day 1423: This Planning Thing

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."


"Plan. Better than no plan", said by former Secretary of Treasury, Tim Geithner.  He's right, we all have to have plans.  Without plans we end up doing and going any which way. At least with a plan, good or bad, there is a common direction to work from that others can see, hopefully understand, and better yet, follow. I have a friend who plans very little and it shows to everyone around her.  Her husband says it drives him crazy in one way and makes him admire her even more for her freedom to change and adjust for what comes.  But, even he says that they need more planning in their lives.  Companies and organizations that are good at planning are typically ones that succeed in gaining team alignment and achieving objectives on time and within budget.  Without good planning, just about anything can happen.  That all said, when was the last time your organization said, "We need more and better planners"?  If that is not a common statement, then you might want to reassess and be sure that the emphasis on planning is getting enough attention.  And don't get all concerned that too much planning will stifle creativity and innovation.  I haven't seen the movie, nor know what its content is like, but I'm fascinated that the movie "Boyhood" took 12 years to film so that to tell the story the same actor was used as he grew up.  Pretty creative. A whole lot of planning!

What if we could see the plans that God had drawn up for us and then saw that the date stamp on those plans were tens of thousand of years before we were born?  Would that open our eyes even more to the awesomeness of God?   This may be how it worked, we don't know, but we do know that He planned good things for us long ago and that He desires for us to fulfill His plan for us.  Part of that plan is today and what we do with the hours we have in front of us.  Will we work towards His plan today, or delay that plan by a day by working towards our own plan?  God has great things in store for us if we will just let His plan play out for our lives. God's Plan.  Better than all plans!

Reference: Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation)

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day 1385: Resilience

"Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm."

I attended a graduation ceremony yesterday and the theme of one of the speaker was "Resilience".  I woke this morning to read in the New York Times that the former Editor, Jill Abramson, spoke at Wake Forest on the same topic.  The speaker I saw runs a very successful theater organization that grants Masters of Fine Arts in Acting.  She is long-tenured and at the top of her game.  Jill Abramson, is recently unexpectedly fired from her job and trying to figure out what to do next.  Resilience is important in the best of times, and the worst of times. As both speakers highlighted, without resilience we end up going nowhere as we give up and let the forces that are beat us down and make us quit. It's an interesting question to ask; "How much resilience does our organization and its people have?"  Cultures with great amounts of resilience can survive and thrive through the toughest of times.  Those without it, likely die.

It's hard to think of any example of resilience greater than the life that Jesus led. None of us will ever face the negative forces of both Satan and humans that Jesus had to overcome.  He did all of this because on the back side, you and I would benefit.  Could it be that the secret to being resilient is being driven by love?  If we love Him with all that we have, then we will be able to stand up to all that the world will put on us. Today, we will be called on to be resilient.  I can't say what it will be, but it will happen to all of us.  Will we be resilient in a Christ-like way?  With our calling upon him for strength, we can!

Reference:  Ephesians 6:13 (New Living Testament)

day 1381: Retorts

"Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ..."

 Work is filled with back-biting, accusations, taunting and sometimes what can feel like downright slandering. It happens all the time as emails fly around and meetings are held without the knowledge of everyone, or the closed door sessions happen when you can't be there to defend yourself. It gets really hard in these circumstances to take the higher ground and not fall into the trap of wanting to lash back out. We know we shouldn't but it can be so deeply ingrained in the culture of the company to do so, that we feel like we have to battle to hold our own ground. Not all work places are like this, but more have this characteristic than you would imagine.

So how are we to manage in this environment and still keep our purposed working lives pure? Paul gives us a verse in Ephesians 4:15: "Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ...". We know that the ultimate truth which is found in God outweighs all of the untruths and around us daily. We also know that the response of love is always more powerful than the retort or the loss of control in anger or retribution. If we can find ourselves continuously rooted in truth and love then all of the situations we face will be of little consequence in the long-run. In the short-run as we live and work day-to-day we can take confidence knowing that if we stay on the side of truth and love that our attackers have less ammunition and their attacks will be received with much less satisfaction. In our responses to how things and people come after us at work, we can stay rooted in truth and love, then even those who make an enjoyment of building controversy will find other targets. So, today, think through the responses that you will make and the attitude that others will see coming from you. Can they see that you are one who cares only about the truth and love?

Reference: Ephesians 4:15 (New Living Testament)

day 1301: Allowances

 "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."

We make allowances for things at work, all day long, every day. Few projects are on time and perfect. No deal doesn’t have allowances made and compromises taken. Even new buildings have value engineering allowances taken so it doesn’t quite end up being the same as what the original design held for the facility. We are used to making allowances to get things done and have others see our point of view. We give, we take, we give, we take. It is the way of business. The same is true with our bosses and co-workers. In order to get our way, sometimes we have to make our own allowances to be sure that others side with us as we go forward. Allowances are an every day part of work. However, we all know people who make allowances with everything but when it comes to other people. These are the people who fail to see the human side of an instance, or they see it and refuse to acknowledge the weaknesses and fallibility of people. With them, one mistake and you can be marked. We all know these types of bosses and co-workers. I was doing a reference recently for an executive and I had to come clean and say that I felt the one real issue with this person was their inability to give others a break, or allow them to work to high but not perfect standards, standards that not even this executive could claim to meet. Yes, the executive wanted to hold others to a standard that they can’t even uphold. Somewhere in here is, “don’t do as I do, or say….do as I think you should do.” We all need to have someone give us some allowance in our work. None of us are so perfect that we aren’t going to stub our toe or slip up once in a while.

Paul tells us in Ephesians that by being people who can look past the current issues and focus on the good of people, etc.; that we can also still be successful; “"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others faults because of your love." You see, if we truly loved as Paul says we should, then it would not be hard to allow the faults of others. But because we love something else more; ourselves, our career, the money that comes from the job, the power, etc. we don’t allow ourselves to accept the weaknesses in others. Today, think about who others think you are. Are you one who is known by others for the allowances you will take, or the hard-liner who is just waiting for the first slip up? We know that God has high standards when it comes to work and excellence at what we do, but He is not a God who doesn’t at least give us an allowance a day. He is the God who wants you to turn over yourself to Him so that he can assure that the right allowances are given and taken.

Reference: Ephesians 4:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1249: Lose The Cynicism

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

I've written much about the ease of cynicism today.  As we shorten our messages and posts it seems our optimism and hope decreases with every lessened word.  Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers, Seth Godin, wrote this about cynicism:

"Cynics are hard to disappoint. Because they imagine the worst in people and situations, reality rarely lets them down. Cynicism is a way to rehearse the let-downs the world has in store--before they arrive. And the cynic chooses this attitude at the expense of the group. Because he can't bear to be disappointed, he shares his rehearsed disappointment with the rest of us, slowing down projects, betting on lousy outcomes and dampening enthusiasm. Someone betting on the worst outcomes is going to be correct now and then, but that doesn't mean we need to have him on our team. I'd rather work with people brave enough to embrace possible futures at the expense of being disappointed now and then. Don't expect kudos or respect for being a cynic. It's selfish."

My Father said to me as I was growing up, "If you don't have something good to say, then don't say anything at all."  He was right. Paul gave us the same advice in Ephesians. Today, let's drop our cynicism and let's be the positive example of God's Words.

Reference: Ephesians 6:29 (New Living Translation)

day 1234: Working in the Grey

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children"

There is a fascinating conversation happening in the music industry about the morality and ethics of the streaming of music on services like Spotify, Rdio, Pandora, and now iTunes Radio.  Streaming of music by licensed services is fully legal.  But, that has not stopped many from crying out that even though these services are legal, they are not moral or ethical. Why is this?  This past weekend I was hanging with one of my friends who is as hard-core of a music person as you will find.  He and his wife attend live music events at least three times a week. He knows more about bands and who is doing what than I can keep up with.  However, this hardest of core music fans no longer buys music.  Why?  Because, he can stream what he wants to hear, any time he desires.  That behavior, for the creator of music becomes the moral and ethical dilemma to streaming.  It's an interesting and nuanced conversation that is worth more thinking.  We can, and do face these dilemmas in our work as well.  Any time we are faced with something where we have to consider compromise, or are challenged with what doesn't feel right, even though it is legal to do, then we need to think hard about our decisions and actions. And we must realize that we are not alone.  Our customers, employees, partners, and consumers are all watching what we do as well.

As believers, we are not exempted from these decisions.  In fact, we may be more challenged because we should be driven and led by our values and principles. What are we to do?  There are no clear answers, but we are taught that when we find ourselves confused or feeling lost in what we should do, then we are to "imitate God".  Yes, this is why we ask ourselves what Jesus would do. Our challenges at work are seldom black and white. When in the grey, remember that we can rest assured in the imitation of God.

Reference: Ephesians 5:1 (New Living Translation)

 

day 1187: The Three Boxes

“Get rid of all the bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.”

About once every 18 months or so, I would have to ask my assistant to come in on a Saturday with me and help me clean out my office. I was a pack rat. I just felt like I needed to hang on to “stuff”, just in case I needed it for the future. Most of it, I never needed ever again. When Sarbanes-Oxley came along and record retention went from ensuring that the right records were retained, to making sure everything was gone that wasn’t absolutely necessary, I had to get even more aggressive about keeping my files clean. I took a course once on how to best clean out your office. You start with three labeled boxes in the middle of your floor. The first one is labeled; "trash/shred". The second one is labeled; "file somewhere else other than in my office". The third one is labeled; "refile in my office". Every file and drawer in the office is emptied and is to be put in one of the three boxes (or piles) before anything goes back in a drawer or a file. If you are disciplined, what happens is that only the essential stays and all the rest gets trashed or moved out to be determined over time if it is needed (like clothes in our closets, if we haven’t worn them in a year…they can go) or not.

We need to clean out our office regularly just as we need to clean out ourselves too. What should we throw out now to make room for the new stuff? Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:31 what to put in the trash and shred box. He says; “Get rid of all the bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.” At first reading, we might be saying, that is not me. “I am not bitter or have rage, anger towards others and for sure I don’t slander or am I malicious to others”. Most of us are not the prime suspects for these things so pointedly, but we each have a little of these that can creep up when we least expect it. I’m always surprised when I see the nicest looking people yelling something not nice on the highway behind their car windows at someone else. It seems everyone has a little road rage down deep inside of them. We all have the makings of not being nice and allowing our emotions to get the best of us. Work seems to egg it on in most of us too. Now is the time to put the three boxes in your office and evaluate what stays and what goes. A little housecleaning in the middle of the year could be a good thing for all of us.

Reference: Ephesians 4:31 (New Living Testament)

day 1136: Allowance Given

"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."

We make allowances for things at work, all day long, every day. Few projects are on time and perfect. No deal doesn’t have allowances made and compromises taken. Even new buildings have value engineering allowances taken so it doesn’t quite end up being the same as what the original design held for the facility. We are used to making allowances to get things done and have others see our point of view. We give, we take, we give, we take. It is the way of business. The same is true with our bosses and co-workers. In order to get our way, sometimes we have to make our own allowances to be sure that others side with us as we go forward. Allowances are an every day part of work. However, we all know people who make allowances with everything but when it comes to other people. These are the people who fail to see the human side of an instance, or they see it and refuse to acknowledge the weaknesses and fallibility of people. With them, one mistake and you can be marked. We all know these types of bosses and co-workers. I was doing a reference recently for an executive and I had to come clean and say that I felt the one real issue with this person was their inability to give others a break, or allow them to work to high but not perfect standards, standards that not even this executive could claim to meet. Yes, the executive wanted to hold others to a standard that they can’t even uphold. Somewhere in here is, “don’t do as I do, or say….do as I think you should do.” We all need to have someone give us some allowance in our work.

None of us are so perfect that we aren’t going to stub our toe or slip up once in a while. Paul tells us in Ephesians that by being people who can look past the current issues and focus on the good of people, etc.; that we can also still be successful; “"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." You see, if we truly loved as Paul says we should, then it would not be hard to allow the faults of others. But because we love something else more; ourselves, our career, the money that comes from the job, the power, etc. we don’t allow ourselves to accept the weaknesses in others. Today, think about who others think you are. Are you one who is known by others for the allowances you will take, or the hard-liner who is just waiting for the first slip up? We know that God has high standards when it comes to work and excellence at what we do, but He is not a God who doesn’t at least give us an allowance a day. He is the God who wants you to turn over yourself to Him so that he can assure that the right allowances are given and taken.

Reference: Ephesians 4:2 (New Living Testament)

day 1120: Fully Scheduled

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Something we all share equally is the amount of time in an hour.  No matter who you are, your position, or socioeconomic level, an hour is an hour.  Now what we do with it and how productive we are with that hour is not at all the same. There is a science and art to managing calendars and schedules. I have seen the most productive and I have seen some real disasters at managing a calendar.  I am pretty obsessive about my calendar and while not as disciplined about knowing when to say no, I do manage my schedule to my own level of fullness comfort, and sometimes beyond my comfort level.  I like a full schedule in that there is a certain level of productivity that comes with knowing that there is only so much time available to complete the tasks at hand.  We all have had the experience of what happens when the schedule is empty and at the end of the day, we say, “Where did that day go, I didn’t get anything done!”. Schedule fullness and is one that each need to learn and unfortunately it mostly comes with experience and the learning by trial and error.  A key lesson I have learned over the year is to always consider the other people involved so that whatever the decision is that the least amount of disruption to the schedules of others is the best course of action.  Constantly changing a calendar is not good for anyone.

A full schedule does not equate to the fullness of life. In fact, a fullness of schedule can be masking an emptiness of life. Consider that we can many times fill our days and hours with those things that take away our attention from the harder areas in our lives that need to be addressed.  We can find ourselves so busy with the everydays in life that we forget about the things that affect our ever after.  Our calendars and schedules can become so filled that we don’t look after our physical and spiritual well-beings.  Both, when denied take away from the fullness of life that we can experience.  Step back for a moment and look at the last month of your schedule, not to determine if it was full or not, but to determine if it was filled with the right things that you can say that was, “Time well spent”.

Reference: Ephesians 3:19-20 (New Living Translation)

day 1117: Battery Problems, Part 2: Power Sources

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Not only is Boeing's problem with the Dreamliner batteries the fact that a small thing has become big, it is also that the battery problem is source problem and in this case, the power source. When the battery in our car fails, the alternator will help it hold a charge for a while, while the car is running.  But once stopped and the battery is dead, then the car won't restart.  This is the same problem with the Dreamliner, except that in the case of an airplane, once the battery goes dead, or burns up, well, in mid-air that is a lot worse than what happens in our cars.  Power source problems are big problems. We know this when the electrical power goes off.  We also know this when some other source of power for our businesses like a person, a deal, a customer, an investor, etc. runs out of power.  We can't ever become too dependent on singular sources of power. Backups, defaults, new sources should always be in the making. If we sat down and mapped out all of the power sources within our companies or organizations that are at risk, we would probably begin to think differently about what we need to do next to ensure that we don't encounter failures.

I was listening to a Pastor recently who described the four signs of power source problems in our lives.  He said, they were: "Fear, Frustration, Fatigue and Failure".  He detailed each one of these and pointed out that if any of these are overtaking and controlling our lives, or if we are obsessed with them, that we are experience a "power source outage". I was moved by his words, because God did not intend for us to live without power that He came to give us.  He says many times in His Word that He has power to give us, if only we will allow Him to give it to us. Here's the thing, God has His own form or power that He controls and distributes.  In some ways it is like alternating current in that the more we realize we are powerless without Him the more He will give to us.  If we decide that we are going to work and live on our own batteries, which can deplete quickly, then we run the risk of red-lining into fear, frustration, fatigue and failure.  God does not want us to run on our own batteries, He is asking us today to plug into His unending and never interrupterable power source.

Reference: Ephesians 3:19-20 (New Living Translation)

day 945: Misson Driven

"Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth."

Few things about a business give me more confidence than when I see an organization that has a vision and mission that drives and aligns the entire company from top to bottom and steers direction and decision making.  It's really so simple, but so hard to establish and follow that many companies just never get to it and then wonder why they seem to flail and lose direction as the market changes and people come and go. In order to truly be mission driven there must be a deep-seated belief in the mission and then the unwavering discipline to stick with it and keep it alive.  I've seen way too many companies who write a mission statement, hang it on a wall and then go about doing business as if the statement never existed.  That is almost worse than never having put together a mission at all. Not following what we say we are going to follow creates cynicism and distrust.  Both are culture poisons and company killers.  What are you doing to be mission driven in your company, function, department or team?


Purposed worKING is about each of us fulfilling a mission of bringing glory to God through what we have been given as our earthly work. Each day as we approach the office or sit down for that first time in front of the keyboard, are we thinking about this and aligning our words, actions and thoughts in a mission-driven way?  In the church world groups of people come together and then go and do "mission work" in a far off place or in a part of their community that is under served.  Let's take today and start from the inside out with some of our own mission work and be sure that our hearts, mind and soul are truly mission driven.


Reference: Ephesians 4:14 (New Living Translation)