In business and management there is a fine line between success and failure. One moment it can seem that the project is all up in the air, with deadlines impossible to meet and budgets off the scale. The next moment doors open up, a competitor drops out, the budget gets met and everyone is happy because the project is completed on time (albeit the team had to stay up all night to make it happen).
There is a truth in the fact that completion makes something much more satisfactory. In a recent Worktalk article it was quoted that Jesus talks about the importance of finishing. Nutritious work contains the element of completion.
In a world where generally it is only the result that matters, completion is seen by most employers as the reason for employing someone. If the task isn’t completed, then questions will be raised and ultimately the manager’s role will be called into account.
However, it is also true that the best and most fruitful projects are not simply the ones that bear the results, but also had a journey that was equally fruitful. This is the same within business tasks as well as it is within our christian lives. The role of the chaplain is to support and guide a person along their journey concentrating on the now, although bearing the end in mind.
For HR and managers alike this is the real conundrum as often it is not how to use people that is the problem, but rather the way in which people are handled. This problem is enhanced when running a Christian business as it is often hard for Christian managers to know where to draw the line.
How do you balance working when on the one hand you want to act Christianly towards your employees, and on the other hand you want to get results from them in the most efficient way? Especially when your boss will accept nothing but total completion by the weekend…
Tags: business results, business success, Christian management, Christian working, hr support
