Introduction

I teach Organizational Communication at the university level, and I have an active research program looking at how people communicate in workplaces. Recently, someone came to me talking about a workplace communication issue. I was giving advice to this person about what to do and how to say the right thing to make everyone happy. This person, who was a Christian and knew I was also a Christian, asked me, "but what would God think about just trying to tell people what they want to hear?" Ouch. It occurred to me that I don't always think about God as I think about how to communicate in workplaces. Christian values shouldn't be confined to Sunday--they should also affect how we act Monday through Friday.

I have a PhD in organizational communication, and I am a university professor, so that is the lens through which I approach this project. What I am doing is reading through the Bible and noting every passage that could apply to our time at work. Sometimes, when people hear “being Christian at work,” the first thing that comes to mind is proselytizing. But as I read the Bible, that’s really only a part of the bigger pictures.

First, a few disclaimers. I don’t pretend to have all the answers or to have the final word. In fact, just the opposite. I would greatly appreciate your comments, especially if you think I may not be on track with some passage. Also, this is a work in progress. You’re reading my first thoughts (or at least really early ones). I would greatly appreciate your feedback.