Play to the End in the Game of Work

September 26, 2017
 

In the September Round Table Meetings we discussed “Playing to the End in the Game of Work”.

Kalamazoo (Tuesday)

  • Challenge:
    • Don’t give up –play to the end losing motivation when close to retirement – how to finish strong
    • How do we make the work place enjoyable?
    • How do we keep passionate until the end?
    • What does it mean to give discretionary effort?
    • how do you continue to be effective
  • Solution:
    • Keep it fun – balance seriousness vs. lightheartedness
    • Clearly define your purpose – realignment of course – show/allow impact
    • Mentoring – how to be more effective/engaged
    • Having “that conversation”- how do we help you/motivate you?
    • Help them to find/define their purpose
  • Take away:
    • Come along side to partner for success
    • Need to inspire but only they can decide to “take it”
    • Encourage/be a cheerleader/acknowledge their contribution’s

Kalamazoo (Thursday)

  • Challenge:
    • Danger in the comfort zone
    • Distraction/discouragement
    • Wasted effort -self focus/lack team work
  • Solution:
    • Make a “restart or refresh” for the vision
    • Priority for impact
    • Come along and support/encourage/verbalize expectations
  • Take away :
    • Leaders are employed to lead change
    • Discipline is not punishment is behavior modification
    • In challenge is when we grow
  • Resources:
    • Youtube: Another Form of Effective Leadership

Kalamazoo (Friday)

  • Challenges:
    • Engagement every day to play until the end of the day / quarter / year
    • Manage, lead & motivate our people to do the same – play until the end to retirement
    • Defining “the end”
    • Discretionary effort
    • Career = game; each career is a new game
  • Solutions:
    • Keep it fun
      • How can we keep it fun & balance fun & business?
    • Showing personal impact in the company – clearly defining the purpose of the employees role & how exactly it ties into the bigger picture every day & the ability to connect their purpose – how?
    • Realignment of role / changing of the role
    • Showing the employee the “barn at the end of the ride”
      • Path / steps to take to get there – what are they? What are the things they should do?
        • Capture every nugget of knowledge they have & capture
    • Mentoring
    • Asking, “what are your favorite things to do?”
    • Become a BOD member / council / consultant
    • Special assignments
    • What do they really like?
    • Make sure you have the conversation (performance discussion)
      • Productivity
    • Show them / redefine their purpose
    • How do you keep people motivated?
  • Take Away:
    • Keep it fun (like a game)
    • Connect them to their purpose
    • Continue to have the (hard) discussions along the way

Grand Rapids (Thursday)

  • Challenge:
    • What is the value of work in the game of life?
    • Is the game measured by longevity, or by achievements?
    • Getting everyone’s buy-in the end game
    • Are we leaving a legacy or an inheritance?
    • Building for sustainability…when to stay and when to leave?
  •  Solution:
    • Set an example of integrity.
    • Lay out a balanced plan for success (financial and spiritual)
    • Build a good support system for sustainability
    • AIM: Accountability, Integrity, Mobility
    • Recognize which employees are playing a temporary game in your company, and which are lifers.
  • Takeaway:
    • Plan and evaluate each step as the game continues
    • Integrity is the key ingredient to success
    • Know when you have completed your role in the game (succession plan).

Marshall

  • We were created for a relationship with God.
  • When we are in right relationship with God, then we will “do all things as if unto the Lord”.  This includes work.
  • Conversely, when we are not in as right a relationship as we should be then, vis a vis work, we will most likely either over engage or disengage.  In any event our motives will be selfish rather than God-honoring.
  • Disengagement from work is a sign that we are not in as right a relationship with God as we should be.
  • Our jobs, whatever they are, are not the relevant issue.  The relevant issue is that we are in the job God wants us to be in … for His purposes, not ours.  Whether we like the job or not, our responsibility is to recognize that we are where God wants us to be, and then do the job for Him (and for those folks he brings into our lives as a result of where He has placed us).