Sunday, September 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Valuable Words in Business
Last week a friend pointed out to me that she wasn’t sure if her words were valuable or if they were just words. She wanted to make sure that what she shared inspired. She was adamant about making a difference in her workplace and touching those around her, but had no clue if her words accomplished any form of productivity in the life of the hearer.
Few people who mentor, speak or lead get the opportunity to hear the effectiveness of their words. Most receive plenty of negative feedback based on the potential change their words bring into the other person’s life, but few get positive feedback or even a simple thank you as most expect a leader to have shared what they did.
In business we set our direction and live by words. The corporate goals or departmental objectives are words that drive the strategy of the firm and our daily activities. When the words are good and followed, it drives excellence and moves the business forward. When the words are not demonstrated, but rather just talked about, it deflates the workers and reduces productivity.
The words put in place by our corporations to live by are just words unless we actually live by them. Hypocritical managers always find frustration when they can’t seem to get their employees to follow the rules. They find themselves having strong words with more and more employees, rather than taking responsibility to demonstrate the rules and seeing its positive impact on all onlookers.
I’ve read many business books from across the world including The Art of War by Chinese writer Zǐ Bīng Fǎ and I must admit, the best business book in the world is still the Bible. Here is what it says about our words:
Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37
It isn’t rocket science, but plain common sense. If we walk our talk, we will find that people will eventually listen. If they listen, they will eventually reflect on our words. If our words are sound, they will embrace our words and put them into practice. Once in practice, they will be rewarded by the effectiveness of the words and most likely pass the wisdom on to another or return to thank us. In either case, our words will be productive.
Its only when we don’t walk our talk that frustration surfaces. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “do as I say, not as I do.” It is foolish. No one in their right mind would follow someone who isn’t willing to drink their own Kool-Aid. People want authenticity and they’re not about to follow anyone who lives hypocritically unless they feel that they have no other choice.
I remember my dad sharing a story with me during my junior high years. He was out smoking and drinking with his buddies and conversing about their teenagers. The one drew in deeply from his cigarette and then let it out slowly. He sighed, “I don’t understand it, I tell my kids not to smoke, but I keep catching them at it. How can I make my kids listen?”
My dad saw his friend as a hypocrite, pulled out his cigarettes and laid them on the bar. He said his goodbyes and headed home never to smoke again. He didn’t want his kids to smoke and decided to live by example. He wanted his words to count, so he thought he’d better walk the talk. The result, I’ve never tried a cigarette or cigar. I believed his words.
As for my dad’s friend, well, his son still smokes to this very day. He is battling the same lung disease that took his mother and his life is in disarray. All, as he put it, because he could never find words he could trust. And, when I asked him about his father, some of his words sounded quite condemning. Just as the Bible states for the hypocritical:
Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. James 5:12b
Workers only want to follow the man who leads through example. It doesn’t matter how many degrees we have or the depths of our experience, what matters is that we live by the very words we require others to follow. Simply put, we need to do what we say we are going to do and do what we want others to do.
As for me, I will endeavor to demonstrate it and live by it.
Few people who mentor, speak or lead get the opportunity to hear the effectiveness of their words. Most receive plenty of negative feedback based on the potential change their words bring into the other person’s life, but few get positive feedback or even a simple thank you as most expect a leader to have shared what they did.
In business we set our direction and live by words. The corporate goals or departmental objectives are words that drive the strategy of the firm and our daily activities. When the words are good and followed, it drives excellence and moves the business forward. When the words are not demonstrated, but rather just talked about, it deflates the workers and reduces productivity.
The words put in place by our corporations to live by are just words unless we actually live by them. Hypocritical managers always find frustration when they can’t seem to get their employees to follow the rules. They find themselves having strong words with more and more employees, rather than taking responsibility to demonstrate the rules and seeing its positive impact on all onlookers.
I’ve read many business books from across the world including The Art of War by Chinese writer Zǐ Bīng Fǎ and I must admit, the best business book in the world is still the Bible. Here is what it says about our words:
Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37
It isn’t rocket science, but plain common sense. If we walk our talk, we will find that people will eventually listen. If they listen, they will eventually reflect on our words. If our words are sound, they will embrace our words and put them into practice. Once in practice, they will be rewarded by the effectiveness of the words and most likely pass the wisdom on to another or return to thank us. In either case, our words will be productive.
Its only when we don’t walk our talk that frustration surfaces. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “do as I say, not as I do.” It is foolish. No one in their right mind would follow someone who isn’t willing to drink their own Kool-Aid. People want authenticity and they’re not about to follow anyone who lives hypocritically unless they feel that they have no other choice.
I remember my dad sharing a story with me during my junior high years. He was out smoking and drinking with his buddies and conversing about their teenagers. The one drew in deeply from his cigarette and then let it out slowly. He sighed, “I don’t understand it, I tell my kids not to smoke, but I keep catching them at it. How can I make my kids listen?”
My dad saw his friend as a hypocrite, pulled out his cigarettes and laid them on the bar. He said his goodbyes and headed home never to smoke again. He didn’t want his kids to smoke and decided to live by example. He wanted his words to count, so he thought he’d better walk the talk. The result, I’ve never tried a cigarette or cigar. I believed his words.
As for my dad’s friend, well, his son still smokes to this very day. He is battling the same lung disease that took his mother and his life is in disarray. All, as he put it, because he could never find words he could trust. And, when I asked him about his father, some of his words sounded quite condemning. Just as the Bible states for the hypocritical:
Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. James 5:12b
Workers only want to follow the man who leads through example. It doesn’t matter how many degrees we have or the depths of our experience, what matters is that we live by the very words we require others to follow. Simply put, we need to do what we say we are going to do and do what we want others to do.
As for me, I will endeavor to demonstrate it and live by it.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Moral or Politically Correct?
I was chatting with a woman who demanded that her boyfriend always use diplomacy and tact. She made him feel like he had no choice and every time he would respond out of his inner “beast” she would look at him with distain. There was no respect for him and she found it important to push him to become more like her girlfriends – after all, they “knew how to build relationships.”
My heart compelled me to respond and using my own example I pointed out that if we men are doing God’s will, we will always have enemies. She countered using Bill Hybels of Willow Creek as her example. She stated that he gets along with everyone and doesn’t have any enemies. Since I didn’t know if Bill kept the uncomfortable portion of his job under raps or if he truly was a friend to everyone, I decided not to further the discussion, but rather investigate if it was possible to be everyone’s friend including God’s.
It didn’t take me long before James 4:4 jumped out at me while reading.
“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4
This verse was located in the portion of James’ text discussing how we as a church should not judge each other; instead help guide each other into holiness in our internal relationships. We are to go beyond superficialities or political correctness.
James was rebutting the political correctness of the time and challenged the believers to not worry about fitting in with society, but to focus on separating themselves unto God and His family. The believers were working so hard at getting along with society, that they lost track of their own morals and were judging other believers according to how they got along with others in society.
The chapter goes on to suggest that the believers needed to do self-examination and evaluate themselves according to God’s standards. And, if they found something amiss, he recommended they change their ways and correct their own paths. This was all capped off with a reminder that God’s grace would cover their lives as they walked in this humble approach.
James’ words brought healing to many, but it also set them a part from society, which led to several conflicts when they followed God’s standards over the political correctness of the day.
I couldn’t help but reflect back on King David and the numerous writings that extolled his greatness. Oh, I didn’t stagger at how majestic he was, but rather couldn’t help but notice the contrast in writings about him from the Philistine society and other non-believers. (This society was one he conquered and plundered.)
One writing suggested David was an “inconsequential bandit chieftain in the Judean hills.” Another stated he was no more than a Philistine hating mercenary for King Saul. I did not take time to research if there was any substance to these claims, as the mere presence of the claims suggested that David was not politically correct and had enemies.
Men are built to handle battle in many forms, including the facing down of a friend who is caught up in sin. While the Bible recommends we do it gently in hopes of saving our brother and restoring him to his rightful place in the kingdom, we are still to confront him. So, correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t recall many people who appreciate confrontation and look forward to it, especially if it’s about their sinful behavior.
I suppose we can be politically correct and not confront our brother who is trapped in sin, but that wouldn’t be the loving thing to do. Instead, we need to separate our moral behaviors from the world’s sinful behaviors even if it causes us to be viewed as an enemy.
A few years ago I was on a business trip with a group of technology geeks in Canada. They voted to eat dinner in the local pub and I found myself the only one abstaining from the local lager. After several courses of drink, the food finally arrived and my taste buds seemed to be the only ones savoring every bite, as most men gulped down the meat with slugs of German ale.
Once everyone had their fill, they were off to the evening’s planned entertainment. I headed the opposite direction, returning to the hotel for a good nights sleep. One angry man shouted obscenities at me as he was stepping into the strip club. His words were that of an enemy, as he barked out that I was too good, too high and mighty to join them for manly pleasure.
I had done nothing to deserve the verbal abuse except to abstain from drink and a strip club. I have secular friends who do the same, but this man had been ridiculing me all week long because he saw me as a spiritual standard to which he fell short. It left him with a simple choice: to change his ways; or, to ridicule me so he could feel superior.
His poor choice didn’t bother me too much, but it did make me realize that by my having chosen a moral position to live by, I was setting myself against what was culturally accepted by our society and this man. My decision gave him the ability to view me as his enemy.
The following day the man apologized to me and told me he was going to return to the church. I marveled at how the Lord worked in his life, as I had never said one word to him about Christ or Christianity.
Are you ever viewed as an enemy based on your personal moral choices?
My heart compelled me to respond and using my own example I pointed out that if we men are doing God’s will, we will always have enemies. She countered using Bill Hybels of Willow Creek as her example. She stated that he gets along with everyone and doesn’t have any enemies. Since I didn’t know if Bill kept the uncomfortable portion of his job under raps or if he truly was a friend to everyone, I decided not to further the discussion, but rather investigate if it was possible to be everyone’s friend including God’s.
It didn’t take me long before James 4:4 jumped out at me while reading.
“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4
This verse was located in the portion of James’ text discussing how we as a church should not judge each other; instead help guide each other into holiness in our internal relationships. We are to go beyond superficialities or political correctness.
James was rebutting the political correctness of the time and challenged the believers to not worry about fitting in with society, but to focus on separating themselves unto God and His family. The believers were working so hard at getting along with society, that they lost track of their own morals and were judging other believers according to how they got along with others in society.
The chapter goes on to suggest that the believers needed to do self-examination and evaluate themselves according to God’s standards. And, if they found something amiss, he recommended they change their ways and correct their own paths. This was all capped off with a reminder that God’s grace would cover their lives as they walked in this humble approach.
James’ words brought healing to many, but it also set them a part from society, which led to several conflicts when they followed God’s standards over the political correctness of the day.
I couldn’t help but reflect back on King David and the numerous writings that extolled his greatness. Oh, I didn’t stagger at how majestic he was, but rather couldn’t help but notice the contrast in writings about him from the Philistine society and other non-believers. (This society was one he conquered and plundered.)
One writing suggested David was an “inconsequential bandit chieftain in the Judean hills.” Another stated he was no more than a Philistine hating mercenary for King Saul. I did not take time to research if there was any substance to these claims, as the mere presence of the claims suggested that David was not politically correct and had enemies.
Men are built to handle battle in many forms, including the facing down of a friend who is caught up in sin. While the Bible recommends we do it gently in hopes of saving our brother and restoring him to his rightful place in the kingdom, we are still to confront him. So, correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t recall many people who appreciate confrontation and look forward to it, especially if it’s about their sinful behavior.
I suppose we can be politically correct and not confront our brother who is trapped in sin, but that wouldn’t be the loving thing to do. Instead, we need to separate our moral behaviors from the world’s sinful behaviors even if it causes us to be viewed as an enemy.
A few years ago I was on a business trip with a group of technology geeks in Canada. They voted to eat dinner in the local pub and I found myself the only one abstaining from the local lager. After several courses of drink, the food finally arrived and my taste buds seemed to be the only ones savoring every bite, as most men gulped down the meat with slugs of German ale.
Once everyone had their fill, they were off to the evening’s planned entertainment. I headed the opposite direction, returning to the hotel for a good nights sleep. One angry man shouted obscenities at me as he was stepping into the strip club. His words were that of an enemy, as he barked out that I was too good, too high and mighty to join them for manly pleasure.
I had done nothing to deserve the verbal abuse except to abstain from drink and a strip club. I have secular friends who do the same, but this man had been ridiculing me all week long because he saw me as a spiritual standard to which he fell short. It left him with a simple choice: to change his ways; or, to ridicule me so he could feel superior.
His poor choice didn’t bother me too much, but it did make me realize that by my having chosen a moral position to live by, I was setting myself against what was culturally accepted by our society and this man. My decision gave him the ability to view me as his enemy.
The following day the man apologized to me and told me he was going to return to the church. I marveled at how the Lord worked in his life, as I had never said one word to him about Christ or Christianity.
Are you ever viewed as an enemy based on your personal moral choices?
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