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Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Phil.2:14,15) We are in the middle of a very busy season at work and, to keep it short, it can get frustrating at times. Recently, I found myself grumbling and complaining a few times. Mot of the time it was for little things. Other times it was simply because of the (compounding) workload and some new processes that we have recently implemented in the middle of a large new project.
And then, a shift. I get an unexpected email from my manager. In it, he sends one sentence letting me know that I'm eligible for a bonus and the amount. What!? I didn't even know what to say. I was thankful. Gratitude seemed to replace the grumbling. I knew there were talks about a possible bonus coming but nothing concrete. And what surprised me most was the amount. You know one of the things that came to mind? How foolish I was for all the complaining and grumbling. It got me nowhere. I still had to finish the work. The day still went on. The week passed. Thankfully, I still work from home and none of my co-workers heard me! Daniela reminded me how good the Lord is with us even when we're not so good. Note: In the below, I'm not suggesting that a volunteer or an employee always thinks this way. It is a general description. But I am saying that they are certainly prone to think this way. A servant, however, always has this mindset, as described below. VOLUNTEER:
You're so lucky I'm here. You need my help. EMPLOYEE: I get paid to be here. I'll do my job. SERVANT: I'm so glad to be here. How can I help? You'll get into situations at work, if you haven't already, where you'll want to prove to someone, or a group of people on your team, that you were right.
That you had the right answer. That you came up with the right solution. That your way was the best way. That the steps you followed were according to protocol. That because of your work, things 'got done.' But being right (or proving you're right) and coming out the victor is not always the right thing. It can ruin your chemistry and collaboration with people. Instead of trying to make yourself look good (which is really hard to do without appearing self-centered or desperate ), ask 'what's best for the team?' I'm not naive, I know that in the heat of the moment, this can be difficult. But it's not impossible. Don't focus on being right. Focus on doing what's right. When our boys tell me that they can't do something, such as picking up their toys or brushing their teeth, it usually means they don't want to. After I challenge them a bit, I quickly find out it's not that they are unable but that they are unwilling.
Grown-ups at work are not much different. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” - Phil. 2:14,15 |
ABOUTBiblical, on-the-go, tips for thriving at work. Written by Danny Kovacs, from first-hand wins & losses. This is the digital space where I share free resources and learning moments throughout the week/month. ARCHIVES
August 2024
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