Transformation

Three weeks ago I came home from a meeting to find our basement full of water. Today, I go down in our basement and find an entirely different room. It looks great! While it is not the same as ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, our basement has been transformed.

It didn’t just transform by itself, it cost my wife and I (and even our kids) something. First, it cost us some money as our insurance didn’t fully cover the damages. Second, it cost us quite a bit of sweat (our effort) and our time in moving stuff, re-attaching baseboards and doors, prepping and painting the walls and moving everything back after the carpet was laid. But, it was worth it!

This morning as I was down there I thought about how our lives are quite similar. They, too, can be transformed. Much the same way as our basement, a transformed life will cost something as well. Consider these possibilities:
· Pride – coming to a point when we realize we cannot do it alone and we need our Heavenly Father
· Pride – we may need to repent and ask someone for forgiveness (even if we’re only partially at fault)
· Consequences – we may have to pay the price for our mistakes
· Effort – it may be hard to turn the other way from our old ways or our old addictions

However difficult, you must know that God is in it with you and that you can do it!

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Customer Service

One of my favorite lines from Zig Ziglar is, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!" So true.

Walk The Talk has a list of the 10 words that can make a customer feel loved. It is a reminder at how simple customer service really can be. It is also a reminder about how simple it can be to show the love of Christ to others. Notice, I said "simple" and not "easy."

The 10 most important words:
"I apologize for our mistake. Let me make it right."
When something goes wrong, most people merely want to be heard and acknowledged. So listen, apologize, then ask what you can do to make it right.

The 9 most important words:
"Thank you for your business. Please come back again."
Repeat customers cost less than new customers and are often more loyal.

The 8 most important words:
"I'm not sure, but I will find out."
It's ok if you don't know the answer; it's not ok to make the customer keep searching for it. That's your job.

The 7 most important words:
"What else can I do for you?"
Be prepared to go the extra mile, there is less competition there.

The 6 most important words:
"What is most convenient for you?"
Your customers will be pleasantly surprised when you ask what's convenient for them.

The 5 most important words:
"How may I serve you?"
This question reinforces your role in the relationship. Play that role the best you can.

The 4 most important words:
"How did we do?"
Feedback is critical! Your customers have a unique perspective and they appreciate being asked.

The 3 most important words:
"Glad you're here!"
Customers who feel welcome spend more time, more money and are more likely to return.

The 2 most important words:
"Thank you."
Basic manners... but how often do you get thanked when you're the customer?

The MOST important word:
"Yes."
Become a yes person.

Customer service is not a department, it's an attitude.

Live With The End In Mind

I attended another funeral this weekend, a funeral for the father of a friend of ours. Dick Day was an incredible guy who loved much and was loved by many. He was a great example to many in our community.

During the service, the pastor talked about something that has stuck with me since I read Stephen Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. One of the habits Covey mentions in his book is to "begin with the end in mind." In that chapter, Covey gives us an exercise to do. He asks us to picture our own funeral.

During the funeral, someone from your family, your best friend, someone from the community and someone from your church will get up to talk about your life. They will tell the truth and nothing but the truth. You picture in your mind what you would want each of these people to say. That is the "end" you will be keeping in mind. Then, you are to step back into the present an live your life so that those people can truthfully say those things about you at your funeral, when that day comes.

The pastor mentioned that this was not an exercise for Dick Day, it was the real deal. This really was his funeral. But, he had lived his life with the end in mind.

As a result, here are a few of the things that were said about him that I can remember:

He served people and cared about them because he knew that people mattered to God. Many stories were shared about him befriending strangers and sowing into their lives.

He was frugal on the things that didn't matter and generous on the things that did matter. He would drive for miles to save 10 cents on a stick of butter but would be very quick to pick up the check at lunch.

If you sliced him in half, you would find him to be the same on the inside as he was on the outside.

Wouldn't it be great to have things like this said about you at your funeral? The choice is yours.

The Mission Field

When someone mentions the mission field, what is the first thing that pops into your head? I'll bet it's something like Africa or the Amazon. I will also bet that most will not say, "My workplace!" However, our workplace may be the most fertile mission field.

Check out this cool article about a guy named Chester Cook who serves the passengers and employees of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. He is a chaplain there and some could say he has the largest church in the US with over 56,000 employees and 250,000 passengers visiting daily.

The interesting thing about this article is that nothing is mentioned about Chester's credentials or training. He appears to be an ordinary guy with a big heart. What you see is someone who takes the time to listen and then to do what he can to meet the needs of those he comes into contact with.

Isn't that something all of us can do, even in our workplace? Imagine the impact you could have right where you are by doing some of these things.

You may say, "But Jim, I don't want to do that. I don't want to offend anyone. I don't know enough..." As we can see by what Chester does in the airport, you don't need a great deal of knowledge, you just need a willing heart. Besides, God will give you what you need.

This is what Ed Silvoso said about Christians in the workplace in his book, Anointed for Business:

"It is imperative that they realize that not only is it OK to do ministry in the marketplace, but God has explicitly called them and anointed them for it. By “anointed” I mean that they have been chosen and empowered by the Holy Spirit for a divinely sanctioned assignment. By “ministry” I mean that they can do more than just witness; they can bring transformation to their jobs and then to their cities—as happened in the first century."

So now you know. You are called and given an anointing to do ministry in the marketplace!

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father--to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 1:5b-6

The Importance Of Your Team

I recently saw a great interview with G.J. Hart, President and CEO of Texas Roadhouse (pictured above). In the interview, Hart was being asked by the interviewer how he can justify spending the millions of dollars in this economy on a posh employee getaway in San Francisco for five days for 1,000 of the company's leaders.

Yes, they were planning on having some business meetings but they were also planning to have fun, and lots of it. They also had a day of service in the community planned (where they will invest over $1 million on this alone).

In justifying this, Hart said, "We want to recognize our front-line folks. We think it is absolutely a great return on our investment."

When asked how much he spends on this meeting, he said it was around $2.5 million, including the dollars invested into the community. He then said, "But in times like these, I'm not sure this is enough..."

I love this for a couple of reasons. One, it goes against conventional wisdom and what the world is saying ("we can't spend any money") and two, because he gets it when it comes to the importance of those on his team. He knows he needs to encourage and lift up those around him if his company is going to go well. This is so contrary to what many leaders feel.
Imagine if we did the same to those around us!

To see the interview, click here.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

Fear Not!

Last Thursday, Ray Hilbert was in town to conduct a seminar entitled Trusting God In This Economy. As you can imagine, fear was one of the primary subjects.

Ray mentioned seven things that fear can do to a leader:
1. Fear replaces faith
2. Fear destroys dreams
3. Fear steals our joy and blessings
4. Fear spoils victories
5. Fear paralyzes us
6. Fear robs us of memories (gives us amnesia)
7. Fear causes us to hesitate because of disbelief

He then shared 12 words to live by that will help eliminate fear:

• Nothing to lose
• Nothing to hide
• Nothing to prove
• Nothing to fear

Nothing to lose - we must remember that everything is God's. If we feel like it’s ours, we will be fearful to lose it.

Nothing to hide - if your local newspaper was to do an expose on you or your company, would they uncover dirt? If your hiding something, that produces fear.

Nothing to prove - If we can live with the knowledge that God’s love is enough, this will eradicate the fear of people finding out we are not good enough.

If we can learn to live with these 12 words at the forefront of our minds, I believe we will have much more peace in our lives!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Living in the Moment

Yesterday, we hosted a seminar entitled, Trusting God in this Economy. Ray Hilbert, the founder of Truth at Work led the session and there were some great points made.

One that really got my attention is that God made our minds in such a way that we cannot think of two opposing thoughts at the same time. For example, it is impossible to be angry with someone and be praying for them at the same time. We can waffle back and forth, but we cannot do both at once.

Along those lines, a great way to live your life is to live in the moment.

Ray shared that we only have three options. We can live in the past, in the future, or in the moment. When we live in past, we can experience guilt. When we live in future, we can experience fear. Living in the present is the only way to truly experience joy and peace.

A great attitude to have is this, “There is nowhere in the world I’d rather be than right here, right now.”

I AM
I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking.
“My name is I AM.”
He paused. I waited. He continued,
“When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I WAS.
When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I WILL BE.
When you live in this moment it is not hard. I am here,
My name is I AM.”

The Power Of Our Thoughts

A few days ago I wrote about our experience with our basement flood. There have been several times when my wife and I have found ourselves complaining because of the inconvenience of this, or because our insurance coverage was not enough to cover all the damage or because of...

Fortunately, we have not gotten too far down the path of despair because one of us will say something like, "Thank God that this happened during the day" or "Thankfully we weren't out of town when this happened!" (Had either of those scenarios occurred, we would have had a very serious problem on our hands). Once we start thinking more positively, our whole mindset changes. We no longer are feeling sorry for ourselves, but somehow we feel blessed.

It is incredible the power of our thoughts and our words. This is sometimes very difficult, but simply being thankful in the midst of our trouble can truly change our perspective. That is why I liked the above video so much. I hope you do too.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Hang Loose

On Saturday evening, my wife and I along with some good friends attended the Ohio State vs. USC football game. What a great night it was for football! What an incredible atmosphere it was! The only thing lacking that night was a Buckeye victory (they lost 18-15 when USC scored a touchdown with one minute remaining).

Prior to the game, many were wondering how USC's true freshman quarterback, Matt Barkley would hold up under the pressure of an extremely loud and intimidating environment.

I don't know much about USC's head coach, Pete Carroll, as a person, but I was very impressed with the way he handled his team this night. Before the game I watched through my binoculars as Carroll went from player to player and slapped them five, laughed with them and encouraged them. Then during a critical part of the game, when the stadium was as loud as I have ever heard it, USC called a time-out. As Barkley came off the field to chat with his coach, I watched Carroll laugh with his young player as if to say, "Isn't this fun?"

During a stressful part of a game, most would expect a coach to be serious, not laughing. Most would also expect the same stoic attitude from their leader in a stressful business environment.

Maybe all of us could learn something from Carroll when things are tough. Maybe we need to lighten up a bit and have fun to keep our teams loose.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:13

Filled Up

I attended the funeral yesterday of my high school principal, Roy Becker. What an incredible guy!

He not only was my principal, but I also considered him a friend. While I was in school, and even after my high school years, he and I would occasionally play golf together. I remember thinking that golf was partly about scoring and mostly about how far I could hit the ball. Mr. Becker would simply dink it down the fairway, hit it up by the green, chip it close and make par while I flailed away trying to hit it a mile. He would continually beat me. Wisdom in action.

After I graduated, I became friends with his son Barry and we ended up working together for the same company for a few years.

Anyway, at yesterday’s service, all three of Barry’s children shared some things from their heart about what their Grandpa meant to them and how to have eternal life. They all did a great job!

Daniel, Barry’s second son, also spoke about how his Grandpa would continually make him feel great every time he was with him. He said that each time he would leave his Grandpa’s house, he felt “filled up.”

I thought that was an awesome thing to say. He felt filled up.

Wouldn’t that be a great thing that others might say about you at your funeral? “________ really filled me up whenever I was with them.”

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

Positive Attitude

Yesterday I got my haircut by Mari, a good friend of ours who has her own hair studio. I used to work with her and she now handles all of the Lange's hair.

She was telling me about her son Josh (I think he's in the 6th grade) who started school on Tuesday of this week. Josh is an athlete and hangs out with other athletes which is normal for kids of that age.

He was assigned to his home room and when he walked in he saw that none of his friends were in his room. In fact, most of the kids in his home room were not athletic at all and were part of a different crowd. Then he looked across the hall and all of his friends were in the other room slapping high fives because they were together.

He was obviously very disappointed. Mari, who was with him because it was orientation day, said she was heartbroken.

Josh grumbled about it several times over the next few minutes. Then as they walked out the door, Josh said to Mari, "Mom, I think I'll have to bring my football each day to school." Mari asked why he would want to do that and Josh replied, "So I can teach these kids how to throw. I think I'll have to step up this year and be a leader."

What a great attitude!

How often do we grumble about our circumstances rather than just sucking it up and making the best of it like Josh. I think we can all learn from this!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Going With The Flow

This morning I led our 2nd Tuesday of the month Truth At Work roundtable group meeting from 7:30 - 11:30. It was a great meeting as usual!

I then went home to get some work done (I work out of a home office) before heading to a meeting at 3:00. I opened the door to the basement to put some things away before eating lunch when I heard this awful sound...the sound of water gushing.

I rushed downstairs to find a couple of inches of water on the floor and water being shot against the wall in our closet (see the shiny floor in the picture above). A pipe had broken coming out of our sump pump and the pump was pumping away and shooting water everywhere. I guess it was quite a site as I was trying to get it under control as I was soaking wet.

Anyway, my plans of getting some work done went out the window. Connie, our two daughters, two of Connie's friends who were over for a Bible study and I spent the next several hours carting stuff upstairs to get it out of the way. We actually had quite a few laughs during this time and talked about how thankful we were that we were home and that it was not much worse.

And, believe it or not, I didn't stress too much about missing out on getting my stuff done. I actually found myself going with the flow (pun intended). Proof that God can do anything!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Joy of a Child

This past weekend I went with my family and some friends to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Navy Midshipmen. It was a great day with great friends...and the Buckeyes won, although the game was way more exciting than it needed to be (OSU let a late lead slip away and eked out a win)!

Prior to the game, I was in the restroom with my good friend Tim and his nine-year-old son Ben. Ben was washing his hands and he pulled the lever on the soap dispenser which gave him some foam soap.

Well you would have thought it was Christmas morning. He turned his hand upside down and with a huge smile said, "Look dad!" He then proceeded to jump around the bathroom with his hand upside down trying to get it to leave his hand. Pure joy in action.

I said to Tim, "Wouldn't it be great to have that joy in our life?" Tim said, "I think we are born with it and then we are taught to get rid of it."

I believe Tim is right. I think we are taught by the world to not be too joyful. Sad.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Leading During Tough Times

My good friend Clint Longenecker, author of the Two Minute Drill, sent me a copy of a study he recently did (shown below). It is pretty revealing in terms of what we can and should be doing when leading during tough times.

In an attempt to better understand what business leaders can, should and must do to help lead their organizations deal with an economic downturn we surveyed a sample of 243 senior business leaders with an average of over 27 years of experience in the manufacturing and service sectors. As part of a larger survey, we asked very basic and yet critically important question: “Based upon your experience as a business leader, what are the most important things you must do to help lead your organization through a business downturn?” The summary findings of this analysis are presented below with the percentage of participants mentioning each imperative attached.

TOP TEN LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVES IN TRYING ECONOMIC TIMES
Imperative #1: Stay Positive and Poised - 76%
Imperative #2: Get Yourself and Your People Re-Focused and Re-Prioritized – 67%
Imperative #3: Solve Problems and Make Changes Fast – 65%
Imperative #4: Look For Opportunities amidst the Gloom – 62%
Imperative #5: Take Control of What You Can Control – 60%
Imperative #6: Use Time Carefully With Exceptional Stewardship – 58%
Imperative #7: Develop Your Working Relationships and Teams – 49%
Imperative #8: Step Back and Review What You Are Doing and Why - 44%
Imperative #9: Make Coaching/People Development a Bigger Part of Your Job – 41%
Imperative #10: Think Beyond the Current Storm – 35%

(Source: Longenecker and Ariss, “LEADING IN TRYING ECONOMIC TIMES: IMPERATIVES FOR HANDLING THE HEAT,” Industrial Management, 2009)

The bottom line is that others will be looking to you. You have the ability to lead them somewhere. Your choice in how you decide to lead will go a long way toward determining if they go down the path of desperation and despair or toward determination and hope.

Leadership

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.” -- Sam Walton

"The great leaders are like the best conductors - they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players." -- Blaine Lee

"The best leaders have a high Consideration Factor. They really care about their people." -- Brian Tracy

"Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice." -- Max DePree

Leadership. I believe that everything rises and falls on leadership.

I ate breakfast yesterday with a friend of mine who was telling me of some incredible leadership blunders where he works. Morale is in the toilet as a result. On the other hand, I know of organizations whose morale could not be higher despite our economy...just because they have solid leadership.

The thing that amazes me when I talk with people about leadership is that, very few people consider themselves leaders. I believe that is not correct. I believe that we ALL are leaders.

I agree that some are given the gift of leadership to lead larger groups of people. But what I mean when I say that we are all leaders is that I believe that leadership is influence, as John Maxwell says. If this is true, then I can make a case that we all are influencing someone. It could be a coworker, a friend, a sibling, a child...anyone.

So the question is, how's your leadership--are you influencing others in a positive or negative way?

Trusting God In This Economy

For those of you in the Toledo area, I wanted to make you aware of something that you and others you know might have an interest in. I am hosting a seminar on September 17th at CedarCreek’s Toledo campus (corner of Sylvania & Douglas) from 8 AM to Noon. The seminar is entitled Trusting God in This Economy. Ray Hilbert, http://truthatwork.org/ founder will be conducting the meeting which he has done in other cities around the country to rave revues.

I believe this will be a great encouragement and bring some much needed hope to those in the business community in our region.

I highly encourage you to attend and if you feel so led, would you be willing to share this with others? Thanks! I hope to see you there!

You can register here. Early bird pricing ends this Friday (Tickets are $39; after Friday they are $49)!

Garbage In, Garbage Out

As the short video above discusses, what we think about will dictate much of who we are. I once heard Tony Robbins discussing the time he attempted to drive a race car around the track. He said as he approached the wall, he could not help but look at it. As he came nearer to it, he felt he needed to look at it more. As a result of looking at the wall, he ended up hitting it because that is what he was focused on.

John Maxwell says you are a product of who you hang around with and the books you read. I agree with this is because who you are with and what you are reading will impact what you think about.

So, are you in a rut? If so, maybe you're thinking about the wrong things. Perhaps you need to evaluate who you are spending time with and what you are reading.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Philippians 4:8