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Time to look ahead

Its time to start looking forward into 2019. To change the results of 2018 you can’t keep doing the same thing.

But where do you need to make a difference? Is it your business results? Have you been so busy fighting fires or chasing monthly results that you have failed to invest strategically in the company. Have you thought through what training and support your staff needs? What about your succession and backup plans? Will the company keep running if you are incapacitated for an extended period of time?

Or maybe you are missing the opportunity to speak into the life of your child? I’ve come to the conclusion that, as parents, we only have the first 10-12 years to really influence what our children will become. Are you wasting that time or delegating it to someone or something else? What about your marriage, does it need some strategic investment rather than running on past injections of emotional support.

How about your spiritual stewardship of the company? Are you giving any thought to where God wants to take the company from an eternal perspective? How He wants to use the company to make a difference in the lives of those that engage with the company every day?

Sometimes its hard to ask yourself the hard questions. Go ahead, you have my permission to squirm a little. But don’t put off asking the question that makes you most uncomfortable, whatever that is. I promise it won’t get any easier to wait until next month.

These issues and their complex inter-relationships are the kind of issues we grapple with every month in a NMCBL Christian Business Council (CBC) Group. Business is important, but it isn’t the only thing we deal with. Having a group of experienced, trusted advisers is more valuable than you can imagine if you haven’t experienced it yet.

Until next time

Image by: gerlos

 

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Could Resistance to Change Be Hurting Your Business?

If you’re lucky, you have a few others in your organization that thrive on change. The more there are, the easier it is to make changes and get them to stick. If you’re really lucky, you have those that thrive on change and are also cheerleaders. These people become natural encouragers for others to follow along more quickly. For example, they talk about how much easier the new software is to use instead of complaining about how it’s different than the old version and doesn’t work the same.
Now the bad news. There are also probably a few who are change resistant in your company. These are the employees that resist change to the point of death or job termination (whichever comes first). Unfortunately, these employees are also typically very vocal. Their complaining around the coffee pot drags the majority in the middle further to the right. After all, “Joe has been here a long time and if he doesn’t like it, it must be a bad idea, right?”
It’s not until an employee has been around a couple of years that they realize that Joe actually doesn’t like anything. By then they’ve already been poisoned, it’s too late. Unfortunately, it’s not unusual that these employees also are holders of key process knowledge. They’ve been around a long time doing things the old way. Quite possibly, they’ve survived more than one leadership transition.
Because these “change resisters” tend to be vocal, business leaders tend to give them an inordinate amount of attention to get them to “buy in.” However, because they ARE resistant, it is not likely that you will ever make significant progress moving them.
Think about this. What if you spent the same amount of time and energy encouraging the majority in the middle through their change curve? Reducing the majority from 18 months to 6 months or less can have a huge impact on your organization. The time you spend as a business leader is the same. The results are multiplied by the far larger number of employees that are willing to change given the needed time and support. That’s leverage.
Remember, as the CEO/President/Leader or your company or organization, your time is the single most important, nonrenewable resource in your organization. Protect it and leverage it whenever possible. Recognizing the differences in change acceptance within your team can help you apply your limited resources where they can do the most good and maximize your performance in this changing world.
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Acting and Salt and Light

Jesus said we are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” Salt is a powerful metaphor considering its preservative properties, but it must remain pure to do its job. On the other hand, light penetrates darkness. To know the truth and fail to stand for it, Jesus says, is as senseless as lighting a lamp and putting it under a basket. The presence of Christians in the world is like a light in the darkness in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see. As Christian business leaders, we are not called to simply live out our faith behind the closed doors of our homes and churches. Christians, living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are entrusted to influence the world for good, acting as peacemakers and ministers of Christ. How about you? How big is your vision? God has entrusted you to be a steward of His business. As “the light of the world,” how can you (and those you lead) live out your faith in ways that transform your business and the communities you serve? What kind of culture are you working to build and sustain? Who will you shine your light on tomorrow? Jesus says that we are to let our lights shine before men in such a way that they will see our good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:16). Prayerfully consider these ways to reveal the light through those you lead, your community, and your spheres of influence:

  • Serve your customers and employees with excellence
  • Express and honor God in and through your business and the community
  • Receive guidance from the Bible for God’s principles to create, expand, and maintain your business
  • View your work as both worship and ministry
  • Manage your assets with diligence
  • Groom employees and team members to be their best
  • Respond in kindness to competitors
  • Give back to the community and those in need
  • Put Christ before your success and profits
  • Treat your leadership role as an honor and privilege

This is just a small sampling of ways to live out your faith as “the light of the world.” The marketplace provides rich opportunities to demonstrate the difference that having Christ in our lives makes. When we act in ways that are consistent with Him, His teachings, and His ways, our light will shine for all to see. It will be noticed and the Kingdom of God will be expressed. Casting Your Light As a leader in your business, your actions are noticed, and they speak volumes about you as a Christian. If you are called to run a business for Christ, constantly seek ways to shine His light. He has given us a resource — his Living Word — to guide our actions and light the way as we work to develop God-honoring businesses. Joining a C12 Group New Mexico is one way to discover ways you can live out your faith in and through the workplace. With focused monthly meetings and trusted peer advisors, you’ll discover the benefits of working on your business, rather than just in it.

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