day 1338: Ready For The Fire Drill?

"Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you."

Even though they are technically called Emergency Evacuation Drills we still call them by the name we learned long ago; Fire Drills. We've all been through them at work at some point or another. Just when we are in the middle of an important phone call or meeting, the alarm sounds and out we go to stand on the lawn or concrete and wait for the evacuation manager and the floor wardens to clear the building and allow us back in when the "all clear" is sounded. It always seems like such a pain and a bit of a waste of time, even though in the real one, we all want to be prepared and out the door pronto. Because we all have been through the drills many times, we have come to call those assignments and requests that come to us in the last moment or the least acceptable time and don't end up producing anything of substance, as another "fire drill". There is nothing more precious that we have at work than our time so when someone wastes it with an unnecessary request it can take us all the way to angry and make us quite resentful. Which makes it all the more important that we not waste others time either. We have many choices each day when we ask for time from others. Before each request we should evaluate to ensure that what we are asking for will make a difference, yield a needed result, and most importantly, be the best use of the other person's time. No one like a fire drill exercise. All that said, the real evacuation and fire drills are to keep all of us on our toes and for us to be alert at all times so that we can be ready and prepared if there is an emergency. This is not a bad lesson in life as well. There are certain dangers in life, both literally and figuratively that we must always be ready for and prepared to avoid.

Mark tells us in his gospel that we must always, "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you." Certainly at work we are faced daily with temptations that don't show up in other parts of our lives and we compartmentalize them because they are on the job, away from home, and away from others who know us. The danger is there that we will begin to live two lives...one who we are at work and the other who we are away from the job. God tells us how to avoid this by staying alert in prayer. Mark's words go on to say that we need to do this because, "For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak". Today, you will face temptations on the job. These temptations are personal to you. Think of them as the needed fire drill, not the time wasting ones, to keep you on your toes and alert. Use these "fire drills" as productive outcomes to remove those lingering temptations before the real emergency hits. Not far from your office, down the hall or around the corner, is a red box with a handle on it. When the emergency comes that is where you go to sound the alarm. When you see the red box today, stop and say a prayer to God to keep you alert spiritually too and cognizant of the temptations that you face and to help you overcome each and everyone of them today. This is a "fire drill" that is actually productive and good to have every day.

Reference: Mark 14:38 (New Living Testament)

day 1304: SRO

"They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus."

This is GRAMMY week.  For me, in my final year as Chairman of The GRAMMY Foundation, I will be at a number of events this week where it will be standing room only, SRO.  I always marvel at the number of people who want to attend The GRAMMYs.  The demand is high.  Behind this interest is a love of music. Wouldn't it be great if we could get our customers and consumers to desire our business at the same level?  It's not impossible.  If we know the loves of our customers/consumers and what they desire and why, then we might be able to have them clamoring for us.  If you think it can't be done, ask Apple what it feels like to launch a new product. It can be done.

Are we willing to do whatever it takes to be in the front-row presence of Jesus.  When it was SRO there were four men who so wanted to have Jesus heal their paralyzed friend, that they climbed onto the roof to cut a hole to lower their friend before Him. The gift that God gave us through Jesus is that we can have full access to Him at any time, all the time.  It is only up to to us.  Are we willing to do what it takes, like the four men were willing? As we work this week, let's be sure that we are staying up close and personal to Jesus.

Reference: Mark 2:4 (New Living Translation) 

day 1262: Recognizing What We Already Have (redux)

 I'll be traveling and taking some vacation time through November 15th, so Purposed worKING will be revisiting some earlier posts until then...

Consultants, which are everywhere it seems, are many times a function of the principle that we just don't believe we have good enough ideas or expertise inside of our organizations and that we must go outside of the company to get what we need. It's the grass is greener on the other side thing. So, consultants are brought in to tell us what to do and give us their big ideas. How many times though have we sat around during or after the consultants' presentations and say to ourselves sarcastically, "Yeah, like tell me something I don't already know!". What is clear about this, so many times, is that the ideas and the expertise is already in the house, we just haven't figured out how to unlock those or we have put constraints on allowing people the freedom to express their opinions or implement their ideas. But, if someone comes from the outside, they don't carry any baggage and they don't feel any inhibitions to bringing forward their ideas, even though those ideas may not be anything new.

We as believers know an account of a man who was not listened to in his own hometown. I often think of the people who were in Nazareth who missed out on being able to be up close and personal with Jesus because they just couldn't see past the familiarity of who he was. The same may be happening within your own company today. Are there people who have the answers and the ideas but we are looking past them because we are familiar or we don't listen to them because we don't like the way they say it, or we have heard it before? Today would be a great day to stop and see if you can recognize what you already have inside your organization and see if there aren't already people within your company who aren't yet being listened to, or need to be heard. Maybe one of the areas we are to lead is in being the person who can unlock those people and give them their voice!

Reference: Mark 6:1-6 (New Living Testament)

day 1065: Lighting Up

"You are the light of the world..."

Here in the Bay Area we are about to be gifted an art project that could end up being one of the coolest art installations ever.  It's called "The Bay Lights" project.  http://thebaylights.org/  In March the Bay Bridge will be lit up like never before.  The artist describes the project this way: "The Bay Lights is the world’s largest light sculpture, 1.8 miles wide and 500 feet high and inspired by the Bay Bridge 75th anniversary. Using 25,000 white individually programmed LED lights, artist Leo Villareal will create complex algorithms and patterns in a dazzling display across the bridge’s west span."  They have already begun testing the lights and I will say, it is way cool and I can't wait until it is fully operational.  I am always amazed at large scale projects and what it takes to tackle them and make them real.  It's a lot of big thinking and a whole bunch more attention to small details. One without the other doesn't achieve anything. It is only when the strategic and the tactical meet and support each other that we can make something really big happen successfully.  I will be watching for the Bay Lights project to come together this spring and then watch what the creativity will bring millions of people as a way of looking at the Bridge like never before.

As I read about and watched the practice of the bridge lighting, I was reminded by this project in how God works through each of us.  Think of each of us as one of His lights that can stay lit for a lifetime and when lit we emit His love and message.  When combined with with other lights we can be orchestrated to do something pretty amazing for Him. But even as just one light, we can play an important role in allowing someone to see something that they may never have seen or experienced prior.  Let's consider that we are His light today in our workplaces.  How brightly are we burning for Him and how much are we allowing Him to control when we are to be turned on for Him - to bring His plans and design as a significant experience for others?

Reference: Mark 5:14 (New Living Translation)

day 1064: Tell The World 'Dat...!

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature..."

I love a well orchestrated new product or service announcement.  When orchestrated correctly, within a 24-hour period we will read, see, hear and read, see, and hear about it all over again.  Better yet, someone we know and trust will say, "Hey, did you hear about...?".  Whenever we launch we want the world to know about it and we do all we can to make that happen.  There are tricks to the trade so we need to be sure that we have the best of the best working on our launch and announcements if we want to get a great pickup.  I am still amazed at the number of companies who still think a press release coupled with a Facebook post and a few tweets will make it all come together.  Oh, if it was just that easy.  Product and service launches are much more strategic than that and being very surgical about the influencers who will spread the word and giving them their scripts and tapping their passion are all part of the art of  making noise.  Yes, we all want to "Tell the world 'dat..." but it takes deliberate thinking and hard work to get into the jet stream of consciousness these days.  If you are contemplating a launch, don't go it alone.  Find an expert or two and have them help you put together your plan.

God knows a thing or two about getting the world to pay attention to a message.  God has the loudest of all megaphones and with one darkened sky and thunderclap He could have everyone in the world looking up and listening to His loud voice telling us to "Repent!".  But, that's not our God.  He doesn't impose a message on us.  Instead, he is counting on us as believers to be the spreaders of His word and message.  Just like we think about launching our products, we should be just as strategic in how we spread the Gospel.  For each of us, let's start with ensuring that we are being a strong and credible witness for Christ and then also think carefully about the people who will be in contact with today - for each person; think about what would be the opening to share our faith.  We are commanded to "Tell the world 'dat Jesus came for us".  So, think about how you will tell the world 'dat!

Reference: Mark 6:15 (New Living Translation)

day 1011: Ridicule

"And then they ridiculed Him"

Here in Silicon Valley, where I live, we get used to bold and broad statements when someone is pitching a new business or raising money.  These kinds of words get strung together all the time: Revolutionary, First, End-to-End, World-Class, Platform, Answer, etc.  And believe me, if you have ever sat in any of these demos or presentations you have heard them all used over and over.  Sometimes the claims can be so bold and so audacious that the entrepreneur will get ridiculed and heckled in front of the audience.  But, that is the way of innovation and doing something no one else has ever done before.  Many an innovator and inventor has been ridiculed only to later be praised for being able to see something that no one else could.  Being first brings out the hecklers and the naysayers.  Even inside of our businesses we ridicule new ideas and we are only lucky if that great mind sticks around with us after they have been shot down over and over.  The question we need to ask ourselves is, " Are we building and sustaining cultures that encourage the hecklers and those who ridicule first, or are we fighting against the trend and ensuring that great ideas, new thoughts, innovative ways, and sparks of creativity can come forward and be positively recognized?"

Jesus was not afraid of ridicule.  He ministered for three years and while we don't have an hour by hour account of His life (imagine how cool it would be if we did) we know enough that wherever He went there were those who followed Him to heckle and ridicule.  In the account of the healing of Jairus' daughter Talitha He was ridiculed for saying that Talitha was only sleeping and was not dead.  What I get from this is that Jesus was modeling for us that when we believe in something that we and others might not be able to see and we speak into these beliefs that we can expect, and should be ready,  to be ridiculed, or at the least challenged and scoffed upon.  It just comes with the territory.  So what to do today, when someone challenges us for defending the truth and the facts, or for standing up for someone else who is being demeaned or belittled, or for turning in early while everyone else goes out on the town?  Well, let's remember that this ridicule is so far less and below from what our Lord suffered that we can take it and live with it and know that He, the only One that truly matters, knows the choices that we made.

Reference: Mark 5:40 (New Living Testament)

day 943: Closeness

"And His disciples said to Him, 'You see the crowd pressing in on You; how can you say, 'Who touched me?"

We all know the importance of being close to our consumers but never more than now are we experiencing the ability to not only know who they are but to really know about them in a way never possible before.  How we act and interact with the web is not a full picture of a person but in many ways it has proven to be the best consumer information ever.  Tracking and following what and how someone experiences things on the web and through social media opens up all kinds of opportunities.  Many companies are capitalizing upon the information and targeting very precisely their products and services.  Others would like to do so, but they are bound by privacy restrictions as well as the "creepy factor".  For instance, LinkedIn, if they wanted to do so, could predict exactly when someone is going to change a job and where they are going next.  It's not a hard algorithm. A person gets active on LinkedIn and starts updating their profile and making lots of connection.  Bingo, they have become an active job seeker.  From there they start adding connections from people at different companies and each time more than five are added from a single company, bam now we know a company they have interviewed with.  And then one day all of the flurry of activity stops.  Boom, in two weeks or so we will see an announcement and changed profile to a new company and role, most likely to the company where the last set of connections were made. Who would want this information, beyond obviously the current employer of the job seeker?  Well, if I was a real estate agent, a moving van line, a clothing store, a financial advisor, a credit card company, a car company, yada yada, I might be interested.  So, the challenge is how do we take advantage of the consumer closeness that we can have to move our business forward?

In the account of the woman with the blood there are many, many lessons for us to take with us.  I have heard and read this story many times and I was always struck by how Jesus, even when bustled by the crowds, was in tune enough to feel the closeness of those around Him.  When the woman touched his robe, he could feel her faith.  How wonderful it would be if we could each have the level of faith that the woman had who at that time didn't know what, if anything, would happen, but still she reached to touch Jesus.  That is true faith. And in this lesson is also a call to each one of us to be close and aware to those around us so that when they reach out, we can know them and respond in a way that is with caring and His love.  There is no excuse in our advanced world to not stay in touch, know, and be close to others.  Let's today be close.

Reference Mark 5:31

day 923: The Boardroom

"And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

The first time we are allowed into the Boardroom is a momentous time as for the first time we are exposed to how the business operates at the highest level of decision making.  I still remember my first time and what I walked away with was some shock at how the group was really no different than any other team who fought, persuaded each other, argued, passively aggravated, agreed, spoke, complained, praised, and joked like any other group that we might work with at our own level of the company.  Gosh, they were just like the rest of us.  But, I also remember being in awe of a few people in the room who were amazingly smart and laser focused in their thinking and communication.  I immediately looked to these people and thought, "That is what I want to be like when I sit in their chairs someday.  While we are all the same, there are certain individuals who can create that awe when you are in their presence. Every Boardroom should have a few of these people if we are to have a Board that the rest of the Company aspires and wants to follow.

When Jesus calmed the storm, His Disciples, men who knew Jesus well were in "awe" of Him. What an experience for these men to have been in the presence of Jesus in such an environment where they could be in real-time awe.  It's easy to get jaded in business and life and lose the sensitivity to be awed.  But, with Jesus there is always a reason to be in awe of Him.  He is inviting us today into His boardroom and wants us to sit at the table with Him and be in full awe of His power and what he can do within our lives.  What boardroom are paying most attention to today?  Is it the one down the hall or on the top floor of our building, or the one that is in God's Kingdom?

Reference:  Mark 4:41 

day 921: Summer Storms

"A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped."

We all know that a summer storm can come upon us within a moment and without warning.  The atmospheric conditions of the summer create storms from all the ingredients that we one moment enjoy and in the next are taking cover away from. The same can happen in business in the summer as the conditions are always present for extreme market volatility.  The summer is the time when we can take our eyes off the ball, spend a few less hours of the day in focus, or are away from the office more than usual.  It's ironic that in the light trading of the summer that the stock market can be swung up and down with such extremes being driven by so few.  It only takes the right amount of humidity, winds, and rising temperatures and a summer squall can appear from seemingly nowhere.  While we should always be on the lookout for the storms that can come our way\is in the summer that we might want to be a little more cautious and ready.  What business storms can we predict that might come our way this season that we need to be prepared and ready to face?

In Mark's account of the storm that Jesus calmed it appeared the storm came upon them suddenly and without prediction.  This is the metaphor of life that we can't ignore.  One day all is great and the next we are without a job, getting a new boss that we aren't sure we will like, the company being sold, or the market crashes...again.  We can't predict the storms of our lives so we have to do what we can to be prepared and ready as best we can.  How are we thinking about our life preparations for the summer storms that will come this year?  Let's batten down our lives with God's Word, a strong prayer life and fellowship and accountability with fellow believers. Storms will come, we know that.  How prepared we are is totally up to us.

Reference: Mark 4: 37 (New Living Translation)

day 920: Executive Offsites

"On that day, when the evening had come, He said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side."

I happened to be on the TripAdvisor site recently and saw something posted about the best locations for executive offsite meetings.  I've always been a fan of "retreats" for getting away for the best thinking to occur. It's just too hard to stop and think when the emails and phone calls are coming in like the waves of the ocean; continuously and some with mighty crashes.  So, it's good to get away and find quiet time and to build relationships among team members.  But, what has happened to the executive retreats, as demonstrated in the best locations list, is that the emphasis can be put on the extravagances of the resort, the activities and the extraordinary food and drink.  Then what could and should be productive and constructive turns out to be misconstrued by others as too lavish and wasteful of time and money.  When that happens the rest of the company starts to talk about these meetings as "boondoggles" and a bunch of fluff.  What could have been time very well spent for the business becomes a joke within the company and culture. If we are at the top of our organizations (company, department, function, team, etc.) we should guard from this happening and manage carefully the perception as that perception can and will become a reality, like it or not.

Jesus was one who knew how to work closely with those who wanted and could spread His message.  He chose a select few to mentor and disciple and He spent countless hours of intimate time with these men.  And, that time was multiplied across generations and reverberate today through God's Word.  He was happy to take the time to get away and fellowship and teach in a small group.  What can we learn from this example?  Each of us can be like Jesus and find our own small group of believers who need small group fellowship and time with each other.  What is so blessed about this time is that when we gather in His name the chief of all executives sits at the table with us and will preside over our time and conversations. Are there others with whom you work who need this kind of "executive offsite" time?  Can you be the one to coordinate and pull them together?

Reference: Mark 4:35 (New Living Translation)

day 918: Beyond Our Control

"And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

It may well end up being an auspicious week as the business world, and lots of other interested parties await the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act.  Much has been hinged on the decision and with lots of uncertainty around what that decision will be, one thing that is for certain is that the uncertainty of the legality of the law has caused great division among businesses and people and caused everyone to be hesitant in decisions that need to be made.  So, without picking sides, whatever the Supreme Court decides we will at least know something and then hopefully those who have been waiting to make any moves in their business will not wait anymore.  This waiting time goes to show us that that there are many things in our businesses and life that are beyond out control and what we have to learn is whether or not hesitating and holding back because of things we can't control is good strategy, or not.  In our personal lives we can become paralyzed by those things that are out of our control and we must be careful that we don't let that same attitude creep into our business decisions. 

When Jesus took control of what was beyond the control of the Disciples, they were "Filled with great awe".  That is how it is when we put our full trust in God and allow Him to take control of what is beyond our own control.  We should be in awe of a God who can calm the seas and rebuke the wind.  And, we should be in just the same awe of a God who can heal a wound, provide us peace in a business decision, resolve a personal dispute, or open a door for a career move.  If we are not today in awe of what God has and can do in our lives with those things that are beyond our control, then the question must be asked about how much are we actually turning over to Him?  If we think everything is within our own control then we are missing out on seeing what He wants and can do for us.

Reference: Mark 4:41

day 894: Recruiting Messages

"Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!"

I was interviewed a few times last week about the perks and comforts that Silicon Valley is once again lavishing on employees and whether or not this is necessary, and if it even works.  The answer is not simple because one size does not fit all and the challenges of supply and demand of talent drives many decisions as it relates to these extras.  But, I have always fallen back on the fact that none of the perks matter if a company doesn't have a core message that resonates with prospective employees regarding the vision of the company, the vision for employees and how the company will be able to bring to life the professional and personal hopes and dreams of each and every employee.  That is what really matters.  If a company has that right, then the other extras are icing on the cake.  Without the cake though, the icing is just expensive nutrient empty fluff that really doesn't matter.  It's our jobs to be sure that there is a there there and that our recruiting message of the company is one of substance, first.

Jesus recruited well.  He was able to bring together a group of men, from all walks of life, who followed Him and then went on to be writers, scholars, teachers, pastors, and leaders of the Christian life that we know now.  Jesus recruited with a message about what He had to offer these men but also He connected at a level that brought the message alive to them.  Telling the two fishermen, Andrew and Simon (Peter) that He would teach them to fish for people was maybe one of the greatest lines for recruiting someone ever said.  These were fishermen, so they understood what He was saying.  He couldn't have made it more personal and relevant to them.  In our own lives as we recruit others to the Kingdom are we using our own personal examples and true relationships to our most powerful way of persuading?  Jesus was in touch with what would stir and move Andrew and Peter.  If we are not paying attention to what it is that means something to others then we will miss our opportunity to have the right words at the right moment for them and will have missed the true recruiting message.

Reference: Mark 1:17 (New Living Testament)

day 819: The Power Of Search

"Teacher", the blind man said, "I want to see!"

Our business lives changed forever in 1996 when two university graduates created a software product called "Backrub". A year later the named changed and it is now a household word. We know it as Google. Today, businesses would have a hard time running without Google. The other day I needed to review the operating instructions of an old piece of machinery. I didn't even bother to go and look for the operating manual as within minutes I had what I needed online and that started with my search on Google. The power of search is the backside reward, or maybe why Sergey and Larry originally named the product "Backrub". Search results in retrieval and few things are more satisfying than finding what you need faster and easier than you expected. We've become pretty adept in the business world of using search to our advantage but there is still volumes of knowledge to be made available.

God asks us to always be searching for Him. In the Book of Mark we are given the account of Bartimus who sought out Jesus as Jesus walked through the streets. Bartimus was blind so he had no other way to search other than to yell out repeatedly,"Jesus, of Nazareth!". He was told to calm down, be quiet and to shut up, but he wouldn't relent. Finally Jesus head Him and through Bartimus' faith, his eyesight was given to him. The point is that Bartimus knew the power of search. Without committing himself to searching for Jesus he would have remained blind. There is a powerful message in here for us. Let's today recognize the power of our searching!

Reference: Mark 10:46-52

day 714: Work Prayers (repost)

"Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it."


How often do we pray over our work? It's interesting that we can find a routine to pray over our meals, but we don't have a routine to pray over our work. How many of us start our day by asking God to help, support and guide us in the work that we are to do throughout the day? If we can ask God to bless a meal that happens over a workday lunch, then we can certainly ask God to bless the day and the work that we do.

God has given us each talents that we bring onto our jobs and if we are giving glory to God in all that we do, then He certainly wants us to be blessed at how we use those talents. Jesus says in Mark 11:24; "Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it." So rather than start the day with our To-Do List, let's start the day with our Prayer list and right up at the top, let's be sure and ask God to come to work with us today and to pour his blessing over the work that is to be done! So, take the time that you might spend reading a longer Purposed worKING post and instead put it towards a prayer right now over your job and your work.

Reference: Mark 11:24 (New Living Testament)

day 676: Pattern Recognition

"Then, as accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives."

Recently I have been presented the opportunity to do some consulting with numerous businesses. These businesses span a number of different industries. The people are different, the names of the companies are different, and what they produce is different, but at the root, they are the same. What is different about companies is the outside, but on the inside the patterns of business are the same. Businesses run on patterns that they have designed and continue to use over and over to ensure that the business runs the same way as consistently as it can. Once we can see the pattern and recognize it then we can apply the learning from other companies to their pattern. It takes time to hone the skill of pattern recognition and you have to see enough patterns to ensure that you aren't seeing something for the first time. Every now and then, we can be surprised at an innovative way of going about the conducting of business, but for the most part, the patterns are set and we can learn and build from what we have seen and know. How much time are we putting into learning and knowing the pattern of our business? It's important to know and understand if we are ever to make improvements and bring best practices into our companies. I know too many people who try and apply new ideas and concepts on top of a pattern they don't really understand and then who leave a business frustrated because their ideas wouldn't take hold.

Patterns are also important in our personal and spiritual lives. No better example of a pattern maker was there than Jesus. There are a number of places in the Gospels that we learn of His patterns. Jesus had a pattern for His life that we can follow and apply to our own lives. He was a reader of the scriptures (Luke 4:16), He had a set time each day for his prayer time (Mark 1:35) and He had a place that he went to pray, as we read, in Luke 22:39, that he regularly visited. The New Living Testament says that this was the "usual" place that He went. Let's step back and see if we can recognize a pattern and apply it to our lives? If Jesus, of all people, had a pattern, then why wouldn't we follow the same one? It's a simple pattern to recognize: Read God's Word and pray and do both of these regularly and in a pattern of when and where, so to make it a habit. It's a simple but so powerful pattern to recognize and follow and of course, apply to our own lives.

Reference: Luke 22:39 (new Living Testament)

day 557: Clarifying For Understanding

Why is it so hard to ask clarifying questions? Clarifying questions are those asked when we don't understand what is being said and we aren't going to understand any better unless we dig down another level and ask what at the time might feel like the stupid question, but is actually the one that clarifies it all for us. It doesn't hurt at all to be the one who asks the question as others likely have the same question but are afraid to ask. We can be the courageous ones and take the chance of being the fool. The other reason we need to ask is that if we don't then we run the risk of missing out on what comes next or we end up faking it, which is worse. We've all done this at some point or another. Someone will bring up something, of which we have no clue, but we play along with the hope that the conversation moves on to something else and worse we pray we aren't called upon to add more knowledge to the subject. It would be so simple to say, "I don't understand", or better yet to say, "Can I ask a clarifying question about that?" We shouldn't have any fear in asking the follow-on question so that we are fully informed and can then add into the conversation or topic words and thoughts of substance. Any time we don't do this we are wasting an opportunity for ourselves and others. Jesus told His disciples that if they didn't dig in and understand the stories He was telling now, that they wouldn't understand later; "But if you can't understand this story, how will you understand the others I am going to tell?" We have to dig in. We have to seek understanding. We have to ask the clarifying questions and keep doing so until we get it. Imagine not and missing the messages that are coming our way? Start today thinking about what you can avoid missing just by asking one more question.

Reference: Mark 4:13 (New Living Testament)

day 550: Talent Within Us

We can get so focused on the talent that is outside of our companies that we fail to recognize the talent that is already working with and around us. Typically, those who have the job of filling open positions are so focused on the external recruiting side of the equation that it becomes unbalanced and there is not as much focus on the internal talent and how they should be developed and groomed to take jobs in the future. Anyone who feels like they were ever passed over for a promotion while they watched someone else be hired from the outside into the role has experienced this first hand. Without a doubt there are many times when new blood and new thinking is required into an organization and the only way to get that is to hire from the outside. However, there is a balance and when organizations consistently fail to recognize the talent that is within then there will be a follow on pattern of attrition that can become unhealthy. There is also an emotional impact on individuals when they are not seen or felt to have been developed and brought along. As with any of us, when we feel like our talents are unappreciated or taken for granted we can begin to believe there is something wrong with us and we can fall into our own pattern of not pushing to our full potential or performance. This is the worst outcome of all. It is human nature that we miss or ignore the talent within. Jesus said to his disciples; "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among relatives and his own family." Are there people within your organization who with a little more recognition and sponsoring could be the talent that is being overlooked? Could you be the one who provides that extra spotlight and attention for them that allows them to grow and develop and be recognized as extraordinary talent already within the company? It's a worthy question and exercise and one that will not only be of value to your organization but more importantly, to a person who's life will be touched in a positive way and for us to be the one who provides that touch can be part of what we are supposed to do.

Reference: Mark 6:4 (New Living Testament)

day 543: Hearing Or Listening?

There are no shortages in ways we are communicated to today. In fact, the messages come in so many different forms and so quickly, that we have to really work hard to be sure that we are not just receiving or hearing, but really listening. Listening goes beyond just taking in a message. True listening is about allowing something to sink in so that we internalize it and then when we respond or react we are doing so from a place where we have put the message into context and pulled it through our own filters for a comprehensive response. There are few things that are worse than getting back half an answer or finding out that the communication that we worked so hard to create, deliver, and ensure receipt, fell on deaf or uncaring ears. How we listen to others makes a huge difference in their willingness and desire to communicate with us again. Those who listen with both ears, an open mind and heart, and truly think about a response are the ones that people love to communicate and bring forth ideas, etc. We want to be known as those who go beyond hearing and come to be known as real listeners. We can read in Mark Chapter 4 how Jesus categorizes the different stages of listening in His parable of the farmer scattering seeds. We can also extend out the lesson to how we listen to others. If we allow the seeds that are sown to fall not on fertile ground we are losing a message and potentially alienating a person. Let us open up more than our ears and move from hearing to truly becoming listeners.

Reference: Mark 4:14-20 (New Living Testament)

day 537; Alertness

For most of us, alertness comes after the second cup of coffee or the morning workout. Thinking about being alert early in the AM is hard for a lot of people. I just happen to be wired to be a morning person so I enjoy getting up early, but alertness is not so great for me later in the day and into the evening. Being alert is a skill. Even when our bodies are alert it does not mean that our mind is the same. We can let our minds drift or be caught up in a different thought and totally miss what is going on around us and while we are totally awake, we are not alert. In today's business environment, being alert seems more important than ever. Being finely tuned to what is going on around us and being smartly aware of where the business cycle is going as it relates to our own companies and jobs has become important. If for nothing else, there are many people who feel like they need to be this alert for survival in the workplace. The fear of losing a job is still high and the concerns about what will happen next with the economy and employment remains of great interest and consternation. Staying alert has become an important part of what we need to do. But staying alert to the world is not enough. To be totally in touch with ourselves and what we are supposed to be doing with our work and lives we must be just as, and more so, alert and in tune with God as we are the with world we live within. Jesus told his disciples to stay alert in Mark 14:38; "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overcome you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak." Today, gauge how alert you are and not only how alert you are to the world around you, but to what God has in store for you and what He is trying to say to you. This is the level of alertness that He wants from us and His words are as true for us today as they were for His disciples.

Reference: Mark 14:38 (New Living Testament)

day 531: Recognizing What You Already Have

Consultants, which are everywhere it seems, are many times a function of the principle that we just don't believe we have good enough ideas or expertise inside of our organizations and that we must go outside of the company to get what we need. It's the grass is greener on the other side thing. So, consultants are brought in to tell us what to do and give us their big ideas. How many times though have we sat around during or after the consultants' presentations and say to ourselves sarcastically, "yeah, like tell me something I don't already know!". What is clear about this, so many times, is that the ideas and the expertise is already in the house, we just haven't figured out how to unlock those or we have put constraints on allowing people the freedom to express their opinions or implement their ideas. But, if someone comes from the outside, they don't carry any baggage and they don't feel any inhibitions to bringing forward their ideas, even though those ideas may not be anything new. We as believers know an account of a man who was not listened to in his own hometown. I often think of the people who were in Nazareth who missed out on being able to be up close and personal with Jesus because they just couldn't see past the familiarity of who he was. The same may be happening within your own company today. Are there people who have the answers and the ideas but we are looking past them because we are familiar or we don't listen to them because we don't like the way they say it, or we have heard it before? Today would be a great day to stop and see if you can recognize what you already have inside your organization and see if there aren't already people within your company who aren't yet being listened to, or need to be heard. Maybe one of the areas we are to lead is in being the person who can unlock those people and give them their voice!

Reference: Mark 6:1-6 (New Living Testament)