day 1400: Are We Really Listening?

While I am on a pilgrimage walk on the Camino de Santiago (St. James Way) in Spain, I have asked some of the most committed and courageous faith-driven business leaders I know to guest contribute to Purposed worKING.  Enjoy! - Rusty
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“A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

There is one thing that seems to be a common thread for me this year – “hear all sides before creating an opinion.”  Throughout all areas of my life, whether it’s in my day-job in executive recruiting, as a board member, or as a parent, I have seen how easy it is to form an opinion or pass judgment.  In today’s world of connectivity and loud chatter there is no shortage of opinions. Just read your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn feeds. Read the WSJ, NY Times, the forbidden People Magazine or listen to the office gossip. We are bombarded with messages and assumptions… “I can’t believe they let her go?” “Why was she promoted instead of him?”  “That’s an awful yelp or glassdoor review!” “We should retain XYZ firm, they rocked the presentation.” “The Board of Directors’ decision was ridiculous – why would they ever pursue that path.”  Personally and professionally we develop opinions and make assumptions as fast as Drew Brees can throw a touchdown pass (couldn’t help but mention my ‘who dat’ team!) If we make key decisions without hearing both sides or digging deeper for clarification, we risk making unwise decisions. We are striving to be wise leaders, leaders that people can trust. Alan Alda once said, "Listening is being able to be changed by the other person."

Catch yourself now! As you hear or see something or if you are close to “jumping on the band-wagon” -- seek counsel, ask clarifying questions, seek references just to confirm your initial assessment. Acquiring wisdom and knowledge through wise counsel takes a bit of extra time. Having the courage to ask tough questions can’t be underestimated when you have significant decisions to make. As His Word tells us in James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  This pushes us to partner closer to God as we listen first and then take His direction. Before passing judgment by only hearing one-side-of-the-story, take heed to the Word to listen, remain teachable and have a receptive attitude.  With all the messages being sent to us every day, filter out what the Lord is telling you.  We need to allow His word to develop us to be the wise leaders Christ calls us to be.

Reference: Proverbs 1:5(NKJV)

Cecelia Gonzalez

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 1295: Crossing the Generations

"But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands."

A favorite opinion writer of mine is David Brooks.  I am fascinated with those like Brooks who can cover a far-ranging set of topics.  Brooks is a also a sociologist and brings interesting insights into communities, behaviors, norms, etc. A while back he wrote a column in the New York Times on how we change throughout the decades of our lives.  He placed these descriptors on each:

In our 20's - superman (person), possibilities, feverish energy, joiner, brave, entrepreneurial, unsympathetic to others

In our 30's and 40's - political scientist, lower estimations of own power and greater estimation of the power of institutions where you participate, faith in your navigation skills, adaptation, responsive to the "market" around you

In our 50's and 60's- sociologist, understanding of the power of relationships over individuals, managing and coaching, ambition fades and is transferred to the appreciation of ambitions of others, reflective and sentimental

In our 70's and 80's - historian, favoring tradition, appreciation of luck/fate, recognize the power of the dead over the power of the living

See yourself in this set of descriptions?  See your customers/consumers anywhere in here?

This is a path we will all walk, the question is what we will be like when we get there and what we will do to make the most of the understanding of what it means to successfully cross the generations.

As we start this New Year (my Pastor likes to say that the whole month of January is the start), we need to consider how we are aging and maturing in chronological, emotional and spiritual levels.  We may already have our 2014 goals set, but like anything else, success comes from looking and relooking at where we are and where we are trying to go.  If our spiritual growth is not at the top of our 2014 priorities, then we should recalibrate now and ensure that we have our priorities correct.  How we cross the generations is important and how we think about the future starts today.

Reference: Exodus 20:6 (New Living Translation)

day 1190: Predictive Streams.

"Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come."

It was only a matter of time before predictive search became the topic of the day.  Yesterday the New York Times ran an article on what Google Now is doing and how getting technology to think one step ahead of us is going to be the next big thing.  If technology is about solving a problem, then I think they are right. I for one am inundated with so many inputs from multiple sources that I can't keep up with the things I want to do that really make a difference.  When we get to the point that we want to shut it all off to find time to think, then we should know that we are in need of better ways to manage all of the data and information that is flowing towards us.  If predictive search works and through anticipation and pattern recognition, technology can create prediction streams to lessen the burdens and relieve the hiccups that might occur, then I think we will forgo concerns of privacy and tech companies knowing too much about us. I stand ready for whatever this next wave will be in this area and we'd be smart to all watch the trends here.  It might seem silly to us now, but give it a few years and our consumers and customers will be expecting us to comply and fit into their prediction streams, not ours.  

We were long ago given the greatest predictive stream and that is the knowledge that God sees ahead of us, will show us that path, and lead us to a final destination of glory and being with Him.  Faith and trust in God is the best predictive search we could ever want or need.  Of course, we should enjoy the technology that man has created from the talents that God gave us, but we need not worry about the future or feel as though our lives in totality are ever out of control.  All we need to do is truly give over to God our future, our careers, our jobs, our worries and concerns and He will do the rest.  Knowing that God runs our predicitive search engine and fills our predictive streams with His waters is pretty cool!

Reference: Jeremiah 33:3 (New Living Translation)

day 1180: Personality Power

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him.

In April, a random book hit the bookshelves in the U.S. titled, "The Cuckoo's Calling".  Since its' publishing date and through this last week it had sold a whopping 500 copies. The author Robert Galbraith had received some good reviews but the sales were like most first novels, weak and uninspiring.  With only 500 copies or so sold, there wasn't much opportunity for social buzz to get it going.  So, like most other books, the author wouldn't recoup his advance and the book would be out of print before it got started and Mr. Galbraith would be able to call himself a published author and get on with his next novel, or back to his day job.  That is until this past weekend when the world found out that Robert Galbraith was actually someone named J.K. Rowling. Since that discovery, "The Cuckoo's Calling" has run through it's print run, the publisher is scrambling to meet demand, and I predict in a few weeks time Robert Galbraith will be a New York Times best-selling author, if not a #1 spot holder.  Lest we think that there isn't power in personality?  This is a great reminder that we need to use all we have when launching new products or services. We so want to idealistically think that the great idea we have will take off on its' own, but in truth to make it through the clutter, it does not hurt to have personality behind it to give it the power to get off the launch pad.  This is why considering partnerships, strategic alliances, or even letting others take the spotlight in the promotion or branding may be the better way to success.

I shy away from promoting myself or thinking that my personality/brand makes a difference for God and the expansion of the Kingdom.  I feel like it is having too much pride. But, each time I hear about or meet someone who's personality and brand proceed them, only to find out later that they are believers, I think, "How wonderful it would be if more people knew of their faith and what an example they could be."  Remember the Sunday School song verse: "Hide it under a bushel basket? NO!...I'm gonna let it shine!"  In Philippians, we are told that God works in and through us and He gives us power to bring Him pleasure and glory.  It well could be that part of that power is our personality, our brand, our presence, that we are supposed to be bringing into the world to be the example of His power.  The question we have to ask ourselves is this;  "Are we leaving God's message in an unknown state for those around us or are we putting our full personality behind Him to bring His love into the mainstream of our lives for others to see lived out and through us"?

Reference: Philippians 2:13 (New Living Translation)

day 1163: Where We Are

"Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Adam Alter wrote a very interesting article in this past weekend's New York Times, discussing the influence of who we are being very much shaped by where we are.  Alter draws from the research from James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling who wrote the 1982 Atlantic Monthly article that explained the "Broken Window Theory", which was broadly popularized by Rudy Giuliani as Mayor of New York City during his campaign to clean up New York. In a nutshell, we human beings are chameleons and we will adapt to the cues and signals around us.  If we are in a dirty and littered location then we will not feel inclined to keep anything neat and organized.  The opposite is also true.  We can take this research into our businesses.  The culture and environment that we create, or let appear without our creation (warning: this is what happens), is all it takes to send the messages of how we want people to work, behave and even take accountability.  A good friend has now gone back into a CEO position after a few years out.  He has returned to the company that he built.  According to those who work there, there is a feeling of change in the air.  An employee mentioned to me that the attention to detail on how the campus is kept clean is back and the messages of the environment are signaling that there is serious business about to happen, again.  And, without having to say much about it, employees are taking notice and upping their work attention and performance.  Where we are yes, can shape who we are.

I wonder if Adam and Eve, after they had eaten from the forbidden fruit, didn't later in life sit and talk about the decision that they made and how things might have been different had they not focused on just the one tree.  See, they missed that the rest of the Garden of Eden was everything and all that any person could have ever wanted or dreamed of obtaining.  But, instead of saying to each other, "Hey, let's not even think about going over there, let's explore and hang out everywhere else", they just had to go check out the one place that God told them to avoid.  And, who did they find when they decided to venture?  Yep, the same that any of us will find when we allow ourselves to be shaped by where we are.  Even today, there are offices, cubicles that you know you will be safer and better by not visiting.  Consider that today, we can all be, because we are human and vulnerable, become shaped by where we are. How will that change the course of today?

Reference: Genesis 3:9 (New Living Translation)

day 1150: Road Warriors

"So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea."

My former boss at Electronic Arts is now the Chairman of the United States Olympics Committee (USOC).  This past weekend the New York Times did a story on the USOC and how they have improved, strengthened and built better relationships with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  The article tells how he and the CEO he hired have worked tirelessly to repair what formerly was perceived as unfair, and maybe even arrogant behavior of the USOC.  What was interesting about the article too is that they went out of the way to describe the high level of travel and days on the road that both the Chairman and CEO have logged.  As I read this, it reminded me that even in this day and age of very accessible and reliable digital communication that still today the face to face to meeting matters.  But, it's also more than that I think. It's not only the face to face, it's the effort that gets put into the face to face meeting that proceeds and colors the meeting.  If someone comes half way around the world to meet with you, it is hard to not start the meeting with respect and appreciation.  That extra effort, however it takes shape, can maybe mean the difference in a successful meeting or not. Maybe this is why the road warriors seem to still have an edge up, even today.

Jesus was a road warrior.  He moved from place to place and along the way, met people in their places of need.  He didn't just go to Jerusalem and set up shop in the Temple and have people come to Him.  He knew much better. He knew that in order to reach people in their hearts and minds, that He had to be among them. This is a great example for us to follow.  Today, where are you planning on having lunch?  Will you be among your team?  How many meetings will be in your office, versus out on the floor or in another part of the building? Reed Hastings from NetFlix doesn't even have an office.  He comes in each day and finds someplace to sit down and works from there.  When he has meetings, they are where the person sits, not him.  Even in our own workplace we can demonstrate what it means to be a "road warrior". Even in our own offices we can meet people where they are, just as Jesus did.

Reference:  Luke 4:44 (New Living Translation)

day 1054: Co-opetition

"A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking."

Tom Friedman wrote in yesterday's New York Times about the need to collaborate to solves big problems.  He contrasts how Silicon Valley works so well with companies, innovators and entrepreneurs working together to advance the agenda of technology and innovation, to the lack of collaboration of our government representatives. He posits that without collaboration that the big issues we face will not be overcome.  He is right about Silicon Valley.  Even though there is a great deal of competition here, there is still an overarching shared sense of optimism and willingness to assist each other to move bigger things forward.  Friedman quotes LinkedIn Founder and Chairman, Reid Hoffman when he calls this "co-opetition". It is true that we all need each other and even competitors need to work together to solve bigger industry problems.  This is why it always best to be on the best terms with those we compete and always be open to the idea of "co-opeting".

As believers we will many times think that our cooperating and collaborating should be in times of need and help.  If that is the only time we are fellowshipping or spending time with other believers then we are missing blessing and opportunities to grow from these positive and encouraging interactions. Yes, we have to be there for each other when the boat needs filling but let's also be sure that we are there for each other when we see the beginning of the opportunity, when the fish are about to start running.  In our workplaces, there is always someone who needs to know that we will welcome cooperation and not let our competitive nature overtake the giving of ourselves. This example could well be what opens the opportunity for us to share why we are who we are and what it means to bring glory to God in our work.

Reference: Luke 5:7 (New Living Translation)

day 931: The Cost of Cheap

"But King David replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!”

I loved this sketch and article by Carl Richards in the New York Times.  See: http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/the-case-for-spending-a-little-more-sometimes/

Mr. Richards' thesis was that waiting until we can afford to buy good things that will last, or that we will use for a long time, is a better economic decision. The old adage, "We're too poor to buy cheap things" was quoted and it reminded me of the many times in my own life when I have forgotten the power of delayed gratification and I purchase out of impulse because of the catalyst of a sale or seeming bargain only to be disappointed later that I didn't wait or save up for what was the better purchase.  Of course some businesses are built on the principle of cheap, available and disposable, but I'd prefer to think that after time the "Old Navy's" of the world become something else.  We have a store not far from our Rhode Island home called "Benny's".  Our best friend's twin girls over the years (they are 16 now) have come to call the store, "Broken Benny's" because whatever you buy there seems to break or wear out within a few week or months of purchase.  And when you add up the dollars spent, you find that you ended up overspending versus buying quality the first time. As I once told a professional services vendor, "Look, I'm an American consumer, and that means I want it now, I want it perfect, and I want it free...or at least cheap".  What Mr. Richards points out so well is that we can't have our "cheap" cake and eat it too.

King David describes that not all things in life should come free and in fact, we should always pay a fair price for those things that we purchase. We have become so accustomed to wanting everything for free or below what we want to pay.  We are reminded over and over in God's Word that we are to be fair to others and that we all pay a price for the lives that we live.  We have to look no further than the price that was paid for our salvation to understand and model that if we aren't willing to pay our own price to commit, follow and share our belief in Jesus that we are missing out on what He paid for us.  When it comes to our role as believers in the workplace and our striving to bring glory to Him in all that we do, let's never try and take the cheap way out but instead pay forward the price that was paid for us!

Reference: 1 Chronicles 21:24 (New Living Testament)

day 134: Memo to Phil, Part 2: The Message From Afar

In the book of Philemon, Paul asks Philemon to take into his team a man named Onesimus. It is clear in the letter that Paul has some convincing to do before Philemon is going to say yes. Paul is not onsite at the time. He is far away and he is having to do this through a letter. Have you every had your boss ask something that could be a little controversial to you through a letter, a memo, a voice mail or an email? Of course you have. We all have. And if we are a boss, we have done it ourselves. It is impossible for a boss to be in all places at once so there are times where there is no choice because of travel, distance, time zones, or the need for speed, that the boss has to make a request not face to face or even live on the phone. There was an interesting article in the New York Times recently by Matt Richtel who was lamenting that our forms of communication are so reliable now that it has become implausible in fiction to have something happen to the characters because they couldn't connect or be late without updating each other. It is true, but even so, there are many times in the workplace where the communication doesn't come live and we have to accept requests or do things we don't want to do because the boss asks us from afar or through written communication. In the book of Philemon Paul does this but he does so in a way that gives Philemon the context he needs to understand why Paul couldn't communicate live. In verse one he says, "This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus..." There is the context of why he can't be there to talk this through with Philemon live and hear out his concerns, thoughts and questions. Paul was in prison. I have been the one, as the boss, who has had to make these kinds of requests over email or voicemail and there were times that I certainly felt like I was in prison in a meeting, a conference, on a plane, or multiple time zones away. The point is that as we ask, or when we receive these messages, we should consider that the reason why the request is coming like it is, is many times critical in the acceptance or rejection of the message. Paul provides Philemon a context and reason that can't be argued. We don't always have such a valid reason, but whatever the cause that we can't be there, it is important to share it, and be honest. It might be that you as the boss had to put the priority of family first and you are sending an email from your son's little league baseball game. That's okay, just whatever, tell it like is is and the truth will be enough. Tough messages from afar are not easy to send or receive so take the time when you get one to consider the whole context, take a deep breath and then try and understand what is being asked or said. As we step through Paul's letter to Philemon in the coming days, we will see that Paul goes on to explain even more why this request and what good can come from listening and taking the perspective of understanding the whole picture before responding.

Reference: Philemon 1:1 (New Living Testament)