day 682: Tracking

"And the very hairs of your head are numbered."

I worked with a Chief Operating Officer whose working statement was: "Inspect what you expect and expect what you inspect". As can be imagined, in order to inspect what is expected, the business must have metrics and measurables that can be ranked, stacked, compared and evaluated. Finding the root metrics is one of the hardest things to do. Businesses that can get those down to five or less can really drive results. Those that measure tens if not hundreds of factors can find themselves awash and overwhelmed with trying to compile, count and decipher the data into useful information. I was in a meeting recently where the group I was with was able to get the root metrics down to two...an incoming and an out-flowing measurement, both that were clear and obvious so that if either of these were moving we would be able to see and impact the health of the organization. It was like the light-bulb came on when the two were thrown out on the table to discuss. It was so evident that we then wondered why we had missed them for so long. Being able to track the root causes and influences of a business and use that tracking to gauge progress and bring about improvement may be the best business tools of all.

We are blessed to know that God tracks us too. We, as His children, are the core and most important thing to Him. In Matthew He tells us that He is watching, counting, and tracking us. To think that the hairs on our head are numbered is for God to say yo us that everything about us is important to Him. What a gift that truly is to know that He cares that much. For us then to not take our spiritual growth seriously is to ignore and to take God's attention that He has for us for granted. Let's today step back and see what we are measuring and tracking in our own lives and see if we can't come to the root measurements that can make an eternal difference.

Reference: Matthew 10:30 (New Living Testament)

day 469: Measuring Sticks

Much of what we do within our jobs and work is see if we measure up or not. Every company has their own way of measurementto evaluate how their employees are growing, developing and performing. Much time and effort goes into perfecting and coming up with a measurement system that accurately captures and rewards the best performers. Beyond the formal systems that are in place, there are many informal and unspoken measures that are occurring each and every day, in every function and every department. We each have our own measuring stick that we bring to work and we measure others to see if they are living up to our standards. When they don't we either help others measure up, or we write them off and move on to work with someone else who would be better to get the job done. This happens all day long, every day. Inherently there is nothing wrong with this as long as the measuring stick is the same for ourselves as it for everyone else. If we don't hold ourselves to the same standard, but we judge others, then we are not doing what is right. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 7:2; "For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged." Today, pull out your measuring stick and be sure that the side that is facing you has a mirror on it so that you are never measuring others in way that you would not want to also be measured.

Reference: Matthew 7:2 (New Living Testament)