day 812: The Influencers - Part 2, The Bad Guys

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

The power of the influencers is quite awesome in today's business world. Twice last week I heard/read this question:

"Are you best off:

1. Getting 3 minutes on CNN.

2. Getting published in the Sunday Opinion section of the "New York Times" and having your column reach #6 on the most emailed list.

3. Having "a guest post you wrote, published on the blog of someone else who has a large readership?"

And the answer is #3."

According to what I read, having Tim Ferris (author of the Four Hour Work Week) say something good was the only promotion that significantly pushed up the book of author Michael Ellsberg, from #1,295 to #45 on Amazon best seller list.

The power of influencers is here to stay.

What we have to watch for is also the power of the negative influencers. In this age of 140 characters I find it easier to say something negative, be cynical, or pithy than it is to say something good and then say why. If this is true, then we need to watch even more closely what the influencers are saying and feeling about our businesses.

It's sad, but true, that our human nature makes it so easy for us to say something bad about someone else. We do it all the time and then wish we could pull back those words, but it is too late. Negative influence is cancerous and goes around the office too fast. But, we can be the blockers and change that if we desire. We are told in 3 John that "those who do evil prove that they do not know God". Wow. When we don't do or say the right things we are actually telling (and influencing) others that we are ones who don't know God. This is dangerous territory if we understand and realize that our influence can carry far beyond what we think possible. Let's consider and sit with this today and be sure that we aren't getting swept up in the bad stuff that is swirling around us but instead breaking out of the cycle to stand up for what is right and good.

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 811: The Influencers - Part 1, The Good Guys

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

Much of the success of products and services getting known in today's business environment is all about the influencers. We must take the influencers seriously and understand what they are saying, how they are feeling, and what's next on their mind. If we can be one step in front of them, and sway their influence, then that is our best chance to have them say what we want/need them to say or "Like". Yes, that "Like" button is important. Back in the day when I was in the videogame business we would bring in the influencers and have them play the game before it was finished and then listen to them to incorporate their feedback into the game. When the game finally came out if they saw their ideas/suggestions, we had a better chance of them being positive influencers. Upstream contact and engagement with the influencers can go a long way.

Like it or not, we are all influencers, to someone. Actually it is impossible to hide from this even if we don't know who the person is that we are influencing. We have to know this about ourselves if we are to be effective in our ability to bring glory to God in our work. If we recognize and take on the responsibility of being an influencer then we can work to set the right examples and follow through with what God asks us to do. In 3 John we are asked to, "Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children...". Yes, you are an influencer. So the question is, what kind of influencer are you?

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 785: Influencing

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

Yesterday, we read on how we can be influenced. Today's let's spend a few moments on the importance of influencing.

Big companies, big brands, big marketing and advertising budgets, big product launches. We are used to all of these being influencers in our culture and business lives. The bigger and bolder it is the more it gets noticed and if it really means anything then it sticks around and influences our lives and culture. Think about the influence that companies like Apple and Google have had on our everyday lives. And don't forget the Procter & Gambles or the Wal-Marts of the world. They are just as influential, but in a different way. Influence can come in many forms and if a company has it, they not only succeed but they tend to get a wind at their back. It's an important factor to think about when we discuss success criteria of our businesses. Are we influencing the market? Are we influencing the competition? Are we influencing our partners, customers, and ultimately our consumers? If we don't have influence, we don't have clout and it's hard to find momentum.

We are given the task and opportunity to be influencers for the Kingdom each and every day. Throughout this day each of us will have more opportunities to influence in a positive way than we can count. Each word, each inflection, each action are points of influence that we can either manage and make productive for the Kingdom or miss. It's not that we have to be in the face of other people about our faith. It's as much about are we modeling the life that Christ asks us to live for Him? Today, check your words. Check your actions. Check the attitude that others can see and feel coming from you. Are you being a positive influence on others in the office? Whether you know it or not, you are an influencer.

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 784: Influenced

"Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God."

Within our work places they are all kinds of people who we could call influencing. The boss of course, those who work at the top of the organization, the Board, etc. But there are far more influential people within companies than those who have official titles. We know who they are if we will only stop and think about it for a moment. These are the people who for either positive, or not so positive reasons, people listen to and watch for the cues as to what they are up to or not. A study was done a few years ago about who were the influencing kids in a school and fashion was the barometer. The researcher kept asking kids why they wore the shoes they did and each time the answer would be because someone else did. The researcher kept following the names of the ones who were influencing until they got to the kid who said, I wear them because I think they are cool to wear. He was an influential. Why? It's an intangible sometimes that is hard to pin down, but what's important is that we know who the influencers are so that we can utilize them to help establish, move, and spread messages. Keeping our eyes open to know who these people are can make a difference in how we manage our businesses.

As there are those who are influential, we can also find ourselves being influenced. Why is it so easy to fall into the trap of following a bad example? Hard to know really, but going all the way back to high school it seemed like the "bad" influences attracted the "good". Look no further than the movie Grease. The same happens around us everyday at the office. There will be those who are more political and undercutting. There are those who do the back channel talking. There are those who cut the corners and try and trim off the work. Lots of bad influences around us all day. The Bible tells us to watch for the examples around us so that we are not pulled down into their ways. We must stay above it and away from it as best we can. For when we are being influenced, we are influencing others. Think about that today. More to come on this tomorrow.

Reference: 3 John 1:11 (New Living Testament)

day 234: View From The Top

I once was asked to speak at a business conference called, "View From The Top". As I prepared for the session, I felt an enormous amount of pressure being that everyone who was sitting in the audience was expecting something unique and insightful because I was supposed to have some view that was different than everyone else. The view from the top is supposed to be the best view with a vantage point that no one else could have. It's an interesting metaphor but I don't think it holds up totally in business. Just because someone sits in the CEO seat doesn't mean that she/he actually has the best view or point of view. Many times the CEO can get so far away from the customer that they lose all of that perspective. The same can happen with perspective on other parts of the business. They may well know the strategy of the company better than anyone else, but that doesn't mean they have the whole view. It takes, in business, many people with many vantage points and views to put the whole picture together, each having their own view. It's kind of like the eyes of a fly...many, many, many views. Too many companies act like only the views from the top matter, but they are wrong. Each of us bring our own unique vantage point and point of view to the business and if we stand tall with our own point of views, then others will listen and take note. God tells us what the vantage point He wants us to have; "Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates." If our view is always fixed towards watching for the gates of God then our view will never be the wrong one. What we see beyond that view is all additive. At work we all want to see the biggest picture that we can because we believe that the bigger and better the view the more influence we will have in the business. If today you are worried that you don't have a view from the top or not a big enough view, then step back and be glad that God has given you a better view; a view of the top! And when it feels like you can't see what you need to see, then fall back on God and ask Him to open your eyes to what it is that you need to see and to give you a point of view that influences others around you.

Reference: Proverbs 8:34 (New Living Testament)

day 216: Riding In The Golf Cart

I had a very interesting conversation with a business colleague the other day who when we were discussing how best to get things done at work, he said that if you really want to influence the boss and be an impact at work, it is not about getting to the Board Room, it is really about getting to ride in the golf cart with the boss. As I listened to him talk, I realized how true this statement can be. The golf cart can be taken literally or figuratively. For some bosses, literally the golf course and the golf cart is where things get done because to get to that seat we have to be trusted, influential, liked, and at the right hand of the boss. Otherwise, we never get invited. For other bosses, they have their own "thing" outside of work that they will share with certain subordinates and not others. These times can be some of the best times in our careers, but they can also be times of creating animosity with others on the team, etc. So, like many areas in work, something good can be something bad. Yet, the point is that to get some things accomplished, we have to be able to be close enough to our boss that she/he will allow us in the inside circle. And, when we are managers, we do the same thing to those who work for us. So, when we are in our jobs we have to understand that the relationships we build with others is really the best goal we can have in our jobs. To be close to our co-workers and allow them to be close to us can be very powerful. God also wants us to be close to Him and He invites us into His "golf cart" each and every day. We read in Psalm 145:18: "The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth." We can not only in our jobs model the way we are supposed to manage our relationships, but we can also, more importantly, ensure that we are allowing ourselves to accept God's constant open invitation to join Him in His inner circle just by calling on Him. Today, think about the areas in your job that you could use that extra support and confidence. God is waiting for you to call on Him. When you do, he will be there, as close as you could ever imagine.

Reference: Psalm 145:18 (New Living Testament)

day 213: Persuasive Presentations

We all have had to give a persuasive presentation at some point in our work lives. Even if the only one that was required was the time in an interview when you had to sell yourself to someone else, it had to be persuasive. For others, the boardroom is a place where persuasive presentations take place all day long. The room is full of doubters, supporters and those sitting on the fence. In walks the young salesperson who has the big idea on how to increase revenues for the quarter. The salesperson has a presentation deck ready to go and with the launch into the presentation the supporters start to take their rallying positions, the doubters are looking for the flaws and the fence-sitters are watching the room and trying to determine which way the momentum will swing. As the presentation comes to a close the doubters spring forward first; peppering the presenter with one question after another seeing if composure can be broken and if true persistence and commitment is present. The supports wait. They hold back so that at the moment of lull they can shift the tide and bring the presenters boat back up swiftly. And then moment comes when the fencer-sitters start to show their colors and one by one they declare their position. In a matter of minutes a battle has been won or lost all on the persuasiveness, or lack thereof, of the presenter. This is how business gets done. If you are not persuasive and influential in your presentations, then the position is lost. Learning how to be persuasive, how to deliver strong and compelling presentations, and having an arsenal of influence skills are key to success in business. As believers we also have to be resolute in our faith, but we don't have to worry about being persuasive and influential with God. In fact, He doesn't pay any attention at all to those skills from us. He wants the opposite. He looks for us to deny ourselves of these when we come to Him and instead allow Him to flow over and wash over us as we stand by and let it happen with joy and acceptance. What is common about how we approach God and how we approach the boardroom, is that with each we must enter without wavering. We see this in Hebrews 10:22-25: "Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him...Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise." Today, you may have to give a persuasive presentation and win over a bunch of people at work. You should not be afraid to ask God to go into that presentation with you and bring forth His power to help you through that presentation. But, as you enter into that moment with Him know that you can do so with a trusting heart, full sincerity, and the hope that is pure. For God always comes through for us and no matter what we have to present to Him it is like presenting to a room of supporters when we can't even finish the presentation before someone says, "we get it, you've convinced us and we believe in you". It is that feeling of support that God wants us to allow Him to settle down inside of us today. Let His loving persuasiveness persuade you today!

Reference: Hebrews 10:22-25 (New Living Testament)

day 181: Rounding Up

Part of getting anything done at work is knowing your co-workers well enough that you can predict how they will respond to any request or idea. In effective presentation or public speaking classes this would be called, "knowing your audience". It is true, those who are most in tune with the people around them are usually the ones who are the best influencers and can get the most done. If we are not one of those people, we know who that person is and we take our issues to them and get their advice on how to get through to someone or sometimes we ask them to carry the message for us. Being able to know people well enough that you can predict their answers and reactions is a real skill to be developed and honed. Another outcome of this ability is that once you know someone at that level they begin to trust you in return. It's a nice reciprocal. I have also seen that a trait of these people is that they tend to see the best in people as well. They "round up" on others. This means that they aren't always looking for the worst in people, like many people do, instead they look for the best and they see those traits and they build them up and reinforce the goodness in them. If you want to try something that builds trust from others then if you do nothing else, just do this. So many people walk the halls at work worried about where and when the next cutting remark, or the questioning of their ability or performance is going to hit. For many, self-confidence in their jobs is low to start with and then add on the concern that someone is lurking out there just waiting for them to slip, makes for a lot of people walking on egg shells around their co-workers. When someone comes along who will build them up and give them confidence and assurances, then that person becomes someone they trust, listen to and follow. And yes, that same person who rounds up others becomes the one who can influence and get things done through others. Are we not to be the ones who round up on other people? In Psalm 37:31 we read; "Consider the blameless, observe the upright..." Yes, we are to the be the ones in the office who round-up on people not round-down or look for the faults in others. Everyone, other than our Lord, has faults and issues. We don't have to go further than the mirror to find someone with faults. So, as we strive to be the living example of a person for others to want to listen to, learn from and see our purpose then let's start with the simple notion and lesson of "rounding up".

Reference: Psalm 37:31 (New Living Testament)

day 176: Under Armor

I was recently in a meeting where the people in the room were discussing the role that those who create entertainment have in impacting our society and cultural values and norms. It would come as no surprise to anyone that the impact of our entertainment is significant on all us, especially our children. Behind that entertainment are working men and women. We sometimes forget that while they have become celebrities in our culture, they are still people working, doing the best they can in the jobs they have. Among those people are also believers who day in and day out struggle with the output of their work and their own values and principles. As Tim Keller, the Pastor of Redeemer Church in New York City said recently in Christianity Today; "Someone who works in advertising or theater may have to serve for many years at projects hoe for she finds morally ambivalent. Even those who rise to positions of responsibility will find no clearly marked path." And so it is true for all of us who are believers and work outside of the ministry. We daily travel a path through our work lives where the lining is filled with those who would hate for us to succeed at our larger purpose. Yet, we do the best we can to be in this world, but still not be of it. We are careful about how we express our faith around us so that we don't alienate or push people away from us. We work with our highest set of values and principles and we discipline ourselves to be true the teachings and examples of Jesus. I describe this as wearing the under armor of God. God gives us His armor in the Bible for us to wear so that we are protected and carry with us the defenses of His power, grace and spirit. We are called to don His armor in Ephesians 6:13; "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." There are many who wear the armor of God under their work clothes and daily they are making an impact on others and for the better. As you "suit up" today for work, think about this and be sure that you have put on your under armor and that you are prepared today for the big and small battles before you. And as you pray today, add in those who work in those industries and positions of responsibility and influence that they too will put on their armor each and every day and fight the good fight so that they may have positive influence over the messages that so influence our culture. Be strong and know that your quest to bring purpose to your work is a righteous calling.

Reference: Ephesians 6:13 (New Living Testament)