day 1362: Service Wow!

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

I was so fortunate to have been able to attend four days of The Masters this past weekend in Augusta, Georgia.  I have been to lots of events, but nothing like this.  Beyond the beauty, the majesty and the tradition, the customer service at the event (for 200,000 people) was beyond anything I had ever experienced.  No matter where you went, what you did, or who you interacted with, every bit of how it could be the best for an attendee has been thought through and is executed upon daily. They have it right, and anyone who wants to send someone in their organization someplace to get their minds wrapped around how to deliver a service wow, should be working on how to get that person a ticket to next year's Master Tournament. 

What also happened to me while in the midst of all that great service was that I found myself wanting to emulate the same in how I treated other attendees.  And, with the way that each person was respectful to others property, space and goings about, proved to me that we can co-exist in a much more accommodating and serving way.  I was reminded more than once that our example in how we treat and serve others is a Christ-like example.  When everyone is acting in an attitude of service, it is obvious and the opposite stands out distinctly.  When we live out our actions with a heart and attitude of service, it stands out just as much and others will take notice.

Reference: Matthew 20:28 (New Living Translation)

day 1058: Day of Service

"The list included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle..."

Monday is Martin Luther King Day and a holiday for most of us. It is also been designated a National Day of Service. Some companies are great at banding together to find a way to do service in their community.  Some of the best times that are remembered are when we who spend 8, 10, or 12 hours a day in the office with each other, get out of the office and work together to make the community better.  Companies who don't do this are really missing out on the chance to deepen relationships and bonds that make the company and teams stronger. We have to remember that people don't work for companies, they work for people and if we want to attract and retain the best of the best that we need to remember that finding those opportunities to bring people together for a bigger good is a strong attractor and retention tool.

The Bible is full of examples of those who served, and of course Jesus taught us how to give of ourselves and be a servant leader.  Going all the way back to the choice of those who could serve in the Tabernacle we can see that God counted and knew those who could and would serve Him and others. Serving in our churches are also part of our Christian growth.  Finding those opportunities to give of our time and talents to help others develop and grow is part of of how we should serve.  As we think about how we bring glory to God in our work and jobs, let's open our eyes and hearts to the points where we can be of service and develop a true sensitivity, willingness and readiness to step up and forward when the opportunity to serve arises. This just another way that we can be counted on to reflect the heart of our Lord.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and National Service Day (PwK will resume on Tuesday Jan. 22)

Reference: Numbers 4:43 (New Living Translation)

day 667: Service

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

It's not that abnormal to hear someone talk about "servant leadership" as a way of managing and leading. Books have been written on the subject and there are many seminars to attend, etc. But seldom do we hear that is is important to be a servant co-worker. To help others and to serve them is not something we talk about much. Yet, those who take the time to help others, and to "serve" them and their needs and priorities over their own usually turn out to be the people who others find their way to liking. It makes good sense but why is it so hard to be one of these people? If we don't work for a servant leader then the idea of spending time on other people may not be recognized or rewarded from the boss so it doesn't become a part of the culture. If we could all adopt the concept that we can and should serve others before ourselves, just think how much better the workplace would be? There's no reason why this can't be started, today. I have seen many a team or department full of servant co-workers and it can be traced back to one or a couple of people who infectiously and consistently maintain an attitude of servitude. So, why wait? Think about being the person in your company, or team to create a servant attitude culture starting today!

The idea of serving is universal and there are many ways to do so. What we are told by Paul is that regardless of how we serve we should continue to remember that the focus and the reason for our servitude comes from our service to the one Lord. As we serve others we want them to see our service of the Lord shining brightly through us. As we go about serving others, let us remember that we are doing so in His name and that our own consistent and willing attitude towards others can open up the door to share with others the message of our Lord. So, let us serve, serve always, and serve well, all in His name!

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

day 429: Working the Organization

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 365: Service Anniversary

Today marks another anniversary in the life of Purposed worKING. Started on October 1, 2008, the idea was to write these posts each business day for one calendar year, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. When September 30th, 2009 rolled around and I was looking at one full year of writing, I was going to put this to rest, but I started having people ask me to not stop the writing. So, I decided to continue for three more months and during that time pursue the possibility of collecting the posts into a written daily devotional book and try publishing them that way. After talking to a couple of publishers, who were quick to tell me that the "devotional book" business was significantly "off" commercially and that there wasn't much interest in this topic, I told myself that it was not time to stop but push through until I had finished 365 posts. For the past few weeks I had been thinking on how I would wind this down after 365 but a funny thing began to happen. I began to get unsolicited emails and comments of encouragement about the blog. They were random from a broad set of people. As i looked at the collection I heard, "keep at this, it is meaningful to me". I then was approached on Sunday by a fellow worshiper in our church, who I had not met before, who told me that the blog is a real help to him in his job as a believer in a secular role. That is what Purposed worKING was meant to do. I marvel at how God does talk to us. So, I stand in service to God and to you and have decided to continue on. This time, there is no finish line, marker or milestone, but if I am supposed to hang it up at some point, I am sure I will know when that is. And, I know that if this writing is meaningful to you, that you will spread the word. What I also know is that service to others is part of how to live out our Purpose. Shirley Chisholm said, "Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth." Jesus admired and lifted up those who served others. Today, you may be in a job or doing work where you wonder if you are really serving anyone in what you do. Question this no further. You only have to look at the things you do to make the work easier for someone else, or to help them be better in their job, or to provide some relief when others are overwhelmed, or to see that what you do is a part of a team that succeeds and keeps all of you and your families employed and able to keep food on the table and the kids in school. We are all in service of each other if we embrace that attitude and bring it out in our work each day. And for me, it is my privilege and honor to serve you with this continued set of writing.

Have a great weekend!