What is the purpose of a business? If you were to ask this question to business school professors thirty years ago, most would probably answer you with the standard MBA mantra: “To maximize shareholder value.” In other words, to make a profit. No mystery. Lesson’s over. After all, a business cannot possibly exist without profits. And why would anyone in their right mind invest their money in a company that doesn’t provide a handsome return? Enriching the shareholders was the final... Read more
The other day I asked a friend for prayer. The exact words I used were “for God to enlarge my time.” I know that is not really a fair request, expecting that God might bend space and time just for my own sense of personal productivity. But the many obligations and opportunities have been weighing on me. Maybe what I was really asking was for some help in getting done all the things that are before me right now that, at the moment, are looking... Read more
I have a guest post today over at Dan King’s Blog, where I am reviewing Chapter 8 of Bob Roberts’ book, “Real Time Connections.” I must confess to you a scandalous secret: I have an aversion to Evangelism. Oh, dear reader, please do not hate me! This distaste does not stem from a lack of love for my God – it’s just that my experience with evangelism has always been so – um, what’s the word? Fake. I think it... Read more
I have a little experiment for you. As some of you know, I spent many years in management consulting prior to landing my current gig as a Senior Vice President in a Very Nice Company. That consulting experience drilled certain propensities into my brain for processes, charts, and matrixes. I love a good flow chart. So naturally, when thinking about solutions to help people connect business to spiritual life, I often approach matters in this way, looking for patterns or... Read more
A friend of mine owns a company, and his employees get a little on edge when they see him coming their way. It’s not that they don’t like him – he just has this tendency of asking a lot of questions – and his questions usually make people a little uncomfortable. He’s never satisfied. Suppose you are feeling pretty good because the customer satisfaction reports have ticked up another notch. He’ll come up with some brilliant idea that the customer hadn’t even asked for yet, and... Read more
Well folks, it’s the end-of-month repost time! I have a tasty selection for you here,one of those stories that somehow sums up all of what life’s about, in both it’s mess and it’s glory. So relax and take your time with this one. Like most insecure and spiritually frustrated white men in their forties, I keep a journal. Some men hunt. Others play golf. I know one gentleman whose passion is collecting kaleidoscopes. Me, I’ve taken to transcribing the obsessive voices in my... Read more
Several months ago I reported that happiness was a hot topic in business reporting these days. But unfortunately, some depressing news has recently developed in the happiness department. Apparently worker happiness is on the fritz. A January survey by the Conference Board revealed that more Americans than ever before are unhappy at work, representing the nadir of a steady decline that has been ebbing away for the last 30 years. According to the research, only 45% of Americans are currently happy at work,... Read more
Today we have a guest post from fellow blogger and author Michael Holmes, of the blog I Shall Raise Thee Up. He is reviewing one of my favorite businesss authors and a long-time friend (not really), Jim Collins . Let’s give a warm STC-welcome for Michael! (Vigorous handshake as Michael steps up to the blog post): Jim Collins in his book How the Mighty Fall paints a very vivid picture of how easy it is for a company (or any organization for that matter)... Read more
A couple of months ago I received a call from a big-time pastor in my area doing sabbatical research on the subject of Leadership. I honestly don’t consider myself a leadership expert by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I think the whole subject of leadership has been quite sufficiently covered to the point of nauseating over-saturation, such that it has practically lost all substance of meaning (Everyone’s a Leader!). Besides, I already wrote the defining summary of business... Read more
Yesterday, when I made my usual stop for morning coffee at Starbucks, I was greeted by a hand-scrawled sign taped up on one of the glass double-doors. It was written with a scrappy black marker that said, “Sorry, I’m stuck.” At first I didn’t get it. I wondered if someone had posted it as an inside joke for a friend, or perhaps it was a clue in some sort of high school scavenger hunt. But when I tugged on the door handle... Read more
Shrinking the Camel
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