Biblical Business Radical: Hiring for Character

There have been a confluence of experts suggesting we pay more attention to cultural fit than to skills when hiring. That's often hard to discern in our usual hiring processes: application, resume, phone interview, in-person interview, maybe another interview or two. The lower the position is in the typical organizational chart the fewer steps there are in the process. Yet character is just as important at the bottom as at the top.

Tony Dungy tells about not drafting skilled players because of their character. Even in a finite game like football and the team needed to compete, character flaws in one person will have long-term effects on the organization. How much more so for infinite game organizations like businesses? [Brief description of an infinite game: there is no end zone or time limit; competitors change frequently; regulations change frequently; outside the 'game' influencers appear (like coronavirus), etc.]

Collins talks about character in Good to Great: level 5 leadership and getting the right people on the bus. Lencioni talks about this in The Advantage and The Ideal Team Player and, of utmost importance for the top dog, in The Motive. You can find lots of others. Even books that tout leadership teams should be like jazz combos suggest character is important, because jazz combos aren't successful if they can't play together--no maestros wanted. Only business books that focus on results ignore character. Those methods will have gain in the short-term but will not create a legacy of success.

One aspect of character is personally developing. Abraham in the bible had his flaws. It took him a couple of times to learn that he shouldn't lie about his wife, Sarah, by saying she's just his sister. He shouldn't, perhaps, have tried to accomplish God's plan by naming his heir, Eliezer, or sleeping with his wife's maid, Hagar. Likewise, King David--"a man after [God's] own heart"--was nearly fatally flawed as a leader. We know his tremendously regrettable incident of adultery with Bathsheba and conspiring to kill her husband. He also ignored family turmoil and scandals. Yet he had a character that led military operations and had loyal followers. He turned a nation around. He set a role model of believing in the best. Paul the evangelist had trouble getting along with other people: he cast off John Mark despite Barnabas' encouragement; after he left, churches in the region around Jerusalem had peace and prosperity; he caused turmoil in many cities he visited. Yet many assemblies were started and developed.

If we looked at the CV's of many of our spiritual forefathers, we might not hire them to lead our churches. We'd see flaws. We'd see a lack of results often. We might see a lack of fit.

Maybe this is why we need to trust God to point to the people we need to hire.

Biblical Business Radical: Crisis, Faith, Stewardship

Do you really believe God will give you what you need?

Tony Dungy in his Uncommon Life daily devotional relates a time when his father was willing to pay for the $3.99 K-Mart version of the $7.99 Converse (r) Chuck Taylors, showing they were exactly the same shoe and Tony's performance in them would be exactly the same. Unfortunately, like many of us business leaders today, young Tony placed more importance on his reputation among his peers; wearing the K-Mart version wouldn't provide him the same popularity, prestige and invitations to the "cool" social circles.

Aren't we like this too? We dedicate our companies to the Lord, saying the company is His. We commit ourselves to being His stewards of His resources. Then we complain when He doesn't give us the Converse version of the company; He gives us the lower cost version. The company may not grow. It may even shrink.

We think we can handle more, a bigger company, and the Lord says, "You are the servant to whom I've given one talent. Another servant may have been given more and that's not your concern. Remember what I told Peter when he was concerned about the fate of another disciple. Their success or failure is not your concern. They are My companies, My resources."

We pray the Lord's/Disciple's Prayer: "...Give us this day our daily bread..." and we forget the verses around it. Christ declares our Father in heaven knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6.8) so it doesn't matter how many words you use, how fervently you pray, that you remind the Lord of the specific promise in the Bible, that you pray in public. That's what the pagans do. Christ goes on to teach that He knows what we need so don't worry about our needs. Instead focus on serving, loving, doing justice, making peace, being spiritually thirsty and hungry, taking care of the least/last/lost...[my amplification of seeking the kingdom in Matthew 6.33]. Our responsibility is to "pray" our fealty, our loyalty to His kingdom, which is coming, is here--His will be done. His will is better than anything we could desire, right?

When we ask the Lord to expand our company--help it survive in these days of COVID-19--are we asking for our sake or His sake? Are we, like Moses, suggesting to the Lord that it will reflect on His reputation if His people perish in the wilderness? How much of that is really the outcome that His people will perish, and how much is just our reputation decreasing?

Biblical Business Radical: Godliness vs Hunches and Experience

As much as we’d like business to get back to normal, we have the challenge of Peter’s writings to obey the authorities. Peter’s letters are presumably penned from Rome on the eve of Nero’s persecution and blaming Christians of setting fire to Rome. If there was a time to hunker down and social distance, it was this. And it’s believed the persecution was so bad it’s when the fish symbol came into prominence: one person would draw one arc of the fish symbol and the other party, to show they were safe and a brother/sister, would draw the symmetrical arc forming the fish.

Peter in his 2nd epistle talked about godliness, added to perseverance, self-control, etc. and leading to brotherly affection  and agape love. Godliness is considering God in all efforts; it is worshipping well (literally). Ungodliness is thinking God has no place in our decisions, our actions and that He’s apathetic about us.

Peter in the 1st epistle encourages us with a proclamation that we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation...but...we are to abstain from the desires that wage war against our soul (perhaps those hunches/experiences that we know what’s better for us no matter what others say)...and keep our behavior excellent so non-believers will glorify God...and submit to every human institution—king and governor—for the Lord’s sake, not for our sake, their sake or goodness’ sake...act as free men: Honoring all people, loving the family of God, fearing God and honoring the ‘king’.

So how do we consider God in all our efforts today during COVID-19? For the Lord’s sake and so others will glorify God, keep our behavior excellent (1 Peter 2). Resonance is a phenomena that what we do affects others. If we operate as individuals, we are not being godly.

Biblical Business Radical: Varied Leadership Communications

In the midst of COVID-19, it seems those of us not part of the essential services—like groceries, logistics, healthcare—have been reduced to one or two communication media: digital text in the form of direct messaging and emails; video-conferencing instead of physically present face-to-face conversations. Communication experts will tell you that the message should determine the medium to be utilized. Form fits function or function determines form, in engineering-speak.

I’ve often taught that “one size fits all” is incorrect when it comes to corporate communications. Different personality and behavioral types are reading, listening, looking for certain answers to different questions. For example, Drivers are looking for action and results in messages while Amiables are looking for reassurance we’ll all be okay. Analytics are looking for thorough research and the analysis of different options before deciding on “this plan of action”. And so on.

Some need to ‘hear’ it one-on-one, or in a small group where they can un-embarrassingly ask their questions. Sometimes large groups are needed so everyone has a chance to hear the same thing in the same way and piggy-back off someone else’s question. Some need to hear it while others need to read or see it. Some need to ‘move’ through it like on-the-job training. Almost always true, the message needs to be repeated ad nauseum until it’s finally understood and assimilated into new behaviors, new procedures, new policies reaching your customers and suppliers through their interactions with your team.

In these times, it seems we need to be creative in our methods of communication. Christ was. After His resurrection, He appeared to many people. Often, according to the scriptures they didn’t recognize Him until...

...He spoke Mary’s name; she had to hear His voice outside the tomb
...He stood before Thomas; he had to touch His scars
...He broke bread at a meal; the two people walking and talking with Him for many miles needed to share a meal with Him—His voice and presence weren’t enough
...He created a miraculous catch of fish for Peter and John at the Sea of Galilee; only after a result beyond their own capabilities did they recognize Him

What do your staff and teams need to hear, see, feel, experience from you to better recognize what you want to communicate? How do you communicate your hopes, dreams, fears, faith, perseverance, tenacity to safeguard their efforts at keeping your organizational ‘boat’ afloat?