In an August 2025 workplace survey, Gallup reported that employees who feel a strong sense of vocational purpose have better work outcomes. The survey said that 50 percent of those who have a strong purpose, feel connected to their work, are enthusiastic about what they do, and are committed to their organization’s success. By comparison, only 9 percent of employees ...
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. realized that if excellence was modeled in the workplace, the opportunity for job advancement and improvement would increase dramatically. In a famous speech, Dr. King said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michaelangelo painted, or as Beethoven composed music or as Shakespeare wrote poetry. He ...
My wife, Kathy, recently visited a car wash. When Kathy approached the attendant’s booth, the attendant began sharing about the benefits of their monthly club. Kathy stated she just wanted their cheapest car wash. This lady forced her canned sales pitch on Kathy anyway. Kathy said, “I’ve been coming here for two years. I just want the cheapest car wash.” ...
In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Scott Cook, cofounder of Intuit, and Professor Nitin Noharia discussed how to enhance customer value. The article highlighted CEO of RELX, Erik Engstrom. Engstrom has been asking his team customer-obsessed questions for twenty years. Some of Engstrom’s profound questions include: “How does the customer measure value? How do we know? How do we ...
A recent Harvard Business Review article highlighted experiments that discovered that 46% of people accepted job offers without any negotiation, out of fear that the offer may be withdrawn. Obviously, they are willing to work for that amount. But they may feel they are worth more pay. As an employer who desires to shepherd your people well, this information does ...
The ESPN documentary “Broke” showcased the challenges of professional athletes who suddenly come into huge salaries without adequate preparation for handling their new wealth. Even though the profiled athletes had amazing talents and power on the field, they strained to effectively manage their money. They struggled with greed, peer competition for the flashiest purchases, and separating their finances from the ...
Years ago, Jerry was working on building a Christian retreat center near my cousin, Linda. Linda recently informed me that during the retreat center’s planning stage, she rallied people against this project. Eventually, Jerry presented his case to the community, but the community was skeptical. During that meeting, however, Jerry referenced a passage from my book. When my cousin ...
If you ever doubt the power of words, watch a few of President Ronald Reagan’s speeches. Reagan’s charm in front of a camera, in part, made him a great President. He had a way of telling stories with the right amount of truth and humor to rally people to follow him. Columnist, Peggy Noonan, who worked for President Reagan, ...
As we watch the presidential debates, the destructive power of an impulsive statement or speaking the wrong words becomes more evident. The more you are in the public eye, the more words matter. Likewise, for business leaders who are often required to speak at team gatherings or public events, the choice of words can quickly destroy morale or people’s ...
Missionaries and pastors are usually easy to convince that God has given them a calling. Even medical professionals quickly understand the importance and value of their work. But many entry level or blue collar workers struggle to believe that God cares about their work. In a recent Common Good magazine article, author Tom Lutz suggests asking those with doubts, ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
