Dec 11, 2013
Proverbs 14:23
23All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Hard work. When most people think of hard work, they think of manual work, production and agricultural jobs that require physical strength. Many of the hardest jobs that we began this century doing no longer exist! They have been replaced with robotics and automation. But that does not mean that hard work no longer exists. Hard work is now better defined as work that requires multiple skills and multitasking.
Appreciate and be empathetic with your Team
As we advance our businesses, we must never forget that what might seem easier now might not necessarily be easier; it is done instead with less physical strength but greater amounts of decision-making and dexterity. Do you lead with heart? If you are appreciative and empathetic of your employees’ work, if you know what it is like to walk in their shoes for a day, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What changes have you witnessed and how did you ensure a positive outcome in your workplaces? Share your experiences and make an impact helping others in our reading community.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
May 15, 2013
Proverbs 12:11
11Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
One of the seven deadly sins is sloth. Many leaders look at their people and accuse them of sloth-like behavior, yet, if they examined themselves more closely, they would discover that they are equally guilty of being sloth-like, maybe not in the sense of their rate of production, but in the time spent in fantasizing about their business objectives.
Sloth-like leaders dream too much and yield little
We all have lofty dreams — big dreams and pie-in-the-sky thoughts. And organizational vision is paramount to the success of every organization! The problem is that dreaming all day won’t satisfy your customers or get the widgets out the door! As Christian business leaders, we all need some time to ourselves to dream big for the creation of our goals and vision for our companies. Sometimes, though, we have witnessed leaders getting so caught up in big picture thinking that they lose their way in daily transactional business leadership, and their teams go astray, feeling they have no leadership. Leaders: if you find yourself disconnected from your teams and your businesses because of your lack of attention, focusing only on your lofty goals, wake up! If you can balance both day to day focus and big picture thinking, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
When John Piper Reads “Pilgrim’s Conflict with Sloth”– You realize just how bad sloth behavior can be.
Help our community of readers
Have you witnessed a sloth in the workplace? What was the remedy? What have you done to combat your own sloth behavior?
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Apr 30, 2013
Proverbs 13:11
11Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Have you watched a business grow quickly and reap much cash and then, just as quickly as it grew, come crashing down? Oftentimes, when you dig deeply into what happened, you find there were dishonest business practices occurring, misrepresentations of products, and not much substance surrounding the basis of the company’s success. Although some fail quickly, some dishonest businesses seem to go on, regardless. But they will fail at some point, and the failure may be far greater to the owner after a sustained period of time rather than if the company had crashed within the first year.
All good ideas need time to grow
My experiences tells me that, when leaders are deliberate in making choices, and slow in the development of their strategies and plans, favor seems to come from God. Any good idea needs time to grow, and any great business was not developed overnight, but little by little, as the Scripture states. Take your time, dear Christian business leader, and don’t rush your plans for prosperity. If you are enjoying the little-by-little approach to earning your profits, if you are content in building deliberately and with faith, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
How do you develop your ideas? How does your company ensure success in decision-making? Have you done any really interesting inclusion lately with your employees? Inspire our readers. We would like to know.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Apr 4, 2013
Proverbs 12:14
14From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.
When our words help and benefit our people, we honor God. People who experience kindness and encouragement will surely bear good fruit. Many leaders do not realize that what is in their hearts comes out of their mouths, In other words, “What is in a man comes out of the man.” If one’s heart is filled with evil, then he will speak evil.
If Jesus is in his heart, then Jesus is what will come out
This is why we should, as Christian Business Leaders, be constantly filling ourselves to the brim with goodness, not despair and disaster or things that are not wholesome. How do we do this? Here are a few suggestions:
- Spend time reading God’s Word
- Have a relationship with God by fellowshipping with other believers
- Volunteer in a Ministry in which you can impact the world
- Devote time with your family sharing your life with Christ
- Connect in a Bible study or start one yourself
- Help grow the Church that you attend
- Encourage and minister to our youth
All these opportunities are important; because they will help you become more like Christ. What you feed your spirit is what will come out. When a person’s life is filled with Jesus, then his works (the work of his hands) will be blessed. Be assured that you will be a blessing to others.
So, beloved Christian Leaders, if you are committed to being more Christ-like and you embrace partaking in several of these bulleted recommendations, you will be a light unto your people, and you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What have you done to help fill yourself up with Christ? How do you ensure you never get near empty? How can you help others in your workplace to do the same?
Quick question? Need Career Coaching or HR Assistance?
E-mail us here.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Feb 19, 2013
Exodus 35:35
35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers — all of them skilled workers and designers.
Most companies are packed to the hilt with talented people! Oftentimes the talents of the people are far greater than imagined because we, as leaders, have never tapped fully into them or have even asked what lies beneath. I once worked with a company that spent thousands of dollars paying a web design company to build them a website, when that could have been built by an employee who was on staff, but it was never discovered that they had the resources, the vision, and the talent to do so. The company chose to look elsewhere when what they needed was right under their nose!
Don’t spend thousands paying for something you already have!
Do you know your employees’ hidden talents? The talents above and beyond their daily job requirements? If you know your people’s talents and draw on them regularly, you will ignite your workplace! You will be building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What have you witnessed that worked to advance and optimize the talents of the people in your organization? Have you experienced greatness within your teams without having to look outward? How did you discover those talents from within? Have you been an encouragement to your people, have you leverage their talents?
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Jul 26, 2012
Our Mission is simple, develop businesses so that they can prosper and support their churches. The churches will grow and prosper than develop schools for the orphans that are currently lost spiritually and educationally. We are specifically focused on helping to develop businesses in the support of the trade school programs through the New Hope Center.
We can make a long term difference is this area of the world. It will take time for change to occur, but we have witnessed the change in other parts of the world.
I am writing to share news about a fantastic opportunity coming in the fall of 2012. I will be joining David Balinski, Christian Business Men’s Committee (CBMC) Area Director, on a journey to the Ukraine. With the honor of being selected to help enrich the lives of those less fortunate and help develop local businesses, Dave and I will work with local business leaders in Zaporozhye, Ukraine to help them enrich their local community.
Despite the recent turmoil in our economy, business men and women in foreign countries look to America for insight and direction when developing their businesses. They are eager and willing to learn from business owners about their strategies, methods and practices that have brought them success.
We will present seminars and training to teach the foundational Judeo-Christian ethics and values that have made America great, including honesty, integrity, pride in one’s work, and freedom. If you have ever traveled to a second or third world country, you know these concepts are not at all evident in their business world. That is the case in Zaporozhye.
Through our outreach, we hope to inspire others to do business more ethically, and we look forward to making friends from around the world.
Remember, America is great because it gives.
As we prepare for this journey, We need your help. If you are interested in helping, please contact me directly and I will let you know how. Thank you for helping us help others.
Contact Us
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Events
Apr 25, 2012
Radio Series Week 11- Ways to effectively introduce Christ into your workplace
Tune in and enjoy listening to Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant, inspire you as he dialogues with host Dee Kovach on, Ways to effectively introduce Christ into your workplace. Let Mark inspire you to be bold in your faith as you learn to navigate the complexities of faith in the workplace. Be encouraged as you learn how to develop a high performing organization through your HR practices.
“Praise HIS Name” in partnership with “In HIS Name HR LLC” announce the launch of a twelve week radio series highlighting faith in the Christian owned workplace. Tune in and enjoy listening to Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant, inspire you as he dialogues with host Dee Kovach, exploring twelve inspiring weeks of Christian Business topics.
Listen or download on iTunes here: Click
Mark A. Griffin | Podcasts
Apr 20, 2012
It was a gray day in the fall of 2003. I looked around the room at all the other walking wounded, the outplaced, downsized, reorganized and laid off professionals I had come to know during the past several weeks. As we were heading into the Christmas season, I would say in jest that we were just stuck in the land of misfit toys. It was funny for a few seconds, until the stark reality of the situation struck our hearts.
There may be times in your career when you find yourself stuck in the land of misfit toys.
We were participants in outplacement with the firm of Lee Hecht Harris, tucked neatly into the suburbs of Detroit, where thousands would need their services over the next decade. The firm would, of course, enjoy prosperity; however, it was unfortunately at the expense of others. James Craft, the leader of the misfit toys or, better stated, Career Coach, would lead us through this difficult time. Some folks would come and go fairly quickly, but, for the most part, many came but few left.
One key takeaway from my weeks of time with the group and James was something that James harped over again and again: Don’t put your eggs in one basket — diversify your career and time into different areas. Although he made the importance clear to start a side hobby business, invest in a franchise outside your daily job, create a plan to have multiple streams of income, etc., I really did not get it until almost 10 years later. James, I believe, was a visionary; he knew what was coming to the workplace years in advance. But I, like many others, still had an eye toward the past, and yearned for a long-term relationship with a company, just like my father had had.
I guess it was because, in my heart, in my core, my own desire would be to do just that, devote 30 years to a company and then retire. I was still thinking how people should be able to give their time and years of service to the company and have the company return the favor with security. Today’s reality is that only a very small portion of people in the workplace will realize this rare relationship. It is no longer the norm, and definitely scarcer than it was back in 2003.
It is highly unlikely that you will work for one company for the rest of your life.
It won’t happen. Even people who went into the military and government service are now finding no long-term commitment there. Layoffs have started and will continue in these sectors. As a result, you will work longer than your parents had to work. So, you had best like what you’re doing, because you will be doing it for a long time! Most important, you are going to require multiple income streams to make it. A paycheck is not going to cut it. The quicker you figure this out, accept it and embrace it, the better off you are. Don’t be like me and wait almost 10 years! If I had listened to James, I would be further ahead in developing these streams than I am today.
So what has transpired since 2003 for my own career path? Well, most significant is that I have given my life to Jesus. My personal desire for security through employers has been released and traded for the eternal security of Jesus in my heart. I have navigated through an additional downsizing, followed by two other companies; both of which have shrunk considerably because of the changes in manufacturing coupled with the downturn in the economy.
One way to diversify yourself and enhance your capabilities is by volunteering. I have donated much of my time over the past seven years helping job seekers who have either been laid off, downsized or are just plain unhappy with what they are doing career-wise. By doing so, I inadvertently developed my career coaching skills and also created a model to help people navigate the exploration of the difficult task of redefining their career path.
I have also created various forms of cash streams. A good friend of mine, Allan Collins, of Success in HR, calls it “side hustling.” It means finding something you enjoy doing and monetizing it. Allan sold comic books for years, diversifying his income. Many people start an eBay business or an online portal selling specialty items. I started a Internet Media Business separate from my HR consulting firm that not only provides a cash flow for my retirement savings, but also prospers the sales agent and gives back to a counseling ministry for each sale made.
I launched an additional offering in conjunction with my HR firm, based on my 20-plus years of coaching job seekers: ChristianCareerCoaching.com. This has proved a success for my business beyond my expectations but, as important, has made great impact in righting people in their careers.
I believe that God wants us to be happy at work!
Work should not be awful. If it is, God is telling us to make a change!
This new normal requires continuing education, as well. I was fortunate to have received a BA in Human Resources and a Masters in Business Administration. Several years into my career, I attended several Executive Education programs at the University of Michigan. But, after those formal programs, I did little in furthering my knowledge. I did become Green belt, qualified in Six Sigma, and taught many programs through the years in the subject areas of Finance, Human Resources, Supervision, and Training and Development. But delivering training is not the same as working in that field. Except for the occasional seminar, I felt myself stagnating. So, just recently, I invested in myself and my firm and spent time becoming a certified practitioner in the Myers Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI). It was well worth the time and dollar investment, as I increased my skills and my credibility with my clients.
So, the new normal as I see it is that you cannot rely any longer on a long-term commitment by an employer. It is statistically improbable. Volunteer and enrich yourself and others. Follow James’s and Allan’s advice and create a “side hustling” cash stream. And, finally, never stop learning. Step out of your comfort zone and rekindle your relationship with learning. Enter a Master’s program, get certified on a program, get a license for use of a program, or become a practitioner of a tool that can enhance your marketability. If you do all of these, you will become more resilient to the New Career Normal.
Before publishing this, I shared this with several people, all of whom have considered at least one of these points. What are your thoughts? Is there a new normal we are missing? We would love to hear your opinion.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Career Coaching
Feb 14, 2012
Good News for Tumultuous Business Times- Radio Series Launched to Inspire Christian Business Owners
Contact: Keith Wilson, Praise His Name, 740.264.4604; Mark A.Griffin, In HIS Name HR LLC, 717.572.2183.
Wintersville, OH – FEB 14,2012 /Christian Newswire/ “Praise HIS Name” in partnership with “In HIS Name HR LLC” announce the launch of a twelve week radio series highlighting faith in the Christian owned workplace. Tune in and enjoy listening to Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant, inspire you as he dialogues with host Dee Kovach, exploring twelve inspiring weeks of Christian Business topics.
Week 1-Why do you need to build a “Kingdom Minded” company?
Week 2-What is a “Kingdom Minded” company?
Week 3- What is an Organizational Mission?
Week 4- What is an Organizational Vision?
Week 5- What are Organizational Core Values?
Week 6- HR Practices, what are they?
Week 7-How to integrate Your Mission, Vision and Core Values into your HR Practices
Week 8-How to hire the best candidates for your company
Week 9- How to manage employees to their potential within your company
Week 10- How to get your non-performers off the bus
Week 11- Ways to effectively introduce Christ into your workplace
Week 12- How best to develop and manage your Company Culture
In HIS Name HR LLC specializes in Christian business consulting for Christian owned companies who want to integrate Christ into their workplaces through the implementation of High Performance Organization HR practices.
In HIS Name HR LLC’s mission is to provide world class business consulting by assisting our clients in their quest to be prosperous and “Kingdom Minded.” We provide progressive Human Resources programs that will increase profitability, eliminate non-value added practices, increase productivity, improve quality and, most importantly, enhance employee well being.
“Praise His Name” is the place where listeners can tune in and hear interviews, music from today’s best Christian artists, inspirational messages, sermons from area pastors, talk shows with a Christian-based theme and yes, even comedy. Praise his Name is an Internet based radio station that allows on demand listening to what you want to hear, when you want to hear it. Best of all, the station is available 24-hours a day.
Praise His Name’sMission is to be the Voice calling out on the Internet! An oasis of Peace, Truth, Grace and Love in a world looking for real answers.
Learn more about Mark A. Griffin and his quest to help the Christian owned company live their faith by visiting him at www.InHISNameHR.com, or call him 717.572.2183 or contact him on www.Twitter.com/InHISNameHR.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Events, Kingdom Company Building
Oct 27, 2011
High-performing organizations have a clearly defined Vision. This Vision helps guide all its employees and supervision to their desired destination and explains why. Companies who have a Vision have a workplace of direction, purpose and achievement. These companies have a Vision of where they want to be, and do the appropriate things to get there. All along the way, they have employees who are enthusiastically a part of it, eagerly supporting the Vision.
What Is an Organizational Vision?
A Vision that is optimal is one that has been created, or at least contributed to, by all employees of the organization. Like the Mission, the more buy-in the organization has, the greater the effectiveness of the Vision. The Vision should be inspiring! It is where you want to be! The Vision is what you seeing occurring as you deliver on your Mission. It is where you want your organization to be in five years. We define it as five years but you may prefer to extend that, or, if you are a start-up, you may want to start with a three-year Vision. We prefer five years, because that is a reasonable amount of time for most companies to get to the next step. The Vision must be realistically achievable. If you own a pizza shop, it would not be wise to say your Vision is to grow to a $2 billion-dollar market value. But, an achievable Vision might look like: “We will grow to be a regional choice by consumers by expanding to 10 locations.”
Reflect on the following questions as considerations for building your Vision:
1. How are the market and customer base changing in the next three to seven years?
2. How will that create opportunities for the organization?
3. How can we meet the gap between now and our Vision?
4. How will we surpass our competitors and seek greater market share?
5. What are we doing collectively to capitalize on the changes in business conditions and needs of the business?
Examples:
Amazon “Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
Nike “To be the number one athletic company in the world.”
What is the difference between Mission and Vision?
The most asked question to us surrounding Mission, Vision and Core Values is: what is the difference between a Mission and a Vision? Your Mission is what you do best every day. Your Vision is what the future looks like when you deliver on your Mission so exceedingly well.
High-performing Organizations
There is, unquestionably, a key to high-performing organizations. That key is Vision — a Vision that ignites the employees of these organizations to achieve great things!
When I worked with the Gatorade Division of Quaker Oats, we smoked the competition. Why? We had Vision. And every employee who worked there bought into that Vision. Powerade and All Sport didn’t have a chance. In fact, where is All Sport today? If Gatorade did not take them out completely, they certainly limited their capabilities!
The problem is not with workers in the U.S. What we have today is a problem with leadership — leadership that lacks the ability to create buy-in for excellence in Vision achievement.
If you are a leader, you must develop a Vision, and develop it with employee input. If you are an employee, make sure you buy into your organization’s Vision. If it needs tweaking, ask to do so with respect. Your leadership will appreciate your interest!
Let’s all work together with our organizations to create Vision, to create a hope and future for everyone.
We Value your Comments. Please share your thoughts on having an Organizational Vision. How do they fit into your workplace? Do you have a Vision where you work right now? Have you worked at a high-performing organization that did?
Mark A. Griffin | Kingdom Company Building
