Appreciate Others Archives

Johanna Gilkeson2025-05-24T14:20:44-05:00June 12th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Deuteronomy 8, Love God|

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

Johanna Gilkeson2025-05-24T13:34:13-05:00June 9th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Integrity, Proverbs 22|

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

Johanna Gilkeson2025-05-11T12:35:22-05:00May 28th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Human Resources, Jeremiah 23|

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

Johanna Gilkeson2025-05-02T18:35:55-05:00May 26th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Love God, Psalm 18|

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

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-30T20:49:05-05:00May 19th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Love God, Romans 7|

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 ...

From Graduation to Career

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-27T20:22:06-05:00May 16th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Proverbs 3, trust God|

While finishing my undergraduate studies, my graduation date was set for December. My new job with a national CPA firm started in January. My schooling was paid for by my hard work, some student loans, and in the final semester, through some desperate use of credit cards. My credit card repayment plan revolved around my first paycheck. However, in January ...

Social Media Deceptions

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-05T20:53:44-05:00April 30th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Integrity, Psalm 101|

My wife, Kathy, regularly calls business leaders asking how our team can best pray for them. Over the last year, Kathy has noticed one common request. They often ask for prayers for their adult children. Many speak of children who have “ghosted them” due to political or social disagreements. When Kathy delicately probes about the underlying issue, most share one ...

Negotiating Agreements God’s Way: Part V

Johanna Gilkeson2025-02-23T16:38:03-06:00March 14th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Genesis 47, Human Resources|

In this series, we’re discussing five guiding principles on negotiating agreements. The final principle is to lean towards being generous. In the story of Joseph, Egypt had seven years of famine. To afford to buy food, all Egyptians sold their land to Pharoah. Pharoah, however, needed them to farm the land, so Joseph worked out a win/win sharecropping arrangement. In ...

Negotiating Agreements God’s Way: Part IV

Johanna Gilkeson2025-02-21T20:04:29-06:00March 13th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Love God, Philippians 2|

In this series, we’re discussing five guiding principles on negotiating agreements. The fourth principle is to always work towards a win/win agreement. Stan was a bank customer who believed he always needed to win all points of every negotiation so that the bank was the loser, and his business was the winner. Although Stan won occasional battles, it didn’t bode ...

Defending the Team

Johanna Gilkeson2025-02-21T18:48:07-06:00March 6th, 2025|Tags: Appreciate Others, Human Resources, Proverbs 3|

Leslie was frustrated with her boss. Although he told Leslie privately that she was performing well, that support disappeared whenever another manager questioned Leslie’s work. Her supervisor failed to defend Leslie and instead deferred to other managers, telling Leslie it is better to “go along to get along.” Although Leslie loved the company and her work, her supervisor’s behavior caused ...

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