Feb 6, 2015
The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
Proverbs 21.25 (NIV)
One of the most difficult aspects of being a Christian leader is disciplining those who are not pulling their weight. Many weak leaders will ignore the behavior or even have one of their other direct reports try to intervene. Not addressing the weakest link, can destroy a team.
Employee performance issues are an inevitable part of the workplace.
Do you know a leader who will do almost anything possible to avoid having to face the disciplining of the rogue employee? We all have met many leaders who lack the fortitude to lead! Poor performers are sometimes an inevitable part of the workplace and, as a Christian leader; you are called not only by the organization but also by the word of God to manage them. Now, don’t use this as a way to tell them the Bible told you so, but you understand the point. Be brave, leader; know that your motivated employees, your stars, want to see you manage the poor performer. You owe it to them.
Be passionate and direct and manage those who are hurting your organization and you will be ensuring that you are building the strong foundation of a ‘Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
Have you encountered a poor performer at work? How did you address the situation? What was the outcome? Help our reader community by sharing your experiences.
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Mark Griffin is founder and Chief Consultant at In His Name HR LLC. Mark writes extensively on career and human resources related topics. Mark has over 20 years of HR experience. Want to bring Bible based practical HR programs to your workplace? Contact Mark today to see how his firm may help you: Contact
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Feb 1, 2012
This Post From Guest Blogger Buzz Rooney
As a manager and HR professional, I encounter a lot of foolishness and hatefulness in the workplace. Passive-aggressive behavior, back-stabbing, finger-pointing, laziness, discrimination, bullying and flagrant insubordination are all too real! This is part of the reason I enjoy working in HR. I get to help find justice for wronged individuals; I get to help train and develop other managers to overcome these same issues and prevent them for the future.
There are times, however, when the responsibility to protect the employer I work for and mitigate potential liability feels like it clashes with my faith. There are times where I feel like a hitman sent to take out a pesky adversary like something out of mobster film. Terminating employees doesn’t feel good. Negotiating ‘no-fault’ separation agreements doesn’t feel good. Denying employee requests doesn’t feel good.
So what do I do about it? Why do I keep going to work and doing this stuff every day?! How have I managed to stay in this career for almost 15 years?!?
I adhere to the rules and the spirit in which they were intended.
NLT Romans 15:4 – “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning”
In the workplace, this verse of Scripture applies to the policies, procedures, training documents, handbooks and manuals. These governing documents are the ideal way for the business of the workplaces to be conducted. The documents are typically not written with the intention of causing hurt, harm, danger or confusion. On the contrary, they are written to be consistent, effective, efficient and fair in our workplace dealings. They are written for our learning.
Therefore, I choose to believe the processes and practices that derive from them are also intended for the good of the people in our workplaces. I see God in the order which comes from enforcing and upholding the standards set forth in policies, procedures, training documents, handbooks and manuals. So I focus on that as I handle the challenges which come my way (Philippians 4:8).
When someone violates regulations that are intended for good, that person is out of order and should be corrected. When someone is violated by someone who misused regulations to cause harm, there is a responsibility to correct that also. But that may not necessarily mean the wronged individual can keep working. And it may mean more than just a warning for the person who broke the rules. It may mean letting people go. And, no matter how often you do it, that never gets easier – especially in these times where our economy is suffering and unemployment is so high!
In those moments, I focus on the fact that God is able. He provides for me and He protects me. And I know He does the same for others! I remember that all things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28) and what may seem like a terrible outcome could be part of God’s plan to bring about good things in the future (Genesis 50:20). And I pray before, during and after major decisions for His will to be done, even when it doesn’t feel good to me and/or when I don’t understand.
My hope is that this is enough. Amen.
Buzz Rooney is a practicing HR Professional with over a decade of experience in the production, manufacturing and retail industries. She has Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies with a focus on Organizational Communication and Leadership as well as a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management. Buzz is also a blogger and part-time HR consultant. Read more of her writings, connect and contact her at www.thebuzzonhr.com
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
