Life Giving Words and Actions at Work
Life Giving Words and Actions at Work
Life Giving Words and Actions at Work
Life Giving Words and Actions at Work
Steve Jobs, Harvard Business Review, Desiring God, and Jesus all agree — people are gifted and capable of doing great work when they are well cared for, given the right tools, and are properly empowered. Employees who are not engaged are less productive, negatively impacting their own lives and the thriving of the company and its stakeholders. This creates an incredible opportunity to care for our coworkers!
Steve Jobs, Harvard Business Review, Desiring God, and Jesus all agree — people are gifted and capable of doing great work when they are well cared for, given the right tools, and are properly empowered.
Followers of Jesus have a distinct advantage when it comes to how we care for our coworkers, neighbors, and friends. We've been called to follow Jesus and have been given His peace, purpose, and power to do the very same work He did (John 20:21) as we go (Matthew 28:18-20) about our jobs and daily life.
David Mathis at Desiring God, reminds us that our coworkers, our neighbors, and our cities need three things from us: our witness, our generosity, and our service. “The most important of the three is our witness. Witness requires words. Words should provide clarity and specificity. A witness has seen and heard and experienced something important…” When our words and actions are consistent we are credible witnesses.
In our summer series, we have covered why, how, and where we can teach others the life giving Hope we have, by doing excellent work and becoming witnesses with our words and actions.
Many of you have requested more as it relates to how you can move from doing excellent work, to blessing others, to pointing your coworkers to Jesus. You want practical next steps. This is where the incredibly consistent advice of Jobs, HBR, Desiring God, and Jesus are of great benefit!
Jobs believed if you empower people, they would feel safe and respected enough to take ownership while better understanding the purpose – the why – and solve problems quickly.
Empowering people leads to thriving for the employees, the company, and all of those it serves. Yet, Gallup research reports that over sixty percent of workers are unengaged and worse, one in five feel lonely at work. Employees who are not engaged are less productive, negatively impacting their own lives and the thriving of the company and its stakeholders. This creates an incredible opportunity to care for our coworkers!
6 Questions to Find Out How Your Employees Are Really Doing
Rebecca Knight of HBR offers six questions she has summarized from experts to create more significant interactions with employees, in order to “stay in tune with them,” resulting in mutual trust and more meaningful engagement in the workplace.
These questions are outstanding and are not only a way to create excellent team work, but they are also a perfect way to launch quality conversations that result in meaningful relationships with coworkers. This will allow you to go beyond work to care for them — even bless them — in all of their life, and open the door to the most life giving conversation. Notice how the questions build and create a deeper and deeper understanding of the needs of your coworkers.
1. How are you showing up today on a scale of 1-10?
“A numerical scale gives people a way to deliberately assess their feelings and gives you an opening to dig deeper.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
2. What’s something you’re excited about right now — outside of work?
“Getting to know your teammates outside of work will help build trust and will make it easier for them to come to you with their concerns later on.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
3. Do you derive meaning from your work?
“Research shows that when employees have a sense of purpose and fulfillment at work, they experience greater job satisfaction. The answer to this question allows you to support them and find a way to make their work more meaningful.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
4. What could make this job or organization more compelling for you in the long run?
“Understanding what motivates people will help you keep them engaged, so be open to your team members' ideas, but also be honest about what you can and cannot control and avoid over-promising. The goal is to understand their point of view and then brainstorm together.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
5. What makes you feel depleted or drains you at work and what can I do to support you?
“Find out what is holding them back and see how you can make it easier for them to do their best work.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
6. What are your career goals and dreams? What can I do to help you move towards them?
“The more you recognize your team members as people with ambition and dreams the more you’ll understand how they feel about their jobs and futures. You can use what you have learned to support their development.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
Be Open to Answer Questions
You might be saying, “Wait a minute, I’m not the boss.” I challenge you to consider how easy it would be to modify these questions for your coworkers, your friends, even for your boss. You see, if you know and follow Jesus, you are the leader!
Now, once you really understand your coworker's perspective on work and you have begun to understand them better outside of work, they may ask you questions all along as you ask them questions. It’s certain that the deeper you ask them questions you should be prepared to answer their questions too — this is now a meaningful relationship!
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - [.no-reftag]Colossians 4:6[.no-reftag]
Answer freely about the meaning of life and the realties we all face. Give them your reason for hope, but do it with gentleness and respect (2 Peter 3:15).
The 7th Question: What’s most important?
7. What is the most important thing in life to you?
Now it’s time to ask them questions that open up what they think is the purpose of life. To understand what they are living for and how long they are planning on living.
This tells you not just what they care about, but also gives you the opportunity to see where they place their hopes and dreams. Based on their answer, you know if what they are hoping in will last. You now have the opportunity to walk alongside them and tell them — at the best pace for them — all you know about The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14:6) that never ends.
Resources:
Video: 6 Questions to Find Out How Your Employees Are Really Doing | Rebecca Knight
Article: The Workplace is the Best Place to Teach | Howard Graham
Article: How to Teach | Howard Graham
Article: Why You Should Be Teaching | Howard Graham
Article: Habits of Love, The Graces of Sharing Our Joy | David Mathis
Steve Jobs, Harvard Business Review, Desiring God, and Jesus all agree — people are gifted and capable of doing great work when they are well cared for, given the right tools, and are properly empowered.
Followers of Jesus have a distinct advantage when it comes to how we care for our coworkers, neighbors, and friends. We've been called to follow Jesus and have been given His peace, purpose, and power to do the very same work He did (John 20:21) as we go (Matthew 28:18-20) about our jobs and daily life.
David Mathis at Desiring God, reminds us that our coworkers, our neighbors, and our cities need three things from us: our witness, our generosity, and our service. “The most important of the three is our witness. Witness requires words. Words should provide clarity and specificity. A witness has seen and heard and experienced something important…” When our words and actions are consistent we are credible witnesses.
In our summer series, we have covered why, how, and where we can teach others the life giving Hope we have, by doing excellent work and becoming witnesses with our words and actions.
Many of you have requested more as it relates to how you can move from doing excellent work, to blessing others, to pointing your coworkers to Jesus. You want practical next steps. This is where the incredibly consistent advice of Jobs, HBR, Desiring God, and Jesus are of great benefit!
Jobs believed if you empower people, they would feel safe and respected enough to take ownership while better understanding the purpose – the why – and solve problems quickly.
Empowering people leads to thriving for the employees, the company, and all of those it serves. Yet, Gallup research reports that over sixty percent of workers are unengaged and worse, one in five feel lonely at work. Employees who are not engaged are less productive, negatively impacting their own lives and the thriving of the company and its stakeholders. This creates an incredible opportunity to care for our coworkers!
6 Questions to Find Out How Your Employees Are Really Doing
Rebecca Knight of HBR offers six questions she has summarized from experts to create more significant interactions with employees, in order to “stay in tune with them,” resulting in mutual trust and more meaningful engagement in the workplace.
These questions are outstanding and are not only a way to create excellent team work, but they are also a perfect way to launch quality conversations that result in meaningful relationships with coworkers. This will allow you to go beyond work to care for them — even bless them — in all of their life, and open the door to the most life giving conversation. Notice how the questions build and create a deeper and deeper understanding of the needs of your coworkers.
1. How are you showing up today on a scale of 1-10?
“A numerical scale gives people a way to deliberately assess their feelings and gives you an opening to dig deeper.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
2. What’s something you’re excited about right now — outside of work?
“Getting to know your teammates outside of work will help build trust and will make it easier for them to come to you with their concerns later on.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
3. Do you derive meaning from your work?
“Research shows that when employees have a sense of purpose and fulfillment at work, they experience greater job satisfaction. The answer to this question allows you to support them and find a way to make their work more meaningful.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
4. What could make this job or organization more compelling for you in the long run?
“Understanding what motivates people will help you keep them engaged, so be open to your team members' ideas, but also be honest about what you can and cannot control and avoid over-promising. The goal is to understand their point of view and then brainstorm together.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
5. What makes you feel depleted or drains you at work and what can I do to support you?
“Find out what is holding them back and see how you can make it easier for them to do their best work.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
6. What are your career goals and dreams? What can I do to help you move towards them?
“The more you recognize your team members as people with ambition and dreams the more you’ll understand how they feel about their jobs and futures. You can use what you have learned to support their development.” - Rebecca Knight, HBR
Be Open to Answer Questions
You might be saying, “Wait a minute, I’m not the boss.” I challenge you to consider how easy it would be to modify these questions for your coworkers, your friends, even for your boss. You see, if you know and follow Jesus, you are the leader!
Now, once you really understand your coworker's perspective on work and you have begun to understand them better outside of work, they may ask you questions all along as you ask them questions. It’s certain that the deeper you ask them questions you should be prepared to answer their questions too — this is now a meaningful relationship!
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - [.no-reftag]Colossians 4:6[.no-reftag]
Answer freely about the meaning of life and the realties we all face. Give them your reason for hope, but do it with gentleness and respect (2 Peter 3:15).
The 7th Question: What’s most important?
7. What is the most important thing in life to you?
Now it’s time to ask them questions that open up what they think is the purpose of life. To understand what they are living for and how long they are planning on living.
This tells you not just what they care about, but also gives you the opportunity to see where they place their hopes and dreams. Based on their answer, you know if what they are hoping in will last. You now have the opportunity to walk alongside them and tell them — at the best pace for them — all you know about The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14:6) that never ends.
Resources:
Video: 6 Questions to Find Out How Your Employees Are Really Doing | Rebecca Knight
Article: The Workplace is the Best Place to Teach | Howard Graham
Article: How to Teach | Howard Graham
Article: Why You Should Be Teaching | Howard Graham
Article: Habits of Love, The Graces of Sharing Our Joy | David Mathis