Using Us Where We Are

I am part of a men's group that meets every Friday morning at 6:15. We do a brief Bible study then we share prayer requests along with what is going on in our lives.

This morning, one of the guys in our group shared how he believes God has him in his workplace for a reason and it is becoming more evident to him each day. He said his workplace is filled with people who live alternative lifestyles - there is much "diversity."

He also shared that two Christians left the company on the same day a while ago and they both said that they didn't think God wanted them working in that sort of environment.

It is certainly possible that God called these people to another place; however, I believe God wants us working in environments like the one my friend is in. After all, isn't there where Jesus would be? We all can make such a difference wherever we are!

How to Deal With a Bad Boss

Most of us have probably had one at one point or another. I know I certainly have (to read more about that, click here).

If you have a bad boss now, I read an interesting article that you will probably get a lot out of. Here is one of their ideas:

Boss Problem: Explosive Temper

Your Solution: Stay calm and try to figure out what the boss is really saying. If possible, delay responding in detail until he's in a better mood.

"If a boss yells at me—and it's certainly happened—I go into therapy mode. I tell them, 'I'm really sorry you're upset, and I want to understand exactly why you're upset.' But if the explosion includes a gross violation of my personal space, I say, 'I'll come back when you've cooled off.' And then I leave."—Miriam Dumaine, former PR executive at Blanc & Otis

To read the rest of the article click here.

Who Turned Out The Lights?

Last week we received a notification from our electric company that they were going to be doing some maintenance on our lines and our power would be out for 10-20 minutes early one morning. Well, this morning was that morning.

At 4:59 AM, our power went out. I woke up as a result of the deafening silence (we have an air filter in our room that provides white noise when power is on). Since my alarm was set for 5:00 AM, I got up - really bummed that I had lost out on that extra minute of sleep.

One thing I noticed is how incredibly dark it was. We normally have night lights throughout the house, so even at 5:00 AM it is usually not too dark - but this morning it was pitch black.

About two minutes later our smoke detectors went off throughout our whole house. Now everyone was up! Apparently one of the detector's batteries was out and since there was no electricity running to them, they let us know this with screaming beeping.

My wife quickly got a flashlight and found some batteries and gave them to me so I could swap the batteries in all our alarms. What amazed me though, was how bright the flashlight seemed in our totally dark surroundings. This wasn't a special high-powered flashlight either - just a normal cheap one.

Many of us work in dark places everyday, with people who are lost. Just think, much like the flashlight we used this morning, you can be a bright light in your dark surroundings as well.

Addicted to Email?

1. I have heard them referred to as "Crack"-berries because of the way some of us have become addicted to being "connected."
   
   Are you addicted? I just saw this article in John Maxwell's newsletter:
   
   Five warning signs that technology is turning you into a machine:
   
   1. Instead of reading to your children, you e-mail them web-interactive bedtime stories.
   2. You’ve been known to e-mail your spouse when he/she is in the same room of the house as you are.
   3. Given your habit of communicating entirely via e-mail, you haven’t spoken to your cubicle neighbor in over three years.
   4. You’ve been hospitalized after spraining a thumb on your Blackberry.
   5. You unwittingly offend your friends by simply saying “LOL” rather than actually laughing at their jokes.
   
   It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact date, but at some point, e-mail became the standard inter-office communication link between colleagues across America. Along the way, e-mail has revolutionized the workplace, all but eliminating face-to-face contact and drastically cutting down on the number of phone calls between co-workers.
   
   The advantages of e-mail in facilitating business correspondence cannot be underestimated, but when an office depends solely on e-mail to communicate, problems can arise. In a December article for BusinessWeek, Diane Brady looks at the dangers of over-relying on e-mail.
   
   Misunderstanding
   
   As much as 90% of all communication is non-verbal, which puts e-mail messages in danger of misinterpretation. In the absence of body language, voice inflection, or facial expressions, an e-mail’s tone and meaning may be difficult to decipher. Diane Brady points to a study by the New York University which concluded that, “As few as 50% of users grasp the tone or intent of an e-mail and that most people vastly overestimate their ability to relay and comprehend messages accurately.” Given the likelihood of misunderstanding, experts advise avoiding e-mail when dealing with delicate issues such as, “major announcements, firings, job evaluations, and any form of criticism.”
   
   Loss of Humanity
   
   Cloistered in a cubicle, workers can begin to feel more like machines than people. An entire day spent staring at a computer screen can be lonely and disheartening. In her article for BusinessWeek, Diane Brady cites Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence, who claims “Business has undervalued the social dimension of communication.”
   
   Workers want to forge meaningful connections with their colleagues. Face-to-face interaction boosts morale by providing needed diversion from the day’s work, and uniting teammates together as they learn about one another’s families, interests, and weekend plans. For managers, stopping by a cubicle and giving a word of encouragement or greeting communicates tremendous value to those they lead.
   
   Diminished Synergy
   
   The interplay of ideas is hindered by back-and-forth e-mail barrages. Teams need to join forces face-to-face to brainstorm solutions to pressing problems or to come up with creative ways to serve their customers. The synergy of a team comes alive when they can sense one another’s passion, catch the excitement of their leader, and fluidly exchange their ideas and concerns.
   
   Summary
   
   Perhaps it would be wise to step away from the PC occasionally to engage in the time-honored tradition of face-to-face conversation. You may find the effort to curtail your e-mail to be rewarding. Best of luck :-)

March Madness

I am not surprised, yet it still amazes me that CBS gives us the ability to watch NCAA tournament action on our computers, for FREE. March Madness has become a big deal in this country and I have to tell you that I love it too.

But giving us access at no charge so we can watch it during our work hours?

I don't know about you, but I need less temptations in my life not more. This is a huge temptation for me and I wish it wasn't so easy. Fortunately I am extremely busy right now or I might have loaded this on my system.

How about you? How are you doing with this temptation?

We are called to be a light in our workplace. To show the love of Christ to others in our actions. Who knows - resisting the temptation to watch games on your computer might just have an impact on someone you work with.

Are you working for a Psychopath?

An interesting article appeared on Christian Business Daily's site asking if we have ever been abused by a boss? They also go on to describe the characteristics of a psychopath. So, have you ever worked for someone who showed these characteristics?

· Glibness and superficial charm
· Grandiose sense of self-worth
· Pathological lying
· Conning and manipulation
· Lack of remorse or guilt
· Shallow effect (i.e., a coldness covered up by dramatic emotional displays that are actually playacting)
· Callousness and lack of empathy
· Failure to accept responsibility for one's own actions

Or these?
· Psychopaths have to win, and enjoy hurting others in the process.
· Psychopaths have no allegiance to organizations or other people, only to themselves.
· Psychopaths play a short-term parasitic game. They join an organization not to improve it, but to use the organization to accomplish their personal agendas. Psychopaths tend to be corporate managers rather than entrepreneurs. Even though entrepreneurs may be narcissistic, they want their companies to win. Psychopaths view organizations as tools to help them win personally.

If you happen to find yourself working for someone like this, I feel for you. I have been there (click here to read more about it). Be patient as this too shall pass and you will be better for the experience. I also encourage you to stay positive and calm as this can be an excellent Christian witness to those you work with.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Toxic Faith

Steve Arterburn had an interesting quiz on his site at Newlife.com. So do you have an unhealthy view of your faith - is it toxic?

The New Life Ministries Toxic Faith Test
From the book "Toxic Faith" by Steve Arterburn and Jack
Felton

Answer YES or NO to the following questions...

1. Has your family complained that you are always going to a church meeting rather than spending time with them?

2. Do you feel extreme guilt for being out of church just one Sunday?

3. Do you sense that God is looking at what you do, and if you don’t do enough, He might turn on you or refuse to bless you?

4. Do you often tell your children what to do without explaining your reasons, since you know you are right?

5. Do you find yourself with little time for the pleasures of earlier years because you are so busy serving on committees and attending other church groups?

6. Have people complained that you use so much Scripture in your conversation that it is hard to communicate with you?

7. Are you giving money to a ministry because you believe God will make you wealthy if you give?

8. Have you ever been involved sexually with a minister out of wedlock?

9. Is it hard for you to make a decision without consulting your minister? Even over the small issues?

10. Do you see your minister as more powerful than other humans?

11. Has your faith led you to lead an isolated life, making it hard for you to relate to your family and friends?

12. Have you found yourself looking to your minister for a quick fix to a lifelong problem?

13. Do you feel extreme guilt over the slightest mistakes or inadequacies?

14. Is your most significant relationship deteriorating over your strong beliefs, compared to those of a "weaker partner?"

15. Do you ever have thoughts of God wanting you to destroy yourself or others in order to go and live with Him?

16. Do you regularly believe God is communicating with you in an audible
voice?

17. Do you feel God is angry with you?

18. Do you believe you are still being punished for something you did as a child?

19. Do you feel if you work a little harder, God will finally forgive you?

20. Has anyone ever told you a minister was manipulating your thoughts and feelings?

If you answered YES to at least three of the above questions, you may have an unhealthy view of faith.

The Importance of Leadership

Many of you know that I am a big proponent of leadership development. I recently read David Armano's blog that reminded me of a story I had heard before that does a great job of illustrating the need for good leadership.

Several years ago in an African wildlife preserve, park rangers noticed that rhinos started showing up dead. This was not occurring because of any disease or lack of food – the rhinos were killed. The puzzling thing was that the only animal capable of this was an elephant. However, rhinos and elephants rarely fought with each other. So, why was this happening?

The answer came when the rangers found a pack of adolescent elephants roaming the preserve looking for a fight. They found their fight in the rhinos. But why was this happening?

After further digging, it was found that each of these adolescent elephants were lacking a role model – a leader. The older males in their families were killed off by poachers so they were raised without this leadership. They did not know that killing rhino’s for sport was not appropriate.

Wanna know what the park rangers did to solve the problem?

They brought in a couple of mature elephant bulls. The “rowdy” adolescent elephants were quickly put in their place by the bulls and the killing of the rhinos stopped. The adolescents began to reflect the behavior of the mature bulls.

This is no different than us. We all need role models. We all need quality leaders. That also means we need to work on our leadership skills!

Good Loooking Bosses More Competent?

As I read an MSNBC story today I was in shock. Now I am not one of those politically correct people - in fact I am quite the opposite. But when they shared that they have found "better looking" people to be more effective bosses, I was stunned.

Only later in the article did they redeem themselves with me when said:

“I’m not talking Hollywood glamour,” she says. “I have never seen an unattractive person. The people that come to me have generally not yet learned how to make themselves look attractive.”

I can agree with this statement. I do believe we need to look our best while in our jobs, especially if we will be seeing clients. First impressions are very important in business.

Colossians 3:23 instructs us to work at whatever we do as if we are working for the Lord (which we are!)- this includes taking care of ourselves and looking our best.

Time Change a "Mini Y2K" in Tech Terms

Daylight savings time is being moved up this year and begins this Saturday. I didn't realize this was going to be such a big deal. In a New York Times article about the change in daylight savings time they discuss the impact this seemingly harmless change will have:

“This is mainly an annoyance for consumers, but it’s a major headache for corporate technology departments,” said Jeffrey Hammond, an analyst at Forrester Research.

For the roughly 7,000 public companies in the United States, Mr. Hammond estimates the total cost of making computer fixes to deal with the daylight saving time shift at more than $350 million. “It’s causing a lot of corporate technology people sleepless nights,” he said.

I don't know about you, but it's really easy for me to shake my head and say that Congress really should think things through before passing laws - they need to get a clue.

But then I am reminded of all the times I have done things before thinking them through. The time as a kid I threw rocks at our neighbor's brand new car. The time I... well you get the idea.

In our workplace, we need to remember that we are being watched. We must think through our actions because our actions really do have reactions and long term implications.

My wife Connie and I returned late yesterday from an amazing weekend in Dayton, Ohio. We attended a "Weekend to Remember" conference put on by FamilyLife, a ministry founded by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. If you have not been to one of these, I highly recommend it!

The experience was an extremely positive one for Connie and me in our marriage. In addition to the awesome content, I was extremely impressed with the way everything was done. One thing that really got my attention was the way after each session, we would have "homework."

These assignments were used to cement the ideas discussed. But they took it a step further. They asked us to each write down 2-3 items we could work on individually to improve our marriage in the area just discussed. We were then to select the one key idea we could implement and we needed to record that on the back flap of the booklet.

At the end of the conference each of us had 12 action items to implement in our lives. We were then instructed to prayerfully look over the list and select 3 that we would commit to doing this coming week. I thought this was very simple but extremely effective.

I think this is something we can apply to every area of our life. But the key is the last part - implementation. We must make it a priority, we must schedule it if it is truly going to happen. We are all busy people. If it is not scheduled, life will get in the way and the truly important stuff will get pushed aside.

If you are struggling with this, I have designed a free tool to help you. Click here to download my free Life Planning Assistant.

Make it a great week!

The Younger Boss

An interesting article appeared on MSNBC's site about working for a younger boss. They make some interesting points about the differences in management style but don't really touch on what I think the biggest issue is.

To me, the toughest part about working for someone who is younger is that of submission. This can also be true if we work for someone whom we don't respect, even if they are older than us.

We are commanded in Scripture to submit to our leaders and to obey them so our work will be a joy (paraphrased from Hebrews 13:17). This is much easier said than done; however, that is our task.

Think on these things...

In an interesting Blog post at Selling Among Wolves, Michael Pink writes:

Meditating on things that are true will produce peace. And peace is the state I personally need to be in to hear the still, small voice of God. If you are experiencing anxiety or lack of peace, take inventory of what you are meditating on. You may say that you are thinking a lot about the fact that you are in a terrible financial bind and that is the truth.

It may be true that you are in a financial bind, but there is a higher truth. The truth you are struggling with now is a temporary truth, but here’s an eternal truth for you to consider… “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.” (Isa 48:17)

Maybe you should spend a little time thinking on this and asking the Father to teach you how to profit not only from your challenging circumstance, but also how to profit so you can get out of the jam you are in. There are simply too many Scriptures I could list that give you practical, applicable insight to remedy your problem, but do you know them? Have you reviewed them? Are you thinking on them? God will speak to you in the midst of His word and give you everything you need for life and godliness! Whatever things are true… think on these things!

Great words of advice!