When I was a young professional, a peer I’ll call Sally began a smear campaign of lies about our boss. Sally’s stated goal was to get our boss fired so that she could replace him. Our boss’ supervisor researched the claims and concluded that Sally had malicious intent and couldn’t be trusted. He concluded that the punishment Sally deserved should ...
In 1882, the first Labor Day parade was organized by the Central Labor Union. Laborers in that era were forced to work seven days a week for 60 hours or more! Many laborers felt like they were being worked as essential laborers but treated as nonessential. Due to Covid, the government this year declared some workers as essential while others ...
Fortune magazine suggests, “As the coronavirus pandemic reveals or heightens awareness of social fractures, business will be expected to be part of finding long-term solutions.” In an age of “social fractures,” businesses have, once again, an opportunity like never before. Businesses around the world can use the talent and skill and passion to step into the fracture and become a ...
Bob’s family owns a gunpowder company. While purchasing a competitor, they became aware that although the plant met current safety standards, the employees were at more risk than Bob’s family was comfortable. Although it wasn’t required, they invested the necessary money to retool the plant to minimize any risk of death from a gunpowder explosion. The safety of their team ...
My wife, Kathy, and I try to leverage each other’s decision-making styles – most of the time. Kathy is a Ready-Fire-Aim kind of person. She makes decisions rapidly, but not always well researched. I research but move slowly. We’ve learned when we need to buy something, I do the research and Kathy executes the purchase. 1 Corinthians 12:17 says, “If ...
The US Chamber of Commerce describes two major employee challenges for reopening business, “First, are your employees willing and available to come back? And secondly, are they able to follow the proper procedure to reopen safely?” Reopening a business presents employee challenges that may be difficult to navigate. Knowing how to reincorporate employees into the work environment can lead to ...
My son, Jeremy, works in a sheltered workshop for workers with special needs. Local businesses contract with the workshop to perform routine jobs. In the past, Jeremy’s employer paid him based on his volume of production. Because of Jeremy’s poor social skills and obsessive compulsiveness, he worked very fast. What motivates Jeremy, however, is not extra money. Instead, he’s driven ...
Hard decisions, especially when jobs are eliminated, usually lead to hard conversations. This year, due to massive layoffs and furloughs, our small business leaders have had more difficult conversations with employees than usual. Unfortunately, some have one-sided conversations, terminating employees by email. Others send text messages to eliminate someone’s job. Hard conversations are best when first bathed in prayer and ...
Stan’s a friend who pastors an urban church. Stan told me a story recently. Stan’s stepfather was very abusive. When Stan’s brother terrorized or abused Stan, rather than seek his stepfathers help, Stan learned it was safer to manage the situation personally. Stan claims that many in the black community feel the same way about police. To many, the police ...
Currently, I have two daughters pregnant, which has caused me to be more reflective of when fatherhood was new to me. When I was a first-time father, all I knew about fathering was theoretical and what I had experienced as a son. I didn’t feel qualified to be given such a big responsibility, but at that point, I had no ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
