day 1006: Conversations - Part 3: All On The Table

"Then the Lord said, I am Jesus"

This is the last post on this three part series on conversations.  I wrote of the power of the first name in a conversation and then I followed that up yesterday with how important it is that we take a conversation deeper through getting to know the person to whom we are talking. And then there is the trust thing and getting everything on the table if want to have a productive, constructive and worthwhile conversation.  One sided conversations or ones where there is either an obvious power or influence difference don't usually end up being as fruitful as we desire.  The same frustration can occur when one side of the conversation is guarded and doesn't put everything out on the table but instead leaves the other person not trusting that they know everything they need to know.  All day long we can fight these problems in the conversations we have at the office.  What we need to do is ensure that our cultures are such that everyone is on the same plane and that full disclosure and transparency is in the DNA.  It's actually a very, very important organizational trait to monitor and reinforce, both in the positive and when it is not happening.  It means having the courage to confront and call out bad behavior and if there are repeat offenders, helping them find their way into another company.  Companies can't afford the wasted time, the half-steps that get taken because of lack of trust, and the incomplete conversations that just suck energy out of an organization because the foundational elements for good conversations isn't there.  If you sense that your company, or your team, department, function, etc. isn't having the right level of conversations, then today would be the day to start doing something about it.

When Saul asked back to the voice from heaven, "Who are you, Lord?", God could have easily said back to Saul, "I am who you think I am", or "Yes, I am the Lord", or even, "You don't need to know more than this Saul". But, that is not our Lord's way.  He loves conversation with us so he allowed Saul to ask the question and then He answered with His grace, "I am Jesus." God puts it all out on the table with us each and every day and in every moment so that we can have the best conversation with Him possible. It's all up to us to to open up to Him and and not hold back.  As we think about how we can strengthen our conversations with others, all in the hopes of bringing glory to Him in all we do, we can also spend the extra time this week to open our conversation with God more fully.  He is calling our name, asking to know more, and putting everything out there and on the table for us.  Now it's just up to us.

*For those who are reading this and want more on the conversation and conversion of Saul, I recommend you check out the current teaching series: Radical Change by Pastor Terry Brisbane at http://www.cornerstone-sf.org/tv/channel/messages/http://www.cornerstone-sf.org/tv/channel/messages/

Reference: Acts 9:5 (New King James Version)

day 895: Until It Sinks In

"A third time He asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Many business leaders can't understand why their messages and communications don't stick with employees.  The level of frustration can be very high when messages either don't get through or don't stick.  Sometimes it is not the message, it is the continuity of the message.  Let's face it, one of the major issues that any organization has is getting people to take accountability for communication. And, it's not only the sending part but just as importantly, the receiving end.  It's very easy for someone who was to have heard something to blame the sender for "poorly communicating".  That's why, as leaders or managers, we need to know what we want to say, say it, and then say it over and over until it sinks in.  A good lesson is that we shouldn't stop saying the same thing until someone we really trust says, "Boss, we got it."  It's important to note that we really can't over communicate and consistency of message is a positive, not a negative by any means.

Jesus was a great communicator and He used repetition many times in His communication. From many examples we can see that we as human beings have to be told over and over, questioned over and over, and repeated to before things will sink again.  The symbolism and impact of Jesus asking Peter three times if he loved Him paralleled the three times that Peter denied Jesus previously.  The Pastor of my church, http://Cornerstone-sf.org, recently taught on this and pointed out that Jesus was also using the three times of questioning to Peter to also help him work through his own self-doubts.  We could all stand to have Jesus ask us more than once if we love Him and to reaffirm to ourselves and Him that we do!  Let's today ask ourselves what is it that we are communicating to others and ourselves over and over and what messages do we need to continue to reinforce to bring glory to God in the work we do?

Reference: John 21:17 (New Living Testament)

day 856: Speed Bumps

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that is promised."

Yesterday, Congress passed the "Jobs Act". Among many incentives for businesses, the Act really opened up the path for start-ups to move from an idea to a full-fledged business with less regulations and speed bumps. There are also some very creative allowances for how to fund a company that provides more opportunities on how to tap capital infusions. Some would say that the removal of the speed bumps will accelerate companies moving into the public markets and/or receiving more capital. This might be true but it doesn't provide any underlying accelerators really. The only accelerators to faster business growth (even with unlimited capital) are the talent of the people in the organization and market readiness, which can certainly be influenced by marketing and creativity. When we see an overnight success we think they all can be that way. Don't we wish. What we need to remember is that perseverance and commitment goes a long way and we should not forget that the long run also gets us to the same destination and that speed bumps are only there to make us less reckless.

We can't accelerate God's timing or God's will either. Paul tells us in Hebrews that we must be patient and have endurance. The Pastor of my church (http://cornerstone-sf.org) , Terry Brisbane, spoke over the winter about this and I noted what he said one Sunday, "Faith is preparing for the moment that will never happen, but we believe it will." How remarkable our careers and lives could be if we were to wake each day with that imprinted within us? If we did, then when we hit our own work and life speed bumps we could just power through with the faith and endurance that God expects from us. Let's today consider where we are letting the speed bumps get the best of us and figure out what we need to change in ourselves that lets God power through for us!

Reference: Hebrews 10:36 (New Living Testament)