IHN HR High Performance Human Resources

Unreasonable Objectives Are Dishonest Standards


Leviticus 19:35

35Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.

It goes with out saying that, as Christian Business Leaders, we should always manage using Christian principles. The sometimes subtle shaving or rounding of numbers can get out of hand. We all immediately get defensive and say we would not be involved in it, but I am sure that, statistically speaking, we have all been involved in matters that we are not proud of. One overlooked area of potential dishonesty is having goals and objectives or production quotas that are just simply unreachable by employees. Having witnessed this firsthand, the following is a likely scenario.

A new manager comes on board. The new manager does not like a certain subordinate. The subordinate, although a long-term employee and well liked, is now under increased scrutiny of the new manager. The new manager shows a negative bias as to the employee’s personal activities, education, and even their personal life activities. The new manager not only demands unreasonable objectives from the employee, but they also eliminate any support positions or staff that support the subordinate’s function. The employee begins a spiral downturn of poor performance, crying out for assistance until the new manager gets his twisted objective met and fires the employee. The manager then hires someone at two-thirds the pay and rationalizes his decision on a warped sense of “lack of performance”.

This, dear reader, is dishonest, but practiced in some organizations.

The best solution to setting unrealistic goals and standards that lead to termination is simply to never get there at all. But, if your organization has, now is the time to correct it, ask for forgiveness and move on. If you are honoring God by managing an organization beyond reproach, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.

Help our community of readers

What dishonest practices have you met in your career? (Please do not include names of individuals, organizations or companies.) What God-honoring processes, as they relate to goals and objectives, have you witnessed?

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