Business Development Archives

The Ways Businesses Integrate Faith: Part II

Johanna Gilkeson2025-05-24T12:12:01-05:00June 3rd, 2025|Tags: Business Development, Faith, Proverbs 20|

Wheaton College’s Center for Faith and Innovation performed a multiple-year research project to explore how faith manifests itself in business. The researchers categorized faith activities into three categories. Operationalized Faith is our focus today. These researchers discovered that some companies develop faith-rooted policies or practices. They labeled these operationalized faith. Some of the examples are charitable giving, providing chaplains for ...

The Uniqueness Trap

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-30T21:34:45-05:00May 22nd, 2025|Tags: Business Development, Ecclesiastes 1, Strategic Planning|

A Harvard Business Review article titled, The Uniqueness Trap, discovered that many project managers believe their new project to be so unique that the processes need to be built from scratch. This requires significant resources spent creating brand new systems and processes. These researchers discovered, however, that it’s rare that these projects haven’t been done by someone else previously. Taking ...

Gaming the System

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-30T21:15:46-05:00May 21st, 2025|Tags: 1 Corinthians 9, Business Development, Executive Management|

A Harvard Business Review article entitled, “How Salespeople Game the System” provided some wisdom on developing incentive and compensation programs for salespeople. Although incentive compensation plans can bear a lot of fruit, these researchers concluded that salespeople will try to find ways to game the system to increase their compensation. These researchers discovered eight common schemes that salespeople use to ...

What’s Missing

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-27T19:46:53-05:00May 12th, 2025|Tags: Business Development, Hebrews 12, Love God|

In his book, “King’s Cross,” Tim Keller describes the rich young ruler asking Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17). Keller notes that the man has accomplished much in his life but recognizes that something is still lacking. It’s the same today. We can use our work to pursue all kinds of earthly rewards – money, ...

God’s View on Trade Deficits

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-26T14:32:11-05:00May 2nd, 2025|Tags: Business Development, Deuteronomy 28, Strategic Planning|

Trade deficits haven’t been discussed much until recently. Tariffs have forced business leaders to consider how they might be impacted by the price of foreign goods. The Bible addresses a potential reason for trade deficits rarely considered - our lack of obedience to God’s commands and principles. In Deuteronomy 28, God outlines blessings and curses for Israel’s obedience or disobedience. ...

Overcoming Uncertainty

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-26T14:20:17-05:00May 1st, 2025|Tags: 1 Timothy 6, Business Development, trust God|

Business leaders typically despise uncertainty. When taxes, tariffs, or government regulations are in flux, the uncertainty can bring commerce to a screeching halt. This uncertainty puts stock markets at risk, as well as long-term investments in new projects. For those who place their hope in their wealth, financial uncertainty can shake their foundation. 1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Instruct those who ...

The Fiery Ordeal

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-05T20:33:01-05:00April 29th, 2025|Tags: 1 Peter 4, Business Development, Integrity|

After twenty years in vocational ministry, Kathy and I have a habit of forewarning new hires at UBN to expect trouble. The enemy doesn’t want our ministry to succeed. It’s not uncommon to watch new employees experience significant challenges. Challenges may be health related, household appliances breaking, or event persecution. One of our employees recently shared that it was ...

A Career with No Regrets

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-05T20:45:00-05:00April 28th, 2025|Tags: 2 Timothy 1, Business Development, Faith|

Tom Ferguson, as CEO, led 11,000 employees for twenty-five years when he retired. He sent a farewell email to all his employees that also mentioned his faith. When over 1,000 people responded with surprise that Tom was a Christian, Tom was devastated. He had led this company for decades with no obvious spiritual impact. Fortunately, God gave Tom a ...

5 Reasons to Integrate your Faith and Work: Reason Five

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-05T19:41:04-05:00April 25th, 2025|Tags: Business Development, Faith, Hebrews 11|

In this series, we’re sharing five reasons why integrating your faith and work has great value. The final reason is because God can transform entire workplaces. Seth felt God was instructing him to stay employed at Home Depot until every employee heard about Jesus. Obediently, Seth began a Bible study, then a prayer group at work. Two years later, God ...

5 Reasons to Integrate Your Faith and Work: Reason Four

Johanna Gilkeson2025-04-05T19:21:32-05:00April 24th, 2025|Tags: Business Development, Faith, Hebrews 10|

In this series, we’re sharing five reasons why incorporating your faith into your work has great value. Reason four is that faith in the workplace changes lives. I’d been hiding from God for twenty years when I started working for Gregg. When I needed answers to business issues, Gregg never shied away from quoting a proverb or telling me a ...

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