If God Worked Where You Do

IF GOD WORKED WHERE YOU DO

The Return Of Ethical Business Practices

Book Four

Copyright: 2003

By: K. C. Boone, MSFE

Publisher: The Scribed Light

ISBN: 978-1-939634-22-1

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of the book may be reproduced in any form, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

Table Of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Getting There

Chapter 2 - Current Corporate Culture

Chapter 3 - Human Resources

Chapter 4 - The Almighty Boss

Chapter 5 - Where's Everybody Going

Chapter 6 - Supervisors Are People Too

Chapter 7 - Management Strategies Galore

Chapter 8 - Employees Of All Types

Chapter 9 - Buying In

Chapter 10 - A Little Fun Never Hurt Anyone

Chapter 11 - Never Forget From Whence You Came

Chapter 12 - Happiness Matters

Chapter 13 - Give And You Shall Receive

Chapter 14 - Business Ethics: A Contradiction In Terms

Chapter 15 - Abusive Employers

Chapter 16 - Abused Employees

Chapter 17 - Abusive Employees

Chapter 18 - Unsung Heroes

Conclusion

Bibliography

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all employees and employers who seek to make all work places better for all.

Acknowledgment

My business career has been a marvelous adventure shared with so very many wonderful souls. I have been blessed to cross the paths of those who have taught me much, each in his/her own way. The number of souls encountered is too great to count, but the experiences given by each are invaluable.

Introduction

What if God worked where you do? Have you ever considered this? What if God showed up one day at your work as a new hire? What would He think? Would He run screaming toward the nearest exit, or would He feel at home in your place of peace?

Our laws require the separation of church and state. This concept has been implemented into our business culture, even as an unwritten rule. It is certainly a necessary practice in government related businesses. In many ways, even though our country was founded on principles of faith, we must be careful to not allow our faith to be inflicted upon the rights of others. Our careful balance between faith and fairness often causes us to lose sight entirely of God’s principles, which offer the most fair and balanced system of all.

We confuse the term God with our own preconceived notions about what is implied by its use. We assume if the word God is used, that it automatically entails a sectarian view point with all sorts of biases. For the sake of our what if scenario, let’s just equate the word God with love. Let’s not imply any other standards upon God in our example. Let’s take religion completely out of this, and simply imagine that God is the embodiment of love and fairness. Religion has no place in our example, so let’s not get caught up in the distractions of separation.

If we envision God as the overriding spirit within each of us, we may be wise to let our spirits operate in our businesses. This is not to say that we should overtly share our love of God at work, but we should behave in a manner befitting our highest ideals. It is not necessary for me to blow trumpets and proclaim my Godly nature. My Godly nature will be evidenced by my actions. My inherent love for all people will be obvious in my righteous treatment of others. My loyalty to my work will be evidenced by my excellent work ethic.

Let’s take a pretend journey to work, as if God were along for the ride. Let’s imagine our day as God might see it, from His perspective of love and kindness.

Much of our lives are now consumed with work, so let’s work as the Gods that we are, full of love and respect and equality for all.

Chapter 1 – Getting There

Of course, God doesn’t have to worry about the commute to work. For our pleasure, let’s assume that He does. Let’s have some fun and put God in an economy car, a well used high mileage family model. Let’s say that He lives in the outskirts of a large city and that His new job is downtown.

Do we ever consider the amount of time and energy that we exert simply getting to work? In any large city, traffic is generally the toughest challenge of the day. There are people who commute for hours each day. We often don’t realize that the amount of time spent sitting in traffic is time that is taken out of our lives. We justify the time as necessary for the maintenance of our lives.

The accountant in me calculates the true cost of the commute, not the least of which is my life. What costs are involved? The obvious costs are fuel, vehicle and time. The less obvious costs are our health, sanity and family. Sure, a life in the burbs is great, but at what cost? If mom and dad are stuck in traffic for hours each day, what is the value of the time left, when they do get home? Is it not enough that simply working a full day is rough? Add to the work, the compounded exhaustion of having to get to work and from work.

Our lives are often built around our jobs. If our jobs are located in downtown, then we find ways to incorporate our living circumstances around that fact. Many downtown areas are crowded and are not seen as the optimum places for raising children. We try to make the best of both by finding housing in areas we deem appropriate for our families. If the most appropriate areas are in the burbs, then we make the willing sacrifice of time away from our families, so that we can give our children the best. Have we stopped to realize that we have taken what is truly most important, and given what is of less importance?

Each must look at his/her values and decide upon the living locale. Many believe that by working in big cities that their earnings will be higher. Truly, it can be said that earnings may be higher, but at what cost? The true cost of living in a large city can take away any financial advantages that may have been assumed. If I have to commute two or more hours per day, then there is significant cost involved. If we factor in the real costs, perhaps a life in a smaller area may offer us advantages over the larger areas.

So, God has chosen the status quo and has chosen to live in the burbs and work downtown. He knows that jobs are hard to find, so He is just excited for the opportunity. He leaves home early each morning, as He is very conscientious. He soon hits traffic and finds that the lines are filled with angry stressed drivers trying also to get to work on time. God, the ever cautious driver, reaps the wrath of drivers who are not so courteous. Sure, He receives His share of honks and fingers and expletives. Even God might be tempted to express His anxiety in the fever pitched commute to work.

Ever diligent, God finally arrives at work, fully stressed and late, like so many others. Full of guilt for having been late, He feels compelled to apologize for His tardiness. What a great way to start the day!

And for the grand finale…He gets to do it again on the way home. Ms. God had better put up her safety shields before He gets home, because the ballistics will ensue. He won’t mean to take it out on her, but surely He will. Of course, as she has been in traffic also, it will be an even match of who had the worst day.

The kids are excited for their parents to be home, until they get a dose of can we just get a minute of peace medicine. There are twenty four hours in a day. How many have already passed before you have even seen your family? What is the quality of the time remaining, that will be spent with your family?

Even God may just want some time alone after His day at the office. What can be said for the rest of us who don’t have His coping skills? And let’s remember, we are simply looking, so far, at a good day. What if the car wouldn’t start or the kids were sick? God may wonder why His life is not what He had imagined. God, never wishing to throw in the towel, would give His all for the cause, until He could give no more.

With perfect kids and family, working is tough. Add a little extra to the mix such as unruly kids and a sick spouse, and you have the makings of a very unhappy employee. You may love your job, your kids, and your spouse. The combination can be overwhelming, if not kept in the proper perspective. Our lives are a juggling act and must be ever assessed for practicality. We should never be so naïve as to assume that life will fix itself. We must take the time to make the wisest possible choices, which benefit our lives.

God Himself would easily see why people do crazy things when faced with so much stress all the time. What advice would God give to those of us suffering from the unrelenting stresses of life? His advice for each would be different, depending on the different circumstances of each. Surely, He would tell us all to look within ourselves and make choices based on love – for the love of ourselves, our families, and others. He would suggest that we make changes, so that we can enjoy our lives as much as possible. He would suggest that we shift our focus from our employment to our families. He would ask us to look at our lives from a more broad perspective, which would reveal the details of our stress making machine.

As in all of life, the answers are within ourselves. We must take the time to assess and reassess our lives. If this doesn’t work, then do that. If that doesn’t work, then do something else. Life is ever changing and in many ways, is a trial and error process. If we choose to do nothing, then changes will still occur. By ignoring our problems, they will continue to exist. God would advise us to be more proactive in our lives. If you don’t like what you have, choose something different.

Choosing wisely involves choosing with love as the overriding factor. Choosing with fear as the motivator, will always give you choices which bring forth less than your best. Let love be your guiding light in all that you do, and you will never be disappointed as you will have given it your best.

Chapter 2 – Current Corporate Culture

Upon entering the doors of the new job, God would be barraged with information from all angles. Just as any new employee will attest, the first day is often the most difficult. We are introduced to people in rapid fire succession. We are handed papers to fill out and policies to read. We are given a walking tour of the business and are processed into the system with great haste. We are excited to be there, but find that we are exhausted at the end of the first day. We feel that we have run a marathon of employee intake.

Let’s assume that God is not as affected as we are, by the information overload. He is more prone to take it all in and examine more fully the process. He is more concerned with the fact that the new employees are stressed, than that they are absorbing all the information crammed at them.

In the current corporate culture, customer service and employee satisfaction have taken a back seat to amassing greatness. When once customers were number one and employees were invaluable assets, we find that now a company’s listed position on the FORTUNE 500 is the most important consideration. Our greed and power mongering have removed humanity from our organizations, and have reduced employees to mere machinery for the exploitation of the few.

When Enron lost sight of what was most important, they lost everything. The greed of the few costs both customers and employees much. When the entity is seen as greater than those who benefit from it, then the entity cannot stand. We see this over and over and over, yet fail to realize the lessons to be learned.

Just as Rosie and Martha are realizing that one person can ruin empires of their own creation, many others are also facing court time to explain the insensitivities of their actions. In the grand scheme, we don’t give a second thought to saying insensitive things, but in reality, one unkind gesture can cause the greatest empire to collapse in upon itself. The rise to the top is filled with dreams and an appreciation for those who get us there. When we are there, we seem to quickly forget who put us there. We turn our attention away from the we who helped us up, and focus on the I who will hopefully keep us there. This shortsighted and unrealistic view causes us to tumble faster than our eyes can blink.

Losing sight of the people who make things happen causes the destruction of the entity. One person who tells his/her story can spread internal destruction with unimaginable speed. How quickly we forget the idea of John who sparked the advertising campaign. Who now gives a second thought to Sue who dreamed up the product improvement? What real difference did Fred make when he brought up the concern about product quality? Did Jan really do anything or just play devil’s advocate? Soon, all that we can see is that the I did all the really important stuff, and the rest were just bit players. Obviously, without Oprah, her empire would not be. With the focus on Oprah, we fail to see the cast of hundreds or thousands that made her what she is. Granted, Oprah is a visionary, but she is not an island.

When an entity loses sight of the whole and sees only the I, then the whole is lost. Think of how few companies there are that have lasted over the years. Think of how companies once employed persons for their entire careers. Think of companies that sought the welfare of its employees, just as the companies sought their own survival. What happened to the good old days when an employee was a piece of the whole? When did we lose sight of the whole in favor of the one? The recent Tyco trial brought to light much of the excesses which drained the company of vast material assets.

A CEO can often get blinded by his/her own self-importance, and be driven purely by greed and selfishness. Our current worship of CEOs is great, but no one person makes a company. Have you ever seen PINNACLE do a show about the employees? We worship the one as if the one made the company. We envision CEOs as somehow the maker of the whole, when many of them simply stepped in to