Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Category: Working Matters

  • Listen In -> Bridging the Work-Faith Divide #5: Becoming a Person of Influence and Impact

    We’ve all been there.

    At our own places of employment or while at a meeting at another company.

    The feeling is palpable. It might be pressure. It might be drive. It might be panic. It might be enthusiasm. It might be supportiveness. It might be competitiveness.

    Bridging the Work-Faith Divide

    How would you characterize the culture of your workplace?

    In this week’s show Claudia and I discuss how to influence the culture where you work.

    In many regards, workplace cultures are deep, complex realities that have developed over time. Such realities do not lend themselves to quick fixes or radical changes initiated by even the best intentioned team member.

    Does that mean that you and I are powerless to impact our workplace culture?

    Not at all!!

    But it does mean that we need to be thoughtful and appropriate in the means and manners in which we choose to exert influence.

    Join our discussion about four degrees of influence which are available to everyone on the team: modeling, suggesting, reforming and battling.

    Just now joining the conversation? Catch up on the entire series here.
    Interested in how we can resource your church or organization? Get more information here.

    Listen in.

  • Loving Monday: Digging Yourself Out of the Weekend

    loving_mondayUsually the weekend restores us.

    We have an opportunity to rest, take care of personal chores, and have some fun with family and friends.

    Usually the weekend restores us so we have the energy, poise and presence of mind to face our many responsibilities at work again.

    Usually.

    Some weekends, though, exhaust us. Some weekends deplete us. Some weekends aren’t very fun, and we go back to work feeling down and diminished.

    The idea of “Loving Monday” can sound trite to the weary or hurting. It’s all we can do to face Monday, much less love it.

    But it’s when we feel like we need to dig ourselves out of our weekends before we can step into our work weeks that the idea of “Loving Monday” is so crucial.

    Not a superficial “rah rah” cheer  that pretends the weekend never happened; but the years of careful nurturing of a career that we love, a job where we can (more…)

  • Quote to Consider: Dangerous Contentment

    quote-to-consider“Bad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life he is living, when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger.”

    Phillips Brooks

  • Listen In -> Bridging the Work-Faith Divide #4: Collaboration, Empowerment and Accountability

    We don’t work alone.

    Some of may wish we worked alone, but reality returns each morning and we find ourselves face to face with another task on which to collaborate, another meeting to schedule, or another disagreement to work through.

    Bridging the Work-Faith DivideWe need ways to share information, combine efforts, enhance motivation, and be accountable to achieve results.

    In this week’s show, Claudia and I discuss how our faith informs how we work with other people.

    But, true to our the workplace perspective of this series, we are not going to ask how to be a good Christian at work. We are going to discuss the workplace realities of collaboration, empowerment and accountability.

    We have to share tasks and pool our skills; we have to tap into people’s core motivations and working styles; and we need to be able to confront problems and achieve results.

    You’ll be amazed at how relevant and helpful being a person of faith is to effectively navigating these common workplace issues.

    Listen in.

    Just now joining the conversation? Catch up on the entire series here.
    Interested in how we can resource your church or organization? Get more information here.

  • Karl Shares Six Words… #24


    Reading resumés instead of meeting people.


    Karl Edwards

  • Loving Monday: The Bigger Truth About You

    loving_mondayIt’s true, your boss should have noticed your initiative and responded with a promotion or a raise. It’s true.

    It’s true, your client should have noticed that your project came in on time and under budget and paid you promptly and given you promising referrals as well. It’s true.

    It’s true that your co-workers should have noticed how you help out and responded by returning the favor. It’s true that your spouse should have noticed your hard work and responded with more affirmation and confidence.

    It’s true.

    While it is true that others often get it wrong about you, it is not true that they need to get it right about you before you can move forward, find your way, or achieve success.

    The bigger truth about you is that you have to step to the plate again even if you aren’t being noticed, appreciated, rewarded or supported.

    The bigger truth about you is that no one can either be you or fully grasp what having you on the team means.

    Therefore, if in your discouragement you pull out of the team, withdraw from the game, or withhold what you have to contribute while everyone will miss out, only (more…)

  • Quote to Consider: Source of Friends

    quote-to-consider“How casually and unobservedly we make all our most valued acquaintances.”

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • Karl Shares Six Words… #23


    Which boss will I fail today?


    Karl Edwards

  • Listen In -> Bridging the Work-Faith Divide #3: Character Formation and Lifelong Learning

    We have in the past discussed what we have called, “The Hard Facts of Working with People”.

    One of the “hard facts” is that people are learning, developing, maturing beings. You and I grow and change over time. It’s a fact.

    Bridging the Work-Faith DivideThis fact has important implications to the workplace, team-building, motivation, empowerment, and accountability.

    This fact bears directly on career development, setting goals, and professional development.

    In this week’s show, Claudia and I discuss how to show up at work both fully authentic to who you are, and grow into who you need to become to fulfill your job responsibilities.

    As persons of faith, we do not need to compartmentalize our faith at work into issues of superficial behavioral morality. Don’t steal pencils. Work hard. Don’t tell lies.

    At a deeper, more fundamental level God-designed people need to contribute and make a difference; learn and develop; and connect and belong.

    Incorporate these three opportunities into your workplace culture and watch your team come alive on the job!

    Listen in.

    Just now joining the conversation? Catch up on the entire series here.
    Interested in how we can resource your church or organization? Get more information here.

  • Loving Monday: Overwhelmed Meet Obsessed

    loving_mondayThis morning I’d like to introduce Overwhelmed to Obsessed.

    You know who you are.

    Overwhelmed, you come back to work on Monday and are dizzy before you have even started. All the tasks and messages, piles and people are a fuzzy blur, and you have a difficult time choosing where to begin.

    Obsessed, you come back to work with only one thing on your mind. That one project that has captured your imagination and consumed your attention. You don’t even see the tasks and messages, piles and people waiting for you.

    Overwhelmed meet Obsessed.

    I want to introduce you because I believe you have something to learn from each other.

    Instead of merely being annoyed by the weaknesses and pitfalls the other brings to the table, what if we could pick up a tip or two from their strengths?!

    Overwhelmed, notice the determined focus Obsessed brings to their efforts.

    Obsessed, notice the alert awareness that Overwhelmed brings to the process.

    You need both sets of skills… an alert awareness of the dynamics and issues unfolding and changing around you at all times, AND a determined focus to make real progress toward real results on real projects.

    We tend to major in one style or perspective more than the other. Some of us are more sensitive to the dynamics around us, while others of us are more sensitive to the task at hand.

    Why not take advantage of the differences with which we approach work? Instead of surrounding ourselves with people like us in temperament and style, why not befriend someone with a different approach?

    Not only will you benefit from the strengths the other brings to the working relationship, you will be well-positioned to see and experiment with those approaches as part of expanding your own repertoire of work skills.

    Overwhelmed meet Obsessed.

    On your side,

    – Karl Edwards

    Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.