Kathy and I recently witnessed an educational performance on shepherding by a shepherd from Ireland. He highlighted three qualities about sheep that I found instructive. The first we discussed is defenselessness. The second quality is their natural inclination towards community. The shepherd contended that when sheep dogs or predators approach sheep, the sheep begin to huddle together. They have ...
Many historians believe the seeds of Independence Day came from The Great Awakening. The revival of the mid 1700s brought to the church a different view than the strict social class structure of the Enlightenment philosophy. Historian, Bernard Bailyn, claims that the evangelistic efforts of The Great Awakening challenged the traditions of their day by teaching that the Bible ...
Because I’ve recently spent months searching for good job applicants, I was intrigued by a Harvard Business Review article. This article identified a pool of hidden talent that is typically being overlooked. The research conducted by Harvard Business School and Accenture discovered that automated hiring platforms often screen out qualified job seekers. These job applicants have unconventional backgrounds – ...
Two government agencies are attempting to force Christian employers to violate their faith. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are requiring that health insurance providers, and employers, pay for gender identity-related services including gender transition procedures. Being asked to participate in the government’s social experiment seems inappropriate and Lord willing, will be ...
Speaker and author, Nicole Unice, shared with our Des Moines audience recently an incredible insight for those immersed in a workplace conflict. Nicole informed us that distance creates distrust. I don’t know about you, but when I’m having a conflict with someone that I’m struggling to resolve, I tend to avoid them for a while. If I must work with ...
In Jordan Raynor’s book, “Redeeming Your Time,” he references significant data that suggests that our bodies work in cycles. These cycles are called Ultradian Cycles. Basically, Jordan contends that our bodies work best in blocks of 90-minute cycles before we need a short break. These short breaks allow us to be more productive. Jordan references a study that Sony performed. ...
Some employers are beginning to pay people less if they move to a community with a lower cost of living, even though the work being produced is the same. Other employers are hiring great talent in Midwestern cities by paying them West Coast wages. Paying employees equitably has become complicated. Jesus told a parable about hiring workers throughout the day ...
Kathy and I recently enjoyed the Kansas City Symphony as they performed “Star Wars.” Dozens of professional musicians worked together to make an incredible blended sound. In contrast, I remembered joining a rock and roll band as a teenager. We each played the songs without respecting the other instruments. We sounded terrible! My respect for the symphony grew when I ...
In Harvard Business Review, Susan Peppercorn highlighted five questions to help you retain your employees. Her final question is, “Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?” Talented people can perform different types of functions effectively. However, each person has skills that they love doing. By asking about what they do best and exploring how ...
In Harvard Business Review, Susan Peppercorn highlighted five questions to help you retain your employees. Today I want to talk about her fourth question, “What are we currently not doing as a company that you feel we should do?” When you can make this question specific, for instance, asking, “What are we not doing in our marketing efforts?” it will ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
