During my childhood my mother worked outside the home full-time and somehow managed to raise five kids. With that as a backdrop, when I married Kathy, I assumed she would always work outside the home as well. She did, until we discovered that my son, Jeremy, had autism and needed more help than a daycare could provide. Kathy’s new vocational ...
Customer service complaints and issues are common in almost every business. Often, despite our willingness to help, those doing the complaining are unwilling to be part of the solution. It can be frustrating, regardless of how many solutions are presented, that the person on the other end of the line still seems combative or dismissive. Colossians 3:23 says. “Whatever you ...
The meaning of Christmas has been highjacked before. According to Wikipedia, in the 17th century the Puritans banned the celebration of Christmas, because it became known for drunkenness and other mischief. Although Christmas was restored in 1660 as a holiday it still was in disrepute and not a prominent celebration until the 19th century thanks to Charles Dickens and other ...
In business, I’ve met men and women who get so wrapped up in their job that their family needs are overlooked. This is easily justified because they feel they’re working to “provide for their family.” In the ministry world, leaders serve the needs of others so much that they sometimes overlook the needs of their own family. Whether it’s in ...
Tom Thibodeaux, a professor at Viterbo University, discussed servant leadership at a conference I participated in recently. Although he had many profound things to say, the one that stood out to me the most was this quote, “Service is love becoming visible.” In business, we discuss and work on improving our customer service, but few ever equate it to love. ...
An Association for Psychological Science article highlighted some startling revelations. It discovered that ostracizing or ignoring a worker can cause more harm than harassing that worker. A research team from the University of Ottawa conducted a survey of U.S. workers and discovered that more than 70% of respondents had experienced some form of exclusion in their workplace. In addition, those ...
Years ago, I worked for a bank led by someone who had a cousin also working in the banking business. They were fierce competitors and at times my boss made irrational decisions when his cousin’s bank was competing for a loan. Competition can be healthy or unhealthy depending upon the motives driving decisions. Jealousy and envy can lead to badmouthing ...
Like many people, I lived, worked, and went to church mostly in the suburbs, with people who look like me. Then God decided to shake up my world. We felt called to begin attending an inner-city church, and adopt a bi-racial daughter. In addition, I began serving on a ministry board with several African American and Hispanic pastors. I have ...
At one of our St. Louis events, Lisa Nichols of Technology Partners shared lessons she has learned for the workplace through the parenting of her daughter, Allie. One important lesson is this: what others may perceive as a handicap may actually be a “special gift.” As a young lady with Down’s Syndrome, Allie’s special gift, like many with Down’s Syndrome, ...
I've never had an opportunity to work for a company that puts their culture and workers first. I’m willing to pay more to fly Southwest because in the end, they cost less: Free bags. Friendly people. Comfortable planes. No charge for making changes. If there’s a problem I believe they will resolve it with excellence. They’ve never had a plane ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
