What’s Important Around Here?

 What’s Important Around Here?  bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  1 Response »
Sep 112013
 

Do you recognize the Shema? No, it is not a golden-garbed wise one from the mountains of Nepal. No, it is not the skin some people use to wipe down cars after washing. That’s a chamois.

The Shema is the most important prayer in the Jewish faith. It is used daily as an expression of faith and devotion. It is probably one of the first learned by Jewish children. It speaks of priority, what’s most important. It goes like this-

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heartand with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9. NIV

Jesus quoted the Shema in answer to a trick question from religious leaders of the day. A question about values.

One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”

 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” Matthew 22:35-40 The Message

I have a book entitled Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction. It states that a key leadership function is deciding “What’s important around here” and communicating that. Deciding what’s important around here is a critical function for our CEO. She can’t delegate it. However, as a leader here, I am bound to join her in communicating “what’s important around here”. There is no way I can avoid making that decision for my department and for my circles of influence.

Fact: Values are always being demonstrated. Whether we are conscious of that fact or not, they are being taught. Shared by every word and action. What are my top one or two values? Integrity? Profit? Reflecting God’s love? Excellent Service? Quality? Uniting against a common enemy? Have I made a conscious choice? If I asked my staff what my values were, would they name different ones based on my actions?

Whether at work, school, or home, I have a responsibility to lead based on my values. Let them be pleasing to my Father in heaven.

Just Touching the Hem

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Aug 312013
 

Matthew 14 contains larger than life, dramatic stories of Jesus’ ministry. The miraculous feeding of more than 5000 people, starting with just a sack lunch. Wave walking across the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a storm and inviting Peter to join him. Pretty big stuff, right?

Tucked into the last several verses of the chapter, almost as an afterthought, is an additional ministry experience that most of us would probably skim right over and ignore.

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Matthew 14:32-26 NIV.

As dramatic as the whole wave walking thing was, it only affected 12 men. When Jesus got out of the boat, the entire region turned out, bringing all their sick with them. How many were healed? Dozens? Hundreds? By what power? The power of just a touch. Just a brief connection with Jesus.

How do I affect those around me. The ones with whom I come in contact every day. In my department or walking the halls of the hospital. What healing do I bring? Is a momentary contact with me one that uplifts those around me or pulls them down?

Touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak- this is something beyond the reach of our coworkers, our friends, our family.  Jesus, the One who brings worlds into existence with a word, chooses to use our hands, our mouths, yours…. and mine, to touch those around us with healing, with encouragement, with forgiveness, with grace. Will you choose to act and to speak for Him? I pray that I will be a faithful, though imperfect, mimic, using His own power to imitate Him one day at a time.

For Such a Time as This

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Aug 062013
 

Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat starred in a movie entitled Anna and the King. In it, a young Englishwoman contracts with the King of Siam (now Thailand) to teach English to his many children and wives. She finds herself immersed in a culture and religion very different from her own. Struggling to find a balance between accepting and challenging practices she finds immoral, she speaks out for those she feels are being mistreated.

Thousands of years earlier, another young lady was also surrounded by a culture and religion completely different from her own. This is the biblical story of Esther who became queen after being drafted into the king’s harem. Palace intrigue resulted in her people being set up for legally sanctioned genocide. The fact that she had kept her Jewish heritage a secret added to the drama. She felt powerless and frightened.

Her cousin, her guardian since she was a young girl, sent her a message of challenge including these words:

And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? Esther 3:14 NIV.

Facing certain death if her uninvited visit to the king was not accepted, she, her retinue, her family, and the entire Jewish community fasted and prayed for three days. She entered the king’s throne room and was enthusiastically received by the king! After inviting the king to several banquets in his honor, she finally begged the king for the lives of her people.

Both of these stories caused change, resulting in improved human and civil rights. Both featured a person with very limited, very carefully delineated authority. Both chose to act and to speak in the face of great personal risk.

Each one of us face challenges, situations where people around us are hurting and need help. This is certainly true in healthcare as hospitals across the country reel from the impact of drastic cuts in reimbursement. In my own hospital, our struggle to manage expenses has resulted in the loss of work family members.

I speak especially to coworkers and to fellow leaders today. There are two take away elements to these stories that could apply to you and to me. First, are you willing to speak, to act, to lead in a way that protects and cares for those lost work family members? Second, when you wish you were working and leading in a calm and unruffled place, remember that you may very well be called to a challenging experience “for such a time as this”.

If You’ve Seen Me

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jul 282013
 

Many years ago, a CEO gathered his leadership team for a strategic meeting. They sat around a large table, sharing a meal. He knew his company was facing a crisis, a truly whitewater crisis. He began by starting conversations to measure the commitment of his leaders; commitment to the organization, commitment to him. He could feel the tension mount. He could see the fear written on many faces. He began to speak, speaking strong words of encouragement, reminding them of what they had learned together, charting a strong course, painting a picture showing a bright future.

And this is what he said:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” -John 14, NIV.

Jesus was talking to His core leadership team. He was casting a vision for the future through troubled and dangerous waters. He reminded them of what made His kingdom different, what key principles would make them successful. 

We are a leadership team not unlike Jesus’ Twelve. We face a whitewater challenge. We face an uncertain future. But what makes our organization different? What can make us successful in a different way from others around us? I believe it is our mission.

If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the mission.

Is this statement true for me?

Do I lead in a way that clearly reflects the mission of my organization? Do I challenge those around me to do the same?

Related posts about my leadership vibe and about leading based on my values.

1.0

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jul 202013
 
1.0  ….. FTE
For those of you out there with me in the business world, FTE is the acronym for Full Time Equivalent.
What does that mean to you?
  • A few thousand dollars on the wrong side of a troubled financial statement?
  • Something in the way of meeting an arbitrary standard?
  • An impediment to perceived success?
 In one way or another, many of us find ourselves struggling yet again with red ink, decreasing volumes, and high expenses. I know I am. This is especially true in the healthcare industry. Am I alone in this struggle?  ??? I don’t think so. 
 
The loss of 1.0 is a leadership failure.
A failure in prediction, a failure in growth, a failure in hiring and discipline.
Maybe it is not entirely YOUR failure.
Maybe it is largely the fault of the 1.0.
Maybe it’s the product of misguided government leaders, pinching an industry between the demand for more and better services and the continual reduction of funding necessary to do just that.
But it is still a failure. 
 
Some of us have already made hard decisions this year that have affected 1.0.
Some of us have more to come. 
 
1.0 has two hands, two feet, a head and a heart. 
He is a sick wife caregiver, 
She is a single parent with four little ones.
He is a seasoned professional, devoting decades to serving the hurting around him.
She is a fresh faced, idealistic young graduate, eager to make a difference.
 
Jesus was on a mission for 1.0
 
“And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner…”  Matthew 15, NIV
 
“But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Matthew 15, NIV.
 
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Matthew 19, NIV
 
His words, not mine.
Whether the Lost Sheep, the Lost Son, or Zacchaeus, Jesus lived… and died to save 1.0.
Can I do no less? I challenge myself, and you, to care for 1.0, whether current employee or not, deserving or not.
 
“For God so loved 1.0 that he gave his one and only Son. John 3:16 modified.
 

The Power of Five

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Apr 062013
 

The man was bewildered. As a member of an elite branch of his country’s defense forces, his frequent away from home time gave him time to think. Married to his childhood sweetheart, he had been overjoyed when she became large with child just a year after their marriage.  Coming from generations of men known for their fighting skills, he had hoped for a son, someone to train and groom to join the family legacy of bearing arms.

While certainly joyous at the birth of his firstborn, his bewilderment grew as not only his first, but all successive children were beautiful little girls! His family grew until he was outnumbered six to one in the household! His lovely wife and five screaming, giggling, chirping, cooing, cuddling little girls! What to do? How could he relate to them? Who would carry on the family name, the family reputation and tradition?

The unorthodox view from his back yard the next spring was evidence to the fact that he had figured some things out. His wife shook her head as she watched their ten year old stick fighting vigorously with her dad back and forth across the grass. As the girls grew, numerous hiking and camping trips returned the girls, now ranging from toddler to preteen, sunburned, sporting a few scratches and bruises, and smiling from ear to ear!

The girls, trim, toned, and tanned, turned into beautiful, confident young ladies. Taught not only fighting skills, but smatterings of business and law at their father’s feet, they grew wise and independent, scaring off the more easily intimidated of their would be suitors. They took over more and more of the household duties as their mother, suffering from consumption, became weaker. When she finally drifted into sleep for the final time, the daughters clung to their father, wondering what would become of them.

When he left on his next mission,  the girls were greifstricken, fearful of being alone. Speaking words of encouragement, reminding them of  their training, he gently tore himself from their grasp. With each succeeding mission, the girls gained confidence and realized that they could indeed run the household together, managing the large garden, handling the livestock, even negotiating for fieldwork with local hired help.

One sun-filled day became dark as they watched a military courier bring his galloping horse to a stop in front of the house.  They knew. The occasional words filtered through their sorrow,”regrets to inform you”, “grateful nation”, “great valor”, and they felt all alone again.

Before the week was out, the trusted friend their father had assigned to handle his estate paid a visit. The girls listened to his halting words, horrified to learn that the law did not allow female descendants to hold property. Their farm would revert to the community. How could this be? Weren’t they capable of managing their property? The absence of a male heir, was that their fault? What was to become of them? Their grief soon turned to rage and they pushed their way into the presence of the tribal leader, demanding to be heard.

Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” So Moses brought their case before the Lord,  and the Lord said to him,  “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them. “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. Numbers 27:4-8 NIV.

And so the law was changed in a male-dominated middle eastern culture hundreds of years before Christ.  My Bible  relates story after story of strong and capable women blessed by God.  While it teaches roles for a man and a woman in a relationship, those roles are centered around a man loving and sacrificing to the death for a woman, even as Christ sacrificed Himself for us.

As a laboratory director, my working life is filled with committed, professional women. My home is centered around a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters.  God has placed a high value on you since the beginning. May my words and actions do no less.

Note: While my imagination shared the story, the key facts are a matter of historical record, mentioned in three different books of the Bible.

For this is right

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Feb 242013
 

“The PR department does it all the time!”

“Suzie hit me first!”

I’m sure all of us have heard a coworker or a child… or even ourselves, justify behavior based on the actions of those around us. It’t’s a trait that is inherent to humans. Something about not wanting to be any better than we “have” to be. Whether it is part of your faith journey or not, the Bible contains powerful principles critical to life and living.

There’s a text in Ephesians that many of us men, secretly or maybe even publicly, love to quote. It goes like this:

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife.  Ephesians 5 NIV

Yeah. Well… we sorta stop there and conveniently don’t get to the text further down the page that says-

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

And yes, that does mean that when you use the porcelain meditation throne, you put the seat UP at the right time and put it back DOWN at the right time! If you’re not a husband or wife, don’t feel left out. I’ll find a text for you, too. While slavery is not as prevalent in this country in this century, do you ever feel that the term “involuntary servitude” could apply to you and your job? Then listen up.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, Ephesians 6

Did you notice the hint about your performance even when your boss isn’t watching? That covers a lot of territory doesn’t it?

Not a husband, wife or slave? Here’s the last one. Maybe this will fit:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6

Now, before you get too far off base about abuses at work, modern roles in marriage, and so on, that’s not where I’m going with this. In fact, how you relate to roles you feel are not ideal, that’s what I want to dig into. Do you ever feel like not obeying your parents because they aren’t fair, they don’t treat you as an adult, they ask too much of you? Did you notice that the text didn’t say,”obey your parents when it seems reasonable and fair”? No. God’s reason in this text is simple…”for this is right”. That’s it. Simple. Direct. No qualifications or excuses.

If you feel at least one hackle starting to rise, comb it back down. Let’s think about this for a minute.  Focusing on what’s fair, giving as good as you get, not doing anything that “they” haven’t already done to you, these are all justifications for joining in a never ending spiral of negativity that causes heartbreak in homes and joyless jobs.

Words and actions whose whole justification is “for this is right” often don’t seem fair.  This philosophy was promoted by a leadership guru two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ.  No matter that the concepts were spoken in different culture and time, this philosophy still works. I dare you to try “for this is right” today.

Faith Finisher

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Sep 182011
 

Grape. That was the color of Pete’s new bicycle.  Metallic grape with shiny high rise handlebars and streamers from each handle and a banana seat. Jet black knobby tires and red reflectors. A basket between the handlebars and even a pretend lisence plate with his name on it! Pete just turned six and this was his birthday present! Sitting on the grass in the back yard, he stared at it, resting in all its glory, the kickstand keeping it upright.

“Pete,” his mother called from the back door,”are you ready to ride?” He nodded vigorously. He could hardly wait for it. Almost flying, he thought. It must be almost like flying. His mom came out the door and called to his dad to join them. She walked halfway down the gentle hill in the back yard and waited.

Pete felt his dad lifting him onto the seat and placing his feet, one on each pedal. Kicking the kickstand up, he held the bicycle upright by the back of the seat. Suddenly the ground seemed to be very far away! He couldn’t even touch it with his toes unless the bike was leaning. He started to tremble and looked behind him to make sure his dad was still holding on. The handlebars jerked sideways as he looked.

“Don’t look back, son,” his dad said. “Look at your mom!” Pete looked across the yard to his mom waving at him with reassurance. He looked at the ground, seemingly so far beneath him and the bike tilted to the side. “Don’t let go, Dad!” he hollered. “I’m right here, son,” he heard his Dad’s voice behind him. Push on the pedals!

Pete pushed on the pedals and felt the bike move forward. Looking back, the bike began to wobble. “Look at your Mom,” his dad repeated, “Don’t look back and don’t look down!”

Have you ever had someone tell you that you just needed to have more faith? How do you do that? I don’t know about you, but I’ve struggled to figure out how to “have” more faith. Somehow I needed to find a generator inside me somewhere to make some. Then everything would be ok.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! I can’t make more faith anymore than Pete could make his bicycle stay upright! Listen to the words from Hebrews 12:2 in four different versions.

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.  Good News Translation

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. The Message

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. New Living Translation

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,  New International Version

We don’t need to focus on the ground, on the bike pedals, or on who’s holding the seat. Just like Pete, we need to keep our eyes glued to Someone ahead. We need to keep focused on Jesus who not only gives us the very faith we need to trust Him, but makes it grow in our hearts as long as we keep our eyes on Him.

Humans Divide, Jesus Unites

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jun 102011
 

I grew up in a culture where my color was in the extreme minority. There was only one other in my fourth grade class of the same color. When I moved, it was to a place where my color was commonplace and where prejudice by my color against others was as rampant and ancestral as the prejudice “they” held against us.

One of my daughters just returned from another country where the native population is treated with disrespect and disgust and open loathing. They are even charged higher prices in the market. All by another ethnic group who are immigrants to this nation.

I see teachers and parents screaming and shouting at children, whether young or teen treating them in ways that they never expect to have reciprocated or copied.

I see employers making arbitrary and stereotype-based decisions based on an employee’s sex. I see them implementing unfair pay practices based on favoritism or expediency. I see discipline and termination occur on a whim, based more on personal preference than policy and principle.

I see preachers and pew-sitters, no matter what the denomination, talking of “us” and “them” when referring to all those not belonging to their particular fellowship.

When will it all end?

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 NIV.

When will it all end? Never! Until we follow the never critical, always loving example of Jesus Christ.

What divisions are you making this week? Are you choosing to value others by an arbitrary characteristic- something that makes them different?

Are you a supervisor choosing to treat young employees with criticism and negativity rather than affirmation and support? Are you a parent whose children feel ugly and dumb, rather than beautiful and special? Are you a teacher whose students hear more shouted words of anger and impatience than calmly spoken ones of guidance and encouragement?

There is neither teacher nor student, Catholic nor Protestant, employer nor employee, poor nor rich, educated nor experienced.

Whatever your role is- at home, on the job, in the pew, no matter what your spiritual focus, I challenge you to see the value and intrinsic goodness in treating those around you as if they have a very high, and very equal, value.

Father, let me lift up those around me where ever I am, no matter what their color or creed, their social or financial status, their age or sex. Let me value each one like Jesus values them. Power me to fight prejudice and pride, injustice and unfairness, divisions and biases, in people, and in organizations, and in me.

Focus, Peter!

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  No Responses »
May 292011
 

“Follow Me!” Jesus had shouted back at Peter as He continued to walk down the shoreline. Peter had leapt to his feet, eager to be with the One who loved Him most.

Peter ran, his sandals crunching on the gravel and sand. As he closed the distance, he began to hear another set of crunching footsteps not quite in time with his own. As he ran, he turned and saw John, his fellow disciple following. He was distracted, wondering what John was up to. Was John going to argue with Jesus about forgiving his betrayal? Was this another intra-disciple power struggle like the Passover supper scene? Why was John horning in on his moment with Jesus?

Panting, he finally caught up to Jesus. Hands on his knees, he bent, breathing deeply, out of breath from his sprint. Straightening, he looked up at Jesus, pointed back and said,

“Lord, what about him?” John 21:21 NIV.

What about that other guy, Jesus? You disciplined me. What will you say to him? Is he part of the conversation too? Why is he coming too?

Jesus looked straight into Peter’s eyes, willing him to take his attention from John and return it to Him.

“…what is that to you? You must follow me.” verse 22

I’m not talking about John right now, Peter. I’m talking to you! Never mind John, his ministry, his life, his death. Don’t think about his relationship with me.

Focus, Peter! Focus on Me, Peter! Look only at Me, Peter. Let everything and everyone else gray out around you and see only Me. You will do great things for Me. Your life will be a witness for me. But only if you focus on Me!

Father, let my circumstances, my friends, my job, the unkind words and actions of others, even my own sins, become grayed-out, dithered options on the desktop of my mind. Let me focus only on Your Son. Let the Spirit power me to turn my eyes only to Jesus. Let my vision of Him paint everything I do and say with Your Love.

Part 4 of a 4 part series beginning with Triple Rejection Before Sunrise and 153 Miracle Fish  and  Triple Commit after Breakfast.

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