Appreciate Others

People Skills

2025-06-30T12:03:10-05:00July 10th, 2025|Tags: , , |

Desiring to serve God in his work, Darren often held back to be sure he wasn’t jumping ahead of God by taking actions God didn’t want taken. When Darren proudly described his restraint to his spiritual mentor, the mentor reminded Darren of the many times God used people to accomplish tasks, from Moses seeking his father-in-law’s assistance in the Book ...

Every Piece Matters

2025-06-30T11:35:09-05:00July 9th, 2025|Tags: , , |

The project team had spent nearly a year on the project to refine the company processes. To celebrate, the executive overseeing the project rented out a local restaurant and invited everyone who had played a role to be part of the celebration.   But some were offended that individuals with only minor roles were being invited to the same celebration as ...

Mattering at Work

2025-06-19T16:10:00-05:00July 2nd, 2025|Tags: , , |

A Harvard Business Review article on the Power of Mattering at Work told a story about Jane, a custodian. Jane longed to be more than just a janitor, until her supervisor shared a different perspective.  This supervisor showed Jane the definition of custodian that said, “A person responsible for looking after something.” This wise leader told Jane that she ...

Belonging vs Mattering

2025-06-19T15:40:40-05:00July 1st, 2025|Tags: , , |

In a Harvard Business Review article titled “The Power of Mattering at Work,” the authors make a distinction between belonging and mattering. The authors contend that we may desire to belong to a group, but we have a more fundamental need to matter.  They define belonging as feeling welcomed and accepted in a group, while mattering is feeling significant to ...

Honor Your Pledge

2025-05-29T08:48:23-05:00June 20th, 2025|Tags: , , |

For many small businesses, cash flow anxiety can cause them to be very reluctant to make financial commitments. At times, they may even be tempted to break their promises.   The Apostle Paul was concerned that the Corinthian church was about to break their promise. In 2 Corinthians 8, the Corinthians had made a pledge to help other struggling churches.  Due ...

2025-05-24T14:20:44-05:00June 12th, 2025|Tags: , , |

After a promotion, Quentin found himself in charge of an entire department, overseeing a large budget and more than thirty people. He took this good fortune personally and regularly communicated his esteemed place in the organization. He began talking pridefully all the time about “my team.” It rubbed people the wrong way because Quentin was erroneously communicating his personal ownership, ...

A Snobby Banker

2025-05-24T13:34:13-05:00June 9th, 2025|Tags: , , |

When I was a single young banker, I attended the wedding of a friend. As I struggled to find a seat, the only person I knew was the new President of the bank where I worked at the time.   I had been in this President’s office previously and saw him frequently in loan meetings, so I slid in next to ...

The Shepherd’s Challenge: Part II

2025-05-11T12:35:22-05:00May 28th, 2025|Tags: , , |

In this series we’re discussing the challenge of being a good shepherd. Last time, we discussed the importance of caring for the needs of your flock.   Our second challenge is to create a peaceful and safe environment for your team.  Working directly with customers can leave some employees fearful and anxious. If they are not supported by management adequately, the ...

Memorial Day Beginnings

2025-05-02T18:35:55-05:00May 26th, 2025|Tags: , , |

For many, I suspect Memorial Day suggests a recognition of the fallen soldiers from World War I, World War II, or Vietnam. But you might be surprised to learn that Memorial Day initially began after the Civil War.  From 1865 to 1868, multiple cities hosted ceremonies recognizing the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the Civil War. ...

Christians Who Disappoint

2025-04-30T20:49:05-05:00May 19th, 2025|Tags: , , |

Recently, Kathy and I hired a company to do some work on our home. We interviewed multiple Christian led companies and chose the one who had the best reviews and who we thought was most likely to adhere to God’s standards.   Unfortunately, we were disappointed in the outcome.  We tend to hope that if Christians are working for the Lord ...

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