Just Give Me a Little Respect

Respect (or lack of) is one of the major work place issues. Examples:

"We only hire college graduates; even for our entry level clerical positions."
"Our laborers must be over 5 foot. 8 inches to handle the physical strain."
"They don't really have the smarts if all they have is a GED."
"Applicants from that part of town just couldn't relate to our customers."
"She'll be taking off all the time to take care of sick kids."
"It would crimp our style to have him/her on our golf league."
"We already have enough people going to lunch."
"With that disability, the customers would be turned off."
"I know he was in Iraq but he should have thought of that before he enlisted."
"I'm not going to teach her everything from scratch just because she can't speak good English."
"I can't tell if it's a guy or a gal."
"She's been divorced how many times; what a looser!"
"Aren't they holy rollers?"
"Sure honey, just sit here close to me and I'll help you."
"His wife makes all his decisions."
"He's been here so long, they forgot why they hired him."
"She couldn't be very smart, she's only eighteen."
"What does he know about business today, it's changed and he hasn't."

Geez, I'm on a roll. Do you know I've heard all these during my career? Sad, but true. And just as disrespectful of our fellow human beings as ever. All the laws and still this type of thing is practiced; abet not so flagrantly or openly. Why?

God talks about respect throughout the Bible. Psalm 119: 6 "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments." And commandments tell us to respect. In love; respect. When you catch yourself labeling with disrespect, step back Christian and consider God's instruction. You can build up the most downtrodden, level the playing field, encourage the meek, fulfill your obligations, and enhance your own ethic. If you have ever said or thought one of the above quotes or another situation, ask for forgiveness and stop. Psalm 119 continues: "I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly."

The Folly of Idolatry

Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."

What does that have to do with you? Your work? If you are in a highly competitive work environment or profession, you are busy, busy, busy. If you are building your career, you are working many long hours. If you are in a position of authority, you will have many duties to balance and complete. Just how much should you give to your work? I can't give you numbers but there is basic advice taken from God's word.

God demands that He be first in your life. Secondly, you are to honor and serve your family. If you find you do not have those priorities in that order, you may be making your work into your idol. We've all heard "work alcoholic" for people who give 24-7 to their jobs. It's congratulated, emulated, and encouraged. But, a life lived for work (outside God and family) is merely a form of worshipping the work idol.

Ask yourself honestly: Does the way I perform my job fulfill God's desire? Do I bring God into my moment-by-moment endeavors at work? Do I start my day with prayer for my actions at work? Do I end my day with thanksgiving and reflection? Have I ignored my God and my family? Are all my deadlines, hours and the energy expended a part of God's calling for my life?

I am not saying don't work hard or even don't work many hours when necessary. I'm not saying God doesn't want you to work hard and long. I'm saying there is a line between how hard God wants you to work at this job and your goals and when you have made work your god. Isaiah 42: 8 - "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." I suggest you read Isaiah 42 in it's entirety. It talks of different occupations and no matter how hard they may work, without God as their only God, they will fail.

You can not accomplish your work goals without God's will. I ask you, "If you really do want to be the company's superstar and you know you can not succeed on your own ~ why are you not getting your priorities in order?" God will make your work meaningful because His goals for you are supreme. Having your priorities in order (God, family, work) will glorify God because you are allowing Him to create His desire in you.

Rise Above

To "Rise Above" is a pretty lofty aspiration. Sounds simple and beautiful but not usually.

When you are in a work environment that isn't the best, "rising above" may become a moment by moment endeavor. God does command in I Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."

I Peter 3: 10-12 "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace,and ensue it." What's my point? You WILL encounter evil at the work place. Not the silly petty stuff but real evil. It will increase as you bring the word of God into your thoughts and actions. As you strive to become obedient to God for His desire for your work, you will be hit with things that can buckle your knees. It will be things that may hurt your reputation, it may be demands that make it difficult for your family, it may be loosing a position, money, or perhaps your job. Satan hates having Godly people in the work place. Look at the number of companies that have no moral standards, no care for their employees or customers, or encourage dishonesty. Satan is winning in those environments. To stand in the face of these things takes a strong person. Stronger than you can be on your own - I guarantee!

The only way to survive Satan's attacks on Christ's children is to fortify yourself in God. That is why daily (sometimes constant) silent prayer as you follow His desire for your performance is your armor. For those of you with family or loved ones, I suggest they become your "back-up" warriors in prayer. A family with the same goal towards serving the Lord helps the employee stay strong and supports them when they get home.

Rise above ~ what a witness to God when a Christian in the work place rises above Satan's attacks, roadblocks and temptations. Be it by staying the course or by choosing to leave ~ rise above! I Peter 4:16 "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

Peter Principal

Loosely defined, the "Peter Principal" means promoting talented employees one step beyond their capabilities. This happens because the performance review (PfR) process is not used correctly.

If an organization and it's supervisors haven't a good concept of how to utilize talent, the PfR is considered a "necessary evil" or "just get it done". The Christian supervisor shouldn't get caught up in that kind of mind set. Psalm 15:1-2 - "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."

Done well, a PfR can help a talented employee be promoted. It can be a guide for bringing that employee to his/her full potential. It can lay out work history and on-the-job performance. It can show strengths and areas for needed training. It can provide encouragement and incentive. It can show poor performance due to lack of talent in that certain area or lack of initiative.

It is very difficult to gauge why an employee is not doing well on the job or just how far to promote. Are they promotable? Just because they are doing really well or really poor at one position, does that mean a career make or break? A very well documented PfR is the only way to see into these small things that make the big picture. It is the responsibility of the immediate supervisor to document performance throughout the year (as it happens), share that information with the employee (in real time) and make sure it is honestly recorded on the PfR.

I base the supervisor's responsibility on honesty. Employees will be surprised and grateful for an honest PfR. If it is used to give an employee the opportunity to improve, to give direction, and to allow full potential, it is a blessing. If it is used to give deserved and just discipline, to move out of a position, or to keep an employee from experiencing the "Peter Principal", it is just as much of a blessing. It is a blessing because of the honesty involved. Either way it provides the employee a chance to make choices about their career, their behavior, and their employment.

Read Psalm 15: 1-2 again - it is the basis of how we should approach the PfR. With an obligation not only to the employee and our employer, but a primary obligation for fulfilling one of God's purposes for us in our position as supervisor. Enter into the process with prayer for honesty and a willingness to honor God through your efforts. Consistently striving for this honesty will honor your employees' performance by placing them in the correct place for this period of employment. It will prepare them for their future jobs by recording a road map of their past, current and future. It's not just a task to get out of the way, it is one of your best tools.

Here Come The Judge

Sometimes, as Christians, we feel we understand what God expects of all people. We've read the Bible, taken classes, listened to tapes, sat through church sermons and pretty much know what everyone should be or not be doing. If you just shook your head yes, you need to read more.

When you came to Christ, you entered into a personal relationship with Him. He allows you to know what He wants through the Holy Spirit. He has given you understanding of His Word through the Holy Bible. What you need to additionally know is God is dealing with you on a personal level and at the very level YOU need. How He deals with your employees, on their personal level, is not something you should feel compelled to talk about with them.

To talk to an employee about their sin (in your eyes) is not only prohibited by law, it is taking away one of the jobs God has designated as His own. St. Matthew 7:1-3 - "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

It is your job, as a supervisor, to handle dishonesty and other breaks in the company rules and procedures. It may be your job to punish those lapses. It is not your job to mete out judgment or punishment, in any form, for an employee's personal sin.

What if they come to you about a personal problem that involves sin? In the forty years of working, I have never had an employee ask me to judge their sins. I've had them want to talk about issues or problems but never did they ask for judgment. I've had them ask for advice but never judgment.

Where am I going on this judgment thing? It is when you judge an employee based upon what you perceive as sin. It can encompass an employee's race, religion, , economic status, position in the company, sexual, gender, and others. And although you may feel you are rightly judging another based upon your Christian beliefs, read Matthew again.

As a Christian supervisor, it is your job to witness through fair treatment of all. You may offer personal prayers for the soul of others because you believe they are sinning. You may not discriminate, chastise, mention, rate, or tell others. Trust God to work in their hearts. Trust God to use your witness of integrity and fairness in the workplace. Trust God to make the judgment more accurate and compassionate than any human supervisor. Trust that God will have a personal relationship devoted to their soul. And as Matthew continues, 7:4-5 - "Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye. "

The very act of judging others (which belongs to God) is sin. When we step up to take the Lord's work from Him and feel we can and should judge others - we are committing a sin and God directs us to take away our own sin before evening thinking about others. A job that will keep most of us quite busy. Aren't we all relieved to know that the Lord our God will judge us with His infinite knowledge of our hearts and we won't be judged by another imperfect mortal.

Workforce Soldier

What does a front line Christian supervisor and a Confederate soldier have in common? Look at the following prayer by a young man fighting in the Civil War.

God, O
I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for help that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
--A Confederate Soldier

Might we realize the truth and pray the same prayer as we look toward this 2006 Memorial Day.

Everything's Comin' Up Roses

I Corinthians 2:5 - "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Here's a fact: Your act of faithfulness to the Lord will not always be rewarded in the work place. Another fact: You may be persecuted for your faith to the Lord.
So now what: Remember the goal.

God expects you to work and serve your employer the best you can do. You either do this or you find another job but God has demanded this of us. The only way to make your work a mission from God is to ask God what mission He wishes for you. He has a design for your work as well as your "real" life. So often, as Christians, we forget to listen to God's directions when we set our work goals, mission statements, weekly planning meeting agendas, and interaction with others at work. He doesn't expect us to disrupt the work environment by "standing on a soap box and preaching at ten in the morning." He does expect us to confer, listen and act upon His plan.

What happens when you are persecuted for being Mr. Nice Guy? What happens when Miss Goody Two Shoes' manners are walked on by the more aggressive? What happens when you have become the office joke for your sensitivity to others. How do you react when you are not included in career building golf outings or after work meetings because you don't drink? What do you do when you are not invited to lunch with The Gang because you don't participate in off color jokes and gossip? I can go on but you get the idea. These aren't made up scenarios. They happen and if you are a Christian supervisor, you have probably already experienced enough to write this article. Accept it, it will happen. Read the verse at the beginning of this note. God states very clearly we are to be concerned with the wisdom He imparts (through reading scripture, talking with God in prayer, and listening/reading other Christian sources) not man's idea of wisdom.

It will not always be easy (you'll hear me say that often). If you keep your eye on God's purpose for your life, even your work life, you can be calm in the face of work place uglies. If you serve your employers with integrity, treat others with the same Grace our Lord used with others, and confer with the Lord on His purpose, the persecution from others will become non eventful. The bed of roses will be your reward in Heaven for doing His will.

Level The Playing Field

You have employees working for you. At some time, you will be called upon to make decisions regarding their actions. It is easier to make those decisions if you have a good working relationship with the employee, or know they are a Christian, or if you have things in common, or if you are friends. But what about God's part in this scenario? God didn't put you in the supervisory position to judge inner motives; that's His job. He put you in this position to lead with integrity based upon His teachings. Not just for the Christian but for every single person in your employ.

I had an employee describe me as "tough but fair". Tough as in I expected employees to do the job they were hired to do. Fair as in I expected the same from each person. I administered the company policies to each person equally. How does that simplify your job. You no longer have to keep up with the latest gossip, guess who is sincere, worry about grievances and lawsuits for poor supervisory decisions, rationalize to your supervisors, or lie to cover your tracks. Your employees can spend time doing their work rather than guessing what rules you are using today. If you treat everyone fair, you will have less complaining and grudges even if they are not happy with the decisions. You will gain the respect of your staff and the respect from your supervisor.

It doesn't mean I was hard nosed or had no feelings. It doesn't mean I never gave someone a break. It means I tried to administered every action with the strength of integrity God demands of each of us. Was I always a perfect employee or supervisor? No. But, as I got more and more into the Word, as I prayed every morning for guidance, I was refined and leveled. It allowed me to level the playing field for my employees. It wasn't always easy and I had to apologize for my mistakes. But, serving God means serving each and every one of our employees in a Godly manner. It's not for the faint hearted!

Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Fighting Battles

Do you sometimes feel like a soldier that must fight battles all day long? At the end of the day, do you lay down exhausted from the fight?

Joshua 5:13-15 - "And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man confronting him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off they foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."

As servants of the Lord, we must remember that our Lord and God is the Lord and God over everyone and everything in the work place. He wants to be in our lives and the lives of every living person. When we fight the battles of our work place, we need to call on the Lord to be in our every action and our every motive. He has a plan for every situation and bringing Him into your actions every single day will insure His will is being done.

Go to the Lord in prayer and study His word EVERY morning before you go to work. Listen to His guidance as He speaks to you in the quiet times or through His written word. When there appears to be no answers to your situations, know as Joshua did: God is there with the Lord's hosts. This earth and all that is in it belongs to our Lord. Through your faith in Him, you will be victorious in every daily battle when your actions are based on His word.

Even in everyday work battles, God has a plan. The plan may be for you or it could be you are a part of God's plan for someone else. When the battle of today seems impossible, remember only God knows the whole plan. Your job is to serve Him the best you can, with God's support and love as your armor.

All That Glitters Isn't Gold

For most of the business world, the meaning of "dress appropriately" isn't found in corporate policy. It will never be discussed by the CEO and seldom is anyone fired because they didn't "get it". But, if you want to be taken seriously, look professional, and have the best chance for advancement, you should realize the following:

Everything must be clean: your clothes, your shoes, your hair, your fingernails, your ears (yes, mama was right), your underwear. Everything must fit properly. No matter what you weigh, if it fits well, you look better.

For women: It is not cute, admired or career building to emulate current trendy fashion or television business apparel at work. It is never good for your clothes to get more attention than your work. Never show cleavage. Linen will not hold it's press or shape for a whole day of work; save it for outside business. Extremely high heels, exposed toes, flip flops, and super trendy shoes should not come to work. Shorts, mini skirts, high slits, sleeveless and any jewelry that makes noise should be left for your social life. Your purse should never be larger than your head.

For men: Iron it if it isn't permanent press. Nothing you can wear says "I'm a sloppy worker" more than wrinkled clothes and unpolished shoes. If you are loosing your hair, accept it as a part of your person. A man that is bald and proud of it says he has a good sense of his own worth. Pony tails and other trendy hair fashion should be modified unless it is the accepted by upper management.

If you can't afford really good suits, pants, coats, shirts/blouses, shoes and accessories, buy a few good pieces of neutral colored clothes. Hit the sale rack or second hand stores but get yourself something that says, "I came here to help this company succeed" and "My work will be as professional as the way I look."

Some work environments are more casual. Some highly creative atmosphere's will encourage and accept unusual or highly stylistic clothes. It is a mistake to assume you have entered that environment in the beginning. Wear conservative until you see the officers. Don't pattern your dress on lower level employees or the house rebel. Look at your boss's boss or the President/CEO for what they consider appropriate. They dress the way they do because they feel it makes them look professional. They will use the same gauge when looking at you.

If you wear a uniform or something not office attire, make sure it is clean, not stained and neat. Repair tears and get new when it begins to wear out. The tattered look only makes you look sloppy when in a business environment.

You may say, "They shouldn't judge a book by it's cover" or "It's business casual" or "I'm young and we dress this way." No one said corporate/business was fair. Take a cold hard look at your motives. Do you want to stay employed? Do you want to advance within the company? Do you want your work respected on it's own merit? Do you want to be taken seriously? Ignore how to dress properly at work and you will never know why these things didn't happen. No one will tell you. Dress appropriately, and it will be a visible sign you have a plan to be a professional. It isn't caving in to the old people, it isn't selling yourself out, it's being business smart.

Monkey See ~ Monkey Do

Do you wish you could witness in the workplace but know that legalities might prohibit? The most effective way to witness is by example - over and over examples - consistent and Godly.

I had an employee work for me who professed to be a Christian. He talked to others about it and he took some very visible stands based on his Christianity. He was a deacon in the church and very active in his church's efforts. But, as his supervisor I knew he would cheat on his meal tickets and time cards. He didn't consider it cheating, he felt he was entitled or deserved the money. To others, it made his witness a sham. He didn't live his Christianity 100%. He didn't live his Christianity in the little things. His witness actually deterred others from coming to or accepting Christ. This one act turned away potential converts as well as those who might have sought help with their Christian problems.

You don't have to be perfect (who of us are), but, you must show people in the workplace you are always trying to live your life as if Christ was your one true Savior. As they say in the business world, "you must walk the walk and talk the talk". You will never get the chance to take the next step in witnessing if there are little red flags popping up because of your behavior. Like children, employees can pick up on a phony. They will either have an extreme lack of respect for all you say and do (which can cause practical as well as spiritual problems) or they will emulate your lack of integrity.

Want to witness in the workplace? Don't get yourself tied up in legal battles you will loose. Lead others to Christ by your example. It's harder than you think and it is more effective than you may believe.

Hebrews 8:5 - "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount."

Nobody Said It Would Be Easy

Being a Christian anywhere isn't easy but it is doubly hard in the workplace. With legalities, your own company's management creeds, and the atmosphere of your work environment, you may wonder if you can ever act or feel Christian at work. I'm here to tell you not only can you be Christian at work, you must be Christian at work. Daily, we will get into many specifics. I will give you Biblical references "King James Version" that prove over and over God is there with scripture to teach you, support you, and love you during every work situation possible. Some things I'll be putting on this site will be based on my experience. Often, Christians are not as intuitive of workplace unspoken rules, procedures, and politics. Sharing these may enable you to avoid some of the pitfalls. Thank you for joining this site. Please pray that everything I write is God's will and through His will may you be blessed.

I Timothy 1:5 - "Now the end (goal) of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:"