Balancing People, Values and Productivity
In the last few years several books in the business world have
addressed why some companies are more enduring than others. What distinguishes
the great from the merely good? What contributes to sustaining success in
today's rapidly changing economic environment? Built to Last, Good to Great,
Hidden Value, The Knowing-Doing Gap, and Peak Performance are just a
few of the books that attempt to address these issues. Their conclusions could
well have been taken from the Word of God.
Research is proving that really great companies, even in bad times, place people
(Luke 6:31) and values (Joshua 1:7-9) first. An obsession with stock prices can
obscure vision and cause companies to lose their way. (1 Timothy 6:10/Proverbs
23:4) The link between people and the bottom line is becoming more apparent to
business leaders. This is true in the ministry as well. Organizations that focus
on serving and developing their people are the ones that grow. Organizations
that succeed over time are those that have a strong values-driven (biblical)
culture. They are people-centered organizations who balance values (Psalm
119:127) and mission (1 Samuel 17:29). In like manner, Christian ministries must
remember that we build ministries to build people. The people are the goal - not
buildings and budgets.
A focus on treating people with warmth, dignity and respect pays off in how well
your people treat each other and how well your ministry treats those you are
trying to reach. Good morale and a spirit filled environment are built one
person at a time and it starts from the top of the organization and works its
way down. The leaders at the top of an organization cannot have daily contact
with all the people they serve or intend to reach, but they can have contact
with those around them and cause them to share the same concern with those
around them.
Three Common Themes
There are three common themes that underlie what successful ministries do to
develop and tap the potential of their people:
- Have a clear, well-articulated set of biblical principles
that are the foundation for management practices and all that your ministry
does.
- Align people centered practices to these well-defined biblical principles.
Make all that you do an expression of these core values. Actions should express
care for the servant as well as the recipient of the service.
- Make expressing these core values the main job of every leader. They should
ensure that these values are maintained and constantly made real to all people
who serve in your ministry.
The most visible characteristics of successful churches and
ministries are their values and the fact that the values come; first even before
production. It is more important to do what is right than to do what is
expedient. (Psalm 15:4) Why are biblical values so important? - because
success by itself isn't sufficient for motivating long-term high performance.
Most of us need to believe that what we are doing makes a difference to others
and that our work is important. We also need to feel that we are valued by our
church family and that we are contributing to our ministry.
As we continue into this new century with new uncertainties, leaders will need
to draw on the full creative energy and talent of their people. Explain to them
why they should give full measure? Confronted with an increasingly mobile
society, cynicism, a self-centered secular culture, and an increasing hostility
toward Christians, people need more than ever to have a clear understanding of
the ministry's corporate values in order to make work meaningful and thereby
attract, motivate and retain outstanding people. Your guiding biblical
principles must be specific and understandable. You cannot simply say we do what
the Bible says. Tie specific principles to specific actions and never vary. Let
these values control all you do without exception.
This balance between people and values will create sustainable results. When
people see that leadership is genuinely concerned for their spiritual
development and general welfare (2 Corinthians 12:14), and they can see how
everything you do is connected to biblical principles that will help them
accomplish what God has called them to do, they will step forward with a renewed
vigor and commitment. When they see how much more they can accomplish as part of
your team than they can by themselves, they will gladly sacrifice more of their
discretionary effort for the cause.
15 Questions to Ask to Create a People-Centered Organization
When core values are clearly defined and articulated, they become living values
that get communicated and reinforced continually. In the absence of repetitive
reminders of these values other implicit and negative values can take over, such
as individual ambition at the expense of team work. The only insurance against
such undermining is to reinforce values in both language and actions.
Although he is not a Christian leader, John Miller author of QBQ! The
Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability in Business and
in Life, (www.qbq.com), suggests asking some great questions in order to
stay connected with core values:
- How can I reinforce and communicate our core biblical values
on a daily basis?
- How can I create and communicate a clear vision for the part of the ministry
that I manage?
- What can I do to help others understand how our values drive our strategies?
- How can I provide the people with whom I work with clear performance
objectives that support our values?
- How can I create an atmosphere in which people feel included and valued?
- What can I do to ensure that everyone is heard?
- How can I help my people succeed?
- How can I show people they're important to our success?
- What can I do to maximize the talents of those who work with me?
- How can I help people learn from their mistakes?
- What can I do to ensure that people have the knowledge, skills and tools
they need to be successful?
- How can I build better relationships with others?
- How can I increase the value of what I give my people?
- How can I build better relationships with other leaders?
- What can I do to build strong relationships with the local community?
Jeff Wade, DBS
BibleLeader.com
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