Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Tag: professional development

  • If You Could Change One Thing About Yourself

    If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

    Given our focus here on Working Matters, let’s forego the things that are not related to work like our appearance; things that are beyond our scope like our personality; or things that our out of our control like our popularity.

    I know, I just eliminated the best categories. I’m sorry.

    I realize there are many good reasons to avoid change. I realize that muddling through with the status quo is often preferable to risking the unknowns that come with change.

    But, for the sake of argument, let me ask again… If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

    Is there a skill you want to learn? A capacity you would like to develop? An aspect of your working style that you would like to expand? An unhelpful (more…)

  • 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.

  • Listen In -> Self Care. A Smart Career Move #3: Learning and Developing Yourself

    We are changing, growing, developing beings.

    It’s a fact. It’s a fact we neglect at our own expense.

    To take care of ourselves, we need to keep growing. To stay interested, engaged and feeling alive in our careers we need to keep developing ourselves.

    There’s nothing worse than the suffocating feeling of being stuck, bored or overwhelmed day in and day out, year after year.

    What is the alternative? In this week’s show, Claudia and I discuss becoming a lifelong learner as a smart career move.

    Where is there room to learn something new? You might be able to simplify a complicated procedure. You might work on improving your leadership effectiveness. You might offer to help a respected colleague in order to learn from them.

    Far from being purely self-serving, taking care of oneself by learning and developing benefits everyone.

    Listen in.

  • Question of the Week

    Who on your team just might come alive on the job if they had the opportunity to learn a new skill or develop a professional interest?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.

  • Who’s on Your Team?

    It’s crazy how some supervisors can’t see who they have on their teams. It’s like they’re blind to the mix of unique individuals that make up the group. It doesn’t matter who’s in the chair, just as long as every chair is filled.

    The problem with such impersonal, mechanistic thinking is that it is so impersonal and mechanistic. These leaders never learn what amazing talents, skills, styles and propensities these growing, developing people bring to the enterprise. And consequently they underestimate the moving, changing dynamic that makes up the human maturity and professional development processes.

    Such blindness leads to static job descriptions, rigid organizational charts and high turnover.

    Who is on your team?

    This week’s podcast: Building an Enterprising Team: Getting Exponential Results