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The workplace is fertile ground for Evangelism. If you have gotten into a rut at work, I want to remind you of your greater purpose. Jesus didn't come down to earth just to be a human. He had a mission - To seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)! God can use you to impact people who are lost, hurting, depressed, confused, and fearful. But not if your walk and your talk are misaligned. Have the same mindset like Jesus (see 1 Cor.2:16) and embrace the greater purpose of the relationships around you, which are so short-lived in light of eternity. Here are two areas you can focus on this week:
1. True to your word Do what you said you were going to do. Few things will taint your reputation and character at work (and life, in general) as being unreliable in your communication. Speak true of others, don't spread lies. Speak true of yourself, don't make things up to try to impress people. And, most importantly, speak The Truth, God's Word. Psalm 15 begins, "Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart." Our walk and our talk must go hand-in-hand. Practically, for example, don't be overly eager to say you'll do something if, deep down, you probably know you won't. Think it through. Integrity of speech; let this infiltrate your character. 2. True to your identity You are a child of God, anywhere and everywhere. Don't be afraid to show it, speak of it, and defend it (if necessary). Don't be someone else. Be you. Instead of fretting over trying to fit in, remember who you are called to be, in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:1-3 says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." We don't change our behavior, attitudes, convictions, and so on, based on the environment. If anything, the environment around us should change! Before an employee, manager, vice president, etc., you are a living soul on whom God has lavished his love and grace. Live accordingly. Title's pass. Work will be no more. But a child of God you will always be. 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? Leaders have the daunting task of setting vision. Often, what it really ends up being is a checklist of things employees can and can't do. These employees (aka blue-collar workers, laborers, hourly employees, etc.) who are in the trenches of the daily operations of a company are sometimes left behind when it comes to cultural/operational change that is in the works.
If an idealist in the workplace (in this context, let's call them an executive) is someone who does things based on principles and lofty ideas, the pragmatist (laborer) is someone who does whatever is deemed to be practical. In theory, executives have commendable ideas and plans, and their motives may even be self-less. In practice, they often come across as unrealistic and self-centered. Both sides have to compromise. No one will get everything they want. If your 'uppers' have failed you or you feel they just don't understand you, be patient. Try seeing things from their perspective. If it goes on for years, and there is no change, make sure your resume is updated and you have a good LinkedIn profile. For the directors and executives out there, keep it real. Don't turn 'vision' into something it's not. Here are a few tips on closing the gap: 1. Address the elephant(s) in the room. Don't avoid problems, especially if they are reoccurring. Your team knows them. Tackle them head on and show your team that you are willing and able to help. Know what activities make up their 'daily grind' and pay attention to the squeaky wheel(s). 2. Repetition. This is your key discipline for changing or developing culture. What you do over and over will leave an imprint (good or bad). Repeat the vision. In meetings, emails, internal communication, etc., keep sharing what the future looks like in your new & improved workplace. 3. Care & Concern. Simply put, no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care (thanks John). Care for the people on your team. Talk their language. Ask questions that are not just related to work. Be professional but make sure you are personable. To be continued... Danny 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. There's something out of place if you agree with absolutely everything your upper management says or does.
Then, why did they hire you? What value do you bring, if any? How does your voice and role make a difference? Be leery of people in your company or organization who flatter just for the sake of appearing to be a team player. You can agree with someone, superficially, on the outside, but disagree with them internally. People might see your smile and hear your nice words, but they don't see you spewing on the inside. When you agree quickly and mechanically with pretty much everything, people may be more willing to cross moral/ethical/vocational/personal boundaries with you or even take advantage of you because they know you won't complain. You'll say yes and be on with it. As I get older, I have more respect for those co-workers and managers who are willing to give friendly push-back, with good reason. Questioning an action, policy or decision doesn't mean you're unprofessional or negative. It means you care. Daniela bought a watermelon recently.
I cut it in half to give it the taste test. It was perfect. I put both halves in the fridge to keep them fresh. One of them went fairly quickly; a team effort by the boys and I =) The other half sat in the fridge close to a week, untouched. That is, until Seth asked for some fruit. I thought what could be better, he likes watermelon and this should still be good. It was. Daniela ended up cutting it in small pieces and put them into a plastic container. What do you think happened? That's right, it got eaten up in less than a day. All because of perception, really. What seemed like a big piece of watermelon was really just a bunch of smaller pieces. Break down that big project, chore, report or activity that's standing in front of you, like Goliath standing in front of David. What's one step you can take to gain some momentum in the right direction? Do it. Don't get frustrated. Or do, that's ok. But don't let it keep you from taking action. Being available for someone means that you have 'free' time and can fill it with something that is important to that person, if you feel like it.
Making yourself available to someone means that you intentionally commit to & protect that time, for their specific needs. There's a huge difference. Don't tell someone you're available if you're not willing to give them your time & attention. Sounding like a nice person by saying you're available doesn't help anyone. In fact, your co-workers or those under your leadership will eventually see the real you. They'll associate your frequent 'I'm available' with something along the lines of 'I have some free time, I wish I didn't, so please don't contact me unless you have an emergency.' Take-away: I'm available = The time slot is free but I don't really want to fill it. I will make myself available = Whatever is important to you is important to me. As a leader, your team should never question what mood you're in, whether or not you have their best interest at heart, or whether they can trust you. Everything you say and do must be coherent and transparent.
(Related side-note: If you're a parent, you're a leader. If you're a older brother, you're a leader. If you're a teacher, you're a leader. And the list goes on. You don't need a fancy title to be a leader.) Don't be afraid to wear your emotions on your sleeves. You should. If you're happy, they should know it. If you're upset, they should know it. This is the what-you-see-is-what-you-get leadership method. No hidden agendas. No harbored emotions. No need for anyone to ask your assistant if you're in a good mood today. Clear the confusion and have a pulse on the feelings your team is feeling. Everyone on your team should know where you stand on pretty much most, if not all, topics and they should feel safe to talk to you. As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. - Proverbs 27:19  If you follow me on Instagram (@altarpreneur), you know that I like to work in time batches - early AM, late AM and afternoon. This helps me stay organized and on top of my various tasks & projects, be it work-related or personal.
Another useful technique that I recently started incorporating into my schedule is the Pomodoro Technique, a method used for batching tasks. Pomodoro means “tomato” in Italian. The inventor of the technique, Francesco Cirillo (Italian), initially used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer when he developed the technique (you can Google it). I looked online for a simple 1-page sheet that I can use to put this technique into action but could not find one. So, I created it! (There is an app if you prefer those, it costs $4.99.) I find a simple sheet that I can keep nearby, on my desk, to be much more effective than swipes, taps, drop-downs, notifications, etc.. Here you go...use it well! The Pomodora Log (by Altarpreneur) - A Daily Task Tracker for Increased Productivity Recently, in an online work meeting, The VP of our department said that he is actually excited about the unprecedented times we are living in, not in regards to any of the hurt and pain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (of course), but because he is expanding his leadership skills and entering uncharted territory as far as his career is concerned.
What's your attitude as a leader during the changes that are happening to work as we know it? Do you see an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone or are you going to run and hide and hope things get better? Ten years from now, if the Lord tarries and we are still living, the business leaders of today's crisis will be characterized by at least 3 traits:
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. - Psalm 78:72 |
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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