A friend shared with me that under previous administrations his industry was weighed down with lots of rules and regulations. But under President Trump, many regulations were eliminated, leading to robust business growth. He fears the pendulum is likely to swing back again to burdensome regulations. Bear with me. Businesses are often rules-oriented, but, they can be more values-based. Many ...
Bob Goff in his book, Love Does, says, “I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter.” The Bible guides the way to what matters most. Goff warns of the temptation to pursue success in what doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of ...
During one of our virtual events, Dr. Richard Blackaby shared about a CEO of a publicly traded company. This CEO had been asked to approve a marketing campaign that glorified sexual immorality. This CEO’s staff challenged him to dismiss his religious beliefs and instead focus on increasing shareholders value. The CEO called Dr. Blackaby for counsel, seeking insight on how ...
When I was a banker, I was reviewing a loan request for someone who wanted to buy an additional self-serve car wash. I asked my customer to bring tax returns to verify his information. At our next meeting, he sheepishly handed me his previous year’s tax returns. “I hope you don’t make your loan decision based on this information” he ...
The American Psychological Association recently surveyed workers to determine what causes the most work stress. 49% of these interviewees said that low salaries were their highest stress factor. The perception of low wages can be due to employees living beyond their means. Their stress may need to be relieved with financial training. Some employers, however, may be guilty of enhancing profits ...
Recently, the Wall Street Journal featured a story on Nehemiah Manufacturing in Cincinnati that has some interesting hiring practices. 80% of their employees have criminal records! As I expected, the founders of this business are Christian men who wanted to rebuild a city more than a company. Within the inner city of Cincinnati, they are rebuilding the lives of people ...
We all make mistakes, and sometimes we make big ones. In business, when you make a big mistake, your employees, customers, suppliers and sometimes even the press learn and share your mistakes with others. It’s those mistakes that help us learn and become even better, even as the fallout lingers, sometimes for years. Rebuilding your reputation isn’t easy. It takes ...
Bret took shortcuts in everything he did, so much so that it regularly got him in trouble at work and home. He once confided that he had just taken a call from the trash company that hauled his company’s trash. They were livid that someone had put cans of industrial paint into the dumpster which spilled onto their truck, and ...
After the American Revolution, Christmas was viewed in America as an English custom and not widely celebrated. According to Wikipedia, in the 1820s, story tellers like Washington Irving and others encouraged new Christmas traditions. In 1822, Clement Clark Moore released a poem now known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It was these stories that popularized exchanging gifts, and many believe ...
Recently, I met with a new friend who was carrying a burden of concern for his children. My friend’s father had established trusts for each grandchild to be funded from the success of their family business. In the beginning, the trust amounts were modest, but as the business flourished, the trusts had grown larger than the family ever imagined. My ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
