Romans 11:15 (New Living Testament)

day 800: Ambitions

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

“In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself”

We all have some level of ambition. It would be hard for businesses or business professionals to be at their best without some level of ambition to work to our full potential. But ambition that crosses a line to something that places ourselves or our efforts and business above other people turns into something else that is not good. Ambition has to be constantly kept in check and balanced against values and principles that keep other people and their needs above our own. Even within a company we have to be careful that we don't let our ambitions get the best of us against our peers. It starts with each of us and how we lead, manage, or interact with those we work. Companies that can't keep their ambitions in check run the risk of becoming bullies in the market and at some point that catches up with them. We know who they are and aren't surprised when they get hung out to dry when they stumble. We are better off in not letting our ambitions get the best of us.

The late Pastor David Wilkerson's brother, Gary writes this about how we are to manage our personal ambitions: "One simple way to measure whether you love well is to examine how you look out for the interests of others. As a pastor, I have to forge an unwavering vision to do this. I am charged by God with a call to stir my people to action and to relentlessly pursue the mission he has given us. The truth is, I can go about this in one of two ways: through my own ambition, pushing to achieve my individual goals; or to adopt the heart of Christ and make my mission to love.
If my church grows to ten thousand and I don’t have love as my vision...if
our church sends out 1,000 missionaries but doesn’t have love…then we are
failing in our calling as a believing body. We are raising up false ambassadors
and exporting a weak brand of watered-down Christianity empowered by something
other than love.How about you? Are your prayers or spiritual ambitions locked in a world of your own wants, needs and desires? Are you bothered or irritated when others’
genuine needs interrupt your goals?What is the remedy for selfish ambition? Paul wrote to the Philippians, “In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3b). Paul doesn’t say not to esteem yourself, your vision or your life
mission. But he does say others also have vision, purpose and a mission. If you
will esteem them, you will not just be helping them but also strengthening them
in their calling—and perhaps affecting many lives. Think about the power of Paul’s statement. Imagine what might happen if every Christian radically obeyed this truth. We would all have deep, world-impacting interests in others—and none of us would be immersed in our individual goals. The whole body of Christ would be so other-centered we would empower one another in our many varied callings. If each of us is looking only to interests of our own making, our testimony will be limited at best. But if we all are looking in love to build up others, every God-ordained mission will have more than ample support to be accomplished.

Reference: Philippians 2:3

day 799: Keeping The Power On

2012-01-04T05:00:00.001-08:00

“Then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power"

In today's day and age when the power goes off at work it's like a snow day. Very little can get done in today's workplace without power flowing into the business so we might as well go home until the power comes back on. I once was in a meeting in India when the power went off and at that time it was such a normal occurrence that the meeting just kept on going in the pitch-black conference room. This lasted about 10 minutes until the power came back. It was surreal for me and normal for all of the others from there. A couple of weeks ago the San Francisco 49ers were playing on National TV on Monday night football. Just before the game started a transformer blew in the neighborhood and plunged Candlestick Park into the dark for almost twenty minutes. Then again in the first half it happened again, delaying the game again. The ESPN announcers had a hay-day with the outages saying that the city should be embarrassed, etc. When the power goes out, it's never good. Literally we need to keep the power on in our businesses and metaphorically we have to also keep the power flowing. It's a way of thinking and an attitude to develop. Uninterrupted flowing of consistent power can be the difference between success and failure.

Jesus knew the importance of power being able to flow. He gives others His power. In Luke we read about how He gave power to His Disciples. What I find interesting in this verse is that there are many ways that Jesus wanted to transfer and give power to the disciples. He called them together to do this. It wasn't done individually and this should give us great confidence in that as we work with others that there is power in numbers and those believers that we work with can and will be part of our own ability to stand firm, be strong and faithful to Him. We are also part of the power for others. Today as we go to work and are purposeful in bringing glory to God through our work, let's do our best to a part of the positive power charge in our office and the lives of others.

Reference: Luke 9:1

day 798: Back To The Ordinary (Annual Post)

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

...they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee."

First posted on January 2nd, 2009

January can be one of the most exciting months of the year because of the feeling of a new start that comes with a new year. But for most, January is the month of deprivation. This is the month that we resolve to do more with less, lose a few pounds with less intake and more output, be more diligent with exercise schedules, balance out work and life better, etc. You know the list. At work it is the beginning of a quarter or a fiscal year and even before the year is really started we are already setting down and planning and adjusting to be sure that we can hit the targets that we have set for ourselves. With a swirling external economic climate, we may already be cutting back to make sure that we have breathing room in the coming months and year. So, after all the Christmas build up and holiday enthusiasm, January can feel like a real let down and a hard time for many. As I reflected on the January doldrums I was reminded of how Joseph and Mary must have felt after their first Christmas. What a heady experience to have given birth to a new son, to have experienced the coming of the angel and the visitors being drawn to the stable to see and worship the baby Jesus, and to have gone to the Temple and had Simeon and Anna prophecy over their child. And then, it was over. The angel was gone, the shepherds and visitors had gone their own way and it was time to go home. Mary and Joseph left the temple and the Bible says in Luke 2:39; "...they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee".

For Mary it was now to work to raise a child and for Joseph it was back to his carpentry and making a living for his family and now with one new mouth to feed. It was back to the ordinary for both of them. It was a January and a new year, a year to go back to work and do what was needed to make their own ends meet. Our life and work life of purpose is not to always be filled with highs. It would be great if it was that way, but we all know that it just doesn't work out that way. Our lives are filled with the ordinary and the routine. And, even in the ordinary and the routine we are to seek and work to live to the high standards we have been given as followers of Jesus. As we each start this work year, let us take all of the lessons given to us and do our best to apply them each and every day, knowing that like Joseph and Mary, that returning back to Nazareth was one ordinary step on what was to become a miraculous life journey. They didn't know it then, as we don't know today, but what can come from the ordinary, lived and pursued with righteousness, can be nothing short of extraordinary.

Reference: Luke 2:39 (New Living Testament)

day 797: Entrustments

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

"When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife."

Every day, in every company, someone gets a new job. From the top job to the entry level roles, someone else entrusts some part of the business to someone new. What we all know, from experience in many cases, is that this entrusting can be nerve-wracking and downright frightening. But, just because we worry and are concerned doesn't mean that we shouldn't entrust and allow others to grow and develop. There are lots of studies on how we can grow people and companies, but one thing has always stood out to me is that the most successful people are those who were entrusted with some large responsibility before they were chronologically or experiential ready. If one survives the deep end of the pool and then thrives then there is confidence and learning that happens and gets multiplied within the person. Others around also rise to the occasion. We each have many occasions to allow people to reach for their full potential. If not held back, trusted, and supported they can do much and go far.

I can only stand back and marvel at what Joseph, the adopted Father of Jesus, must have felt when he learned he was being entrusted, By God, with the raising and support of Jesus. Not being a biological father, I marvel even more in Joseph's commitment to take on the responsibility of a child not his own flesh and blood and to do so in way that was far from expected. Joseph then went on to raise Jesus as if he was his own and I believe felt all the pains, joys, anxiety, concern, and hopefulness for his son, Jesus, as any other father would. We never know in life what we will be entrusted, but whatever it may be, big or small, we should only need to look to the willingness of Joseph to know what it means to be entrusted. Let's not forget what have already as we enter into this most high and special weekend.

Purposed worKING will be taking a holiday break until Tuesday January 3rd. Thank you for your support and readership and let me wish each and every one of you a very, very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Reference: Matthew 1:24 (New Living Testament)

day 796: Starting At The Bottom (redux)

2011-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a college graduate from last year who just found a job. As he described the job to me, he was very humble and grateful that he had any job to begin with. He told me that the job he had taken required him to start at the bottom and work his way up. I explained to him that this was fine and that most of us, myself included, did just the same thing. Not enough stories are told about those who started in the mail room and ended up in the corner office. That's mainly because most of us don't stay in one company long enough to see that full ascension cycle occur. But even when we change jobs, we know that we need to start at the bottom and work our way up. That may mean that we need to start at the bottom of the organization and the root of the work and learn the business from the ground floor, all done before we can be truly effective in our new role. Those that come in from the outside and act as if they know and understand the business before they really do, don't last long. This is a challenge for all of us, to work as though we don't know everything and continue to return to the foundations of our business and to the people who do the real work and value their work and the relationships we can have with them.

Just a few days before Christmas we should be reminded that Jesus took the same approach. He came to the earth and started at the bottom of the bottom, as a baby, born in a manger in a stable and from there worked at his life like God desired to rise to be the King of Kings. We so often think that life and success should come easy and that we have "earned it already". Any time we start to fall into that attitude and we forget that life and success at work is really about what we do to work from the bottom up, then all we need to do is think about how our Lord started into this world and how He, without regret or disappointment, worked, learned and waited until it was time for God to bring about His purposes. As we enter into the last days before the New Year, let's not forget the example that Jesus provided for us and let us never forget from where we have come and how important it is to never lose sight of importance of starting at the bottom.

Reference: Luke Chapter 2 (New Living Testament)

day 795: Immanuel (updated)

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

"...and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

As we march into the closing days of 2011, many of us are taking some time, before 2012 shows up, to look back over our shoulders and assess the year. It has not been an easy last three years for anyone in the work world. Much has changed and we've had to change with it. If there was a time that has tested so many people in the workplace, it was long before most of were working or alive. Those that remember the Great Depression are the only ones who have seen this much sweeping change and uncertainty within such a short time frame. When there is this much turmoil, we are all affected and that impact shows up in us. I reflect on the people I know who along with their job struggles have had troubles also show up at home in their families, marriages and personal lives. Work is hard enough without the extra emotional charge of not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Many of us are winding it up this week and will try and take some vacation between the holidays and with that comes the extra stress of being away and trying to keep up. This is also something to be managed for if we aren't cognizant of this extra amount of pressure it can really start the holiday break off on the wrong foot. It's kind of like the movie "Home Alone" when the family is so caught up in the rush and the stress of the moment that they forget who they have left behind. It makes a classic movie, but it doesn't make good life story.

In these challenging times, we can be just like that family who left Kevin at home sleeping, except in all of the rush, stress, pressures and worry, we tend to leave instead, God behind and then when we feel too far away with no way of turning back, we scream out, "Where are you God?", when it was us, not Him, who left Him home in the first place. This is the week when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who took on another important name for all us to remember; "...and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" In these last few days before the Christmas break, don't forget that Immanuel is there with you. In His coming, he guarantees that He is with us at all times, never to be truly left behind, only diminished by us when we put ourselves ahead of Him. Can we close this week with us bringing God, Immanuel, back to work with us and make the commitment for next year to have Him with us every day!

Reference: Matthew 1:23 (New Living Testament)

day 794: Labor of Love

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

"And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born."

"It was a labor of love", is a comment that we like to make when someone goes above and beyond for something where they didn't receive anything extra other than the satisfaction or joy that comes from doing something well and appreciated by others. The labor of love can also happen in the workplace even in the midst of personal agendas, competitive activities, and desires to progress over others. That is why when we observe an act that comes across as a labor of love it is even that much more obvious and recognized. It takes the best in all of us to go above and beyond in the workplace for something that likely will not come back to us tangibly. But, we should each strive for that level of giving of ourselves and our companies. This time of year we can read about those companies that go above and beyond to give back to their community and those less fortunate. With enough sacrifice and effort, we can even be convinced that a corporation can commit a labor of love.

In the life of Jesus there is one labor of love after another. God Himself creates and gives to us His only Son. Mary, literally goes through the labor of love to bring the baby Jesus into the world. And then, Jesus goes the full sacrifice for us. Why? Because, He was showing how great His love is for us. Now, we pass through this life with many opportunities to live and model what Christ gave us. We labor in this world, but do we labor for love enough? One size of actions does not fit all of us. We each have been given our own talents and put in our own situations to provide our own love labors. We have only a few days left before we leave to celebrate Christmas. We are getting ready to give gifts to each other and we can also give a gift back to the Lord by ensuring that we are laboring for Him this week. Let's find an opportunity to give of ourselves for Him so that others can witness God's love in action.

Reference: Luke 2:6 (New Living Testament)

day 793: Jimmy Durante

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

"They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness."

Yesterday as we were celebrating a "Super Sunday" in our 1st - 6th Grade Sunday School class, as the kids were coming into the class, we had the classic cartoon of Frosty the Snowman playing. I haven't sat and watched it all the way through in years. You might remember that it starts with the introduction of the narrator, that being Jimmy Durante. For fun, I asked around the room if anyone had ever heard of Jimmy Durante. Of course, none of the kids had. Likely, some of the younger teachers wouldn't have known who he is either. I also suspect that when Mr. Durante voiced that cartoon in 1969 he would never have guessed that kids in the future might not ever remember him, but they would know immediately the voice and character of the narrator from the cartoon. Here we are 42 years later and Mr. Durante's performance remains. Businesses can be the same. 40+ years later we probably won't remember any of the names of the senior members of a business, but the reputation can remain. We never know what we might do today that will stick...forever.

The smallest actions can be the ones that become our legacy. It can be very hard, if not impossible, for us to know at the time. We can only pray that what will have the greatest impact will be a positive action, word, or impact we have on another. We have a few days left in this year and as we think back on what would be the highlights and the legacy of this past year, are we feeling good about that? There is still time to clear up areas of disagreement or bad feelings. We want, as best we can, to start next year strong and with positive momentum. Our jobs are full of moments to pass along positive recognition or help another person around us. Whatever it is, consider that this week, the one that we exchange many positives is also a week to shore up our relationships. This could be the week that for someone around you, you will be setting a long-lasting memory of who you are to them.

Reference: Psalm 89:16 (New Living Testament)

day 792: Kingdom In The Ordinary (redux)

2011-12-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail."

You have heard me before speak of those who lament that they don't know if they are living their life to the fullest and doing a higher calling because they are not in the ministry but instead are in the marketplace. We already know that God did His work through ordinary people of the Bible and many of them were ordinary workers at some points in their lives. We also know that each of us are to search independently to find God's will in our own lives and then learn to adjust and obey what it is that He wants us to be doing. As we draw closer in our relationship to Jesus we will find what the will of God is for our lives. In the book Experiencing God, Blackaby says, "God reveals His ways to us because they are the only means to accomplish His purpose". I find that quote to be very inspiring because as I search for God's will knowing that the marketplace and business is what I am about and what I do, knowing that God will reveal His purposes to me and that He needs me to be doing what I do because in me (and all of us) this revelation of His ways is the only means to accomplish His purposes is both inspiring and comforting. That means that as we each seek our own purpose in our lives and work, that God is wanting to use His purposes to unveil our purpose, thereby making it one.

So, as we think of our work and what we do day-to-day for all of those hours we can hold fast in the promise that the purpose of God can be manifested through our work. This leaves us with that important lesson that if we are to accomplish our purposes that what we do is less important than how we do it. God gave his disciples ways to do their work and He taught them, as we teach those who work for us, how to get the job done. We can learn many lessons from these teachings with the an important one being that when Jesus spoke to His disciples and asked them to do the things He wanted them to do, more often than not they questioned and sometimes scoffed at how Jesus wanted the job done. No better example of this than when Jesus commanded the disciples to feed the multitudes. The disciples wanted to nix the effort but Jesus instead was specific on what they were to do, and when they did it, a miracle occurred. Could it be that God is asking you to go about your work differently than you have in the past and He wants you to be an example in your workplace of how someone can work differently when they work with God as the determiner of your purpose? Might it be that how you have gone about your work has not been the best demonstration of how God can be in someones life as they go about their ordinary day-to-day work? Remember, He wants to use each of us to reveal His purposes. All we have to do is be willing and obedient to let that happen. Can today be the day that we put aside the rest of the things that get in the way and we start anew?

Reference: Proverbs 19:21 (New Living Testament)

day 791: Side-By-Sides

2011-12-15T06:36:00.000-08:00

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."

Train and airport clubs and terminals are the best place to hear about what is going on in business. I guess you might call it eavesdropping but I like to listen to the conversations around me. I was sitting in a train station in Baltimore this week waiting on the train into D.C. when I heard a woman, who it sounded like was talking to her boss, explaining the side-by-side proposal she had sent in. She was detailing the left hand side of the proposal as the worst case scenario and the right hand side as the best case scenario. I have no idea what kind of business she is in, but the proposal had to do with a sales prospect. After giving the overview of what she was thinking, she then went through both sides. I had to leave then to catch my train, but I was reminded about how many times we are asked to play both sides of an argument to make our point or to explain an approach. To do this well, we have to actually be able to put ourselves into the worst and the best cases and play them out as if they really were happening to us. That is not easy to do, and be realistic. But, we have to if we are going to be successful. It's something for us to think about as we prepare for anything in our work. We have to become adept at seeing all sides of the issues and to be able to complete thoroughly every side-by-side.

King Solomon tells us that we have our own side-by-side that we must always be cognizant. Those two sides are our attitude and our spirit. Let me cut to the chaste; when we are up, others around us are up; when we are down, others around us are down. It's that simple. The Christian life is not one of only mountain tops and happiness. But, it is a life of hope and optimism with the security of eternity. So, when we allow our spirit to be broken we are turning our back on what has been given to us. Imagine getting all of the support, financial backing, upward progression, and job security you could ever imagine. And then walking into your bosses office each day down, disgruntled, dissatisfied. For how long would she/he put up with it? Not for long my friend. Our Lord never kicks us out of the office, but does expect that we find a cheerful and positive heart. As we get closer to celebrating and receiving His most special gift to us, let's be sure that we do a side-by-side evaluation and be on the best side for Him.

Reference: Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

day 790: Season For Giving (redux)

2011-12-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

This is the season for giving. We are gearing up at the office for the Holiday party, looking forward to time off from work to spend with family and friends, and we have to get that shopping done in the midst of everyone trying to get all of the work done before the end of the year. It becomes a very busy time and while it shouldn't be, it becomes a time of stress both at work and home. When the stress sets in, the worst comes out. In these times when everything is focused on getting everything done before the big day or the end of the year, we undoubtedly will be let down by others, not get everything we need from others, and them not get all from us that they need. There will be criticism for not working fast enough and challenges that will test our patience. The question is whether or not we will rise above the stress and the pressure or allow the stress to get to us?

Remember, this is the season for giving and with the play on the words, the season for forgiving. If we can enter the time with both of these attitudes at the forefront of our minds and hearts then we can come through this year with our heads held high and our example and role modeling that we desire held intact. As we think about this through the season and if we need any example how to give and forgive in this time we need only look at the greatest verse of all in the Bible. In John 3:16 we read; "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." In that one verse we receive the greatest gift of all, and only to be forgiven when we receive Him. Yes, this is the season of giving and the season of forgiving. Can we embrace this season with our hearts and minds set firmly both in giving ourselves to others and forgiving those around us? To get the most from this time of year and to truly celebrate the coming our King, we must be able to give and forgive.

Reference: John 3:16 (New Living Testament)

day 789: Times To Be Loud (redux)

2011-12-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

"... But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil."

The Bible is clear with us that to be silent in many cases is the best course of action. But we also read that there are also times for being loud. Work is that way too. There are many times when the best thing we can do is to keep our mouth shut and let others do all of the talking. By keeping quiet, we don't get dragged into the muck or have ourselves lowered to levels that would compromise our values and principles. We have all been in the situations where the emotions are running high and someone says something that he/she regrets. Even after the apology, the problem is that people are slow to forget at work so stories are told and remembered and then passed along. If there is one place that is hard to put a reputation back in the bottle, it is at work. So, we have to be even that much more cognizant and controlled at work.

But there are also times to be loud. These are the times when we have to stand up for what is right and in the areas that compromise our values and principles. I feel for the people who have told me that they are sitting in jobs today because they are afraid or worried about getting up and moving somewhere else. They are staying in the jobs they have today even though where they work has become someplace that they no longer can trust or believe in the mission and how people are treated. God wants us to have courage to make the moves and get loud when we have to do so. This coming week we likely all hear or sing the song Silent Night. It is a beautiful song and lyrics that give us the peaceful moment when Jesus was born. But even then, Jesus knew that He was going to have to put that silent night and moment behind Him. We read in 1 John 3:8 this account of why Jesus came to the earth; "... But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil." Jesus knew that He was coming to fulfill not only the purpose of building up His Kingdom, but also to tear down the works of the devil. Tearing down and destroying means getting loud about some things! Part of our following of Jesus is to be sure that we are also doing our part to destroy the works of the devil. We do that by not taking the devil's side but by getting loud about what is right and living that life fully, courageously, boldly and unabashedly. As we finish this year, let's all feel good about getting loud about it!

Reference: 1 John 3:8

day 788: Big - Small - Big

2011-12-12T04:46:00.000-08:00

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Friends of ours just moved to Barcelona. They were in a bookstore in southern Spain and as they walked into the store they saw an architectural book with a picture of their lake house in Canada on the front cover. My first reaction, "What a small world". And then I thought, "What a big world". And then I concluded, "What a small world." How I got to these convoluted conclusions is this. It's a big world that a picture taken in the hinterlands of Canada ends up on the cover of an architecture book that gets global distribution. It's a small world that our friends see this book in a bookstore in Spain. But, it begins to be a big world again that I would know about their sighting. If this was ten years ago, I would have never known. But today, I know because of Facebook. Their story showed up in my newsfeed and they made the world big again. And, now you are reading about it as well. The small world just got bigger. This is the world we live in now. Any business that doesn't recognize and make the most of the big, small, big cycle of social media misses out.

When we were given the Great Commission to go out and spread God's Word and love, we were to do this in the best way we could. Today, we each can make the big world small and then big again by how we share our faith in all aspects of our lives. Facebook and other social media are not going to go away. Our presences and the lives that we live and who we are is as important online as it is off. Let's be sure that we are living the same lives online as off and not missing the opportunity to share our faith and who we are there too.

Reference: Psalm 19:14

day 787: Work Words, part 2 - Replacement Words (redux)

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them"

Yesterday we learned the simple truth that God does not want us using foul or abusive language in life or at work. A simple lesson for sure but not an easy one to follow and practice. It just seems like adding that certain word for emphasis or explanation helps make the point. But, when we take this path we are making both emotional and intellectual choices that have consequences. I think in most cases we are also taking the lazy path intellectually when we allow ourselves to use this language. The other day I overheard a conversation with two people where the description of one person by the other, to his face (which was representative of an anatomical part), expressed the point clearly but also created a heightened animosity and anger in the person who was being talked at and could have easily, if not for the control of the receiving person, come to blows. As I reflected on that conversation, the person delivering the message may have felt more powerful but in reality, this very intellectual person had lowered himself to a base level and chosen the laziest of words to express his point of view and left the conversation in a worse place than it was before, all because of the words chosen.

If we are not to use foul or abusive language, what words are we then to choose to replace these words? Ephesians 4:29 concludes with; "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them". We are to take the higher ground. We are to work harder intellectually and emotionally to find the place and the words that can still bring across the point but leave the other person or parties in a better emotional state. As I think back on the confrontation I witnessed, there was another way to have made the point. It would have taken the person who was expressing the point of view to have found another emotional footing to stand on, and then to have intellectually have thought through how it would be that he could build up the other person and still ensure that the lesson was given. It could have been done and knowing the situation, good could have come from what was initially bad and unfortunately after this conversation got worse. God wants us to use the faith that we have in Him, the power that He has put inside of us, and the love that He modeled, to be different than the rest of the world. That can start today, at work, with you and the words that you choose. Today would be a good day to start thinking and using the replacement words that He can give you. You and all others around you will be better for it.

Reference: Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Testament)

day 786: Work Words, Part 1: No Nos (redux)

2011-12-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

"Don't use foul or abusive language."

This is pretty straightforward. Let's choose more carefully the words we use at work. We all know the statement, "he curses like a sailor". How does one become a sailor? A sailor becomes a sailor because he/she applies for a sailor job or joins the Navy to take the job of a sailor. So, the cursing of the sailor is referencing the cursing that occurs on the job. Yes, work for some reason is an easy place for the words of a sailor to become common language. I have been there and I have gone through stages in my career where I might as well have quit my job and joined the Navy. If we are trying to infuse our purpose into our work and we are trying to be the examples of how one is to supposed to live in a larger context then the words we choose to use at work need to be consistent with the life we are wanting to live.

Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 4:29; "Don't use foul or abusive language." Clear enough? There is lots to learn and study on self-control and the taming of our tongues and how for some this takes God really helping out. But wherever you are and however hard or easy it is for you to control your language, it is an important lesson to remember. We are to live our lives in the example of the One who gave us His example to follow. And when the moment comes where the expletive is the most cultural, hippest and for some reason the most powerful word we can think of, then we need to think again and bite that tongue before we let the words roll out. Once out they can't be rolled back in. Today, say a prayer before heading to work that God will give you different words today to replace those that come most easily. Ask Him to give you new work words and to send the words of the sailors out to sea.

Tomorrow, words to use as replacements.

Reference: Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Testament)

day 785: The Season Of Giving - redux

2011-12-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

This is the season for giving. We are gearing up at the office for the Holiday party, looking forward to time off from work to spend with family and friends, and we have to get that shopping done in the midst of everyone trying to get all of the work done before the end of the year. It becomes a very busy time and while it shouldn't be, it becomes a time of stress both at work and home. When the stress sets in, the worst comes out. In these times when everything is focused on getting everything done before the big day or the end of the year, we undoubtedly will be let down by others, not get everything we need from others, and them not get all from us that they need. There will be criticism for not working fast enough and challenges that will test our patience. The question is whether or not we will rise above the stress and the pressure or allow the stress to get to us? Remember, this is the season for giving and with the play on the words, the season for forgiving. If we can enter the time with both of these attitudes at the forefront of our minds and hearts then we can come through this year with our heads held high and our example and role modeling that we desire held intact.

As we think about this through the season and if we need any example how to give and forgive in this time we need only look at the greatest verse of all in the Bible. In John 3:16 we read; "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." In that one verse we receive the greatest gift of all, and only to be forgiven when we receive Him. Yes, this is the season of giving and the season of forgiving. Can we embrace this season with our hearts and minds set firmly both in giving ourselves to others and forgiving those around us? To get the most from this time of year and to truly celebrate the coming our King, we must be able to give and forgive.

Reference: John 3:16 (New Living Testament)

day 785: Influencing

2011-12-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

Yesterday, we read on how we can be influenced. Today's let's spend a few moments on the importance of influencing.

Big companies, big brands, big marketing and advertising budgets, big product launches. We are used to all of these being influencers in our culture and business lives. The bigger and bolder it is the more it gets noticed and if it really means anything then it sticks around and influences our lives and culture. Think about the influence that companies like Apple and Google have had on our everyday lives. And don't forget the Procter & Gambles or the Wal-Marts of the world. They are just as influential, but in a different way. Influence can come in many forms and if a company has it, they not only succeed but they tend to get a wind at their back. It's an important factor to think about when we discuss success criteria of our businesses. Are we influencing the market? Are we influencing the competition? Are we influencing our partners, customers, and ultimately our consumers? If we don't have influence, we don't have clout and it's hard to find momentum.

We are given the task and opportunity to be influencers for the Kingdom each and every day. Throughout this day each of us will have more opportunities to influence in a positive way than we can count. Each word, each inflection, each action are points of influence that we can either manage and make productive for the Kingdom or miss. It's not that we have to be in the face of other people about our faith. It's as much about are we modeling the life that Christ asks us to live for Him? Today, check your words. Check your actions. Check the attitude that others can see and feel coming from you. Are you being a positive influence on others in the office? Whether you know it or not, you are an influencer.

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 784: Influenced

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

Within our work places they are all kinds of people who we could call influencing. The boss of course, those who work at the top of the organization, the Board, etc. But there are far more influential people within companies than those who have official titles. We know who they are if we will only stop and think about it for a moment. These are the people who for either positive, or not so positive reasons, people listen to and watch for the cues as to what they are up to or not. A study was done a few years ago about who were the influencing kids in a school and fashion was the barometer. The researcher kept asking kids why they wore the shoes they did and each time the answer would be because someone else did. The researcher kept following the names of the ones who were influencing until they got to the kid who said, I wear them because I think they are cool to wear. He was an influential. Why? It's an intangible sometimes that is hard to pin down, but what's important is that we know who the influencers are so that we can utilize them to help establish, move, and spread messages. Keeping our eyes open to know who these people are can make a difference in how we manage our businesses.

As there are those who are influential, we can also find ourselves being influenced. Why is it so easy to fall into the trap of following a bad example? Hard to know really, but going all the way back to high school it seemed like the "bad" influences attracted the "good". Look no further than the movie Grease. The same happens around us everyday at the office. There will be those who are more political and undercutting. There are those who do the back channel talking. There are those who cut the corners and try and trim off the work. Lots of bad influences around us all day. The Bible tells us to watch for the examples around us so that we are not pulled down into their ways. We must stay above it and away from it as best we can. For when we are being influenced, we are influencing others. Think about that today. More to come on this tomorrow.

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 783: Quitting

2011-12-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

"Watch out, so that you do not lose the prize for which we have been working so hard. Be diligent so that you will receive your full reward."

I once heard that quitting was a permanent resolution to a temporary problem. I spend time with many executives who at different times and for different reasons consider quitting. We all do, right? There isn't any decision that we make that we won't at some point second guess or at least scratch our heads and wonder if we are on the right course or not? But, the decision to quit is a different decision. Quitting means that we are going to abandon the hard work, the money invested, and turn back on what we once said was important to achieve. We read about these decisions every day in the business sections of the news. Shedding a division, a product line, a competitive market, etc. are decisions that means that someone decided it was time to throw in the towel and go another direction. Quitting is not always the wrong decision, but as we enter into strategic directions, partnerships, hiring, and financial commitments, we have to be sure we have thought through each step as much as we can so that we don't start and then stop. I advise that we should always ask ourselves the question as to whether or not this is one of those things that would be better to never start than to start and stop. It's a good litmus test to be sure that starting and stopping doesn't do more damage than it should.

Our spiritual journey is one where each and every day we are faced with those things in our life that want to tempt and sway us from keeping our eyes on the prize. The promise that we are given is that if we don't quit, and we stay diligent that there is a "full reward" to be gained. We know as believers that the full reward is to live eternally in the presence of our Lord. In God's eyes, if we give up and quit, He hopes it to only be temporary as He takes us back each and every time. If we remain sincere in our journey, with our eyes on the prize of Him the rewards are beyond what we can fathom. I would also add that by not being a quitter that we are setting a model and living out the example of Jesus. As we know, He could have quit any time He wanted, but He didn't. When we persevere, and when we follow through, and when we stay focused, and when we don't look back, and when we progress with enthusiasm and hopefulness, others will see that something special in each of us. One never knows what and when that moment will come to explain to others why.

Reference: 2 John 1:8 (New Living Testament)

day 782: Who You Gonna Call?

2011-12-01T06:26:00.000-08:00

For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. and the ones who who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Anyone who has ever run or led a customer call center knows how it important it is to teach the customer service representatives how to handle a conflict that escalates. Any of us who have ever spoken to a customer service rep also knows how important this can be to the impression and the experience of that company. Being a good customer service person is both skill and art. Being able to listen to hear the level of frustration of the caller and then diffuse that in a way that feels productive and helpful is the art. The skill comes in how to handle the difficult problems that escalate and seem to be going out of control. Knowing when to call on the supervisor, before the customer calls on them is also key. But, every call center needs to have a protocol for how and when to delegate up the problem. I once was exposed to a company whose employee complaint levels were going through the roof and their morale into the basement. When diagnosed it was all about the decision by the corporate HQ to not allow the call centers to push a problem into the HQ staff, no matter how bad the situation became. The senior execs thought they were doing good by allowing for problems to be resolved locally. The call centers felt abandoned and that HQ didn't care. We all need someplace and someone to call when we have reached the end of our rope. Our customers, consumers, vendors, partners, shareholders and employees all need it. And, yes, for some of those the CEO and/or the Board needs to show up. It's worth thinking about where and how far can those who have complaints about your company or organization go? Who are they gonna call?

In 1 John we are told, as believers, where the buck stops. What is so amazing about our God is that it's a one stop hotline to the resolutions of our problems, worries, fears, and concerns. All we have to do is believe and then have the faith to allow God to do His work. Sounds so simple doesn't it? It is the perfect and most elegant of all support systems. Thinking through the current problems on our plate, big or small, which ones are we still hanging onto thinking that we can solve them ourselves or have put them in the hands of another person thinking they can solve them for us? If they are there, then why haven't we sent them up God too? There is no complaint or or problem too big or too small that He doesn't want to resolve for us. He never cuts us off from His "HQ". And when we ask, "Who you gonna call?", He is right there with us ready for that call. So, today, who are you gonna call?

Reference: 1 John 5: 4-5 (New Living Testament)

day 781: Best Of Lists...

2011-11-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

"for they loved human praise more than the praise of God."

It's that time of the year when the "Best of Lists" start to get formulated. Yesterday in the newspaper there was an insert for the American Bar Association's Best Local Attorneys. It was a long list, sliced and diced by every specialty. And for sure there will be plaques and recognition happening in each of the offices of the named firms and people as they begin to market the accolades for their new business. The same will happen over the next couple of months in every industry and across the corporate world in every business trade magazine. We love our lists and we love to see who will be on this year's list, or not. Some of those lists cost lots of money to reach, but for most it is worth it to be able to say that they got there. Recognition remains important and we could do even better jobs of being sure that the same level of emphasis we put on the external lists, we be sure an put on our internal people and their accomplishments. Let's not forget that peer recognition is as powerful, if not more powerful than any other form.

Yes, we all need recognition and we all need praise every now and then. I don't know anyone who doesn't get a little boost from it when it comes their way. But, as we know, it is fleeting and sometimes comes with extra pressure to perform going forward. There is only one praise that lasts and comes with no extra requirements and that is the praise that God showers down on us when He sees us pursuing and living for Him. We've got to be careful that we don't put the emphasis on praise from people over praise from God. If that happens we should know that we have our priorities in the wrong order. Today, take a moment and ask yourself what praise is that you are seeking and which is more important? If we are honest with ourselves the answer can help us make the necessary course corrections of life.

Reference: John 12:43 (New Living Testament)

day 780: Easy Street

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

People who are at ease mock those in trouble. they give a push to people who are stumbling.

Lots of talk in the world today about streets. There is the perennial political discussion about Main Street and what that street means to our economic system. There is also more attention than ever on Wall Street. The Occupy Movement has brought attention to the people and institutions that are associated with banking and public corporations, with an attempt to let off steam towards someone. It seems what everyone is desiring and detesting at the same time is those who live and work on Easy Street. Businesses work so hard to get to a place where they feel established and while they still have to remain competitive and growth-oriented to survive, they can find a place where every day is not about survival. Yet, when they get there the tendency can be be for them to start to portray some of the attributes of those who live on Easy Street and others don't like that attitude. Part of the finger pointing today is that there are companies and people who have adopted the Easy Street attitude for themselves and project a different set of standards on others. Businesses that start to brag about their success and who become predatory and demeaning to their competition, and above the law in their communities are easy targets. Easy Street brings out the worst in us and should remind us that success is not a privilege it is a gift.

When we succeed at something and receive accolades and recognition, we should remember that the perils of Easy Street apply to us personally as well. We read in Job that "ease" brings about an air of confidence that can turn to mocking of others. We see it daily in our society in nearly all competitive circles. When someone is on top they speak down and talk smack to those who are not doing so well. They can taunt and find satisfaction in watching others fail. We have to be careful of this; each one of us. It is in our sinful nature to fall into this pattern. God asks and wants us to rise above this pettiness and to be the opposite of the rest of the world. We are reminded over and over that their is no superiority in God's Kingdom and that those who are seeking to want to work and live on Easy Street and play our the role, will struggle to find their way home to the Father. Let's remember that in our work, as we put to test our talents and do the best we can, that there is a point where we cross the line to Easy Street and take on the wrong attributes. Watch and listen for God to remind us where we are and to be sure that we stay on the right side of the street.

Reference: Job 12:5 (New Living Testament)

day 779: Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T07:32:00.001-08:00

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.

Today is "Cyber Monday". This is a term that is not that old. It started in the 2000's as e-commerce sites became popular as shopping destinations on the Monday after Black Friday. Black Friday actually has a meaning. This is the day that many bricks and mortar retailers turn profitable in their fiscal year. Cyber Monday doesn't have that level of significance as it is really a day for the digital retailing world to show off their stuff and have a big day. I have no idea what it means to productivity in the workforce today, but it is a big day that anyone who sells online has been gearing up and preparing for. That is the case for all of our businesses. We each have a big day, or a big season, when we show off our stuff and we have to be at the top of our game. That level of preparation and gearing up is important to us as it sharpens and makes us better each year. If your business doesn't have a time like this, then it's worth thinking about how to create that level of focus, attention, and hype. Everyone is at their best at this time and it brings out the best in the organization and people. We all look forward to a time to rally and put ourselves out there. For many, that is today and this holiday season as the rest of this calendar/fiscal year unfolds.

Each and every day we are asked to "show our stuff" and be at our best. God challenges us in all aspects of our life to be at our best and to bring glory to Him in all that we do. During our own busy and peak seasons it can be hard to remember that that these are also the best times to be focused and cognizant of the example that we are living for Christ. When everyone else is stressed and at their breaking points, if we can be a role model for patience, gentleness, kindness, peacefulness, joy, etc. then the fruits of His spirit will be contagious. Others are looking to see His workmanship in you. Can you make today, and this busy season the time when He shines through?

Reference; Psalm 139:14 (New Living Testament)

day 778: Do The Right Thing - Part 10: Peace

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

There is a certain moment of peace and calm when we know that we have made the right decision. That peace can come over us, a bunch of us all at once, in a conference room, on the manufacturing floor, in the Boardroom, or even walking down the hall. We just know when we have done the right thing and that the decision was the right one. The same peace can come over us when we complete a project in the right way or close of the difficult conversation in a way that everyone feels as good as they can about the situation. When it happens, we know it and don’t we wish that we felt it more often? There is also a peace that comes among a team when everyone gets on the same page and knows that they have made the right decision in the right way. I won’t even begin to speculate how often this really happens but when it does it is palpable. As leaders, managers, supervisors, or even as co-workers, we should strive for the right kind of decisions to be made and those being the one where everyone is heard, a good discussion has taken place, no corners were cut in the process, the facts and truth is there in an obvious and evident way, and once the decision is made, everyone aligns and no one tries to second guess or undercut the decision. This can bring peace within our companies. Few companies value that we can work together in peace, but we can, if we so desire and strive for it. Having worked with many CEO’s, I remember distinctly an era where one CEO did just that and the company thrived, grew and was admired across the world as a great company for shareholders, employees, customers, vendors and consumers. The same company was not many years later in disarray, turmoil, controversy and under major competitive threats and losses because the CEO managed 180 degrees in philosophy to the CEO of the past. More case studies should be done on this phenomena as it relates to a company’s growth and profitability.

We also know when we are doing the right thing by the peace that have in our hearts and minds. Think about the times when everything has been in the right alignment and the decision made, or the action taken, brought about peace within you. And now think of the opposite and the worry and stress that came from the decision or the action that was questionable. Those who choose to live and work in that place must be tormented beyond comprehension. We have to look no farther than the impact that one man had on the financial world, his family, his investors and their families, and on and on, all because his scheme and decisions were built on nothing. Today, let’s check our decisions and determination about whether or not we are doing the right thing by the peace that we will have if we do, or we don’t. And, then let’s call upon the promise of peace that we can’t even begin to understand. Bringing our decisions, big or small, to God in prayer and then following His direction can give us the assurance and peace that we are doing the right thing.

Lastly, I would also like to take a moment and wish and pray for each of you to have a peaceful and bountiful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Also, many of our tables around America tomorrow will be welcoming home those who are or who have served our country so that we may all live in peace and freedom. May we all give thanks and be grateful for what they have and are doing and giving for each of us. Happy Thanksgiving!

Reference: Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Testament)

day 777: Do The Right Thing - Part 9: Voiding

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

“In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, So that no one can speak a word of blame against you.”

There are lots of things that we can void in our places of business. We make a mistake or we lose it and we can void the check and start all over. We can always have an out in the fine print to void the contest or sweepstakes if something goes wrong. Warranties are harder to void but there are even safeguards there if someone tries to pull a fast one. Because of always the ability to void out things we have come to expect that there aren’t many guarantees that we can hold onto. Even in the employment of people to the company we are quick to remind them that they are employees –at-will and we must reserve the right to terminate them and void their employment commitment. But, having to void things is not good business practice. If we find ourselves using this as the excuse then something isn’t right within our business. For sure if our culture becomes one of complaining about one thing or another than causes people to go back on their commitments or even to argue over what is right to do or not, then we have lost our way somehow. We must also remember the first person/people to notice will be our customers or consumers. When we are the purchasers or users of a product or service and things aren’t all together right, we have a sixth sense whether or not things are okay with the company or something else is going on. Last February, Business Week, the magazine, started delivering the magazine on Saturday’s at my home in the same bag as my New York Times. I thought for a while it was a promotion of some sort, but no, it happened every week. I never got any notification as to why this was happening. It just did. It was all fine and dandy until we were gone on a Saturday and we would stop the paper and then never get that week’s Business Week. Not so smart me didn’t ever check on this and it wasn’t until the middle of the summer when we had stopped the Times at our home in California for our east coast season that I realized I was not getting my Business Week any longer. So, I finally got around to calling them and when I told them my story, they curtly told me that I should have read the notice in February (the one I either never got or threw away because how important can “An Important Notice” be when it is printed on the outside of the envelope with the plastic window?”) and that they would send me the last three copies of the magazine. When I told the agent I didn’t need the last three because we had been home then, she said then there was nothing she could for me and she said it in an argumentative way. She then went on to complain about the service and encouraged me to change that delivery option. She was voiding out the offer. Something, or lots of things are amiss at Business Week. So, it’s not easy to tell that all is not well.

We can’t just void our witness to others. If we just stop trying to bring glory to God in our work, as you purpose, and we fall in with the complaining and arguing around us, then we are not living up to the gift we have been given. Jesus gave to us the gift of love and peace and if we can, today, right now, recommit to living to how and what He wants for us, then whatever path we have been on will either be straightened back out, or made better for us. God doesn’t void His commitment to us. He remains steadfast and just wants us to do our best to be the example of what it is like to have the love and life that He can give to us. Today, let’s not be a part of the whining, or the complaining, or the arguing. Instead, let’s do the right thing and stay away from it and do our best to not have anyone else want to void out what they want believe is God’s way for them.

Reference: Philippians 2:15 (New Living Testament)

day 776: Do The Right Thing - Part 8: Stumbles

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

“...or do anything else if it will cause another Christian to stumble.”

It wouldn’t be called competition if it wasn’t about someone winning and someone losing. We each go to work, to our companies or organizations, to win at what we do. I always laughed at the Avis commercial that basically has given up on ever being number one in the market. I mean, if you say, “We’re number two so we try harder”, what would happen if they did become number one? I am sure they debated long and hard about the pros and cons of sending the message to the marketplace that they have found their way by being number two. I hope they did the same with their employees who might not want to be associated with being number two. There are those, regardless of the new attitude in sports (at least up to a certain age) that it’s more important to participate than win, where being second place is actually being the first loser. Before we look down on companies that are competitive let’s be sure we don’t forget to celebrate the companies that only because they wouldn’t accept being second, found their way into global market leadership. These are the companies that we count on for our economy, for jobs, and for the products and services that are better than everyone else. All this said, companies that become too competitive may find themselves making some mistakes because the blind ambition to win got in front of their integrity. GE’s mantra that their divisions would either be only number one or number two in the market or else they could expect to be cut or sold from GE had some bad outcomes in a number of areas of their business. These are the types of stumbles that no company needs or wants and be tempering and metering the competitive extremes, we can avoid those missteps.

As believers we must always also watch what we do and how we could cause someone else to stumble. As simple as it sounds, even in how we work with others can either build up or tear down those around us. The smallest word of either praise or criticism can make the difference to another’s attitude about their work, and about us. The higher standard that we must reach because we have the courage and faith to tell others what we believe must have us watching what we do and how it affects those around us. The fine line that we walk every day is a critical one for our personal testimony both spoken and viewed from afar. Purposed worKING comes with that scrutiny. If we can start first by considering what we might be doing or might do to cause other believers to stumble and get ourselves to the place of doing the right thing for them, then we will have likely not caused the non-believer to pause when they see what we do or who we work. This is the thing, the stakes are too high to not care enough about what we can do differently to be sure that no one around us stumbles further away from God.

Reference: Romans 14:21

day 775: Do The Right Thing - Part 7: Arm In Arm

2011-11-18T04:23:00.000-08:00

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

Much of business is about knowing who is a good partner. From the top to the bottom this is a real consideration that must be thought about carefully and continuously. If our businesses were so vertically integrated that we never needed any partners, how great would that be? But no business is that self-sufficient or able to do so. Raw materials have to come from somewhere and a partner must be sourced to ensure that the highest quality, regular supply and best price can be obtained. That's just one example. There are also partners for going to market, for strategic leverage, for advice and counsel, for spaces to work, etc. We have to lock arms with other people everyday and in the decision we have to be sure that the work we are doing and the partners we have all come together in a way that is right and good for the company. I have seen situations where companies have nearly been destroyed because they locked arms with the wrong partner and through no fault of their own, other than a bad selection decision, nearly lost their companies. Who we lock arms with is an important decision.

We would like to think that all we do and how we do it would be so pleasing to God that we could be locked arm and arm with Him and together He would feel good about where we went, what we did, who we were with, etc. When I was growing up my fire and brimstone southern baptist preacher used to ask, "If Jesus had you by the arm, would you be proud to introduce Him wherever you went?" That question would get me thinking about what I was doing, where I was going and with whom I was associating. If Jesus was locked arm in arm with us on one side, who are locked arm in arm on the other? Would He be happy and would you be proud to make the introductions? Who we associate with or who we just hang out with have an influence on us. If we are surrounding ourselves with people who are positive and who can help us grow, then we are so much better off than the opposite. At work we can't always choose who are arm and arm with in our jobs, but we have decisions that we can make about how we let others influence us and either make us better or tear us down. It's a part of thinking to consider about whether or not we are truly doing the right thing.

Reference: Colossians 3:17 (New Living Testament)

day 774: Do The Right Thing - Part 6: Appearances

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

"But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil."

Our companies have to be very cognizant and aware of appearances. While we think we understand what others might be thinking about us, we mat not truly because we don't either entirely know or have not controlled the message well enough. Companies hire public relations people and firms for just this reason. We have to be careful about how our companies are associated with someone else, with political groups, lobbyists, vendors, etc. In the start-up world there is this shift of the company that takes place right before the company is to go public. The shift happens at the senior management level and with the Board. Sometimes these new people are great for the company and their ability to manage in a public environment. Other times it is just about appearances to create confidence with the public shareholders. Appearances do matter and we have to cognizant and aware of what those appearances are.

Each and every day in our jobs we also have to manage our appearances. The decisions we make can also have a huge impact on others and what they think of us, our reputations and the example we are trying to live into. As we make these decisions and think about what the right thing to do is we can pull those decisions through the filter of what type of appearances will this create. This is especially important in that we must ensure that there would not be any appearance of us doing the wrong thing. Even what is in the news today about decisions people made years ago about who to tell, what to tell, and when to tell, has come back to haunt and brought down careers. We can question judgment but we also are affected by the appearance of the wrong doings that have now become irreparable reputation killers. The decisions we make today are unlikely this big, but even still, that decision on how to respond or how to act create appearances about how others think of us and for that we must be careful.

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (New Living Testament)

day 773: Do The Right Thing - Part 5: Focus

2011-11-16T06:01:00.000-08:00

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Every day in the workplace a set of choices are made and if those choices are being made about the right things and in the right way, then the matter of focus is being considered. In actuality there seldom is a shortage of things that can be done, or ideas that could be pursued. The harder part is choosing which things to not pursue or chase and having the courage and determination to say no. It's not easy and many a business, especially many start-ups that I have seen end up imploding under the weight of doing too much or reaching too far ahead of themselves. Having a strategic focus to hang onto that acts as a filter for decisions can make the exercise of saying no easier and more palatable. We may never know which opportunities we missed, but if we are focused we can know which opportunities we can achieve.

In our own lives, the same set of choices must be made. Fortunately, we have been given God's Word and His spirit to guide us. But, still we can lose focus and if not careful wake up one day finding many other priorities in our lives that we have put in front of our relationship with the Lord. And, those higher priorities can even be healthful and good things, but still they shouldn't be at the top. It comes down to how focused we can remain and how fixed we can have our hearts on Jesus. None of us are alone in this struggle and challenge. The question we should be asking today of ourselves, is really, at the core, where is our focus? If we can't say that it is on Him and that all else flows from there, then we need to rethink what we are doing. Today, let's think hard on this and let God speak to us about the areas where we put things above Him and how we can realign.

Reference: 1 John 2:15-16 (New Living Testament)

day 772: Do The Right Thing - Part 4: Body Scan

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Or don't you know that your body is the temple of of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? you do not belong to yourself..."

In the business world when we think of what we own, we consider the hard assets that we have on the balance sheet like buildings, equipment and hardware. We also can own intellectual property. We own cash assets too. But we don't own the people in our organizations. Or should I say, we don't own the body of our businesses. Although, we can too many times forget this and begin to act like we own the body, no one can own another adult in our country so in a certain term we can only borrow or rent the body of our companies. This begs the question of how we treat those things we own versus those we rent. Imagine how nice hotel and motel rooms would be if everyone treated them like they owned them? Not to be. The same can happen to us in our businesses. We can abuse our bodies and not think much about it because we look at them as assets that can be replaced with someone else. Companies that continue to think this way over time will ultimately never grow to what they could be. If the body is abused, it will stop growing and eventually die. We should be doing body scans in our companies, functions, departments and teams. No, not the type of body scan we get when we go through airport security, but instead scans to reveal our true body health and a sense of confidence that our people want to grow with us.

The Bible tells us that our physical bodies are not ours and that we are only "renting" them from God for a season. But my how we abuse this gift of God! We act like they are rented, until we get sick or the abuse catches up with us and then we are angry that God would allow us to falter. We have to take our bodies seriously as they are indeed the temple of God. Think about it. How does God's work get done on the earth? Yep, through you and me. If we are not at our best spiritually, intellectually, relationally, and physically, can we bring the full glory of God to those around us? Of course we can't spend all of your time and thoughts on keeping our bodies in tip-top shape. If we do that, we run the risk that we will even put our physical nature and appearance as a priority above our relationship with Christ. But, that said, we are challenged and told to respect our bodies and yes, to be sure that we are always scanning to make sure that we are respecting His temple.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 6:19 (New Living Testament)

day 771: Do The Right Thing: - Part 3: Get In The Way?

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Ideally, no business would ever feel like it was being hindered by anything. But, it would be naive to think that could happen. There are laws and regulations that must be followed. There are lots of discussions today about regulations that might well hinder businesses. Each industry has its own set of regulations that they have to manage against. It's not easy to abide by those that we don't think are value-added or that we feel like might make us uncompetitive to other companies in other parts of the world. Those of us who have been fortunate to have done business and travel in other parts of the world know that there is a certain standard that must be met to ensure safety, environmental protection and respect of human rights. What is far more troubling than when companies have to comply to a set of rules, is when a company ignores its own standards, or does something that may seem advantageous in the short-run but hinders the company or organization for the long-run. We are seeing that in today's news. Organizations that held information to themselves to make the short-term okay, but in the long-run gets in the way of an impeccable reputation.

In our own work-lives we must manage the same. We have to be cognizant of our own reputations and how what we do, how we act, what we say, all contribute to our reputation. When we consider if we are doing the right thing, we as believers, have to think much beyond someone who doesn't profess a faith that governs their lives. We have to consider what will hinder or get in the way of us living and working for the glory of God. As we start this week, let's be attuned to what our actions and words can imply to others and ask ourselves, are we truly doing the right thing?

Reference: Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Testament)

day 770: Do The Right Thing - Part 2: No Shame

2011-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

"And now dear children, continue to live in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame."

As we grow our businesses we decide what we do, how we do it, and who will be doing it, all with the litmus test of how proud we will be with the outcome. Each business has their own line that they decide to cross or not cross. There are certainly a large number of businesses that most would consider "seedy", but for those organizations they have decided that they are doing something that they are proud. For others, if they were working in those businesses, they wouldn't be proud, they instead would be ashamed to tell someone else that this is what they were doing for a living. Each business, the people who run that business and the people within the business, all have to know the line between being proud and being ashamed. This line can also be over areas like quality of the product, level of service, or even pricing or terms of service. What is important is that we know the line between proud and shame and then we also know what the definition of "doing the right thing" is to influence that line.

As we go to work today, we will be challenged in some way to decide what is our line between being proud of our work or would we be ashamed if our work was exposed or evaluated? This line goes from the big to the small. If we need to be someplace today, at a certain time, with a certain level of preparation, are we doing all the right things to live up to the expectations of our boss and others? I know it can feel like we are being challenged to live up to a higher set of standards. Let's face it, that is true and we have to live up to the standard that God has put before us. For us to bring glory to God in our work, then we need to be sure that we are doing all that we can to do the right thing snd to never bring shame to Him! Let's think hard on this today!

Reference: 1 John 2:28 (New Living Testament)

day 769: Do The Right Thing - Part 1: Transparency

2011-11-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

"...Stand on the side of good."

We are in an age where doing the right thing is more important than ever. Transparency has opened up an opportunity for anyone to reveal anything, about anybody, at anytime. Since none of us are perfect, we can all expect that someone might dredge up something we did in our past that could be hurtful, or at a minimum, embarrassing. In the business world, this becomes even more important. Decisions made today are even more important than ever that they are made with doing the right thing as part of the decision making process. Again, a miss, or a shaded truth, or a cut corner, or not touching every base, can come back to haunt. In this day and age, overdo it. If our gut tells us that we need to inform someone else about a decision about to be made because we don't think we have enough eyes and minds on the decision, then don't hesitate to bring in others. Transparency goes both ways. If we shine enough light on a decision and we make that decision in the open, then when transparency comes back to question the decision, then there won't be any problem.

Let's be honest with ourselves too. It's not only about our business decisions, it's also about our personal decisions and choices. What we do today, or did yesterday, sticks with us and can become a part of our ongoing reputation. We know that God forgives us and can allow for us to put things behind us, but people are not as forgiving. As we move through this life, day to day, let's take seriously our responsibility to do the right thing. Others are watching. God is watching. All around us is transparent, so let's be sure that what can be seen, is as much on the side of good as we can be.

Reference: Romans 12:9 (New Living Testament)

day 768: Corporate Privileges

2011-11-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

"But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble."

By nature of how a business runs, there will be someone at the top of the corporate pyramid who gets to lead, make decisions, and do more of what they want to do than anyone else. It's called power and it comes with the highest rungs of corporate leadership. But, we know that power can cause some bad things to happen. People who get into a place of power begin to feel as though they have privileges. Back in the day, it started with a key to the corporate washroom. Today, it is corporate jets, special compensation plans, expense accounts, and more than anything else, a freedom that others don't enjoy. It may sound like I am getting ready to slam those at the top and that the 1% must come down. Not at all. Those at the top, have in most cases, earned every bit of it. They were good, maybe they were lucky, but for sure, they worked hard for where they are and they made some significant sacrifices along they way. But, once at the top, the responsibility of what they have been given and what is required is huge and each of us, in any leadership or supervision position, must be cognizant that we don't lose perspective. We must remember where we have come from, that we don't take our position for granted, and that we monitor our actions so that others don't fall into a shadow of our leadership that is bad for them.

None of us are above it all. God's expectations of us should be enough to keep us in line, but because we are given the ultimate freedom, the freedom of choice, we can forget that what we are doing and how we work and live can be so influential on others. The world is full of followers and not nearly enough leaders. Followers are impressionable and they evolve, or devolve, into the norm. There is no better societal example of that than fashion. It only takes a walk down the street of any city to see where the fashion is trending. One group of kids who are all wearing the same outfit and you can see how the following occurs. Any of us, regardless of what we do or who we are, have an impression that we make on others each day. We must be cognizant of that impression and ensure that the freedoms that we have and exercise don't cause others to stumble or fall. Where we are strong, others are weak. Let's start by thinking of others first, recognizing their weaknesses and then ensuring that we are not allowing ourselves to cause confusion or or stumbling.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 8:9 (New Living Testament)

day 767: A Business

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."

We think we know what it means to call something a business. A business is an entity that comes together to create, or sell, or service for the sake of making money. And with a business comes lots of dynamics to manage. And of course a business has to have at least one person involved. There can't be a business that doesn't have people attached to it. Even those who try their hardest to do it with the least number of people, must have a person. But, there is a another collection of entities that can make up a business. Two years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Africa and learn a little bit about the animals of the continent. One of the animals that we saw while on safari was the mongoose. A mongoose is defined as: "a slender, ferret like carnivore, Herpestes edwardsi, of India, that feeds on rodents, birds, and eggs, noted especially for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes." And guess what they call a collection of mongoose? Yes, they are called a "business" too. So, as we go to work and we consider the business we are in, we might want to think about why it is so important for our business to not take on the characteristics of the collection of mongoose. Businesses can take on ugly characteristics and we have to manage both collectively and individually to control our cultures and make our businesses as positive as we can.

As believers we can't allow ourselves to fall into the trap of being like all others. The "business" pull us to a place that if we don't manage carefully and actively, we can end up becoming someone that we might not recognize when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Each day is a day of choices that we must make in our actions and behaviors. This week, today, let's not be mistaken for being a part of the culture that would look more like a business of mongoose. But instead, let's follow what Paul asks us to do and conduct ourselves in a manner that holds up to what Christ calls us to be. We are daily walking, speaking and living examples of whatever role model we choose to be. Call upon God to help you know the difference and to be the person that you can be for Him. Check in on yourself today.

Reference: Philippians 1:27

day 766: Harvesting

2011-11-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

"And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up."

I advise and invest in start-ups. I am used to speed-to-market as a principle of operating, and tomorrow not being discussed as much as today, and what we need to get done, right now. Recently, one of the companies I invested in went through a funding raise and it was not an easy one. Not because it isn't a great group of people with a really great business idea, but because of lots of the usual factors that can get in the way of getting a round completed quickly. While in the scheme of things, it didn't take that long, it felt like forever. Daily, sometimes hourly, we would move along the paperwork, and then sit and wait and sit and wait. This went on and on, until there were days that the CEO was ready to give up. This year I planted a garden for the first time in years. In June I put out three tomato plants and then we went away for the summer. When we came back, the tomato plants were huge and we had hundreds of delicious tomatoes. In September I put out some lettuce, broccoli, swiss chard and onions. Every day I go out to see how they are growing. They seem to grow so slowly I wonder if I will ever get anything from them. If you have read this far, you are probably wondering, what is this guy trying to say? In all things, business, gardening, life, there is a season of harvest that doesn't come overnight. Oh sure, every once in a lifetime there is the overnight success, but how many of those last through the test of time? Businesses that get it right, stick with it and then don't get tired or discouraged until they reach their harvest time, will tend to live on longer.

The same can be said in this daily walk that we make with Christ as His followers. There are harvest times and we see them here on earth, and then there is the super harvest that we will all experience eternally that we can get glimpses of as we continue faithfully on our walk. If we stay committed, there is a harvest of blessing that is coming. It's the time of year when the leaves fall from the tree and winter starts to blow in days of what is to come. At the same time the leaves are falling, a farmer is harvesting the fields. It may well be that it feels like the harvest will never come or that more leaves are falling than should be. Work, the job, the company, any of them may not be exactly what you want them to be right now and it's getting discouraging. Let's today, on this Fall Friday in harvest season, recommit to worKING into the harvest, not giving up, and staying committed! God has a blessing for us and a harvest that He wants us to reap. Let's together enthusiastically push forward to that day!

Reference: Galatians 6:9

day 765: Standing up

2011-11-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

"Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses."

Standing up for what we believe, who we are, what our values and principles are, and being able to express confidently to others our core and our essence is just as important to a company as it is to a person. This week I am presenting at a conference where part of the challenge that companies face is how to deal with transparency and their branding, in particular, their employment branding. In today's world, it is impossible to say who you are and not be that, unless you want to spend a lot of time defending the contradiction. It is much better to truly know who you are, be that, and then operate daily that way, and then use examples and stories to reinforce the message. Too many companies are still trying to say what they want to become, while at the same time being something else and that is causing them problems. To secure the best talent, we need to have an employment brand that is truthful, clear and can stand up to the scrutiny of transparency.

God's Word tells us to fight the good fight for the true faith. Paul calls it a fight because he knows that it is a real fight and struggle that we have to have with ourselves (our nature) and with the forces that want us to fail and turn from our faith. Sometimes, those forces can be so strong, and all around us, that it is only with the support of God and the Holy Spirit that we can stand firm. In the news now is lots of discussions about "he said" vs. "she said". It is times like this that even the slightest word of untruth can ruin a reputation. You and I are faced with these kinds of challenges each and every day. It's easy at work to cut the corner, degrade another, shade the truth, etc. But, we must remember that when we are standing up, that all the messages and actions must match, as best we can. Let's today pray and ask for His support to allow us to stand up for Him with our best foot forward for others to see.

Reference: 1 Timothy 6:12 (New Living Testament)

day 764: Moving Sidewalks, Part 2

2011-11-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

"Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize they both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life."

Two years ago I wrote the post below. Last night as I was coming into Chicago and walking on the moving sidewalks in Ohare, I was reminded of this and I thought it worth sharing again today. We are all faced with loss and the reality of the short-lived time that we have here. Let us make the most of the sidewalks that we walk on today.

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Anyone who travels as a part of their job is consciously or subliminally aware of this statement: "Caution, the moving walkway is about to end...look down the moving walkway is about to end". Yesterday as I traveled from SFO to Denver to Indianapolis, I heard that statement at least ten times. This past summer after the death of my father-in-law I began to hear those words with a different meaning. As he was like all of us, a worker, his moving walkway ended sooner than he desired. In is mind, there was still work to be completed, to be finished the way he saw it to be done. He was not ready to end his work. But, as we know, when the moving walkway ends for each of us is not in our hands. I have also seen over the last year many people who have had their work end prematurely and like that stutter step and strange feeling you have after walking briskly on the moving walkway and then coming to the end and getting the feeling that you have lost a step, so felt those who had their jobs taken from them with recessionary cutbacks. Caution, the moving walkway is about to come to an end. We just don't know when and are we prepared for these changes when they happen to us or those around us? On my flight segment from San Francisco to Denver I sat next to a man who appeared to be in early 60's. Halfway through the flight he pulled out a folder and the first page was a set of handwritten notes with the heading; "Questions for the doctor". As I glanced at the page I could see that these were questions that he or someone else had written so he would be sure and ask each of them to the doctor. They covered pre and post surgery routines, medication reactions, etc. Written was also, "Percentage chance of success with or without the surgery?". As I saw through the rest of the flight he had pulled off a lot of information on the internet and while I could not figure out what the condition was, from the pictures of people with scars on the back of their head down into their spine it had something to do with a spine or brain problem. I felt for the man as he was, right next to me, staring at his moving walkway and by necessity, having to look down and take caution.

Today we are going to go to work and most of us will not think twice about the moving walkway coming to an end. We will jump on it with all of the energy we can muster and walk and run as fast as we can for the next eight to twelve hours without so much as looking up or around. We will miss all the people who are walking slower than us blowing past them with an occasional, "how you doin'?". What we forget is to live and work in the moment and listen to the words in Ecclesiastes 7:14: "Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize they both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life." If you are traveling today, or the next time you are traveling, listen for the automated words from the moving walkway and take that opportunity to stop for a moment and thank God for the blessings, the challenges, and the moment that you have now. Ask Him to make you a better example to others and to help you realize your full potential and purpose that He has put you here. And then recognize that your own moving walkway will one day end and that today is the day to make the most of what you have been given.

Reference: Ecclesiastes 7:14 (New Living Testament)

day 763: Committed For The Long-Haul

2011-11-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you."

The other day a colleague and I were debating a company's strategic direction and came to the conclusion that regardless if they were right or they were wrong, they were to be commended because they are committed and sticking to it and only time would tell whether they are correct in their assumptions or not. A month or so ago I mentioned Netflix as an example of a company who was so committed to moving into the future that they were burning the ships behind them with the spinning off of their DVD shipping business so they could focus on their streaming segment. It was a gutsy move and I applauded them for it because no matter how flexible and how long your legs are, you can't do a deep enough split to keep one foot in the past and another far enough in the future. Something has to give and it should be the foot that moves out of the past and into the future. Netflix was doing that, and then they changed their mind. They were not committed to their strategy for the long-haul. They vacillated and now they are stuck. I was surprised because it is a company built on strong convictions and some unshakable points of view. If we are going to be committed, we need to be really committed. Once we go, we need to keep going. Like an airplane, we lift off, we adjust the engines for less thrust, and then we level off, but an airplane knows no reverse and if the engines stall, bad things happen. Once we decide to go, we must go and stick with it.

As individuals it is hard to stick with things. Too many distractions are out there and we can find ourselves casting about and not following through. We must also be committed for the long-haul in our spiritual lives and committed enough that there is no going back. We can be that example to others in our work lives and that example can be the glimpse of what it is like to follow Christ. He never looked back. He was committed beyond any commitment that we will ever know. He left the earth for us, but He did not leave us. We know that we can give all of our worries, our doubts, our fears, or anything that gets in the way of us following through for Him, and He will take care of us to get us through. Undoubtedly, we all have one, or many of those cares upon us today. Let's start this work day with giving them up to Him and asking Him to carry us through the long-haul, with no going back.

Reference: 1 Peter 5:7 (New Living Testament)

day 762: Purity

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

"But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy."

There was a time that when we heard or read about the product that was "99 44/100% Pure", that we would have immediately known that it was Ivory Soap. Since I am not a business historian, I can't say whether or not the claim was accurate, but it worked. Today, it's harder because of regulatory standards to make claims unless they are fully substantiated. Yet still the claim of purity remains one of the best ways to convince and influence a consumer. What is there not to like about purity? When we hear that something is pure we also seem to want to extend the purity and goodness to the company and the intentions of those who are making and selling the product. We like the idea that someone cares about making something that is pure. We want to believe that these people behind the products are also pure of heart. But, we must be careful about our claims because there may not be any other statement that will attract greater scrutiny. Just as we want to believe that something can be truly pure, there are also others who want to be the ones that prove the claim to be false.

We are to be as pure and as holy as we can be. We are told that many times in God's Word. But, we can't be pure or holy unless we are doing so to be in the likeness of Christ. If we are only striving to be pure, as in good, then we may be doing well, but we are not centered where God wants us to be. What we are told to do is to be holy as God is holy. As we work it is certainly not easy to be holy or to be pure. We are faced all day long with those areas and things in our jobs that do their best to pull us away from Him. It may not be that we are doing anything that is obviously wrong, dishonest, or not becoming. But, underneath it all work can make us take it all on our own, depend upon only ourselves, and forget who it is that we are to depend, rely and call upon. When we are trying to go it alone, without God as our center and director, then we cannot be holy and pure as he wants us to be. As we start this week let's consider how pure our intentions are and how hard we are worKING to be holy in His eyes?

Reference: 1 Peter 1:15 (New Living Testament)

day 761: Battle Vs. War (Redux)

2011-10-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

"Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing"

We all fight battles at work, each and every day. Sometimes they are small battles, and sometimes large. Overall, we also have our wars that must be fought and won. Hopefully, the wars are those that are against the competition or external forces that are hard to overcome and take our full focus and attention to win. It's when the wars creep into the internal aspects of our businesses that our time becomes unproductive. It is also when we start to get so overwhelmed or engrossed in one thing that we begin to lose perspective and the the battles and the wars become blurred. It is hard to keep them separate because we are passionate about our work and we have our goals and objectives to which we must take stands and have strong points of view. But, it is so important that we don't lose the war because we lose ourselves in the heat of the battle.

I was recently in a conversation where two people were deep into a heated battle over a contentious subject and in the midst of the argument, one person, made the conversation personal and attacked the other person's character. You could see the conversation deteriorating quickly. The person who made the slip of the tongue, lost perspective. The battle was sacrificed to the loss of the war as the person offended now stood on the higher ground, regardless of the merits of the original battle. Proverbs 12:18 speaks to this; "Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing". The war to be won is our character and the life that God wants us to live that others can see. The battles of the day, while important at the time, are insignificant in the overall life we are to live and how we handle ourselves. Today, you will be invariably thrust into battle. As you stand and speak, remember the overall war that is to be won.

Reference: Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Testament)

day 760: Testing

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Businesses must constantly be testing to be sure that they are doing the right things. They are testing their products for quality, consistency, and safety. They are testing their service with mystery customers to ensure that they are delivering the highest service levels. They are testing their financial processes and procedures to be sure they can conform to the laws of Sarbanes-Oxley. They are testing their marketing and advertising with focus groups. They are testing their strategic plan to ensure that it holds up in the face of ever-changing economic conditions and pressures. They are testing their people for performance, productivity and results. They are constantly testing to ensure that they are focused on the right inititaitives and the right deliverables to grow the business. Testing is part and parcel of work and we get used to it. It sharpens us and it can make us better. Testing can also strengthen us so that we are ready for future problems. So, testing is a good thing for business.

But, when we are tested in our own lives, we just don’t like it. Those things that cause us to question and then have to change, we don’t like. Those tests that slow us down or make us change our ways of working or living can even make us angry. This past week, I was tested. This will end a week where I have attended three funerals/memorial services of friends and had I been able to find a way to travel, there would have been a fourth. I happened to be on the road anyway when this all started and as the events each occurred schedules changed, flights were rearranged, deadlines were missed and a physical and emotional toll was taken. Patti and I counted last night that we had stayed in six different places in the past 10 days, and as I never sleep well the first night in a new place, there were only a couple of nights of good sleep. As our flight home was stuck in Chicago last night and we ended up another night away from home, we wondered what was being tested in us. Was it patience? Was it the turning over of situations that are out of our control? Was it the reassessment of how we are spending our own precious time and the reminder that our lives on this earth are short? Was it that we are to be there for other people first, and ourselves second? Likely, because I can ask these questions, it is all of the above that are testing me/us. These are the times that we must call on God’s promises and what He gives us when we patiently endure our testing. I know I am not alone and that there are many who are going through far worse tests today. God’s promises stand for each and every one of us, no matter what the test or its difficulty.

Reference: James 1:12 (New Living Testament)

day 759: Paying Dividends

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

“How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out
of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things”

There is lots of talk on Wall Street right now about paying of dividends. Companies that had suspended their dividend payments during the Great Recession are now being questioned as to when they will restore those payments, if ever? Companies that currently pay dividends and are recording record profits are being challenged to raise their dividends. Those who never paid a dividend, but are sitting on a tremendous amount of cash that they aren’t using for acquisitions or R&D are being challenged to give back that capital to the shareholders. It’s that time of the year when money managers are trying to see what their annual returns will be and dividends can be an important piece in that puzzle. Whether or not a company pays a dividend is not really as much about their financial condition as it is their belief system and how they consider and treat their shareholders. If there is a high consideration on their shareholders and the contributions that they make, then the dividend payments just become part of what they do and plan. Down deep in their corporate psyche do they believe they should pay, or not?

The dividends that are paid and expressed from our beliefs are those that we also choose to act upon or not. While we may put on a good show for a bit, when we are faced with troubles and challenges we will default to our core beliefs and actions and if they are not right, then what come from us will not be productive or in the example of Christ. Jesus says it to us in Matthew bluntly. From good, comes good. From evil, comes evil. It’s that simple. It’s that complicated. It’s that hard to stay to strong in our core beliefs so that we don’t drift and cause a problem. Think about what dividends you are paying out from the life that you live. How you speak, how you work, how you conduct your business can all be indicators and strong examples to others. We are held to high standards and we have to constantly monitor those dividends come from us.

Reference: Matthew 12:34-35

day 758: 99% and 1%

2011-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

"People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling."

Yesterday I wrote of seeing first-hand what Occupy Wall Street looked like. While there I could see many posters and signs that referenced that this group was the 99% and it was the 1% that they were protesting against and the gap of society that is felt between that 99% and the 1%. It made me reflect that what this group is protesting isn't as simple or as obvious as the gap that is created because of socioeconomic reasons, but just as much, if not more, the gap that can be felt between the "haves" and the "have-nots" and the disparate treatment that can be seen between those groups. Anyone who has ever worked knows this gap inside of business. There is always a group of people who are more senior who are able to work by their own rules. In business we use that gap as a motivational tool to get people to aspire and want to someday get to that level where they get the extras. I am reflecting on whether or not that remains a good practice or not. Of course, there is nothing wrong with looking up and seeing the rewards and the recognition that can come from hard work and achievement. It is the different rules part that has me thinking. Something as simple as the boss not having to abide by the vacation policy that she/he created but others in the company having to count and ration their vacation days, can set a wrong tone and enhance the "percentage" gap.

Sometimes, as a believer I feel caught in between. I know that part of what God desires for us is to be able to utilize and call upon our talents and resources and for that to be brought to bear against our work and what we are put into the world to do day-in and day-out. He does not want us to just sit back and not give it our all. But, I also know, from all that I read in God's Word that we are to be those who lead others in compassion and the assistance of those who can't or don't have, by no fault of their own. This is where we can span the gap and be one's who others look to as playing by one set of rules and being the opposite of what Job spoke about in his response to Zophar. Ours is to never mock, never to cause others to stumble, instead to lift up and not push down. It is heavy stuff and many times hard to reconcile what to do, but here is the point, if we listen carefully to what God would have us do, we can know. It's that voice inside while we pray, it's the words from the Bible that make the greatest impact and impression, it's the opportunities that allow us to share what we believe, it's the wise words from the strong believer who we speak. Inside of all of that is what God desires us to do and the part He wants us to play to be not a "percentage", but a probability and promise for His Kingdom.

Reference: Job 12:5 (New Living Testament)

day 757: Occupying

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

"People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling."

Across the country, someplace today is being "occupied". We happened to be in NYC this past weekend for a Memorial Service of our friend's son and decided that while we were there to go see what was up with the Occupy Wall Street movement and live-in. It was not what I expected (smaller and less organized) and I really couldn't tell what will be the outcome, if any, from the protesters. What is evident and worth noting is that people are angry, and since they can't pinpoint who to be angry with, they are lashing out at an institution and socioeconomic classes that are not their own. They are doing what we all do when we get angry, we first blame someone else. This is what we do in business too often, we wait to see who is in trouble and then we get on that band wagon. We "occupy" until we get our way, or until someone listens. The problem with this is that it doesn't always solve the problem, in fact it may just cause another problem. It's hard work to not just go after the obvious target, but instead to search for the root problem and go solve that. That's what we need to be doing.

In our lives, and our work, where we are to be examples, we have to be careful that we don't become occupiers too. It is human nature to jump in and mock others and to give a nudge to those who are already stumbling. But, we are to be the opposite. We are to defend those who are in trouble and we are to lift up, take home, care for, and provide the help for those who have fallen to get on their way. We are living in a wacky time, but imagine a world, and a workplace, where we don't allow the troubled and the downtrodden to be walked over or kept down, instead imagine a place where we stood over them and did all we could to be sure that they found their way upward and onward. We may not be able to immediately solve what is happening in the "occupying" world, but we can manage and solve the problems that we have control over and see each and every day at work. Today, let's not take the easy way out, but instead give a hand to someone who is stumbling.

Reference: Job 12:5 (New Living Testament)

day 756: One Thing Leads To Another - Redux

2011-10-21T04:41:00.000-07:00

"...and endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation."

The band "The Fixx" had a popular song in the 80's called, "One Thing Leads to Another". (Once this gets into your head, it is going to hang around awhile, sorry.) Whenever I hear this song's refrain I think of how true it is in our work that one thing leads to another, over and over and over. What starts out as something small can turn into something big in a matter of hours or even moments. Many times these chains of events are created by misspoken words or errant actions. So, in actuality, what we do all day at our jobs is launch out actions like boats launching out to sea, and we wait to see what the reactions and what down the chain of event things will be the outcomes. Of course, there are also some very positive things that also happen from the actions taken today that we may not know for years to come. The point is that one thing leads to another and we have to be cognizant of that if we want to be our best.

I am reminded of this each time I am faced with a problem that God set them up for us so that we could also have our own chain of events that we experience. In Romans 5:3-5 Paul tells us that from problem comes a learning about endurance. From these problems and trials comes endurance. From endurance comes strength. From strength comes character. From character comes confidence. And that confidence is the confidence in an expectation of something wonderful, the expectation of our salvation. And, Paul goes on to say, "And this expectation will not disappoint us." Yes, one thing does lead to another, and in God's will, each and every thing we face leads us back to the expectation of our salvation. This promise makes me say on this morning, "bring it on!" because I want to be reminded and always rejoicing in the problems that can turn to the confident expectation of my salvation. Today, may you feel the same!

Reference: Romans 3:3-5 (New Living Testament)

day 755: Resting Our Case

2011-10-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

"Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you."

When we have a problem in the office we do the best we can to solve it on our own and then when it either it seems unsolvable, or it appears that it might blow up into something bigger we try and find a place to park the problem that keeps us out of trouble. We try and rest our case somewhere else, if we can. More often than not that can be an upward delegation of the problem and the case ends up resting firmly on the desk of our boss. That might feel right for the moment, but in the long run, upward delegation gets us nowhere other than in the same job we are in today for a long time to come. If we desire upward progression then we need to be able to show to others that we don't have to move the case off of our desk, but instead can solve the problems ourselves, just as the boss would have done. It's easy to rest our cases with someone else. It is hard to close the case ourselves. Consider which course you want to take and the long-term ramifications before you take it.

As we consider this, remember that we bring forth those challenges with a greater strength and power with us. How easy it is, each day, to forget that we are told to cast our cares on Him and He will provide. I find myself, still, in the morning thinking about all I have to do and wondering how I will get it all done. What a reminder of how simple and weak my faith can be. The right thought is that with His strength, direction and power all kinds of things will get done today, and likely some things that I never imagined would. We are not to worry about this day and what is before us. We are to cast those cares to Him. We are to allow God to be in our cases and for us to find the rest with Him! May it be so today for you!

Reference: 1 Peter 5:7

day 754: Alliances

2011-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”

Alliances were always a part of our vocabulary, but never as much so as the last decade and the show Survivor that provided us first-hand experiences of how an alliance could make or break a group of people who were playing the Survivor game. We see the same thing in business, but usually they are called industry consortiums, industry groups, or lobbying groups. Companies come together to form an alliance and then try and use their leverage of size or influence to get what they want. In Washington, DC and in every state capital city in America there is a whole industry that has been built up for lobbying. Rules, regulations, taxes, competitiveness can all be won or lost with these alliances. In Detroit, many years ago, the big three car manufacturers became an alliance when they started pattern bargaining with the UAW. To be in an alliance it means surrounding yourself with the best other people or companies and then trusting that the good of the whole will outweigh the good of one. It’s not easy to do and there is always (like the TV show) someone who wants to break the alliance and go it alone or shift allegiances. Regardless of how it works, alliances are important and we would do well to keep our eyes open for those where cooperating would make us stronger and better.

We can also take up our own alliances by following the wisdom of Solomon and look to surround ourselves associate with those who are wiser than we are. Solomon also shows us the flipside of what can happen if we decide to not pursue those who are wise. Our own alliances can be so beneficial or so detrimental to our lives that we need to choose carefully and be sure that we are doing our diligence and then being very deliberate about who we associate. At the time it seems easy to connect and fall into the company of new friends. This can be good and it can be bad. As a constant balance in our lives, let’s be sure that we have a set of fellow believers who are also very connected and instrumental in our lives. It is with these “wise” associations that we can ensure that we stay out of trouble and actually become wiser ourselves. Do you have a small group or a set of friends at work who you can count on for your steady and faithful alliance?

Reference: Proverbs 13:20 (New Living Testament)

day 753: Beyond A Request

2011-10-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”

When we get a "request" at the office, it isn't usually just a request as much as it is a veiled directive. "I'd like to ask you to join me", isn't really an "ask" in a way that leave a way out, it's more of a direction that is being given with a hint of politeness. "Would you be willing…..?" is also the same. "Of course, I am willing" is the answer that is expected, not, "Uhm, I don't think I am willing." I'm not trying to make work out to be a place that isn't full of choices and opportunities to express our feelings and out wishes, but for the most part work is not a place of democracy. It is more a dictatorship, with the hope that the dictator has some benevolence. This can easily be masked in consensus and collaboration if the leader has those skills, but at the end of the day, someone has to make the final decision and it's usually the most senior person in the room. So, when we are "requested" to step up, take on, do more, then we should consider that the request has already been well vetted and by the time it comes to us we need to think really hard about any other answer other than "yes".

There are many ways to look at how God calls each of us. Yes, He is always there for our acceptance and He never backs away from us, but we can also take His words and hear in them that He does not want His requests to be ignored. What I find so great about God is that He is always requesting us, for our good, not His. What more does He need? He is challenging us to grow and come closer to Him because He wants the best from us. No better verse says this to me than Matthew 11:28, when He says, "Come to me". He didn't choose to say, "If you need, come to me", or "If you'd like, come to me". He said, "Come"! God's Word to us is beyond a request and if we are being faithful to Him we will recognize this and follow His commands. What are you hearing from Him today? Is there something that He is saying about how you should be working or treating those around you at work differently? Listen for the request today and then take the action that we know He wants us to take.

Reference: Matthew 11:28

day 752: Open Floor Plans

2011-10-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

"A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue."

We work in the age of transparency and that transparency even shows up in how we work today. Last week I was in the offices of a fast growing and very hot start-up and I wasn't surprised to see the open floor plan and everyone sitting out in the open doing their work. The co-founders/CEOs were right there at the big table, one on the phone and the other with his chair swiveled around talking to someone else who had pulled around their chair for a quick conversation. The generation that is here is way less concerned about having an office, or even a cubicle. They prefer it all to be in the open and for that level of transparency to exist. It does force a change in communication and how we treat each other. It's good as it isn't just about what we want to do, but instead how we do what we need to do in the presence of others who also share the space. This should lead to greater lines of open communication and even better, higher trust levels and stronger relationships. Just by being with someone all day long, we get to know them better and therefore appreciate more who they are. Leaders and CEOs have never had a better chance to be in tough with their teams than today.

Solomon gives us good advice on how to also treat our work neighbors. If we deride or criticize our work neighbors all day long we just guess what we can expect back. Solomon says it takes judgment to not do so. And it takes understanding to hold our tongues. Today as we start this work week, look around at who we co-exist with in our open floor plans of today. They are our neighbors and they deserve us to be the best we can be with them. We forget that they come to work, like us, with their own set of issues and problems and like us, are many times just trying to make it through the day. What can we do to help them today? How can we conduct ourselves so that we have been good neighbors to them? It's worth watching and acting accordingly today.

Reference: Proverbs 11:12

day 751: Fire In The Belly

2011-10-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops."

It's common to hear the coaching from a business leader that he/she is looking for more "fire in the belly". Fire in the belly is a term used for motivation, initiative, self-starting, passion that doesn't allow for giving up, etc. Businesses who have fire in the belly in their leaders tend to also have that spirit carry throughout their organization and find themselves moving faster with greater intensity than others. When organizations who have this and then lose it, it can feel like the company has come to a screeching halt. There are many examples that we can all think of where a company that once seemed on top of the world, seems to lose their "mojo". If we could get inside of these companies and do research we would likely find that there was a loss somewhere of a leader who who lost the fire in the belly and therefore things changed or slowed down. So, when someone is asking about how much fire in the belly the company, or a person has, it is a good question and one to consider the answer.

Now, with each us, we need to be sure that we have the right kind of fire in the belly for us to be effective in bringing glory to God in our work. I know many people who have plenty of fire, it's just the wrong kind of fire. The things that can fuel us in the workplace can be all of the wrong kinds of fuel. We can get really fired up over being competitive, or being vindictive, or just selfish in watching out for our own personal gains and status. These are the wrong kinds of fuels that should be removed. Solomon tells us that we need to watch out for gossip and quarrels as part of our fuel. As we all need to have a fire in our belly, let's be sure that we know what that fuel is and how it makes us burn. If we are being driven by the wrong reasons, that fire needs to be managed so it doesn't start to burn out of control.

Reference: Proverbs 26:20 (New Living Testament)

day 750: Golden Parachutes (repost)

2011-10-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Those in in frequent contact with things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for the world and all its contents will pass away."

There has been a lot of talk again about the golden parachutes that senior executives continue to receive. The term golden parachute describes the generous severance benefits that are created for executives when they lose their jobs. It is supposed to give them a gentle landing into their next job, etc. Unfortunately, the size of these parachutes have gone from a gentle landing to allowing them to stay in the air for as long as they want with no touchdown in sight. As we see these doled out, it is no wonder that people within a company begin to mistrust or question whether or not the senior people and a Board are taking care of themselves over others. We also are seeing more and more people wanting to negotiate, upon their hiring, some type of severance package. This comes from the fears over the last few years of losing a job not because of personal performance but because of circumstances outside of our control. There is nothing wrong with having a separation package already worked out, but it is the underlying needs and motivation that most matter.

If we are counting on the things of the world to be there for us throughout our entire life, then we are counting on the wrong things. Whether it be our home, our finances, our relationships or our health, all the things of this world are the wrong places to be putting our faith. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 7:31; "Those in in frequent contact with things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for the world and all its contents will pass away." The question is not if they will pass away, the question is when. If we are working and living counting on our golden parachute to be there when we decide to pull the rip cord, then we may find ourselves sorely disappointed. God doesn't want to give us a parachute for a soft landing, He wants to give us wings to soar through our life. If we look to Him for our future then we will never have to worry about being let down. Let's think about this today as we start this work week and ensure that we have put our future in the right hands.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 7:31 (New Living Testament)

day 749: Victimization

2011-10-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

I'm not sure how it happens, but it's easy to fall into the role of the "victim" and then start posturing and acting that way. I see it a lot in businesses where things happen that are "out of their control" and instead of moving past those things with a plan that takes them forward, they get stuck where they are and become the victim. Once in that place it is hard to find the way back. If in a leadership role we are acting like victims then we can be very sure that the same is happening all through our companies. Once it becomes okay to blame the unknown or the faceless and nameless, then it becomes accepted to do the same with "they". "They wouldn't let me", or "They aren't supporting us", or "They are the problem" are all victim statements. It's worth stepping back for a moment and ensuring that there isn't a thread of victimization that is running amok in your business.

We are not called to be victims in this life that we have been given. We are told that ours is not to be a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-discipline. We cannot portray those characteristics and traits in our lives if we are living as a victim. Sure, there are many things, all day long, that happen to us that are far from being in our control, but we have the promise of God with us and a gift of faith. There is no reason for us to ever feel the victim if we are trusting and believing that God has us in His hands. Is there are a part of us today who are playing the victim over something at work? Have we found ourselves sitting back and saying, "That's their problem, not mine"? Let's check ourselves today and be sure that we are not playing the victim and that we are working and living in the spirit that God desires for us.

Reference: 2 Timothy 1:7 (New Living Testament)

day 748: Productivity

2011-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive."

What’s appears to be holding up corporate earnings is the record-high level of labor productivity. This would be no surprise to anyone who is working a job where they are doing not only the work that they were doing three years ago, but also the work of one or more other people who no longer work at the company. The same, or more is getting done with less. This increased output is call productivity. Corporations are hooked on it right now and that addiction is not likely to go away. This explains why even with revenue and price levels returning to pre-2008 that we see unemployment still so high. The other contributor to productivity is technology and how it replaces labor and speeds output. It is true that the Great Recession may have finally been the time when the workforce was finally rationalized to consider technology advances. Productivity may not be able to get any higher, but for sure it is a major driver today in our economy’s recovery.

Productivity as it is defined by God’s Word is also about working to meet needs but not against the same standards that we see in the business world. Doing a little more for the bottom line is the same, but the bottom line that we are trying to serve is much bigger and eternal. Our productivity standard is how well we meet the needs of others and how urgently we do so that they can also be productive in their service to the Lord. Today, how productive are we being for the cause of bringing Glory to God and expanding His Kingdom? It is right that we should question ourselves each day and course correct for that increased productivity!

Reference: Titus 3:14 (New Living Testament)

day 747: Flying Off

2011-10-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."

Quick to do this and quick to do that. We must be quick in our businesses so that we don't dilly dally and let the competition pass us, or lose our momentum. It's almost an internal forcing function to be quick and go, go, go. Of course there are many hazards with being too quick and not thinking or planning. When we are quick, we can get too caught up in the moment that we miss important signs and signals that we would have been sensitive to had we been more methodical or deliberate. What we are really looking for is the ability to be fast, but at the same time run and finish well the marathon. It's a hard balance to find. When we are also overly preoccupied with speed we can find ourselves operating backwards and we end up slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to fly off the handle. Many a company or leader who is moving too fast wishes they could take back their first reactions to a problem. How they wish they would have slowed down and not allowed themselves to just fly off the handle. It's a hard discipline to have, but one that we can all apply to our business; listen, be quiet and be thoughtful before reacting.

James puts it right in in our faces on how we are to handle this in our own lives; "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." He is saying that if we do the opposite we are putting ourselves at major risk that we are going to mess something up at work, at home, or anywhere. It seems so simple, but again it is another life lesson that is so hard. Each of these areas that the Bible gives us to self-improve are pointing out that we, by human nature, are flawed. What we must also undestand and do so in accepting His gift, is that we cannot be perfect, but with His assistance, we can overcome and manage the basic flaws that are inside of us. But, we can't do it without Him. This is why we must come back daily to His Word and talk to God in prayer so that we can see our areas of weakness and then improve for His Glory and sake. This week, we will be given our own tests and we can practice being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. We won't be perfect, but we can be attentive and we can see if we can keep from flying off the handle. With His guidance and support, that is something we can certainly control.

Reference: James 1:19 (New Living Testament)

day 745 and day 746: Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

I am leaving this post up for a second day due to the high amount of interest and number of people who were passing it along to others....Have a great weekend.

"And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever"

I was fortunate enough to know Steve Jobs and interact with him a few times over the past decades. Those interactions were seldom, but each time impacting. Most intensely was the time I had the chance to go to work directly for him at Apple, which I declined (not an easy thing to do with Steve Jobs), and still he was gracious enough to years later allow me to bounce ideas off of him and take time out of his schedule to consider business proposals and concepts.

In his personal conference room, two years before the ipod was released he tried to get me to guess what the next big thing would be that "we could all keep in our pockets, but wasn't a phone and didn't take pictures". Of course, I didn't come up with a $400 MP3 player that every teenager in America would have to have. As I fumbled around, he sat there with the smirk that only Steve Jobs could put on that was both respectfully condescending and childlike mischievous. He told me that "it would change the world". He was right.

No, the ipod, nor the iphone, nor the ipad, stopped world hunger or brought about world peace, but in their way they each have contributed to those. They couldn't cure cancer. Nothing can, so far, and Steve knew that too. But, somewhere this morning there is a doctor working on that cure who is storing his/her research on their ipad and sharing data with another researcher across their iphones. And there is a surgeon staring down at a tumor to be removed with the music from their ipod making them a little steadier and more confident. And there is a troubled youth who doesn't have friends or a family structure who exists and finds themselves in music as they put those iconic white earbuds in and walks through a dangerous neighborhood to school. And there is a working Mother this morning, without childcare, who is trying to figure out how to balance the day, who for a few minutes can find some peace and quiet by asking her kids to sit down and watch Toy Story, or Finding Nemo, or Cars on the DVD.

Yes, Steve Jobs did change the world, in his own way.

He made business cool for people who didn't know that they could be a geek and also run a company. Before Apple (and Microsoft), geeks were relegated to the backroom and didn't see much less step into a boardroom. Steve (and Bill) changed that. Steve showed us that design and elegance were as important to a product as what it did. Every industry was forced to follow once we got our first interaction with a Steve Jobs Apple product. Steve brought good, wholesome, and mass-market entertainment to all of us with the great movies from Pixar and from that success came others who followed to put digitally animated full feature films, rated G or PG-13 perennially at the top of the box office lists. Steve changed the way we think about great retail experience. He took retail workers and turned them into "geniuses". The reason that there are now 5-10 people waiting for us to help us personally in the Verizon, ATT or Sprint stores is because of the Apple store model. Before Apple retail, the best we could expect was a Radio Shack.

Today, the world is without our generation's Walt Disney, our Thomas Edison, and our Beethoven. Steve Jobs will be missed and generations will remember what he did and who he was. I had no reason to call him or correspond with him anytime in the near future, but I miss this morning, that I could have and knowing that, as he was before, a person who would listen, take the time, and be bluntly honest, all because he cared.

Steve's passing is a reminder to all of us that we are just travelers through our own time with a shared worldly end in sight. But, as believers and followers of Jesus, we also know that this world is only a chapter, or a page to be turned, amongst a book that allows for our eternal life. All of our accomplishments will someday fade away and while our name might be remembered, this world will no longer be not ours, but someone elses. Yes, we are here to make a difference, but that difference isn't about the what we do, but the how we do it and today, God is giving each of an opportunity to indelibly leave our mark by who we are and how we might touch another person and provide them an example of how Christ lived. Among all the things in our world, which are also gifts from God for us to experience, let us not take for granted that the short time we are here, that our purpose remains, day-in and day-out, to bring Him glory and to multiply His Kingdom.

Reference: 1 John 2:17 (New Living Testament)

day 744: Self Incriminating

2011-10-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

"The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful

A group of executives from the company Solyndra were called last week to testify before a joint congressional-senate hearing committee. With each question they were asked about their company, they invoked the firth amendment, which gave them the right to not testify on the grounds that they may incriminate themselves. I have never, thank the good Lord, been asked to testify like this, but if I was asked, I would hope that I would be able to answer openly, or if I was incriminating myself it wouldn't really happen because there was nothing behind it to hide or fear. Of course, that is probably legally naive and there are good reasons to use the fifth amendment, but it does always make the rest of us wonder if someone isn't hiding something. Let's be sure that whatever we do in our businesses that we would never be caught with trying to hide anything we have done or said that we felt we should hide or be embarrasses about if we had a TV camera in our face, were sitting before the Senate, or a great test, if we had to explain it to our Mother.

Oh yeah, there is someone else who doesn't like to see us lie. In fact He says that He, "detests it". Do we really want to do something that the Lord detests? This is why we read His Word to get to know Him better and to know what He expects of us. The next time we start to stretch the truth, or tell that "little white lie", or misrepresent for the sake of argument or impression, then remember that the One who we say is most important to us, "detests" what we are doing. If that is not enough incentive to stay on the right side of the truth, then know that He also "delights" when we are truthful. This is one of the great things about our Lord. If you could see Him, He is right there with you in your office right now. He is always there and He both can detest and delight in what we do. When we don't tell the truth we are incriminating ourselves and He knows it. Think about it today when that moment of truth decision shows up.

Reference: Proverbs 12:22

day 743: Insight

2011-10-04T07:23:00.001-07:00

"and this is my prayer: That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ."

We chase insight in our businesses. If we can only capture the one insight that differentiates us from all the rest, then we will be golden. If we can see what others don't see, before they see it, then we have the one up. Insight allows us to make plans, set strategy, and make decisions and move forward with confidence. Businesses set up departments and hire people with the skills to find those insights and then listen carefully to what they come up with. What is amazing about an insight, when you hear it for the first time, is that it is blindingly clear, to the point that we wonder why we didn't come up with it before. If we are not looking for the insights then we are closing ourselves off to possibility. Whether it is each of us, or someone else, we should always be asking ourselves enough questions, digging deeply, and keeping our minds open to find the next insight.

God wants us to be insightful too, but not for the same reason that we are trying to do so to grow our businesses. He wants us to have the insight to understand how powerful and important it is to His Kingdom for us to live our lives as purely and as blamelessly as we can. When we are young, we can't see, hear, speak or think like we can when we grow older. When at a young age and someone is insightful beyond their years, we are amazed and in awe of them. For the rest of us, it comes with aging and experience. And, those experiences are not always good, so we also become insightful through trial and error, which can cause us to make mistakes. What God gives us is His Word as a source of insight. He then challenges us to grow in our knowledge and love for Him so that our insight also grows to help us live the lives that He desires for us. Today, ask yourself, are you just as interested in gaining the insights into God and your relationship with Him, as you are the insights of your business? Which one has been getting more emphasis lately?

Reference: Philippians 1:9-10

day 742: The Masthead

2011-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,and all your mind."

While certainly not as prevalent and as important as it once was, the corporate stationary still remains and decisions get made as to who goes on the masthead and who doesn't. If not stationary, then the same decisions have to be made about the website. Most companies put the most senior person at the top and then work down from there until there is a cut-off. While not really that important, how the names are listed and who is there and who isn't can cause its own set of conversations and consternation. I was in a recent planning meeting for a conference and even in that session there was a discussion about being sure that the names were listed in an order that wouldn't upset anyone and the best way to so was to once again use highest ranking titles at the top. What this says is that we still, in a time when we should be able to see beyond titles, we still default into putting the most obvious things at the top and whether or not it is the best way, it is where we end up.

As we attempt to figure out in our own work and personal lives where our priorities should be and what goes at the to of our "masthead", we have to be sure that we are keeping what is really important at our own personal top. Of course it is so obvious, but we just continue to allow God to slip down the list. In fact, it is so hard for us to lock in and keep our priorities right that Jesus Himself had to tell us what we must do and how we have to lead our lives. Today, imagine that you are creating your personal masthead. What and who would be at the top? As we start this week, let's ensure our priorities are in the order that we can line up the rest of our lives to work and live to bringing glory to God in all that we do.

Reference: Matthew 22:37 (New Living Testament)

day 741: Life After Work?

2011-09-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

"Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying."

Everyday, in every business, someone asks themselves, "Is there life after this place?". It's a question grounded in how hard they are working, what they are sacrificing and have already sacrificed for their job, and how much of themselves that they have put into the job or the company. It's really an irrational question because rationally we all know of course there is life after a job, but at the time it's really hard to see and therefore we can get in a real funk as one thing after another gets under our skin, pushing us to a breaking point. Who in the business is watching for the boiling point? Is it s manager? Is it an HR person? Is it a peer? Maybe all and more often none. It is hard to see the pain of others if the pain is resident within ourselves too. Today's business climate has us all stretched to a max, doing much more with much less than ever in our work history. Our staffs are fighting above their weight to be productive and keep the bottom line looking good in the face of uncertain revenue. And with all of this, it is not shameful to be asking is there life after this?

In the largest perspective, of course there is life after all of this, if only we will believe and look forward. While we each need and should want to give our best to our work; because to not do so would be to turn our heads on the talents given to us, we should also always remember that we are only passing through. I equate many times how we work to a marathon running race. It takes a long time of training to get ready and then it takes a long time to run the race and it takes a long time to recover. There is a metaphor for our careers in there. What we know with 100% certainty is that that there is real life after work and eternal life after death. As we close this work week, when was the last time we took just a few minutes and dreamed about what that future will look like for us? If that doesn't lift our spirits and provide perspective then nothing will. We are promised eternal life and what an eternity it will be. It's a life after that I am looking very much forward to seeing.

Reference: John 11:25 (NLT)

day 740: Deserving Pay, Redux

2011-09-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

"Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay"

I'm reposting this because the issues of pay, pay inequity, and what we can/should expect for our compensation is a topic that is on lots of people's minds today.

Jesus tells His disciples how to conduct themselves in Luke chapter 10, verses 5-7 as He prepares them for what they will be doing after He is gone. He makes a simple statement to them; "Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay". We live in an age where there is more transparency around pay than ever before. Once thought of as a taboo subject, today we hear people talk openly with their peers and others about how much money they make, or don't make. I remember when I first came out of school with my graduate degree. I went to work at Pratt & Whitney as a Personnel Trainee. I don't remember how much it was that I made as a differential because I had an advanced degree, versus those with only a bachelors, but it was enough of a difference that I kept it to myself and I felt obligated and burdened to work harder so that I would truly be deserving of my pay level. A lot of people I have run into in the corporate world feel they are not only deserving of their pay but deserving of much more. And even worse they have not always been willing to work harder or better to receive more.

We are not to be ashamed of what we deserve, but we are to work for it. And by work, it means to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to us in a way that reflects that we are giving it our all, going the extra mile, and recognizing that the pay we receive is not a right but instead something that can only be earned. When we have performed our work at this level, then we can be proud of the pay deserved. The question to ask yourself today, or any day when you stand in the shower wondering how you can make more money for what you do, is are you committed to performing at the level commensurate with the pay you desire? For it is clear we do not deserve the pay for which we desire. We deserve the pay for the level of work we perform.

Reference: Luke 10: 5-7 (New Living Testament)

day 739: Retaliation

2011-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

"He did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."

Not a week goes by that we don't read about one company suing another for something. Usually the litigation is a form of retaliation for some infringement or action that was threatening. Corporations can have large legal departments who are there to just retaliate. When you are a little business or an entrepreneur this can be intimidating and frightening, even when you haven't done anything wrong. I was with an entrepreneur the other day who is getting cease and desist letters for the use of a trademark that he received well in advance of the other, big company, even being in business. When he ignored that letter they sent another threatening to sue him if he didn't surrender the trademark to them. Fortunately, he had an attorney, and all of his ducks in order, and the big company didn't have any legs to stand on other than bravado. We are in a litigious age where the fastest form of retaliation can be a lawsuit. It's a shame that we have to live and work like this, but it is what it is.

As we work and live, we do have a choice though to not retaliate and to roll with the punches. We have to look no further than driving to and from work to see lots of retaliation going on. The obscene gesture or even the raised hand as to question why someone would drive like they are, is a form or retaliation. In the office the sly look, or the mumbled words under the breath, or the cc to the boss on the email can all be forms or retaliation. But see, as believers we are not to retaliate, even when we are wronged or are suffering. We have an example to follow and if we don't then we are degrading and disrespecting the Lord who suffered for us, who took the worst for us, and who gave it all for us. What we read in 1 Peter is all true. He never retaliated and if He didn't then there is no reason that we ever should.

Reference: 1 Peter 2:23 (New Living Testament)

day 738: Super Wisdom

2011-09-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere."

I was recently with a young entrepreneur who tried to convince me of all the things he knew and in the course of the conversation try and convince me of all the things I didn't know. He was doing his best to try and be "wise", but the more he tried, the more "foolish" he looked and came across. This is of course, not an unusual occurrence in a business world where freshly minted graduates come into the workplace full of vigor and unlimited optimism and confidence. We also have built the "system" to reward and recognize the new and for the young to push on the old. It is no wonder that those with no wisdom display all the signs of not having it even though they think they do. This is why it is important that in the businesses that we run that we take the time to spend with the up and comers and help them learn the ropes and find a pace that allows them to succeed but also to learn, take-in, experiment, and realize that there are many ways to solve a problem and many years before one can claim to "know".

I love the verse in James that explain what wisdom is really like. To me, what is described is "super wisdom". How great to be able to have such traits and to be able to bring those things forward to others. how James describes wisdom is how we could all best live our lives. Imagine that we were able to come into our workplaces and demonstrate these ways of treating others and handling ourselves? Would there be any doubt by anyone that we we were not "wise"? As we work to develop ourselves and to try and walk in the footsteps and example of our Lord, let's work to become truly wise by allowing God to work in us.

Reference: James 3:17 (New Living Testament)

day 737: Words Are Cheap...Performance Counts

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new being, by changing the way you think."

"Words Are Cheap...Performance Counts". This is one of the those signs that hang in the office of executives to remind anyone who graces that space that there is a philosophy to be followed. The signs work as they can create common language and thoughts. What I like about this one is that it says so much about what a business is supposed to be and also what not to be. Businesses that talk a good game about their products and services but never deliver, don't really matter and won't be around long. It is true performance that counts and the words become strong at that point. It's always easier for a marketer or PR person to put the words on top of the cake versus trying to have the words be the filling and hoping that the rest happens. In our businesses, both internally and externally we should worry less about what we say we are going to be and do and more about are we doing it?

The same is true in our lives and how we work. Others are looking at us to today to see if our words and actions match. There are co-workers who know that how we spend our weekends include time in our church and fellowship with other believers. They expect that we don't waste that time but instead learn and become better with who we are and ultimately, better with others. If we roll back into the office today and our actions (our performance) doesn't count up to who we say we are or who we want to be, then our words are cheap and worthless. We each know what are own issues to overcome to make our words not be cheap. Today is a day that we can make our performance count. God promises that we can be new in who we are and then challenges us to take our newness and not copy the rest of the world. Let today be an original day and let today be a day where our performance counts in His eyes and the eyes of others.

Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)

day 736: Before We Know It

2011-09-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?..."

If there is one place where time moves quickly, it is in business. Days turn to weeks, months and a year before we know it. The planning that we are doing for the following quarter is already in play before the planning is even done. The steady beating drum that is the cadence of setting, meeting, and measuring results can move by so quickly that it can feel like we are tumbling head first out of control. What comes with experience is the ability to manage how time passes. What? Time can’t be slowed or sped up. That is true, but how a business or a person addresses time can manage how time passes. Steve Young, the Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback, once said that on his first snap that he took in the NFL that the linebackers and defensive line came at him so fast that all he could do was throw the ball away as fast he could. Some fifteen years later on his last snap, when the players were bigger and faster than all those earlier years but in that game, he felt that he had all the time in the world to do whatever he wanted to do with the ball and that the defense were now coming in slow motion. Nothing has changed except for his perspective, maturity and wisdom from his ability to see the game unfold in front of him. Business is the same way. As we learn the patterns of the business, the industry and competitors, then we can begin to manage how fast it seems time passes. If it feels like things are moving too fast or feel out of control, then it’s time to be sure that those who have the best experience and perspective are called in to help.

A great part of our belief is that God is always doing something new in us and for us and it’s always coming, whether we can see it or not. Sometimes it will feel fast, other times it can feel slow, but like the art of slow-cooking, God is always working in and on us. There is no waiting. There is only allowing for Him to work. Are we looking for something new and expecting it to come soon? It may well be that we don’t have enough perspective to be able to see how time and change is unfolding. It took Steve Young many years to gain enough experience and knowledge to slow down the game. In those years, he surely practiced, watched films, studied other teams, took in coaching, etc. The same can be said for us. We need to study God’s Word. We need to talk and listen to God in prayer. We need to learn from others in fellowship. The closer we move towards God the more we can answer the question, “Do you not see it?”…with, “Yes, I can see it”.

Reference: Isaiah 43:19 (New Living Testament)

day 735: Unlocking Potential

2011-09-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

"You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life..."

In the start-up world investors hope that their capital will unlock potential from a company and their founders that they may not be able to see or know just yet. At the early stages of a company it is seldom that the business will stay the same as first envisioned. Some call it “pivoting”, others just call it continuing to seek, try and then stop the things that aren’t working so new things can be tried. It’s hard to let go of work that has many hours and dollars already invested. So, it’s like having a locked door in front of us with a huge ring of keys that we continue to use and try until the door unlocks. What we know about business is that once that door unlocks that just behind it will be another door and the key that opened up the first door is not guaranteed to open the next one, or any other door. But, we have to continue to try and keep unlocking the doors in front of us. Companies that don’t, or aren’t willing to try and keep the doors opening in front of them will miss opportunities. It’s important that we find a way to keep working to unlock the potential.

We read in Deuteronomy how to unlock the potential in our life and the key to doing so. Like a business, we make choices and to receive this key to life we have to make the choice to love God, then obey Him, and then ensuring that we have deeply committed ourselves to Him and the life that He asks us to live. We should continuously be asking ourselves if our choices are the right ones and are we committed daily to following and bringing glory to God in all that we do. All day long we use our keys (literally and figuratively) to open the doors that are put in front of us. God wants us to pick up, accept and adopt the keys to life that God has given us. Today, what keys are we using to open the doors in front of us? Are they our own, or are they God’s. He is asking us to unlock all the potential that He has given us. Let’s be sure that we are choosing His keys today.

Reference: Deuteronomy 30:20 (New Living Testament)

day 734: Onward and upward

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor."

I've always said that if a business is not growing, it is dying. While that may not be obvious, it is dying from the inside out if it is not growing. The best people won't stay, the best deals won't be secured, the next big idea won't come to a business where others smell stagnation. This is why, even if incremental, moving upward and onward is important. Sometimes these moves can be scary and risky. Just check out what Netflix did this week with spinning out their DVD business as a legacy business so they can focus on the area of the business they believe will grow. This was about as gutsy as it gets and it certainly burns the ships behind them as they case themselves away from warehouses, envelopes, plastic and the U.S. Postal Service (which is having their own growth challenges). In CEO, Reed Hasting's letter to all subscribers he wrote to us humbly of his misstep and then laid out a growth plan for the company. It takes courage to stay growing and more businesses should be humble and honest enough with themselves to make the changes necessary to keep their growth alive.

We must also grow and we must also be humble. What we have is a promise from God that if we do humble ourselves under His power and we wait on Him that He will lift us up and we will experience our own upward and onward growth. But here is the amazing thing, while we are waiting, we are also growing because if we are humbling ourselves to Him, we are spending time in his Word, in prayer and in fellowship with others. Let's ask ourselves today, are we in an onward and upward pattern right now? And if we are not, then what do we need to do to put ourselves in the position where we can wait on God to lift us up?

Reference: 1 Peter 5:6 (New Living Testament)

day 733: Choice

2011-09-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

Choice is a very powerful tool. I just had to rent a car for a one-way driving trip from LA to San Francisco and National Rental had the best one-way drop-off deal. It had been a long time since I had rented from them and I expected the same old routine as any other car rental place, but when I got the to the counter in LA, I was very surprised. Within 30 seconds of me giving them my driver's license and credit card, they handed me back my rental sleeve and directed me to an area called, "The Aisle" and said I could choose any car that was parked under that awning. Around the corner and out the door, there was that section with at least 50 cars/SUVs, etc. to choose from. After asking a very nice attendant who was standing near the cars, which car got the best gas mileage, I was choosing from three different colors of a Honda Sonata. As I drove out of the lot, I was a satisfied customer and it was all about choice. I am sure I am not alone in having been assigned a rental car and being disappointed because I would have preferred the car style next to the one I was going to rent. Choice is a powerful force and in our businesses we should remember that giving the consumer a choice, even if not a big choice, can be the difference between satisfaction and not.

Our God is so cool. When I think about the choices that He allows us to make every day I am reminded that He is not the overbearing parent that keeps us contained and sheltered from the world. No, He is a God that gives us everything we need to be prepared for this life and after, and then He presents us with choices to make. all He asks is that at the end of the decision tree that one choice be absolute and that is the choice to follow Him as our personal savior and Lord. He is consistent in this way. Adam and Eve had it all to their desires and dreams. He only refused one choice, which they couldn't uphold. All the rest was theirs. He gives all the rest to us as well, He just says, make the one the choice to follow me. Choice is a powerful force.

Reference: John 14:6 (New Living Testament)

day 732: Clean Energy

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

“Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul... And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him”

Every business has a certain "energy" about them that we could call the mixture of their reputation, brand appeal, and consumer confidence. Those that are at the top of the heap are usually also the companies that we consider, "clean". That is that they provide high quality products or services, are ethical, treat their employees well, have good taste, and don't engage in activities that embarrass or create negative news about them. Ironically, these are also the companies that the media and other companies are always looking for ways/reasons to knock them off of their pedestal. I think about Apple. Apple is beloved right now by consumers around the world. As Steve Jobs left his position as CEO last month he left one of the highest employee approval ratings Glassdoor.com had ever seen (a company that I am on the Board of), and yet, at the same time, the media loves to stir the pot with stories of Apple's overseas labor practices and what happens in the plants in China. The point is that the more any business works to be blameless the more others will try and bring them down. But, this is no reason to not work to be pure and blameless. Wouldn't we rather have that approach first and worry about the rest later? I'll choose "clean energy" companies over others all day long.

God tells us something about what happens when in our lives we also try to bring across "clean energy" and when we do that through our walk with Christ. What happens with David and Saul says it all. When we try and walk a blameless life we will have others who will not like us and will try and get us to trip up so that they can either point out our contradiction and hypocrisy to cover up their faults, or because they don't want to see others who believe succeed. Let's be honest with ourselves, it can get rough out there and our workplaces are the roughest places of all. Only the lowest dive bars and taverns would allow the kind of language and behavior that can happen daily inside a conference room. We need to be prepared that if want to exude clean energy, clean living, and be an example of Jesus' life, then it comes with the opposition. That said, we know that if we go further into the David and Saul account that God removed Saul from David's presence when it got too heated. God will protect us if we are standing up for Him and living and working "cleanly".

Reference: 1 Samuel 18:12-15

day 731: Strategic Decisions, Part 3

2011-09-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

"He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke to us"

When faced with strategic direction decisions we really have one of three decisions to be made; To lead, follow, or get out of the way. The final part this three part series is about leading.

As we have read the last two days, businesses can take one a number of strategies as they maneuver the marketplace. The one that most would prefer would be to lead. It sounds easy to say that we want to be the leader, but there is lots to becoming the leader and even more to staying there once the leadership position is achieved. A plan can be put in place, the right people hired, the perfect people managing perfectly and making it all happen but the competition just isn't budging and the business isn't gaining ground. This means that businesses may have to fight to gain the leadership mantle. Fighting doesn't have to be thought of as being mean or hurtful. Fighting can be thought of as contending and finding the extra strength, courage and fortitude to get even better and more creative than ever. A friend of mine was telling me about their company's new CEO who had come from the fast moving consumer goods industry and was now the CEO of a large telecommunications company. When the competition made a move in pricing or providing new services, this CEO struck back and countered and contended. The first time the company did so so it caused a lot of debate within the company as this was new and foreign to them. But the CEO said it right when he explained that what was happening was like losing that prime shelf space or display in the grocery store to a competitor's product. Once it is theirs you don't get it back. Once you lose a customer you can spend multiples trying to lure them back. He was willing to fight to keep his current customers and willing to fight to gain ground over the competition. That reaction was the look of a company who is going to be the leader. So, sometimes things are worth fighting for and those are also the things that we want to be in the leadership spot.

David Wilkerson describes the account of someone who was willing to personally contend so that he someday could be a leader for God. Let's read Pastor Wilkerson's account of Jacob: "Esau came forth from his mother's womb first—a baby covered with hair (his
name means "hairy"). But his twin, Jacob, grabbed his heel while still in the
womb. What a shock the midwife must have had when she saw Esau come forth with
a tiny hand gripping his heel! In the very brief passage (above) about Jacob, the prophet Hosea sums up how to overcome and prevail with God! Hosea's message was, "Here was a man greedy for God, hungry for everything God had for him!" Jacob came out of the womb in a fighting mood, longing for the blessings of God! There was something of a godly instinct in this child. It was as if he was saying, "Brother, if you don't want the fullness of God, I do. Get out of my way! I will not be left behind in God's blessings!" The birthright and blessing of Jacob's desire throughout his life represents all the blessings that are in Christ Jesus! Yet it was not the double portion of his father's wealth that Jacob was after nor was it the promise of the land.
No, Jacob wanted something more. He wanted the blessing of God so he could be in
the lineage of the Messiah! And he wanted the priestly blessing. This meant not
only being priest of the clan, but also being able to bless others!"

What are we wrestling with today that we know we should be leading, but haven't been willing to contend or fight for? It may be that God is telling us that it is time to step up and lead! It may be that now is the time that God wants to also give us our blessing and for us to become the leader for Him that He wants us to be! Lord, let today be that day!

Reference: Hosea 12:3-4

day 730: Strategic Decisions, Part 2

2011-09-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

"Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress"

When faced with strategic direction decisions we really have one of three decisions to be made; To lead, follow, or get out of the way. Part two of this three part series is about following.

When we are told there is only room for one of anything, that's not entirely right. There's actually room for more and for the sake of the argument, let's say there is room for three of anything significant. One will be high quality/high service/high cost, the second will be good quality/good service with a better price point, and the third will be a value play with lowest cost but reasonable service/quality. Cases in point; Car rental companies, airlines, soda pop, cereal companies, mass market home builders, computer hardware companies, etc. Even when we think a company has a market sewn up and dominating there is room for a number two if positioned correctly. We are seeing that today with the tablet market as a bunch of companies are trying to figure out what they need to do/be to be number two or number three behind Apple and the ipad. It's not always wrong to follow as a company still strives to find a place of leadership. It's about knowing who we are as a company/product/service and then playing to your strengths to carve out our place in the market.

God challenges us all the time in our work and personal lives to know who we are and then follow. Yes, He wants us to lead and yes, sometimes, as we read yesterday, He wants us to get out of harm's and our own way, but He is also very happy if we learn to follow what He has taught us and to use those talents, gifts and treasures that have been given to us to ensure that we complete and excel at the tasks given to us. If we are to bring glory to God in all that we do then sometimes we need put our head down and pay attention to the tasks that have been given to us.

Reference: 1 Timothy 4:15 (New Living Testament)

day 729: Strategic Decisions, Part 1

2011-09-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right."

When faced with strategic direction decisions we really have one of three decisions to be made; To lead, follow, or get out of the way. Part one of this three part series, is about getting out of the way.

When we find our businesses engaged in business that is not paying out, or the market has changed and what we once were offering is not of value anymore, or may even be on the way to becoming obsolete. You'd think that these are obvious choices and that you could see the changes coming from a mile away, but it's not that easy. If it was there wouldn't be the angst in the music, newspaper, and publishing industries. Technology is usually the driver of these types of changes that then change consumer behavior and expectations. It wasn't that long ago that we expected someone else to pump our gas for us, or to see and talk to a live bank teller when we deposited our paychecks. We also used to have others who typed our memos and copied them for us for distribution. The point is that we in our businesses we need to be able to be honest without ourselves and know when to get out of the way and change our strategic direction. In the start-up world, a very good venture capitalist who I know and admire, Mike Maples, coined the term, "Pivot". To pivot means to be able to shift and change our directions and business models quickly to meet market demands and/or to get out of the way of competition that we know are going to succeed beyond what we are doing.

In our own lives, sometimes we need to also make the decision to get out of the way. If we are aware enough to know those things that tempt us or we know our weak points, then we can know when to get out of harm's way. There are many things of this world, and especially in the world of work that are there to cause us to slip or make the mistake that would compromise who we want to be or what we say we are. In those cases, the best move for us is to get out of the way of harm and trouble. It is not fear or lack of courage, it is about being smart and knowing enough about our weaknesses, and then being smart. We can, and should, be calling on God to not only protect us but to make us self-aware.

Reference: 2 Timothy 2:22 (New Living Testament)

day 728: Leave Behinds

2011-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled and do not be afraid."

When we are going into a business presentation we will bring with us our presentation, which we hope covers enough to get the point across but not go into so much depth that we lose the audience. To ensure that, what we will do many times is have some "leave behinds" that the audience can intake later that may answer the questions that didn't come up, or where there wasn't enough time to cover in the presentation. The leave behind material may also have more statistics and data to support the argument or create confidence that what the presenter was saying can be substantiated or believed. While we call them "leave behinds", they are actually very important documents that could make the difference on someones thinking later when no one else is around. What we always want to do with those materials is to anticipate and ensure that we think through how someone might feel after the presentation so that we can address those open questions or issues in a way that keeps them feeling as comfortable and agreeable as we wanted them to be in the actual presentation time.

Jesus gave us the ultimate "leave behind" material. Along with the opportunity for everlasting life, he left us peace and a reason for us to be confident, not troubled and not afraid about what work, life, and the world may bring. There are a lot of follow on questions in our world right now. In our businesses we don't know what will come next; whether we will see another recession, whether the financial markets will recover, what will happen with consumer confidence, etc. We just don't know and when we are given plans, actions, or initiatives that we are told should work, we just aren't always quite sure. We need to have the leave behind materials to go check. In our lives, that is God's Word and God's promises to us. We are told by Jesus directly to not let our hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. With that kind of "leave behind", we shouldn't need anything else to be reassured.

Reference: John 14:27

day 727: 9/12

2011-09-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"

It's now been over 10 years since 9/11 and we awoke this morning on 9/12 and we are going about our business and life just like we did on Friday, or yesterday. Yet, yesterday on the news, in church, in conversations, in the press, all over, we reflected back on how different it was on 9/12 ten years ago than it is today. Ten years ago today, we didn't have any clear understanding of how many people had died in the terror attacks, we weren't sure who to blame, and we weren't sure of what would happen next, or what we could expect going forward, but we were different than how we were on 9/11. On 9/12 we woke up and even though we were scared, anxious, grounded in a city far from home, separated from loved ones, and yes, a little bit angry, we started treating each other differently. We waved at people we didn't know. We let the little irritants go and we smiled instead of how we might normally react. We called and emailed people we hadn't talked to forever just to see how they were. We gave of ourselves to causes and people who needed us. We became tolerant and civil with people we disagreed. We bonded and came together as people who cared for each other. Ten years ago, we were different on 9/12 than who we were on 9/11. On 9/12 we all looked a lot more like the place and living that God laid out for us in His Word.

Today, we as believers, we should hold ourselves accountable to returning to our 9/12/01 ways. We have been given God's promises and the hope that is God's. Paul says it all in Roman's 15:13, quoted above. Have we been living to God's promise of hope, peace, trust so that we can let that overflow out of us to others with power? Let's today see if we can embody that hope and also carry ourselves back to 9/12/01 and remember who we were on that day!

Reference: Romans 15:13

day 726: Yielding

2011-09-09T04:17:00.000-07:00

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others."

Business doesn't like to yield. It is not unusual to hear a CEO say, "We will not yield to...(fill in the blank)." Not yielding can turn ugly as unless someone does, someone is going to get crushed and the collision is going to hurt someone, if not both parties. I think back on the days of Apple and Microsoft when neither would yield and they battled in the marketplace for decades without cooperating. At the end of the day, one company won for the first two decades (Microsoft) and then later the other one won (Apple), although Apple did yield and allow for Windows to be installed on their computers after all. But who in the end run was hurt? It was actually you and me and anyone who used a computer. For many years we suffered through bad operating systems on substandard hardware all while there was an okay operating system that couldn't do everything we needed to do for work, sharing, etc. sitting there on fantastic hardware. I went through the days of using a Mac inside of a corporation, only to finally have to switch over to a PC because the company no longer would support MacOS, nor the hardware. I believe at the time, this was circa 1996, we were the last major American company, outside of Apple, who had been 100% Mac. The point of this is what would have happened to us over all of those years had the guys at the top yielded a little to each other? I can imagine lots of years of higher productivity and maybe even accelerated development creativity had the yielding occurred. Businesses, large institutions, and government are all invited daily to yield. We may never see when they do, but we certainly see, hear about, and feel when they don't.

The same is true in our lives. What James is telling us is that if we seek the true wisdom of God what we will find is that our spirit should be one that yields to others. It's so hard to do. That's why James tells us that we need to seek to be that close to God so that we can. When we yield to others, we are living the example of Christ. When we put ourselves and our own agendas continually first we are missing out on part of the wisdom of God that He wants to give us. Think today about where you are harboring an unyielding spirit and what changes would you have to make to just let it go? There is nothing wrong with yielding. You might even be surprised what you learn when you let someone else go first.

Reference: James 3:17 (New Living Testament)

day 725: Storm, Norm, and Form (repost)

2011-09-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

"God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power."

The common way that teams and partnerships come together is that they pass through the stages of forming, storming and then norming. Forming is easy. It is just coming together and getting to know one another and starting to work together in the best way possible. Norming is when the team or group begin to fall into a pattern of working together that is based on trust of each other and the following of the patterns of their skills and experiences. It is the middle phase that is the most interesting. The phase known as storming. Few like this phase because it is uncomfortable and not pleasant. This is when the true emotions get put on the table and we find the boundaries with each other. It is also the stage when any lingering issues or harbored feelings get exposed. Some groups never come through this phase because the issues to deal with are just too exposed or raw. Or, the people in the team get their feelings hurt beyond repair. While it is ugly, few good teams ever come to be without going through the storming phase. Those who do go through it successfully can be come very tight and trusting as if they are then almost inseparable.

Many great things can happen with a team when they reach this level of togetherness. There is much storming that happens all around us at work and we just need to be ready and sensitive to taking these times and turning them into good. I am reminded of the verse in Job that references God's voice like one that comes from the storms; "God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power." Even in the storms God can be there with us. If His voice is in the thunder, then He can certainly be with us as we go through the storming stages in our work. Today would be a great day to ensure that you are taking God to work with you to be there with you in the storms.

Reference: Job 37:5 (New Living Testament)

day 724: Arc of Day (repost)

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began."When we rise in the morning and ready ourselves for work we shift our mind and thinking to going away from our home and loved ones to another place where we may not be as happy or as fulfilled, but know that we have a job to do so we go do it. We give it our best. We forget to call home. We lose track of the hours and along the day we find ourselves more engrossed in our work than the rest of our lives. As the day winds down and the people around us begin to log-off and pack up we do the same and as we commute back to where we spend most of our time we transition back into the other person who now needs to provide time and attention to those who are also in our lives but don't share the 8-16 hours a day that we do when we are working. We refresh in our hours away from the office. We recharge in the love and companionship of family and friends. And then we start it all over the next day. We live the arc of a day, each and every working day that we have. What is amazing about the human spirit and ability is that we find both power and energy in our time away from work and within our work. Together, if balanced, we are enthusiastic and fit to tackle the challenges within and outside of work. But, that arc must be managed and balanced for it all to work correctly. When out of synch then we know how we feel; burned out, exhausted, overwhelmed, etc. I was struck by a verse this past week in John Chapter 17. Jesus is near the end of his earthly life and He prays to His Father; "Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began." I read this verse early in the morning before a day that was destined to be out of balance. There would be no time to rest or no time to communicate outside of the work that needed to be done. It was going to be a day where I was not looking forward to the challenges ahead. And then I read this verse and God spoke to me and said, "take a look at what Jesus/I did and then tell me that you can't get through any day ahead of you". I reread the verse and saw Jesus walking out the door to go do His work and near the end of His day looking forward to returning home and to the time before the work began. I heard Him managing the arc of His day! God knows our arc as He created it for us. Allow Him today to carry us from home to work to home and to make the most of the arc of this day!Reference: John 17:5 (New Living Testament)

day 723: Assistants

2011-09-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

"But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God."

I can remember when I was assigned my first executive assistant. One day I was doing all of my work on my own, and then the next I had someone who wanted to help me manage my calendar and all of my administrative duties. I would say that it took me a good while to understand how best to utilize such a valuable resource. In this day and age even some of the most senior people in a company will share an executive assistant and with the advances in technology and digital communication it makes sense. Still, having someone who can assist and help is such a gift. And then to think of the people we know who treat assistants shoddily or don't value them for what they can do or bring to the office. Assistants should receive great respect and treatment because when led correctly, they can increase our productivity immeasurably.

Now, imagine that we had the assistance of God always with us? Why do we have to imagine, as we do! God wants to be our helper and He is constantly asking and offering out to us His assistance. But, we don't take it, or we continue to decide to go it alone and see what happens. Even on the surface it doesn't make sense that we just turn our back on that much help. Today, think about where you could use the help and don't be hesitant on calling on Him for whatever the need may be. He is not only just outside of your office He is the assistant who is right there with you, right now.

Reference: Psalm 146:5 (New Living Testament)

day 722: Message Readiness

2011-09-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

As we near the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I am reminded of how many companies who didn't have in place at that time a company-wide communication and message plan but now have them established and ready to go at all times. As I sat on the tarmac in Indianapolis on that fateful morning, after having flown out of JFK heading to SFO, there I was trying to coordinate a communication plan with the company from a low-battery Blackberry. Fortunately, we were not one of the companies that suffered the loss of employees in 9/11 and we were able to account for everyone, but we were unprepared to be able to communicate directly with our employees in a coordinated manner. We were not alone. Today, most companies and organizations have planned, reviewed, and practiced what it would take to get a message out and received. Being ready with a message, for whatever purpose, is good business practice.

When Paul wrote about message readiness, he was also coming from a place of distress. Paul didn't have an easy life. He lived most of his Christian life under persecution. Yet, regardless of the situation, he was ready with the message of the gospel. He taught that to his disciples and to the churches that he mentored. He was also teaching it to us. We are being told that we should always have our message ready as well. When asked, or given the opportunity, are we ready to fearlessly speak the gospel? Each day at work, we are provided with such opportunities, if we are listening and ready for them. In the next days and weeks there will be lots of water-cooler talk about 9/11 and where were, what it meant, how it happened, etc. Much of this conversation will come from a place of personal reflection and maybe some questioning about life and why? Let's be attuned for the opportunity to provide our story of why there is true hope and life to be had. Let's have our message ready.

Reference: Ephesians 6:19-20

day 721: Start to Finish

2011-09-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."

Every business or organization has its own business cycle that it follows. For some it can be a long cycle of product development, review, approval, customer acceptance, etc. For others, it is opening the door and counting the customers and cash register receipts by the hour. Regardless, there is a beginning that is filled with expectation and hope and unlimited upside; there is a middle of assessing and adjusting an necessary; and there is a conclusion of measurement and reconciling. For those who believe in continuous improvement, there are also postmortems to decide what worked well and what didn't and then an application to the process, design or service to make things bigger and better for next time. The best businesses do it all. They know and prepare for a starting point and rally their organization towards that day or moment. They are watching from start through middle to end to recalibrate if need be, and they know how to conclude and celebrate in a way that brings the troops back for the next time.

We are the same way in our own jobs and the different aspects of our lives. We have cycles and seasons that we have to understand and manage. Having just experienced my first true hurricane season event, I found David's words so true. With each morning as we prepared for Hurricane Irene; through the start of the blowing winds; through the passing of the middle of the storm, to the aftermath of nearly 90 hours without power; it was each morning waiting expectantly to see how the day would unfold. David teaches us to bring those requests and needs to God each morning and let that be our cycle, start to finish. His words and God's promise are good ones. If we can string together day after day of listening for his voice and bringing ourselves to Him daily then from start to finish of the day, we will be as prepared for own work and life cycle as we can be.

PS: Thank you for the prayers, notes, support and encouragement this past week.

Reference: Psalm 5:3 (New Living Testament)

Purposed worKING Hiatus: Hurricane Irene

2011-08-29T04:14:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Irene took out the power on Sunday morning at 6:15AM and we have been advised that we won't have power restored until next weekend. So, until then, Purposed WorKING will be on hiatus. Be back soon. Blessings, Rusty