GreatRidge Station

I spent a good chunk of the last couple of days at the Equip Conference, talking to Christian Leaders about 1) The nature of Calling, and 2) Stewardship as a Model for Leadership. It’s no exaggeration to say that God showed up. There were three main speakers, and what was amazing to me was how our topics played off of one another, and built on one another. You can’t plan that.

As I mentioned to my beloved wife, the folks who planned this event never gave me any guidance on what they wanted me to speak about. I spent a couple of months reading, thinking, praying, and preparing. I actually sent my final topics to them just two weeks ago, after things had started to fall into place, and I would assume that the same was true of the other speakers, as well. Things worked together in ways that delighted and surprised me–I shouldn’t really be surprised, though–that’s how God works.

I was received graciously, and the hospitality was incredible. This opportunity came out of nowhere, and as I do more and more speaking, I find that I like this kind of work. I hope I have the opportunity to serve with these good folks again.

The one major take away for the weekend–the number of people who asked when my book would be available. Sounds like I know what I need to do during my down-time from teaching in June and July.

In the mean time, I may have to add this tag line to my business card: Have speech, will travel.

While I am neither Dutch, nor particularly Calvinist (nor Arminian, either for those of you keeping score), I have benefited much from the Dutch-Calvinist tradition that suggests that our Christian faith ought to be integrated into all of life. It seems odd to me that so many religious groups are busy building walls, when they ought to be out changing the world. What are the lines from that old song? “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying…”

Now, I don’t believe that if we do our jobs well, we will achieve heaven on earth. No, that’s heresy. But I do believe that we are called to do all we can to bring about as much of the rule and reign of Jesus Christ as we possibly can until he returns.

A few months ago, James Skillen stepped down as head of the Center for Public Justice in Washington, DC. This is an organization that approaches public policy and social justice issues from a Christian (i.e. redemptive) point of view. When Skillen left, I thought the party was over–there was simply no one in the United States who could adequately fill his shoes.

It turns out, I was half right. I’m delighted to report that my friend Gideon Strauss will be transitioning into the role of President of CPJ between now and fall of 2009. Gideon’s current work includes Cardus, Redeemer University College, and, until recently, with CLAC (the Christian Labour Association of Canada). He and his colleagues were a great help to me during my research for my PhD dissertation–and Gideon steered me toward resources that gave my work a level of depth that would otherwise have been impossible. While we occasionally communicate directly, I count him among my friends simply because I owe him a great debt of gratitude.

There are others, of course: Bethel alum David Koyzis, who helped me think through my ideas and discover some helpful ways to apply them; Theo Plantinga, who challenged me pretty agressively, and wanted to be sure that I was thinking deeply about the concepts–he told me he approved of my work (Would that I had known him better: He passed away just a few months after we met); and others too numerous to mention. All of these connections, by the way, began with a series of conversations with my good friend Trace James, of Studies in Grace.

Gideon’s pending arrival in the U.S is a delight to me, personally, and a great opportunity for those of us who believe that public policy can make a real, positive, and lasting difference. There is no doubt that Gideon Strauss is one of the foremost thinkers and doers in the world today. I’m looking forward to the years ahead, and I’m grateful that CPJ will remain in good hands. Jim Skillen is a tough act to follow.

So, Gideon, if you happen to stumble across this: Congratulations. You are one of the few who is equal to this task, and I wish you well. Godspeed.

Motivation is never easy for leaders to do. Praising someone for a job well done may seem like a good idea, and in principle, it is. The problem is that motivation and praise are always very personal. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but infortunately, most leaders seem to think there is.

A few years back, I worked with a fellow named Dave, who was an graphic designer and a delightful curmudgeon. Dave won a national award for his work (a big deal by any standards). Those of us who worked with him gave him congratulatory cards, and he displayed these above his computer monitors. The company, however, took a different approach: They threw a party and gave everyone an afternoon off for an open house in Dave’s honor. He hated it.

We knew what upper management did not know: Dave was an introvert, and because of that, no public event would ever feel as good to him as a hand-written card. Oh, and maybe a bonus check (it was no cheap thing to have this event catered, and the wages alone for those who attended would have amounted to thousands of dollars).

That’s rule #1: Know people well enough to honor/motivate/praise them in the way that matters to each individual. This is hard work, and it means that leaders have to know the people they serve.

+++

Workplace satisfaction surveys, such as the ones from the Gallup Organization, include a question like “Do you have a best friend at work.” This question always prompts some discussion and speculation, mostly in the midwest. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa are the exception to the rule on this–in most other places, work relationships are the primary relationships in people’s lives. Other parts of the country simply answer the question, but we analyze it: “I like the people I work with, but they are not by best friends,” “Do they want to know if my best friend works with me, or if I have one person I work with that I like more than all the others,” or “This is a stupid question.”

Workplace relationships are tricky. There are circumstances where the work groups are effective and really enjoy each other (I’ve had the pleasure of working in a couple of these), there are other situations when everyone just does their job well, people can count on each other, but no one is particularly cordial (I’ve also had the pleasure of working in this kind of setting). and there are groups that just tolerate each other. The problem for leaders is that unless you are on the inside, you will probably not be able to tell which kind of group you are dealing with. That’s actually the point of that “Best Friend at Work” question.

That’s rule #2: Don’t apply group honor/motivation/and praise strategies when people think of themselves as individuals, and don’t honor/motivate/praise the individual when they consider themselves as part of a group.

+++

I worked in one company where we had an annual awards banquet, and each department had its own “Employee of the Year.” This meant that every year, five people got this honor. Over the course of five years, I saw the executive leadership give that honor to only seven different people. That means that most of the honorees just kept getting the award year after year. Look, if I noticed that, I can assure you that other people noticed it as well. The honors ceremony eventually fell apart because the only people who wanted to attend were the seven people who generally won.

This is rule #3: Think about the message that your honors/motivation/praise sends. Pay attention to who gets the accolades, and be sure that your efforts send the right message. If you don’t, those who are not recognized will quickly realize that they have no chance, and they will be de-motivated.

+++

Here it is: The big one.. This is absolutely critical, but few people understand this point. Praise must be specific. Our parents taught us “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” but I want to amend that to “If you can’t think of something specific that is worthy of praise, shut up.”

This is rule #4: Never, Never, Never say “Thank you for all you do.” The underlying message is “I have no idea what you do, and I don’t care enough to find out.” People have a built-in BS detector, and they use it. This kind of non-praise looks like motivation to the one who offers it, the recipient generally sees it as a deadly combination of apathy and arrogance.

+++
People respond to praise only when it is backed up by a solid working relationship and mutual respect. Unless you can offer that, you may be managing, but you are not leading.