Daniel 2:14-16
This is Part Two of Daniel's tips on disagreeing with your boss. To set the scene for you, Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream and wants someone to interpret it. But he knows that if he tells the dream to his advisors, they'll make up an interpretation that they think he wants to hear (sounds like those subordinates that always tell you what you want to hear). So he tells his advisors to tell him what he dreamed as well as the interpretation. Naturally, they thought this request was unfair, but when they couldn't do it, Nebuchadnezzar was ready to kill everyone in the court, including Daniel. When the executioner came to Daniel, "Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact." The executioner explains the problem, Daniel asks for a little time, and eventually he explains the dream.
You know, if an executioner came to your office door, I can think of a lot of potential reactions, but very few of them have anything to do with "wisdom and tact." Yet that's sometimes exactly what's required. When your boss is being irrational, don't get defensive--respond with wisdom and tact. When an undeserving coworker gets a promotion, don't hostile--respond with wisdom and tact. Wisdom is knowing what to say, when to say it, and especially what not to say. It's avoiding defensiveness and personal attacks. It's not being hasty. Tact is all about how you say something, your tone of voice and body language. Can you be respectful even when others aren't? Notice that Daniel responded before he had received any assurance of a stay in the execution. That is, he used wisdom and tact, regardless of the outcome. In today's workplaces, there are lots of king's executioners, and they come in many different forms. The next time you see one, try to resist the urge to scream and flea the "city." Try to resist the urge to fight back. Instead, try to respond with wisdom and tact.
Showing posts with label Respect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Respect. Show all posts
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Be Subject to Your Boss
Titus 2:9-10
Again, this passage is about the master-slave relationship, but it is still applicable to workplaces in our culture. Paul says that Titus should "teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them." Isn't that interesting. We, as employees, should act as subjects of our supervisors in everything. Paul talked with Timothy about some of the negative manifestations of office politics like gossip and quarrels, but here, Paul says to teach some of the positive ways that employees can engage in office politics--try to do what is helpful to your supervisor and talk respectfully to him or her. That's not brown-nosing or any other idiom you want to use for it. It's just building good relationships. It's not being a yes-man or yes-woman. Disagreement may be the most helpful thing you can do in some circumstances, though you can still disagree respectfully. Our society teaches us that being "subject" to anyone means that we are inferior. I don't think that is how Paul is seeing it. Paul is saying that this person has authority over you by virtue of a position. You responsibility is to show yourself trustworthy and to demonstrate Christ. You can do both in respectful submission to a supervisor.
In the next chapter, Paul talks about submission to government authorities, but those lessons might also be applicable at work. Be obedient. Don't slander your supervisor. Be peaceable. Be considerate and act with humility. All of these paint a picture, not of the rebel looking out for Number One, but for someone who understands the hierarchy of his/her workplace, who respects it, and who is more concerned about reflecting the attitude of Christ than making sure that his/her ego is inflated. Rather than seeing your boss as a threat, consider treating him or her as someone to whom you should submit. Then look for ways to help him/her with work, to "try to please." It will likely take some time, but you may be amazed at the way God moves in your workplace.
Again, this passage is about the master-slave relationship, but it is still applicable to workplaces in our culture. Paul says that Titus should "teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them." Isn't that interesting. We, as employees, should act as subjects of our supervisors in everything. Paul talked with Timothy about some of the negative manifestations of office politics like gossip and quarrels, but here, Paul says to teach some of the positive ways that employees can engage in office politics--try to do what is helpful to your supervisor and talk respectfully to him or her. That's not brown-nosing or any other idiom you want to use for it. It's just building good relationships. It's not being a yes-man or yes-woman. Disagreement may be the most helpful thing you can do in some circumstances, though you can still disagree respectfully. Our society teaches us that being "subject" to anyone means that we are inferior. I don't think that is how Paul is seeing it. Paul is saying that this person has authority over you by virtue of a position. You responsibility is to show yourself trustworthy and to demonstrate Christ. You can do both in respectful submission to a supervisor.
In the next chapter, Paul talks about submission to government authorities, but those lessons might also be applicable at work. Be obedient. Don't slander your supervisor. Be peaceable. Be considerate and act with humility. All of these paint a picture, not of the rebel looking out for Number One, but for someone who understands the hierarchy of his/her workplace, who respects it, and who is more concerned about reflecting the attitude of Christ than making sure that his/her ego is inflated. Rather than seeing your boss as a threat, consider treating him or her as someone to whom you should submit. Then look for ways to help him/her with work, to "try to please." It will likely take some time, but you may be amazed at the way God moves in your workplace.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Respect your Boss
1 Timothy 6:1-2
Paul is specifically referring to relationships in the passages before and after this one, and the specific relationship in verses 1 and 2 is that of slave and master. However, I think the things that he says are completely consistent with the way that employees should relate to their supervisors. Substituting "supervisor" for "master," this means that we should respect our superivsors. Doing so reduces the chance that someone will say bad things about Christianity because of your actions. Think about that. If you treat your supervisors poorly and are disrespectful, people might say, "well, Jones is a Christian and look how he treats the boss." God's name is not honored. There's no qualification in the passage, no "treat your boss with respect if he/she deserves it." Regardless of how your supervisor acts, we are to show respect.
That doesn't mean automatic agreement. I've blogged before about the value of dissent. But dissent can be respectful as well. Think about tone of voice, the words you use, where you speak to your supervisor (calling him/her out in public versus speaking privately).
The next verse is important as well. Be especially respectful of Christian supervisors. Don't let the values that you share be an excuse for not treating them well.
Paul is specifically referring to relationships in the passages before and after this one, and the specific relationship in verses 1 and 2 is that of slave and master. However, I think the things that he says are completely consistent with the way that employees should relate to their supervisors. Substituting "supervisor" for "master," this means that we should respect our superivsors. Doing so reduces the chance that someone will say bad things about Christianity because of your actions. Think about that. If you treat your supervisors poorly and are disrespectful, people might say, "well, Jones is a Christian and look how he treats the boss." God's name is not honored. There's no qualification in the passage, no "treat your boss with respect if he/she deserves it." Regardless of how your supervisor acts, we are to show respect.
That doesn't mean automatic agreement. I've blogged before about the value of dissent. But dissent can be respectful as well. Think about tone of voice, the words you use, where you speak to your supervisor (calling him/her out in public versus speaking privately).
The next verse is important as well. Be especially respectful of Christian supervisors. Don't let the values that you share be an excuse for not treating them well.
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