day 1365: Breaking The Tape First

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!"

This is not a sports blog, but I can't resist.  Yesterday, something amazing happened in the sports world and it couldn't have happened at a better time, a better place, or to a better athlete.  Yesterday, on April 21st, 2014, marathon athlete Meb Keflezighi, at 38 years old, won the Boston Marathon and became the first American winner in 31 years.  Why was this victory so sweet?  Sure, it was because he won on the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.  Yes, it was great that he is an old guy as 38 is over the hill for marathoners.  And for sure, the American win is not the norm. But, his win was more than that.  I happen to serve on the board of runcoach with Meb and I have heard him talk of overcoming injuries and working his way back to his top form.  Marathoners are much like we are in business.  We get a couple of great moments a year and the rest of the time we are up early, logging the hours of training and doing our best to balance the rest of life, fueling ourselves for the next bit if competition.  And when we start to feel the pains and hurt, it takes time to get over them.  We'd be well served to bask in the win of Meb yesterday and remind ourselves that winning only comes because we put in the hard work, understand what it takes to win when we need to, and shut out the rest that keeps us from getting to our peak form.

Meb is also a faithful and strong believer.  He doesn't go out on the road alone.  Like Meb, we all race for the prizes of life, but also like Meb we know that the ultimate prize comes from the race of life that we need to finish well!  God wants us to run strong in all that we do.  He also wants to be there with us in the victories and the losses of life.  There are many races that we will run today and if we bring Him with us, our day will move along with wins along the way.  Consider this as you head into the office, ready and raring to run!

Reference: 1 Corinthians 9:24 (New Living Translation)

day 1354: Criss-Crossing The Org Chart

 "There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord."

Every organization has a structure to it that breaks down into functions and to some smaller groups of teams. These could be departments, work pods, etc. Most organizations are organized around functional expertise so we have finance, marketing, R&D, sales, operations, HR, etc., all reporting up to a senior team who brings it all together. The challenge is in how to work across the organization so that we don't get lost in our functional departments and don't get a chance to see the bigger picture. The key to this is to criss-cross the organization lines and build relationships with people in other areas and ask what they do, how they do it and how they fit into the broader mission and goals of the organization. This also requires that we know, understand and can process the mission of the company into what is done by people all over the organization. Sometimes this is not easy to understand but if we search hard enough we can find it and then apply it to what we know and to what we feel we need to know to be better at our jobs. If we do this, we will be better in our jobs as we have context and meaning for what we do.

The same thing is happening in how we work to bring glory to God and make that our purpose. This starts with staying focused on what we know to be what God wants us to do and then to fall into His service with our talents, skills and experiences. In 1 Corinthians 12:5 Paul says; "There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord." Just like we work in different functions and departments but all roll up in what we do for the mission of the company, we all can serve God in our own ways, and different ways, all rolling up in His service and calling. Today, check yourself and your work to see if you are rolling up what you do and who you are to what God wants you to do to serve Him best.

Reference; 1 Corinthians 12:5 (New Living Testament)

day 1293: 2013 Year-End Examination

"Let a man examine himself…"

At the end of the year we are usually scrambling to get everything on our to do lists out of the way and cleaned and tidied up for a fresh start in the New Year. I also notice that at the end of the year there is a mad dash to use up all of the health reserve money that has been saved up tax-free throughout the year. I always thought that it must be interesting for doctors who get this year-end set of appointments for examinations, whether people need them or not. The end of the year is when most of us do the self-examinations of ourselves. We reflect back over the past year and evaluate how we did in life, work, spiritually, financially, etc. and we then set our goals for the New Year, some being called our "New Year's Resolutions". This self-examination is good. Paul calls for us to do this continually in I Corinthians 11:28.

David Wilkerson, the deceased author of The Cross and the Switchblade and former pastor of the Times Square Church in New York City says, "Paul further urges us, 'Let a man examine himself…'. The Greek word for examine here means 'scrutinize, test.' The apostle is saying, 'Test yourself—see if you’re walking according to God’s Word.' We’re to constantly ask ourselves, 'Am I changing? Am I becoming more loving and tenderhearted? Am I treating my family and friends with godly respect? Is my conversation becoming more righteous?” These are great questions of self-examination as we head into our new year of work life. As we set our goals for the person we want to be at work and to be a person who works to their purpose, we can be assured that our constant self-examination and adjustments and corrections are the way that God wants us to live and pursue His righteousness. So, set those goals this year with confidence and great expectations that this New Year will be a year of positive change for each of us.

Happy 2014! Purposed WorKING will be back on Monday January 6th, 2014!





Reference: I Corinthians 11:28 (New Living Translation)

day 1257: Running Around Like Crazy - Part 3

 "I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should"

"This job will be the death of me", he said as he pulled out of the parking lot at 10:30pm for the third time this week. The race we run with our work is a long one. The way careers are set up we can expect to spend most of our adult lives working. We do this day after day, sometimes closer to seven days a week than we want. We subtract hours from other parts of our lives, like sleep and family time, and add them to our work days. We do this month after month and year after year until one day we hit a wall and say we just can't take it any longer. It is a long and grueling race and if we were able to step back from it and see the size of the hills in front of us we would probably think differently about how we approach our work. But, trying to gain that perspective is nearly impossible, so we do out best and we slug through day by day, giving it our all, running the race the best we can.

We have been exploring what Paul had to say about how to win the race of life and faith and how to finish strong for our Lord. We have applied the principles that he describes about knowing the goal/objective and focus and on how to get to the finish line. He also says in verse 27 of I Corinthians Chapter 9; "I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should". I like this statement because I believe that much of the success any of us have at anything we strive to achieve comes from the preparation we do before the task. I believe it was Billy Martin, the controversial but heralded coach of the New York Yankees in the 1970's, who said, "The World Series is won in spring training". He was saying that the finish line and how the we finish is all in how we prepare, discipline and train ourselves. We can run a strong race at work if we also adopt this attitude and we begin today to train and discipline ourselves for the future and the work ahead of us. We can be stronger and have more endurance if we think of our physical bodies as the tool that allows us to operate day in a day out at our highest productivity. How we eat, sleep and exercise can make a difference. And, how strong we are spiritually before the crisis hits lets us be prepared for the times when we will be tested emotionally and physically. If we begin each day in training, both physically and spiritually, and we stay disciplined to be strong in both areas, we will stand a much better chance of completing the long race, winning along the way, and knowing that when we finish we will have finished well.

Reference: I Corinthians 9:27 (New Living Testament)

day 1255: Running Around Like Crazy - Part 1

 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!

"How are things at work?", you are asked. The reply rolls off of your tongue easily. "I'm running around like crazy, trying to get everything done". It's a familiar feeling isn't it? So much to do, not enough time to get it all done. The metaphor for running around is an apt one. But are we running to a goal, to finish a race, or to win a prize, or are we just running up and down the halls metaphorically because everyone around us is doing the same and we aren't sure if we are getting anywhere at all? It's so easy to fall into this trap and find ourselves day after day in a full out sprint but not sure of the location of that elusive finish line, if there is one at all.

While Paul, in I Corinthians 9:24-27, was talking about the "run of life" and how we are to race for the finish line for the prize to be with Jesus, he is also describing to us how it is that a runner wins any race of life. If we chunk down the different portions of our lives, like work as a significant chunk, the lesson he gives us can also help us win the races that we run at work, each and every day. The first lesson he gives us that we must run in a way to win, not to just run for the sake of running. For exercise, I am a distance runner and I understand what he is saying completely. When I run without a goal or an objective, I do not run the same. I am more likely to not push myself and to not actually improve. When I know I have a goal, which would be my personal race to win, then I train differently. I train in a disciplined fashion, which makes me better. Paul talks about the way to win the race is to first run to win, not to just show up. How we conduct ourselves at the office and live our worklife is a large part of the life race that we run. How we get our work done and balance it within our lives is also a part of the race. The example of working and living in a Christlike manner is part of the race of life. So, today, instead of running up and down the halls without purpose, can you chunk down the day into the things that are most important to accomplish and then also think about "how" it is that you will accomplish those goals as you work with others and affect how they feel about this day of work? Can you lay all of this out today to God and ask Him to help you run this race well, with a "W" in the win column when you leave the office today? Let's have a win today, regardless if a big or small race because we were able to focus on why we are running the race. Tomorrow, more of how Paul says we can win the race.

Reference: I Corinthians 9:24-27 (New Living Testament)

day 1201: Associates and Friends

Today's post is a repost of one from the late David Wilkerson.  I first read David Wilkerson's words when I was 12 years old from his book, "The Cross and the Switchblade".  Today, I still read his words as his ministry continues to publish daily.  I've recently been thinking about those whom we surround ourselves with in the business world and in our personal lives and this message struck home and I wanted to pass it along.

Pastor David Wilkerson:

Who do you name as your closest friends? Believe it or not, this question is a matter of great concern to the Lord because your friendships speak loudly, both to God and to the world, about the condition of your heart.

"Lord, what do You think of my friendships? Are they pleasing to You?" Have you ever thought to ask Him these questions? The fact is, a righteous friend can provide a link to the blessing and favor of God, because he encourages you toward a godly lifestyle. On the other hand, an unrighteous friend can be a chain to every kind of evil, leading you into terrible bondages.

As I use the word friend throughout this message, I am not referring to immediate family members. My definition of a friend here is someone with whom you are closely associated, one in whom you naturally confide. In short, a friend is someone with whom you walk and talk and to whom you bare your soul.

You probably have various circles of friends: a "business" circle, which includes your coworkers, partners or clients; a "social" circle, which includes those with whom you associate on a surface level. You also may have contact with ungodly acquaintances. The apostle Paul says it's impossible for us to avoid these kinds of contacts; otherwise, we would have to leave the world altogether!

Yet the circle God cares about most is your intimate circle, your bosom pals.

These are the people you love most, and who most influence your life. You are naturally attracted to one another, and you agree on most things so you feel safe opening your heart to each other.

The Bible tells us we are not to be ignorant concerning Satan's seductions. And one of the devil's most common attacks against us is to bring into our inner circle of friends someone who is walking in deception, an agent of hell who is on a mission to destroy us. Satan especially uses this ploy with lonely or compassionate Christians. He tries to turn an undiscerning person's kindness into an affinity with an evil spirit!

“Do not be deceived: evil communications [companions] corrupt good manners [people]” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

 

day 1134: Working In Concert

"Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?"

You can tell the difference between those who can just read financial statements and those who really know financial statements.  Those who read them can make sense of them and explain the numbers, but those who can read them and then turn them into the story of the business, are ones who actually know what to do to make them better.  The two statements that any of us will be given when we are looking at or into a business will be the income statement and the balance sheet.  In a recent Businessweek article Mark Hurd, from Oracle, said that these two documents “Work in concert”.  On their own the Income Statement or Balance Sheet can tell you many things about the business, but it is not until you see them both together can you tell how healthy, or unhealthy, is the business. So, with these two documents (and enough history with these) then one can begin to see and create a story about the business.  There are patterns that can be ascertained and even some assumptions that can be made about what kind of business this is and how it compares to competitors.  The Income Statement and the Balance Sheet are inextricably intertwined and that is how they work on concert.  We can only hope that we are finding many opportunities in our business to have everything work as in concert as the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet.

We can’t explain how it works, but we believe and know in our deepest being that the Father , the Son, and the Holy Spirit work in concert to bring us as close to God as we want to be.  This idea of working in concert seems to me to be a godly idea. Throughout the Bible we are taught to love each other and told how to treat and respect our fellow human beings. We are told that when two or more come together that God will there as well.  We know that in concert the Bible, prayer and fellowships with other believers can yield amazing results.  So, it is upon us to show through our lives and working that we also can work in concert with others.  When we do this, we are modeling what we are taught.  When we don’t then we are being examples of the opposite.  As we consider the type of team member we are being, or what kind of subordinate or boss we are, then let’s remember that we should strive to always “work in concert”.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:16 (New Living Translation)

day 1122: Raises

"But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died."

When we hear the word, “Raise” at work, we like it.  A raise means that things are going to improve and one area in particular we like; when we get a raise in our pay.  A whole bunch goes into the decision of a raise and even though it looks like it can be sometime arbitrary or without comprehensive thought, somewhere someone has laid out the pros, cons, equitable treatment and justification for the decision and the amount.  Usually a compensation raise comes because something else has been raised; revenues, customers, profits, etc.  It is always a good thing to look for ways to increase raises throughout our businesses and if we can get a continuous level of improvements, then all of these raises will be a welcome part of our business cycles.

There is no raise that compares to when Jesus was raised from the dead.  We know that this is what guarantees our eternal salvation and relationship with Christ, but we can always know that if God can raise a person from the dead that He can raise anything in our life that seems to be dead.  He can raise a dead marriage.  He can raise a dead career or job.  He can raise a dead set of aspirations and dreams.  With this, there should be no debate or concern, let’s take our dead ends to Him and let Him provide us His raises!

Reference: 1 Corinthians 15:20 (New Living Translation)

day 1026: Moving Time?

 "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

Many a business book has sold well on the idea of all of us being movable, adaptable and open and ready for change. It's the way of business today. If we can't change and react rapidly we get left behind or obsoleted. I have seen many an organization that was so flexible to change that change became the driver for the company. These are the organizations where every six months there is a major reorganization of the company and it can sometimes feel like the only constant is change. What I watch out for and fear in those companies is that there comes a sense that they must change for the sake of changing without any firm strategic or directional footing. Change for the sake of change itself is not all that organizationally healthy. As workers in a company, we are asked to change individually as well as corporately. We have to flex with the new initiatives, the new boss, the new co-worker, sometimes the new owner of the business. We have to be corporate chameleons sometimes because the colors around us change so fast. There is a watch-out here also.  That warning is that we can't be changing our own values and principles to just satisfy the direction du' jour. We have to be centered and grounded somewhere. The new boss that has a whole different approach to how people are treated or what is appropriate as actions in a company setting, can set a new tone that we are going to be expected to adapt to, to go with the flow, and to be considered good at change. But there are sometimes where we must be immovable.

Just because we are believers doesn't mean that it is any easier to see all of the changes that are coming at us. Of course, the big changes are obvious but like the frog in the warming water, sometimes it is hard to see it coming. Paul says to us this in 1 Corinthians 15:58; "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." Paul is telling us that if we work enthusiastically for the Lord first, then we will be able to be immovable in those areas where we need to be steadfast and rock solid. Today, you may be asking yourself in the mirror questions and wondering who you have become? It is never too late to return to where you know you need to be immovable. Today, would be a great day to make the move back to where you know you and God want you to be.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 15:58 (New Living Testament)

day 1022: T.H.I.N.K. - Part Four: Necessary

 "In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary."

The past weeks were filled with news about what happens when an email or communication is discovered that turns out to reveal actions and behaviors that are deceptive, dishonest and unseemly. It's worth taking a few Purposed worKING posts to remind ourselves of how we should conduct ourselves with electronic communication.  There are no secrets in the digital age and so we must T.H.I.N.K. before we act, write or speak.

When we communicate, we need to pull these communications through the filter of "necessary".  There are plenty of examples where no communication at all would have been better than the communication that was released. I am always concerned about communication that ends up being restated, revised or worse yet, pulled back.  In our age of being fast and quick to the punch we can end up overreacting or communicating with emotions versus logic and facts.  Companies that feel like they must push and push out communication just to do so also run the risk of when it is time to communicate something important and needed to be read, that the audience/readers are already desensitized and never even open up the communication.  Don't get me wrong, lack of communication leaves people open to making up their own stories.  That said, being sure that there is a definition of what is necessary is a very good practice.

So many times we would be better off to just sit on our hands and not send something that really isn't necessary.  I think about the "entertaining" things that run around the internet and have to be remembered that anything we send can be misinterpreted by someone else and our reputation becomes associated with that communication.  If we are to be strong in our witness and in our example, then let's be sure that when we do communicate, that we have impact because what comes from us us always thought of as being necessary.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:22 (New Living Translation)

day 884: Growth Gardening

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

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

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

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

day 880: Capital: Part Two - Ideas

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

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

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

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:7