In his early 20s, my friend, Butch, bounced from job to job. I remember feeling sorry for him because he seemed lost. That’s until the day Butch proudly pronounced to his father, “I was hired today to work at your company.” Butch’s father was a successful construction superintendent. Butch’s dad was apprehensive because of Butch’s past work history. But ...
Working from home is like being in the middle of the “Interrupting Cow knock, knock joke.” Yes, that joke gets old and so may the interruptions at the home office. Perspective on the interruptions can transform the home environment. Teamwork’s recent article encourages remote employees to, “Make time for them.” Making time for interruptions will lead to fewer because attention ...
In a Harvard Business Review article, leadership coach, Carol Kauffman, references what she calls a “contempt attack.” She claims some people excel under pressure, but struggle to understand or empathize with those who waver during a crisis. This can lead to feelings of contempt for those who they perceive as weaker. These kinds of leaders may accomplish the goal, but ...
One of the struggles many family businesses face is jealousy. I’ve observed a father play his son and daughter against each other to see which one was better suited for running the family business. This fostered jealousy and caused them to sabotage each other, even when they knew it was harmful for the business. In Genesis 37 Jacob revealed his ...
Kathy and I needed to reach our next destination quickly. A man overseeing the airport’s taxi service interrupted my Uber search to ask if he could get us a taxi. He quoted me a price slightly higher than Uber. Due to convenience, I agreed. When we arrived at our destination the taxi driver demanded more money than what his boss ...
In a Harvard Business Review article, Deborah Grayson Riegel writes about the pain in making mistakes. But when a leader makes mistakes, the pain can feel more profound when you know others are following. When our mistakes cause others to question our expertise, our identity can be shaken. This often results in arguing, blaming others, withdrawing, deflecting accountability and/or digging ...
This week we’re discussing four insights the Apostle Paul shares in Ephesians 4:29 that can help guard our tongues against gossip in the workplace. The final insight is “Grace.” The clerk ringing up our groceries was speaking sharp and offensive words to Kathy. Kathy confronted her only to receive a, “Whatever.” Frustrated, Kathy pressed harder for this clerk to own ...
This week we’re discussing four insights the Apostle Paul shares in Ephesians 4:29 that can help guard our tongues against gossip in the workplace. The third insight is Only Necessary Words. Years ago, I served on the board of a new school. One day I received a call from an upset parent who had heard multiple rumors about the leadership ...
This week we’re discussing four insights the Apostle Paul shares in Ephesians 4:29 that can help guard our tongues against gossip in the workplace. The second insight is Edification. Edification is when we build people up. Recently, a good friend asked me if I knew a Mr. Mills from my CPA days. Mr. Mills had hired me fresh out of ...
This week we’re discussing four insights the Apostle Paul shares in Ephesians 4:29 that can help guard our tongues against gossip in the workplace. The first insight is “Unwholesome Words.” Sometime ago I had a radio interview with a host unknown to me previously. Afterwards a friend asked how my interview went. I began criticizing the radio host’s style. God’s ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
