Nobody's Perfect

I was at the College World Series with my family Saturday night watching UCLA and Florida play in the night game. I’ve been watching and assisting little league baseball for many years. We expect a lot out of the young kids, especially as they get older. But what struck me at the college game was that as sharp as they looked in warm ups, they made just as many, if not more, mistakes than the 13 year old boys I watch and help coach. It helped round out my perspective. The same applies to work and life. We are constantly trying to get better and improve. No one is perfect, but we hope to improve in our personal and professional lives. So, don’t get discouraged, just keep at it, and know that no one is perfect.

Goals

Little things make a huge difference. I was thinking about a team of working professionals who barely missed their goals recently. It wasn’t for lack of effort. But it reminded me of my son’s baseball team. They’ve lost some close games in the last inning, also, not for lack of effort. A few things did occur to me in the baseball setting that may apply to business, however. For instance, when a kid doesn’t slide into second base (thinking the catcher wouldn’t throw to second with a runner on third) and his momentum carries him past the bag a half step, he’s called out because the shortstop is still applying the tag on him. So what might have been a tying run on second with one out turns into two outs with tying run at the plate. It’s a double whammy. The guy on third is meaningless unless the guy now at the plate gets home. Any routine fly ball or infield play will end the game. Arguably it goes back to the runner not sliding into second. But that’s not the way to look at it. Of course, the failure to slide was important. But we all know there are a multitude of other plays throughout the game (bad pitches, errors, lack of hitting) which all contributed, but it’s the plays at the end clinging in our memory banks. I think the same thing happens in business. If we don’t hit goals, we tend to focus at what happened at the end of the measured term. Instead, we’d benefit from looking at the entire period ( and before in the planning phase) to understand what may have contributed to a different outcome. And never forget, goals are to be attained and the fruits enjoyed as a result of much effort. Sometimes the effort procures the desired result, sometime not, but in either case, each contributor can walk away knowing they tried their best.

Tranquility and Occupation

The quote “it is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation which give happiness” is attributed to Thomas Jefferson. It seems most people intellectually understand this statement, but most people have a hard time living it. For example, where can you find tranquility and occupation at the same time? The quote implies more solitary pursuits. In Jefferson’s day, it was a more agrarian culture. No cell phones (no phones period), no computers, no cars. But think about it in the context of today’s world. Are you always tranquil when working alone without the phone in your ear or the computer in your face? When I’m pulling weeds, trimming around hard to get places, and cutting down tough branches – solitary pursuits, I’m not necessarily tranquil. My point? Occupation can come in almost any form today – physical labor, mental tasks, and intellectual pursuits. I believe tranquility is driven more by a person’s personality type. What do people naturally predisposed to do? Some people I’ve found are actually more “tranquil” and occupied working phones and relationships all day. Some love less interaction. In either case, the key is understanding what works best for each individual and working towards balance. This is especially critical for managers developing team cultures.

Summer

It’s June 1st. This is what I consider the first of day of summer. With Memorial Day over, I have faith in warmer weather to come and a little slower pace. From a business perspective, however, our indicators show a stronger summer than 2008 and 2009. And though the staffing business is always a roller coaster, activity is stronger. This heightened activity is confirmed by other data relating to industry as well. As always, the real test will come down to who can deliver the best candidates. Have a great day.

Don't believe everything you read

Don’t believe everything you read. If you do, you subject yourself to a type of slavery. You have to use good judgment in deciding what words have value. It’s important to trust the source of the information which is normally accomplished through research and the passage of time. Writers are all over the internet attempting to sell products and services with good copywriting skills. I find some of these pitches to be tempting as well. But each of us should do our best to uncover the source and make a prudent decision about what we read.

Stay out of the way

Another quote I read recently from Peter Drucker was “So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult to work.” This one is funny because I think all employees of all levels can identify with it. When I worked for bosses in the past, I can remember thinking “if they’d just stay out of the way and let me do my job, it’d be done faster and better.” And then as a boss (co-worker is a more preferable word for me personally), I try not to get too involved so people can do their jobs and I try to dispense with advice only when asked or in obvious situations. Again, it’s a balancing act.

Individual and Team

I read a quote from Peter Drucker (the great management guru) which said “For it is the willingness of people to give of themselves over and above the demands of the job that distinguishes the great from the merely adequate organization. “ I think what’s noteworthy about the quote is it emphasizes both the individual and the team. One cannot exist without the other. While each person’s self interest (appropriately so) is to make money and provides for their needs, there’s a commonality of interest achieved through hitting team goals. People are general social, some more, some less, but each with some degree to be part of a larger whole. Most of the time this is within the context of employment, family, and the community at large. And while practicing a proper balance between all three, each person can reach a greater degree of fulfillment.

The Economy

People have gone beyond being worried about the economy it seems. There’s appears to be a general acceptance that we got hit by a horrendous economic storms. Now we’re left picking up the pieces. I’ve tried to discern at times and at varying levels what this means to me, our company, our city, the country, and beyond. The only clear response is change is constant and we must respond the best we can. No “perfect” response exists. Since we’re so interdependent in the business setting on so many variables, we simply do our best to fulfill our function and trust the good nature of others you depend on will do the same. And depending on whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, you may need to find that downtime to breathe and achieve some perspective in this regard. The go-go years of the 90s through the mid 2000s are over. But is that really a bad thing? Maybe we’re just returning to a more balanced existence.

Be Authentically Yourself!

The magazine racks at bookstores and grocery stores are loaded with stories of personal success and failure. We all want to be in the successful category and avoid failure. But we're neither. Each person is so unique that none of us can live up to others' successes, or failures. We simply must be ourselves and do our best to offer our God given talents. Each of has certain skills and personal traits which help us perform certain jobs well. But even in the context of job performance, so many external variables can influence your financial success, it’s futile to define yourself as a success or failure based on what happens in your job. Coach John Wooden (won 10 college basketball championships in 12 years) is reported to have never mentioned winning and losing to his players. He emphasized if you try your best every day (and there will be good and bad days), you’ll never be a loser.  Rather, your effort is what counts.  Have a great day!

IT Hiring Uptick-Qualified Candidates

The Wall Street Journal recently indicated IT hiring was up. While we’re seeing a bit of an uptick in our clients’ job openings supporting this assertion, we’re also mindful of our need to have the best candidate for each job. In the pre-internet/pre email days, we used to hand deliver resumes. For that added touch, we might just put a gold paperclip with our card at the top of the resume. When you performed your personalized service this way, you wanted to be darn sure your candidates were qualified for the position. With the internet it seems easier just to submit categories of candidates instead of truly specific ones. There can be no doubt this business is still based on quality relationships and well qualified candidates. The work is in the day-to-day details.

College Degree or Not?

Too often I’ve reviewed resumes where people list colleges they’ve attended, the dates, and the areas of study. But the degree isn’t listed. I don’t know if these candidates are trying to imply a degree was earned. But I’d say it is in the candidate's best interest to list hour taken so the reviewer can get an idea of where this candidate was in the college process. I think it works against the candidate to fail to identify that a degree was earned, but also fails to list the hours completed. It is more complete to list it all, and it separates this candidate from the others that don’t provide the information.


I’m certainly not suggesting a degree guarantees success. It’s just that many employers require it, or commensurate work experience. And for that reason, be as thorough as possible. And if you don’t have a degree, be very specific about the nature of your work experiences. Employers love to read examples of work product to they can visualize how it may translate into the job.

Spring & Jobs

Spring is upon us – in the Midwest at least. The meteorologist said it had been over six months since Kansas City last saw an 80 degree day. With these nice days comes a sense of what’s fresh and new outside. Too bad we couldn’t put our desks, computers and phones outside. Did anyone say we couldn’t?


Inside or out, we are nevertheless acutely aware of those still looking for work. There’s no shortage of hard luck stories on the news. In certain regions of the United States it does appear more employers are hiring now. I’ve read unemployment claims have gone down (hopefully not the result of states simply running out of funds). I know our own clients have picked up their hiring activity somewhat. Hiring ebbs and flows every few weeks, but there’ is cause for optimism.

Whether it is in matters small or large, do what you can to lend a helping hand to someone looking for job. It may be a referral, a job opening, or something as simple as an encouraging word. And get outside as much as possible.

Allow Surfing or Not?

How many of us have wasted countless hours perusing the internet with no obvious purpose. It’s a little like constantly changing the tv station with the remote. This apparent desire to be stimulated to avoid boredom is an epidemic. Sure we all need some down time and surfing the net provides some relief. But what about in the office? What should people do when surfing occurs at work? Should the employer adopt a no surf policy? Put up site blockers? Fire surfers?

I’m not a big believer in over regulating worker conduct and behavior. Having been an employment law attorney, I’m very familiar with the traditional advice to completely eliminate surfing as a matter of policy and block certain sites. I think this shows too little trust in employees. As long as they are managed to defined production results, I don’t believe anyone should worry too much about internet surfing. Workers are adults and should be able to self police their internet surfing. It’s just a fact some will do it more than others. One would presume the bigger offender would be the less productive but I’m not aware of any evidence validating such a hypothesis.

However, my opinion changes dramatically if someone is surfing porn or other inappropriate sites. Such inappropriate behavior is generally prohibited under broader employee conduct policies. Other employees may be offended, and frankly it involves an intent to surf the web for items other than news, weather, friends’ facebook updates, etc. I think the days are long gone of trying to control internet usage. This is particularly true in office work settings. I doubt it’s a problem for manual labor positions. But the one truth which applies regardless of the passage of time and invention of new technologies is that people must still be productive.

The right balance between appropriate, universal employee policies regarding employee conduct and employee freedom is a delicate one that’s lived out each and every day throughout the United States. Only responsible people agreeing to watch out for each other’s and the team’s best interest will succeed in achieving this balance.

You Should Work

Perhaps I was premature in my last article Work Should be Joyful. It assumed man must work. And indeed, man must work. Let’s look at this foundational teaching.


As one theologian wrote “Man must work both because the Creator has commanded it and . . .Man must work out of regard for others . . . since he himself is the heir to the work of generations and at the same time a sharer in building the future for those who will come after him in the succession of history.” (Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 73).

Work isn’t bad. Remember last week’s article. Work is good. Work should be enjoyed, perhaps with some attitude adjustment. Once “work” is framed this way, it’s possible to understand the command to work. For instance, I had a Benedictine monk tell me years ago during a personal reflection retreat it was okay for me to get away from my business (provided it functioned in my absence) and pursue other interests. He wasn’t advocating doing nothing. Rather, it was an invitation to follow my natural curiosity. This creative work, identifying additional competencies, paid or not, fulfills this mandate to work. And it’s fun.

The old view of “work is bad” or to be avoided germinated from a society rooted primarily in jobs that that “grind men down with excessive labour as to stupefy their minds and wear out their bodies,” a condition John Paul II admonished in 1991. (Centesimus). Today’s connected world won’t tolerate it. That’s a good thing. But the world also won’t tolerate the other extreme – self -absorbed employees with little work ethic. Such workers shirk more than the terms of their employment agreement, , they disregard God’s command. I think the majority of Americans risk living closer to the latter scenario.

The key is to harness your individuality within a larger organized effort. Everyone wants to produce. But not everyone wants to produce when it’s for other people, like owners and employers. They’d rather do it for themselves. Maybe they don’t like, or believe in, the people they report to or work with. Judging by recent news reports, 45-70% of Americans dislike their jobs. That’s over 100 million people! How can that many people be unhappy with their jobs? Is it the content of the job? Is it co-workers or bosses? Is it the perceived lack of direct benefit to society? Should we resort to an agrarian norm? Heck, I own two farms and dream of working by the sweat of my brow (my wife and kids laugh at this) Such a narrow view implies technological advancement is bad. Progress is a good, moral development in the right context. And our challenge is not to revert to a perceived Nirvana, but to understand how to apply ourselves into this developing world for the betterment of all.

Perhaps one of the best ways to combat aloofness is simply be through exemplifying virtuous work habits. Life is hard. So why not just show up to work on time, put on a smile, and slug it out. Too many workers through in the proverbial towel without quitting their jobs. They don’t “buy in.” They go through the motions. What’s missing is a sense you owe it to God if no one else to work hard and do your best.

Work = Joyful?

Should Work Be Joyful?

Work is work. We do it for money, nothing more, and a lot less. Right? Do you ever run into people who claim to love what they do? I do. My father claims to have loved his 45 years of being a counselor. Why is that? Could it be there's an incongruence between what people feel they must do and what they want to do? Could it be they're not listening to God's call to do something that matches their personality but makes less money? Whatever the reason, it's clear to me work should be more enjoyable than not. I submit you should enjoy work. If you don't, then there's something out of balance with you, your job, or both and you have an obligation to be introspective enough to find some answers and take action.  I'll try not to get too theological on you, but the basis for most people's work lives, and angst about purpose, comes from their spiritual lives.

You Are the Subject of Work.

I'll grant you it's just a fact of life we can't all make money doing what we'd like due to the dearth of options. In fact, full employment wouldn't mean full job satisfaction because job descriptions are grouped, not individualized. Consider sales jobs. They almost all require objective activity and production measurements. These million or so job descriptions aren't modified to suit subjective personality traits. But don't stop there. Hamburger flippers, car manufacturers assembly line workers, plant workers, log splitter, you name it - they all require work whose job descriptions fail to address a person's creative, emotional, spiritual, psychological, or other unique characteristics. Since this will never change, we must think about our "enjoyment" of work in a different paradigm. Each person must reconcile their individual characteristics with each generic job description. In other words, you must ply your trade according to the capacity of your personality. And this means, you, not the company profits (albeit important), are the subject of work. .

What does this mean you are the subject of work?

I think people of all faith disciplines can find guidance in two documents wrrient by the late John Paul II.  Laborem Exercens (Encyclical on Human Work), issued by John Paul II, September 14, 1981; and (2) Centesimus Annus (Centenary Encyclical on Capital and Labor), issued by Pope John Paul II, May 1, 1991. If time's a problem, I can quote and paraphrase relevant excerpts to illustrate the point.

John Paul II wrote "Work thus belongs to the vocation of every person; indeed, man expresses and fulfills himself by working." (Centesimus Annus, 6). "[W]work is a good thing for man..It is not only good in the sense that it is useful or something to enjoy, it is also good as being something worthy,.to man's dignity, that expresses this dignity and increases it. If one wishes to define more clearly the ethical meaning of work it is this that one must particularly keep in mind. Work is a good thing for man-a good thing for his humanity-because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed in a sense becomes "more a human being."" (Laborem Exercens, 40).

Given the premise work is to be enjoyed, and man is the subject of work, we're left with the question of how those jobs , the ones I'll call "must-take" jobs, should be viewed. The teaching is clear enough on this point. The illumination on work is on the individual doing the work, not the work itself. The harder part is to create a positive habit of reorienting the conscience to believe it. After all, God created the human being in His own image. He doesn't say that with respect to the soulless work itself. We need to recalibrate our thoughts to reflect this fundamental truth.

In practice, this means refusing an incessant analysis of how your job is either boring or has no direct causal relationship to what you can perceive as good. This desired "directness" seems to be the source of so much malaise people feel towards their work. This malaise is also the source for so much gossiping and backbiting. Remember, Matthew 20 regarding workers in the vineyard who started at different times of the day complaining about fairness of pay for those who started work later than they did. Stop all o the nonsense. Rather, simply meditate on how it's you doing whatever, anything at all, with the emphasis on you the actor, God's own, doing the work. The work will take care of itself. All work in some sense provides something for others, usually a living of some type. So you can always take comfort knowing (1) it's you God is interested in as the subject of work and (2) no one does great things, they only do small t things with great love - Mother Theresa.

What now?

I advocate doing whatever you can to make money doing what you like. I think everyone who's not completely content with their jobs spend countless hours dreaming, far less planning , about what they'd really like to do. There's a paradox in the midst of the current recession on this point. While I've listened to numerous stories of people giving consideration to work which better corresponds to their natural interests, many if not most are interested in finding any job which pays the bills. If you're one of the fortunate ones, God bless you, and keep it up. But if you're not lucky enough to be paid to do exactly what you want (almost all of us), must you automatically dislike the job you have to take? I think not. The "less than perfectly content" worker should be able to find something in her daily duties to not only reduce questions about the meaning or usefulness of his or her work, but to find joy in that work.

I think a plan always helps. I've put together a short seven step plan to help.

Seven Steps to Enjoyment

To enjoy "must-take" jobs, try following the next seven steps.

First, remember what we just discussed. You are the purpose of work. This singular reminder is the best weapon against the daily doldrums associated with less than ideal jobs. The next six steps are practical ways God may be calling you for a return on his investment into the natural talents He's given to you. For reasons you may never know, he may want you to work hard, stretch for what you want, and in the process touch people's lives. Remember Matthew 25 in the parable of talents where God rewards those who use their skills to God's advantage.

Second, write down your natural skills which correspond to your likes. For example, I know a lot of lawyers who are good at practicing law but hate it.   Many are more interested in teaching, owning a business,etc.  Doesn't mean they can make money at these other endeavors, but since they like it,  they're willing to put in extra effort to see where it goes. 

Third, think through ways to improve the skills you enjoy.

Fourth, practice those skills in whatever free time you can create for yourself. This probably means at night. If you have kids, you may have to wait until the kids go to bed. This is a real challenge.

Fifth, network with people who work in your area of interest.

Sixth, gradually find ways to provide your work to third parties for feedback. If you're a cook, try out your dishes on anyone who will taste them. Furniture makers can market their work on consignment, or ebay. Public speakers can practice on family members. You get the idea.

Seventh, never quit. Rejection is a given. You may have several interests, a natural curiosity which manifests itself in several different interests. Try them all. You will find you like some more than others. The key is to keep trying.

These seven simple steps will at least move you in a direction to understand what you're good at, what the market looks like for your specific skills, and whether you can make it happen. Even if this takes the rest of your life, you'll know God got a return on his investment. You worked hard, you left no stone unturned, and you did your best. All the while, if you're working in a job you don't really enjoy, you'll at least have the daily opportunity to offer it up to God in gratitude because you, not the job, are the subject of work.

THREE MORAL TRUTHS ABOUT WORK

PUBLISHED BY CATHOLIC BUSINESS JOURNAL ON FEBRUARY 9, 2009


Leadership at Work: Three Moral Truths

by Andrew Marquardt

Tucked away in my Kansas City office, I banged away a letter to the Wall Street Journal (Jan 29, 2009) questioning Merrill Lynch’s media-driven defense of executive bonuses in the face of 28 billion in losses. That exercise stemmed from an ongoing reflection, as a Catholic CEO and lawyer, about the principles that drive Catholic business leaders.

Years of experience as an employment law attorney and business owner have shown me peoples’ desire to be liked is so profound and so far-reaching it has created a society of passé, all-inclusive corporate cultures, which are partially grounded on leaders’ lack of conviction in, or confusion about, core philosophical, workplace principles.

Arguably, the fear of offending anyone has lead to the creation of a secular landscape, one that has been pulsating to varying degrees for several hundred years - as G.K. Chesterton said: “Since the modern world began in the sixteenth century, nobody’s system of philosophy has really corresponded to everybody’s sense of reality; to what, if left to themselves, common men would call common sense.”

Whether in times of peace or in times of workplace conflict, leaders must be able to depend on credible, common sense principles to back their decisions. And wouldn’t it be helpful if all leaders were able to call on a conscience formed by a universally accepted set of norms?

The Bible, including the Ten Commandments and numerous parables, is generally considered a solid backbone. But the cross-cultural appeal to the Bible many times leaves good-intentioned leaders of all faiths disputing what should be interpreted literally and figuratively. For Catholics, The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) is also useful, yet its brevity on workplace philosophy leaves us yearning for more.

Thankfully, we have more. In my opinion, leaders of all faiths would be well advised to study one of the best repositories of universally appealing moral and philosophical thought relevant to today’s working world. It consists of two Catholic encyclicals which add context and perspective to the primacy of the Bible: (1) Laborem ExercensEncyclical on Human Work) (, issued by John Paul II, September 14, 1981; and (2) Centesimus Annus (Centenary Encyclical on Capital and Labor), issued by Pope John Paul II, May 1, 1991. In synthesizing these encyclicals, one finds, among other essential social doctrines (economic systems, distribution of capital, and the role of the state) an adherence to three basic truths about the dignity of work: (1) work is good; (2) man must work; and (3) man is the subject of work.

I submit that an emphasis on, and the development of, these three principles will cause a positive perception of work to germinate, create awareness about the importance of each person’s contribution, and redirect the spotlight from profit to the individual worker. The underlying causes of the current economic climate serve as evidence that this philosophical recalibration is timely and necessary to aid leaders in efforts to build up workplace culture and each employee’s human dignity.

I’ll touch on each of the three tenets briefly, but strongly encourage every leader to read for themselves these encyclicals, in their entirety and several times, to gain a full appreciation of their enormous breadth and moral instruction.

Work is Good

“[M]an’s life is built up every day from work, from work it derives its specific dignity. . . the church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those workers, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated and to help to guide. . . so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.” (Laborem Exercens., 2,5).

It sure doesn’t seem like people build up their lives at work these days. How many times over the years have you heard, “I’m sick today,” “I’ll be in late,” “Not coming in,“ “I hate my job” ? We’re all guilty on some level I’m sure.

But if you live long enough, and manage people long enough, you’ll begin to suspect that an uninterrupted flood of these types of comments reflect a pattern disguising a deeper problem. And that problem may be the person’s expectations, set in motion by a set of circumstances well beyond the leader’s control. You know the person, the one that tends to view work as something to be avoided, changed, or at least limited as much as possible, especially when it fails to perpetually stimulate. And while finding fulfilling work is a legitimate end, short of earthly nirvana, chronic excuse making signifies something more symptomatic of a psychological view in contradiction with a common sense Christian ethos. That is, work, though not a continuous stream of excitement, is nevertheless a “good” to be enriched.

Think on Pope John Paul II’s words: “[W]ork is a good thing for man….It is not only good in the sense that it is useful or something to enjoy, it is also good as being something worthy,…to man’s dignity, that expresses this dignity and increases it. If one wishes to define more clearly the ethical meaning of work it is this that one must particularly keep in mind. Work is a good thing for man—a good thing for his humanity–because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed in a sense becomes “more a human being.”” (Laborem Exercens, 40).

Inspiration and enthusiasm are essential to employees. But the type I observe is a fleeting desire concealing a larger problem, namely, the search for meaning. As we all know, a catch-phrase such as “the search for meaning” typically falls short, in the long run, of fully conveying the larger problem. No person is designed to be a permanent, human stimulus rod. It’s foolish to expect it and too many decisions are based on an unrealistic search for it. What is needed is a mature understanding of what can help employees stay engaged over a long period.

The satisfaction that money provides only runs so deep. It’s the spiritual element, the spiritual connection, that needs to be tapped. Not the shallow, briefly enthusiastic, loud, exclusively evangelical route either—although it serves its purpose at times. We humans require something more sustainable, deep and abiding. We can begin with the orientation that “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love,” as Mother Theresa explained.

Doing small things with great love

This seasoned approach helps shift the immature person’s unreasonable expectation of what work represents. Small actions, such as mentoring an employee by taking him to lunch to discuss what’s reasonable can help. Talk about his job in the context of what it represents, not only what it represents to him, but where his job fits in with the organization and its broader usefulness to the world. It is the keen desire of each of us for a link between our work and helping other people that needs to be identified and fostered.

Done right, this approach can be modeled as a pre-emptive measure to thwart petty conversations and distracting comments such as: “He’s getting paid more than I am, and I do more,” “She’s not doing her fair share,” and “The boss doesn’t care.”

While an acute awareness of fairness can mimic the virtue of justice, too often it becomes a vice when the lips start smacking and the pot starts stirring, so to speak. See Matt. 20, regarding workers in the vineyard who started at different times of the day complaining about fairness of pay for those who started work later than they did; see also Matt. 25 and the parable of the talents that describes one servant who did a lot with what he was given and was therefore awarded more responsibility, compared to the less industrious servants. When a search for meaning is at the root of employees’ angst, provide specific examples of how the goods or services they provide benefits others.

“Work thus belongs to the vocation of every person; indeed, man expresses and fulfills himself by working.” (Centesimus Annus, 6). Recognizing and developing employees’ critical contributions is a great start to promoting a culture of “work is good.”

Man Must Work

From the premise “work is good” follows the basic truth that man must work.

“Man must work both because the Creator has commanded it and because of his own humanity, which requires work in order to be maintained and developed. Man must work out of regard for others, especially his own family, but also for the society to which he belongs, to the country of which he is a child, and for the whole human family of which he is a member, since he himself is the heir to the work of generations and at the same time a sharer in building the future for those who will come after him in the succession of history. This constitutes the moral obligation of work understood in its wide sense. (Laborem Exercens, 73).

Two points are here: (1) God commands us to work; and (2) following that command, we are obliged to continue the development of the world carried out by prior generations.

While “It is neither just nor human so to grind men down with excessive labour as to stupefy their minds and wear out their bodies” (Centesimus annus,7), equally troubling is the great danger today on the other end of the spectrum; namely, fighting laziness and inertia. Both extremes are always with us. The reality is we operate most of the time to varying degrees between the two extremes. Decision-making about performance is tough in that middle space.

For example, where a natural guilt might propel a person with a properly formed conscience to work harder, leaders are also confronted every day with the self-absorbed employee, who, through a gratuitous assessment of his superior efficiency and productivity, completely misses the point when he fails to put in his time. Such workers shirk more than their agreement to work for their employer, they also disregard God’s command.

I believe the best way to combat such aloofness is through exemplifying virtuous work habits. If this doesn’t change the behavior after appropriate personal conversation (work is good and your contribution is important) and discipline (you’re not doing the basics we agreed to), then there is arguably a moral and fiduciary obligation to terminate that person’s employment because the distraction represents a cancer to the nucleus of an otherwise healthy organization (more on this later).

Also justifying God’s command to work is our debt to prior generations. [None of us stand alone in history. Instead, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.] Farmers seem to recognize this ideal best since they often refer to their obligations to their ancestors who owned and farmed the land before them. These farmers don’t flinch from the challenge. They’d just as soon die in some cases than give up farming the land of their ancestors.

This attitude of appreciation is missing in the office culture. At best, people may commit to their “team,” but almost never talk about the generations that built up the world before them. Such omissions dilute the perspective that we’re part of a larger community of people.

In whatever way appropriate, a reference to prior generations, to humanity as a whole, should be acknowledged in our work environment. For example, car assembly line workers may be encouraged to think about retired and deceased workers who worked on earlier iterations of cars that made it easier for families to see each other over the decades. Today’s auto workers are building on that tradition by bringing energy-efficient vehicles to the marketplace.

In another example, a financial advisor can be instructive during these trying economic times. The advisor owes his industry knowledge to prior advisors’ work in creating and distilling an investment environment suitable for today’s clients. Lawyers too, another service business, owe their current positions to the building blocks put in place by generations of attorneys before them. You get the point. We are similar to a cog in the ongoing generations of humans. Our goal is to live by objective, universal truths to help us better our phase in human history.

If employees can visualize their work within an historical context, perhaps the intense focus on the “now,” “me,” and “money” will dissipate enough to lessen their agitation about work, and in turn, lead to a more productive, appreciative, and happy workplace culture.

Man is the Primary Subject of Work

Critically important in our culture is understanding that each individual is the subject of the work. The following excerpt, while long, could not be excised any further in order to convey the proper attitude:

“As a person, a man is therefore the subject of work…. And so this dominion spoken of in the biblical text being meditated upon here refers not only to the objective dimension of work, but at the same time introduces us to an understanding of its subjective dimension. Understood as a process whereby man and the human race subdue the earth, work corresponds to this basic biblical concept only throughout the process man manifests himself and confirms himself as the one who dominates…

“[Christ] devoted most of the years of his life on earth to manual work at the carpenter’s bench. This circumstance constitutes in itself the most eloquent gospel of work, showing that the basis for determining the value of human work is not primarily the kind of work being done, but the fact [that] the one who is doing it is a person. The sources of the dignity of work are to be sought primarily in the subjective dimension, not in the objective one.. . . This does not mean that from the objective point of view human work cannot and must not be rated and qualified in any way. It only means that the primary basis for the value of work is man himself, who is its subject. . . . [W]ork is for man, and not man for work.” (Laborem Exercens, 27).

These pronouncements are an unmistakable call to all leaders to treat employees with dignity and respect. For they are the subject of the work, and should never be held as commodities of production.

Dignity tends to surface in the context of differing views about appropriate treatment of employees who are charged with the duty to get something done—whether it’s generating sales, producing financials, or moving inventory. To be sure, the encyclical makes it clear that performance measurement is appropriate. The expression of one’s competence is found in the evaluation. And that competence, or lack thereof, will dictate the employee’s future. This hastens the advancement of the individual, as well as the organization.

My sales organization is a good case in point. We sell IT staffing services. Our success depends on our salesperson’s ability to acquire job requisitions from companies that are inundated with calls from my competitors. After that, it depends on my recruiters’ competence in finding suitable candidates for the job. Our industry spends billions a year on IT staffing.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of small firms like mine have men and women on the streets clawing and scratching for business. Do I get upset when the numbers are down? You bet. But I don’t fly off the handle (at least not anymore I don’t think) without first trying to understand why we’re off our numbers.

First, I ask, is the industry stable? Yes, because in our case, contracting is one of the oldest games around and people have historically spent money on technology. Then I examine each contributor’s daily activity. Barring other legitimate reasons such as health, have they had sufficient training, counseling, and mentoring, but still can’t get the job done? In such a case, it may be time for a change.

The key to dignified treatment of employees is not found in simply going through the motions. Rather, it’s found in the “way” the mentoring, disciplining or terminating occurs. An initial open and honest talk about your concerns is the launch pad. From there, depending on your business and size, a variety of options are at your disposal, ranging from performance improvement to termination. Critical is the leader’s demeanor and attitude. The proper use of the leaders “soft” skills typically determines whether an employee has been treated with dignity and respect. If the leader is somewhat lacking in this area, all is not lost. Where feasible, the leaders’ skills can improve through training.

More prevalent at the moment is severe job loss due to decreased societal demand for services and goods. In this current mode of uncertainty, the tendency to value production employees as commodities is even more acute. Think of manufacturing workers, securitization lawyers (lawyers who bundle mortgages to then sell as securities on Wall Street), hedge fund managers, bankers, restaurant owners, and dozens of other professions. Still, even if economic conditions dictate layoffs, the human person is still at the heart of the decision and their termination must be handled with regard to keeping his dignity in tact.

Pope John Paul II said it well: “Even by their secular activity they must assist one another to live holier lives. In this way the world will be permeated by the spirit of Christ and more effectively achieve its purpose of justice, charity and peace. Therefore, by their competence in secular fields and by their personal activity, elevated from within by the grace of Christ, let them work vigorously so that by human labor, technical skill and civil culture, created goods may be perfected according to the design of the Creator and the light of his word.” (Laborem Exercens, 117). “”[H]umane” working hours and adequate free-time need to be guaranteed, as well as the right to express one’s own personality at the workplace without suffering any affront to one’s conscience or personal dignity.” (Centesimus annus, 15).

It’s the leaders’ responsibility, a daunting task to be sure, to evaluate and understand the macro economic forces at play in the marketplace and then develop a workforce to meet the demand. Paramount to achieving this end is the development of the individual employee in a dignified manner, which when done right, constitutes a deliberate, moral effort to get everyone suitably employed in the current market.

Conclusion

Implementing the three principles regarding work—1. work is good, 2. man must work and 3. man is the subject of work—requires the integration of mental, emotional and physical action.

A statement by the recently deceased Father Richard Neuhaus, a Lutheran minister who converted to Catholicism and publisher of First Things, put the issue in perspective: “Politics is chiefly a function of culture, at the heart of culture is morality, and at the heart of morality is religion.”

This is consistent with John Paul II assertion, “At the heart of every culture lies the attitude man takes to the greatest mystery: the mystery of God. Different cultures are basically different ways of facing the question of meaning of personal existence. When this question is eliminated, the culture and moral life of a nation is corrupted. For this reason, the struggle to defend work was spontaneously linked to the struggle for culture and for national rights.” (Centesimus annus, 24).

In workplace environments all across the country, a legion of secularism, for lack of a better word, has been bred through personal behaviors, legislation, policy, and court decisions. This development has unfortunately left many well-intentioned leaders confused about the importance of drawing on spiritual and natural norms that predate much of this legislation, policy-making and rules of law. While much of the workplace, legal framework built up over the last century is foundationally good (ie, anti-discrimination laws), there still exists a malaise, partially moral, in today’s work environment. The causes are disputed, and personal, yet seem to center around people’s conception of work, its purpose, and its object.

As a plaintiff’s employment lawyer (now turned business owner), I’m reminded of a seminar I did for a group of managers at a large Kansas City company years ago. I used war stories to illustrate specific points, and then, as was my practice, summed up my remarks by saying simply, “Treat others the way you’d want to be treated and I wouldn’t get 99% of the phone calls I get from disgruntled employees.” Treat people well. “[B]eyond the rights which man acquires by his own work, there exist rights which do not correspond to any work he performs, but which flow from his essential dignity as a person.” (Centesimus annus, 11).

Lest we slide into self-righteousness, let’s never forget that all of us are “works in progress,” struggling with virtuous decision-making. How many of us wouldn’t revise prior conversations? And while the media fills its columns with stories about selfish leaders, who short of a Damascus conversion are totally disconnected from reality, the majority of leaders, I submit, recognize their status as “co-workers” and are capable of making better decisions, exhibiting healthier behaviors, and improving the workplace when confidently standing on the theological footing that “work is good,” “man must work,” and “man is the subject of work.” And while universal agreement on absolute truths may be a constant challenge, it’s the engagement of everyone in the work environment where we come to understand each other and grow. It’s here that the Holy Spirit is actively present.

Resolve Conflict. Different Ways.

If you're human, you inevitably encounter conflict in your lives. At work, it can involve relationships with co-workers, clients, vendors, and candidates. One typically expects the people will work through the differences to an amicable solution.

There are times however where people simply reach an impasse where one party is being very unreasonable. In these cases, I've always advocated the people involved should invite a third party mediator to help clear up the problem resorting to legal action. This mediation, or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as it's sometimes called, gets the parties together to present their argument to a neutral third party. The parties separate into different rooms and each have an opportunity to visit with the mediator about their version of the facts. The mediator normally points out the flaws associated with the legal claims, and the cost and uncertainty of going all the way to trial.

Having litigated employment disputes for years as an employment lawyers, can tell you first hand the parties usually walking away from mediation with a sense they "lost." That's considered a good result, actually. If both parties feel they lost something, it means they both had to give up something to resolve the conflict. If one party senses they are a real winner, and the other a loser, then it's probably not a result that will stand. It sounds counterintuitive, but I've seen it happen so many times, I understand the experience. The point - once the emotions are taken out, everyone has to give a little. This allows everyone to move on to bigger and better things. If you don't know anything about mediation, or ADR, and want to learn more, or learn more about my personal experiences in this area, feel free to give me a call.

Know Yourself - Job Seekers

Know yourself.   Examining your personality, and all that involves, would go along way to avoiding disappointment candidates experience through rejection from prospective employers.  I understand most of us can't just do whatever we want and hope to make enough money to support ourselves, let alone our families.  Think starving artists.   But that's not to say you shouldn't engage in some serious introspection as to what makes you tick.   For example, are you more of an introvert (ie, you recharge from alone time), or extravert (ie, get charged from social involvement)?  We all are some of both, but where does your personality predominately fit?  And what types of jobs generally fit your personality?  Outplacement services can help, but most people don't have the money.  They need to elucidate what they can on their own through self-analysis and talking with friend, family, and peers.   No doubt this process is ongoing and evolves over time, but just forcing yourself to do the exercise (write on white board identifying where your strengths and personality intersect with available jobs) will perhaps help avoid expending huge amounts of time chasing jobs that may be more trouble than what they are worth - meaning your sanity.   

What if Your Client Cuts Your Consultants' Hours?

Have any of you had a client mandate a reduction of hours for your consultants?  This is typical for clients struggling with the economy.  They're opting to retain good consultants in lieu of terminating their engagements.   There's a knee jerk temptation to cut the consultants' pay since your firm's margins just suffered a hit.   Cutting the consultants' pay only exacerbates the problem, however   For example, if you're required to reduce their hours by 20%, say 40 hours to 32 a week, the consultants make 20% less money.   If you try to pass along an additional reduction on the pay rate in an effort to preserve some margin, the consultants end up losing well more than 20%.   Obviously, you need to make a prudent business decision, but since the consultants may already be looking for new gigs due to the 20% reduction in hours, it seems you almost ensure their eventual departure if you inflict an additional reduction in the pay rate.   This isn't to say you should take a loss on the engagement (although at times that too may be advisable to preserve the relationship), but it's probably more important for everyone to share as equitably as possible the pain of a poor economic climate. 

Contract Payment Terms with subcontract 1099 firms?

Does your staffing firm enter into independent contractor agreements with subcontracting firms?  Do these firms typically ask for net 30 payment terms (or less)?  In a commerical setting (ie, subcontractor supplies you a contractor that you put on a commerical client site), these terms are pretty customary.   But if you supply talent to prime contractors on government contract this "net 30" language can be problematic.  Specifically, your staffing contract with the prime may say "you don't get paid until we [prime contractor] get paid by the government end client."   In that case, you naturally don't want to pay your subcontracting firm until you get paid by the prime contractor.   This way everyone shares the risk in the government's lag.  

There are instances, however, where we agree to "net terms" in the subcontract - even in the face of our own contract with the prime that doesn't pay us until the prime is paid by the government client - when our client's track record has consistently demonstrated payment on a net 30 basis.  Of course, even then, we propose "net 45" to allow us time to receive payment.   It's never a smooth process, and each deal stands on its own, but I'd at least start with the position of paying the subcontractor within 10 days of payment by your client.  Most of these subcontract firms are aware of the limitations associated with the government contracts, and oblige.  At time they don't and you'll have to judge the risk on an individual basis.   If the 1099 is a one person shop, we usually just pay every two weeks and take the risk.   Good luck. 

New Year's Resolution - Be More Efficient and Productive

Happy New Year!   A business publication noted this morning privately held companies of less than 500 employees employ half of the American workforce.  It said their clients were paying slower, and there may be more belt-tightening.  With that in mind, employees and business owners alike need to adopt an even more acute laser focus in 2010 to maintain client retention and satisfaction.   Everyone on the team has a vested interested in the company's continued success.   I remember quite well the tech bust in 2001, the real estate problems in the 80s, and the inflation issues of the 70s.  In each instant, small business represented the backbone of society, and the recovery rode on their shoulders.   But it won't be easy.  The excesses of the 2000s have left many disillusioned and unprepared.   I submit a simple recalibration and committed focus on your core business competencies, coupled with an eye on expenses (I wouldn't cut back on client entertainment), will lead to leaner, more productive business activity in 2010.  This will lead the recovery.   When small companies are more flush with cash, they'll start hiring again, and taking on more risk.   Have a great 2010!