Tag Archives: business

Posted on

Work Week Devotion 01.21.2018

2 Corinthians 8:21

2 Corinthians 8:21 (NIV): For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

When it comes down to it, the most important opinion is God’s. He is the one who truly knows your heart. In the end, it’s all between you and Him. But what about in the meantime? Does it matter what others think?

We are never to change our behavior to conform to the world, but our behavior should show the world who we are and what we value. That’s transparency. You should not only conduct your business in an honest way, you should be able to demonstrate to someone that you have honest business practices. At any given time, you should be able to open your business ledger, grade book, insurance reports or whatever it is you deal with and say “Be my guest. Inspect my practices.”

It’s tempting for the world to misinterpret our actions or question our motives. We can’t control what everyone says or thinks about us, but we can live and conduct our business in the light so that others cannot assume that there are shady things being done in the dark.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for understanding our heart even when others don’t. Help us to be transparent in our business practices so others aren’t tempted to question our integrity. Please forgive us when we are tempted to hide details in the dark. Amen.

Posted on

Work Week Devotion 01.22.2017

Matthew 5:43-45a

Matthew 5:43-45a (NLT): “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.

Many of us would be hard – pressed to say we have “enemies,” but, deep down, most of us have what we might consider “Competition.” Maybe it’s the teacher who always has the most perfect bulletin boards or the other dad who’s better at sports or hunting than you. Maybe a new business has opened and they offer the same services as you – at a lower price.

Whether you’re an employee, parent, business owner or running for public office, most of us can catch ourselves seeing someone else as the competition. You can’t always control the thoughts that pop into your head but you can control what you do with those thoughts. I challenge you to take those thoughts captive and pray blessings over those you might secretly like to see fail. You might be praying through clenched teeth at first but that’s so much better than keeping a clenched fist!

Patient Father, thank you for creating us uniquely and giving us each a special place in this world. Please forgive us when we compare ourselves to others. Help us to keep our thoughts captive and pray blessings over others rather than secretly hoping to see failure. Amen.

Posted on

Work Week Devotion 10.16.2016

Psalms 112: 4-5

Psalms 112:4-5 (NLT): Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.

There are many ways to conduct business. Shrewdly, self-serving, humbly, generously, under-handed, transparent… Sadly, as many people believe “all is fair in love and war” they also believe it’s ok to do whatever you need in order to succeed because “it’s just good business.” Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Even when it would be easier or more beneficial in the short term to do something else.

Business owners – you honor God when you are generous, compassionate and fair.
Employees – you honor God when you are positive, productive and a team player.
We ALL honor God when we live a life of integrity at work and at home. It is promised that good will come from it!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise that good things will come to those who follow You. Forgive us when we think good things only look a certain way. We know Your plans are greater than ours. Show us how to honor You and live a life of integrity no matter where we are. Amen.

Posted on

Make New Friends

Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold!

I think I sang this song in Girl Scouts approximately 782 times. Of course we all know this is true from a figurative standpoint. Friendships are more valuable than any precious metal, but did you know that it can be taken literally as well? In his book Thou Shall Prosper (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010, pg. 61), Rabbi Daniel Lapin has this to say about business and friendship: “Only by actively, perhaps even joyously, interacting with other people can the circumstances of wealth creation be set in place.”

Making friends to try and get something from people NEVER works. It is, of course, also obnoxious. Happily, the side-effect of genuine relationships is expanding business contacts. One of the things I love about having a practice and going to church in the same small-ish (it’s big enough for me!) town is getting to know people and support their business endeavors as they support mine. I wrote about that a little bit in “No Free Pizza!” https://www.smileservesucceed.com/no-free-pizza/ (which is probably my most popular post to date!) I have recently started seeing posts on Facebook encouraging people to share links to their small business to encourage keeping it local when Christmas shopping. I love seeing that!

Expand your circle. Care for people. Care about their well-being. Find ways to serve them and meet their needs. Do it because friendships make our lives fuller and richer. Do it because we were made for relationships. Enjoy the unexpected business rewards as they come.

Are you actively seeking out new, genuine relationships? Where and how?

Posted on

Success Comes to the Unselfish

The title of this article is lifted directly from Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s book Thou Shall Prosper (2010, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) In it he says

Success comes to the unselfish. Always keep in mind that everything you do must benefit others as much as yourself. The truly successful business professional is never concerned solely with his own welfare.

It goes without saying that a smart business person should

  • keep overhead low (within reason)
  • budget well
  • not spend extravagantly
  • charge a fair price for products/services
  • provide the best value possible in products/services

Once basic smart business principles are in place, the business has to focus on building relationships and meeting the needs of its customers/clients/patients. If a business person is solely focused on the bottom line, they might profit in the short term but they are not fulfilling real needs, offering real value or developing relationships that will sustain their business long term.

The word “unselfish” might seem to be in opposition to the term “business success” but I promise you it’s not. Decisions must be made in the context of what will benefit those you serve – your audience and your team. This philosophy doesn’t only allow you to go home satisfied knowing you have improved someone’s life, it is a proven formula for success and longevity of a business.

Posted on

Ambition – Friend or Foe?

It’s a new year! For so many of us this means evaluating what we accomplished last year and setting new goals for this year. In contrast, I do know some people who staunchly refuse to make any resolutions because “No one ever sticks with them anyway.” I believe that, new year or not, goals are very important. Goals allow us to be intentional about growth and, if we’re not growing, we’re dying.

God has given us the skills and desires to be ambitious and to achieve. He gave Adam a job even before he gave him a mate. (Genesis 2:15)  Jesus celebrated the servants who invested and multiplied their bags of gold. (Matthew 25:14-30) All through the bible, God uses those who are good workers. Healthy ambition allows us to improve and achieve for ourselves, our families, our church and our communities.  In contrast, lack of ambition/laziness does not honor God, fulfill our familial obligations or help advance our communities.

Any talk of achievement begs the question: Where does healthy ambition end and unhealthy ambition/selfishness begin? Ecclesiastes chapter 7 warns against extremes. Jamie Allen, senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Mt. Vernon, IL gives two “guardrails” against uncontrolled ambition.

  • Ambition must be controlled by love for your family. This guardrail has to do with time. Family must always take priority over money, career, status and material things. Most of us who work outside the home spend more waking hours at work than at home most days. If you can’t have quantity, make sure you have quality. Maximize the time you have with your family. Make sure the people at home know they are more important than the people at work. If your family relationships are suffering because of your goals you are probably slipping into unhealthy ambition.
  • Ambition must be controlled by your love for God. This guardrail has to do with integrity. A Christian’s ambition has to be controlled by integrity. Others aren’t always aware of your motives but your motives will be brought out into the light eventually. Nothing is important enough to violate what God commands. If you find yourself willing to tell “a little white lie,” change the date on that document or take advantage of someone (even if it’s legal) to achieve your goals you are traveling down the road of selfish ambition.

Don’t be afraid to be ambitious, set some goals and work to achieve them. There is honor in that success. You can bless others with that kind of success. Just make sure you don’t let selfishness overtake healthy ambition.

**I highly recommend watching the lesson that inspired this post. Go to http://www.thenewcentral.com/ondemand and choose “First-2.”

 

 

Posted on

Children and Parents and Spouses…Oh My!

Learn to help people with more than just their jobs. Help them with their lives. – Jim Rohn

No one lives in a vacuum. We don’t work in one, either. My team has lives and marriages and kids and parents. We’ve gone through cancer, surgeries, tragic death of loved ones, divorce, problems with kids, chronic illness of parents, job loss of spouses…the list goes on and on… As a leader I can’t focus on their work-life and job performance without taking home-life into consideration. I am human, so sometimes I’ve handled these situations better than others, but I always try to err on the side of grace.

My goal is to serve my patients and my team. My team is my most valuable resource and is indispensable in the success of my practice. That means I need to make their lives better with the resources I have and genuinely care about their well-being. If I haven’t improved the lives of the families represented on my team I have failed, regardless of what the report from my accountant says.

It goes without saying that hourly wages should be fair. Bonus/incentive programs, insurance and retirement plans are always welcome. The problem with ending here? These things are the expected minimum. They are necessary but don’t actively “pour into” the lives of your team members. Here are just a few things I’ve found that seem to improve the life and well-being of my team:

  • onsite chair massage
  • back-to-school gift cards/supplies
  • seminars/certification/continuing education
  • flexible days off
  • including family in events
  • FOOD!

Maybe your team and workplace look very different from mine. Maybe you can offer working from home or in-office daycare. Maybe you’re just starting out and have ZERO extra funds to allocate. The important thing is to be observant and sensitive to the needs of your team and be creative in improving their lives at work and at home.

  • As a business owner or leader what are some creative ways you (could) invest in the lives of your team?
  • As an employee what would make a difference for you in your workplace?
Posted on

Be a Tour Guide

Do you ever think of yourself as a tour guide? If human beings enter your place of work you should adopt a tour guide mentality. Those who are attempting to do business with you want guidance and security. One of the worst feelings is being lost and floundering. I can think of three examples in the last few months that made me feel that way:

  1. Entering a sit-down chain restaurant. The hostess was cute with a very sweet smile, but that’s all she did. When we entered the building she just stared and smiled at us. I finally said “2” and she picked up two menus and sort of motioned for us to follow her. It was very awkward, but at least she was smiling, which brings me to the next example…
  2. Entering a dry cleaners. The woman behind the counter just stared at me and picked up a pen. No “hello,” no “how can I help you,” no “how many pieces do you have,” not even the smile I got from the aforementioned hostess. I honestly wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, so I just put my clothes on the counter. She filled out the ticket and told me when they would be ready. Those were the only words she spoke to me.
  3. At the end of an exam at a quick clinic. I had a severe ear infection that had hit out of nowhere. The provider was pleasant, she asked me questions, she explained what was going on and what she was going to do and then walked out of the room. I was left to find my way back to the front to check out and I really wasn’t sure where I was supposed to go. I can hear my ten year-old niece saying “awkward!”

I don’t ever want my patients to feel that way. I’m sure you don’t want your customers to feel that way either. Welcome them. Guide them. Let them know what to expect and when to expect it. Let them know when they need to do something and when they can just relax. Don’t leave them guessing. It’s awkward, it’s frustrating, it can lead to misunderstandings.

You are working hard to give your customers/clients/patients a good experience. Make sure they know they’re getting a good experience! Don’t assume that they can absorb all that’s going on and appreciate it. Figuratively (or literally when it’s appropriate) take their hand and guide them through your process. Don’t make them work for it. Make it easy for them. You can perform every step perfectly to complete the interaction, but if the person you’re interacting with doesn’t know what’s going on, most of it will be lost.  Be a tour guide.

 

Posted on

Catfish to Corneas

It happened again today. Today, it was because I was having lunch with a friend in our old hometown at a restaurant where we used to work. My family was the original owners and I worked there for many years. It happens every few months at other places, though. Sometimes I am overcome by the overwhelming feeling that no matter how successful a doctor or business owner I am, a part of me will always, ALWAYS miss waitressing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am thankful that I don’t have to depend on waiting tables to make a living, but I really did love it that much.

More than once, while interviewing a potential employee for my optometric practice, I’ve asked them about a restaurant job on their resume. More than once, the candidate has looked a little embarrassed and said something like “Oh. I was just a waitress.” and I will almost shout “No! Don’t EVER say you were just a waitress.” (unless, of course, you were just a really really bad one!)

I spent four years in optometry school learning to be a doctor, but what I learned as a teenager and young adult working in a busy, very casual, restaurant and a busy, slightly upscale, retail shop has helped me be successful in more ways than I could probably even list. I couldn’t have imagined at the time, but looking back I can see how my spiritual gift of hospitality and secondary love language “acts of service” were in play throughout my entire life.

Having a servant’s heart is a blessing and a benefit, but did you realize you can build your serving skill set? That’s what those of us with a history in the restaurant or retail industry were doing, even at a young age. It’s important to recognize and hone those serving skills. Don’t ever think anything is too insignificant.  If serving fried catfish to boaters straight off the river or motorcyclists fresh off the road can help me be a better doctor, your past service experiences can serve you, too.

To be competitive in any business today, service is the key. If you are looking to better your career situation, and you have experience in the service industry, perfect those skills and market them! If you are an employer interviewing job candidates don’t forget how seemingly unrelated jobs (waiting tables, retail, etc) can give great experience for other life-long careers in business. And always remember: that friendly server at your favorite restaurant? She could be your eye doctor one day!

Posted on

Intrapreneur???

Hopefully you read the previous post “Every Walt Needs a Roy.” If you haven’t read it yet, just go ahead and click on it over there on the right —> and read it now.

Every Walt needs a Roy and intrapreneurs are an important asset to a business of almost any size. Intrapreneur is a term that you might not be familiar with. It has been coined just in the past 30 years or so. Intrapreneur describes a person within an organization who is given the resources and freedom to make things happen but doesn’t take on the risks and responsibilities of the entrepreneur. They are often responsible for turning an idea into a finished product.

We’ve all heard and read about the importance of delegation. We can’t be everywhere and do everything. As a business owner, the risk and responsibility ultimately ends up on our desk. Some very talented people don’t have the desire to take up that role but can still take “ownership” over some of the operations. If you can give some resources and freedom to a trusted team member you might be surprised at how much more can be accomplished within your organization. Give someone the opportunity to grow and surprise you. Show appreciation when they do.

If you are in an organization where you are not the owner don’t ever underestimate what you can bring to your employer. Taking ownership of a project or some area of operation is a great way to expand your skill set and increase your team’s confidence in your abilities. Think of yourself as being in business for yourself. Your product is you! You can package, market and sell your benefits to your employer and everyone wins.

If you are an entrepreneur, recognize a good intrapreneur when you see one. If you are an employee, don’t be afraid to step up and be that team member who makes things happen.