Kathy and I met a young couple recently who had moved to our area from Oregon. They both work in information technology for different employers located in Oregon. They desire to start a family and decided that the Midwest was a better location for them. When I asked about their employer’s willingness to allow them to live out-of-state, they said ...
In 1978, four men broke into a home in Kansas City and killed three people. For over 40 years, Kevin Strickland has been incarcerated in a Missouri prison for those three murders, which he didn’t commit. Two men admitted their guilt, but both were adamant that Strickland was not with them. The only evidence that convicted Strickland was Cynthia Douglas, ...
As business leaders navigate bringing their people back to the office, it may be hard for businesses to develop a one-size-fits-all policy for remote vs office work. My friend, Paul, collaborates with an architect firm. Paul said, “Many businesses can work remotely, but these architects are collaborating on designing a building. Remote work has been disastrous for them.” Another friend ...
When my father was discharged from military service, he needed a job. Dad didn’t have a high school degree, so when he had an opportunity to work at General Motors, he leaped at the opportunity. 30 years later, my dad retired from that same job. Over those years you couldn’t find a more loyal employee to General Motors. My father ...
Many years ago, I had an employee who told me stories of how other people in our building had criticized or slandered me. She was very convincing and specific. It began causing friction between me and a handful of people who had previously been friends of mine. Eventually, I discovered, through conversations with others, that her comments were blatant lies ...
When Kathy and I married, we rented a reception facility from one of the wealthier men in our county. On our wedding day, I went to check on the reception hall and found a man dressed in work clothes setting up chairs. He looked like a custodian. When he told me his name, I was stunned! I blurted out, “Aren’t ...
Years ago, I observed a boss of mine who had a habit of smiling, praising and pouring on accolades to peers in his midst. However, when his peer left, his demeanor changed, and he would begin slandering and revealing his true disdain for each of them. This had a big impact on me, because when I was with him, he ...
Albert Einstein said, “I speak to everyone the same whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” Einstein draws to the surface that respect and honor are given regardless of class, stature or position. Withholding honor is inappropriate. Romans 13:7 says, “Pay to all what is owed to them; taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue ...
According to the Wall Street Journal, Pete Stavros, an executive with KKR & Co., has spent much of his career promoting the idea of awarding stock to factory workers and other hourly employees. He believes stock ownership builds wealth for all employees and strengthens the culture. Stavros implemented his concept with a KKR company, called Gardner Denver. In a few ...
A Harvard Business Review article titled, “Creating Space for Religious Diversity at Work” highlights two principles to respect those of different religions represented in our workplaces. The first principle, discussed previously, was cultivating vagueness. The second principle is to create space. The article examined an Islamic bank in Germany that was led by people of different faiths. The bank established ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
