In his early 20s, my friend, Butch, bounced from job to job. I remember feeling sorry for him because he seemed lost. That’s until the day Butch proudly pronounced to his father, “I was hired today to work at your company.” Butch’s father was a successful construction superintendent. Butch’s dad was apprehensive because of ... The post Nurturing Yo…

Decades ago, Max De Pree the former CEO of Herman Miller, walked in on a conversation his employees were having about the size of De Pree's pay. They challenged him about the huge disparity between his compensation and the average worker at Herman Miller. From that discussion Max's established a policy that the CEO ... The post Pay Inequities appea…

Moses was allocating land to each tribe of Israel, but one tribe had no sons to accept the inheritance. The daughters of this tribe felling unfairly treated complained about being left with nothing. God could have just resolved this one problem, but he knew that similar situations would arise. So God solved the problem ... The post Proactive Polici…

Years ago, I was selling my used car. One family came to look at the car for their teenage daughter. This father tried to negotiate the price lower. But I knew my price for this car was a fair price and I could tell his daughter loved the car, so, I said, “No.” As ... The post Negotiating Tactics appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.…

If you’ve ever rented a vacation home, you’ve probably experienced the lack of price transparency. You see a reasonable nightly charge, only to discover that as you go through the process, they begin adding hidden service charges and cleaning fees. Last month, the state of California passed a law that requires more transparency in ... The post Hidd…

Wayne, the son of a professional football owner, shared his story at a conference I attended about the importance of hiring those with whom you have a good chemistry. His father had narrowed down a hiring decision between two great candidates for a key position within his football organization. But he was having trouble ... The post The 4 Cs of Hir…

This week I’ve been teaching on the 4 C’s of Hiring. After you’ve investigated someone’s character and discovered whether or not they’re called and passionate about your mission, then it’s important to select the most competent. Competence is third on my list because many skills can be taught if they have strong character and ... The post The 4 Cs …

In 2014, Amazon began a Pay-to-Quit program. Annually, “fulfillment center” employees had the opportunity to quit and get paid up to $5,000. This was Amazon’s attempt to address the importance of Calling, in what I call the “4 C’s of Hiring.” In addition to Character it’s important you hire those who are called, or ... The post The 4 Cs of Hiring: …

When employers hire someone, they often reverse the order of what I call the “4 C’s of Hiring;” Character, Calling, Competence, and Chemistry. Many search for those people who have a resume and experience in the position looking to be filled. Once the list of competent people is narrowed, many select the one they ... The post The 4 Cs of Hiring: Pa…

One of the most basic problems in business is assuring we have the right people in the right positions. Moses was “burned out” judging all the Israelite conflicts. His father-in-law, Jethro, gave him wise counsel in Exodus 18. “Teach them (God’s) decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and ... The post The 4 Cs of Hiring: P…

When I first started in banking I was accepted into a management training program. Young college graduates were given exposure to all facets of the bank, giving us the opportunity to discover our best job fit for the future. Their concept was a good way to match people’s interests and passions with the area ... The post Discovering the Right Role a…

With remote work so prevalent, some companies now use electronic monitoring to determine how much time employees spend working. One field study, discussed in Harvard Business Review, concludes that the use of electronic monitoring is backfiring. The researchers learned that when electronic monitoring was used, workers tended to put less effort into…

A friend of mine had history with a publicly traded company that had invested heavily in a DEI program. He believed their program was harming the business. He called a board member to ask a simple but profound question. “What problem were you trying to solve with this program?” The program has since been ... The post Tough Questions appeared first …

When it comes to work it seems there are often two extremes. Either work is just a paycheck, or work is something that can become an idol. Personally, I can lean towards letting work become an idol. I have to work at setting boundaries. For many of us work is a way to find ... The post The Secret Idol appeared first on Unconventional Business Netwo…

When it’s back-to-school time many parents are looking for a little grace and a family-friendly workplace. It takes time and effort for involved parents to get kids settled into a new school year. One way for an employer to build loyalty with their employees is to allow parents flexibility when needed. Since the work ... The post Back to School Opp…

When I was a banker I worked with hundreds of small businesses, most of whom never had a budget for their business. They sometimes pulled together projections to obtain a loan, but they rarely used them for comparison purposes later. Although a budget is simply a tool to help you compare your original expectations ... The post Small Business Stewar…

As a college graduate, one adjustment I had to make was from being a student who managed my own time to suddenly being accountable to an employer. My new role required more discipline and sensitivity to my boss’ expectations. Soon, I learned that working for a business required that I produce at a high-level ... The post The Transition From College…

My friend, Brad, has led a men’s ministry for decades. While having coffee, Brad said to me, “If I picked up every man’s phone in this place, I’d likely find pornography on half of them.” Brad lamented how some men can view pornography in one moment and teach Sunday School the next. Men may ... The post Compartmentalized Lives appeared first on Unc…

According to a Gallup State of the Workplace 2023 survey, 44% of global employees experienced daily workplace stress in 2023. This was an all-time high for the second year in a row! Worse yet, we have a growing mental health crisis leaving us short of psychiatrists and behavioral health professionals to care for our ... The post Workplace Stress Ab…

Someone backed into my wife’s car and left a dent and drove away. When my wife shared with the body shop owner what had happened, he told Kathy that he heard one even worse. One of his customers returned from a store to find their car damaged and the following note on her car. ... The post All You Do Is Visible appeared first on Unconventional Busi…

Kathy and I have had a string of unexpected challenges with our home recently. For example, a strong wind blew an entire wall of our deck down. Then our basement flooded. We were about to build a new deck when our basement flooded again, in a different location. That led to discovering hail damage ... The post Shifting Priorities appeared first on …

In 2022, Texas Children’s Hospital publicly announced that they were discontinuing gender affirming therapies due to legal risks. But subsequently, surgeon Dr. Eithan Haim observed that the therapies and surgeries secretively continued. Due to Dr. Haim’s strong religious convictions, he felt compelled to disclose the alleged deceptions of Texas Chi…

When my wife, Kathy, and I work together on a project we’re a good team. Kathy’s a great catalyst to get a project going, while I make sure all the details and pertinent information is gathered. When we were receiving bids on a home project, Kathy secured multiple bids. But before the final selection ... The post Listening Before Answering appeared…

Justin wanted to join the insurance industry, so he became 50/50 partners with an experienced insurance broker who claimed to also be a follower of Jesus. When Justin’s partner started violating the partner agreement and breaking the law, the situation became tense. Unfortunately, in business, when there are only two equal partners you are ... The …

According to a 2023 American Psychology Association study, 94% of workers state that it’s important for them to feel like they belong at work. Unfortunately, 20% of workers do not feel like they belong. This is a bigger problem for front-line workers than it is for upper management. 10% of upper management feel like ... The post Feeling Like You Be…

As a leader, there are times when I must referee between two staff members who have a dispute with each other. I remember years ago, I had an employee who voiced a legitimate complaint about another employee. This person provided a lot of compelling information against their co-worker. Their story was so convincing that ... The post Both Sides of t…

In the 1990s, I was building a new consulting business during the growing Dot-com bubble. I found a company that seemed knowledgeable about the internet and hired them to develop our website. One question I should have asked was, “What happens to my website if your company goes out of business?” When that vendor ... The post The Coming AI Bubble: P…

In the mid-1990s, I was building a new consulting business. I learned many lessons leading up to the Dot-com bubble that may help you if there’s a future Artificial Intelligence bubble. The first lesson I learned was to “Beware of Posers.” In the 1990s, it didn’t take long before almost everyone in the technology ... The post The Coming AI Bubble: …

In the mid-1990s, I started a consulting practice. I started hearing about this new sensation called the internet. Everyone began talking about “websites.” Having America as my prospect list instead of just Kansas City seemed like a great idea. Eventually, I hired a company to build a website for my business. I lost my ... The post the Coming AI Bu…

In the 1990s, the internet became public. Investors began investing in local companies that now had a global market available to them. Almost anyone with a Dot-com web address started getting investment capital, even if they never made money. By 2000, when these investors began selling their money-losing stocks it created the Dot-com bubble ... The…

Years ago, a banking customer of mine owned a chain of three retail stores. The owner assigned each of his two sons one store to manage while his third store was assigned to Ron, a close friend of his sons. By far, the best managed store was the one led by Ron. I recommended ... The post From Servant to Owners appeared first on Unconventional Busin…

According to a 2023American Psychology Association study, 26% of workers claim to have experienced feelings of loneliness and isolation. Curiously, if you work in customer or patient service work, that feeling of loneliness soars to 35%. You would think that loneliness would not be an issue for those engaging with people all day, but ... The post T…

Over the years I have served on many different boards. Occasionally, I’ll serve alongside another board member who dominates the conversation, expressing opinions on almost every subject. Unfortunately, center-of-attention kinds of people don’t usually ask many questions or seek understanding. Instead, they tend to only offer uninformed opinions. T…

Years ago, Jerry was working on building a Christian retreat center near my cousin, Linda. Linda recently informed me that during the retreat center’s planning stage, she rallied people against this project. Eventually, Jerry presented his case to the community, but the community was skeptical. During that meeting, however, Jerry referenced a passa…

Upwork’s Freelance Forward 2023 Survey found that 38% of the U.S. workforce performed freelance work last year. A staggering 52% of all Gen Z workers operated as freelancers. This trend is dramatically impacting the way work is done. Leaders in today’s workplaces not only have to manage their in-house employees, now they also must ... The post Our …

Scooters Coffee franchisee, Tracy Bouwens, shared with our network about her transition from being a stay-at-home mom to owning her first Scooters store. She hired a new employee, gave her a Scooters uniform, and instructed her to start work on Monday. On Monday, the employee arrived but wasn’t wearing her uniform. Tracy considered possible ... The…

Some of my most fruitful times have surfaced from vacations. That’s when God often refreshes my vision or gives me creative ideas for the future. Years ago, while on vacation, God gave me an idea for a book that I would have never attempted to write otherwise. During prayer, I remember thinking, what if ... The post Refreshing Your Vision appeared …

Many organizations, including our ministry, use surveys to determine ways to improve their services. The tension is determining legitimate issues that need to be addressed versus those multiple issues raised by rare people, who I like to say, “have the spiritual gift of criticism.” In Acts 6, the Apostles received a complaint. In verse ... The post…

If you ever doubt the power of words, watch a few of President Ronald Reagan’s speeches. Reagan’s charm in front of a camera, in part, made him a great President. He had a way of telling stories with the right amount of truth and humor to rally people to follow him. Columnist, Peggy Noonan, ... The post Your Choice of Word appeared first on Unconve…

Many seem to believe that science and religion inherently conflict with each other. A Mind Matters article about Elaine Howard Ecklund’s study of scientists’ attitudes towards religion, however, may help debunk that belief. Through more than 40,000 surveys, Ecklund found, that at least 30% of scientists declared a religious affiliation. Her study a…

On this day in 1776, fifty-six Founding Fathers decided to end their allegiance to the King of England. These men took a very brave and important step by signing the Declaration of Independence. This set in motion our nation becoming free of England’s rule. Many people today feel repressed at work. These potential entrepreneurs ... The post Freedom…

The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life conducted a recent study, revealing that 40% of British Christians prefer not to disclose their religious beliefs. More specific to the workplace, only 42% of those surveyed view religion in the workplace positively. The bright spot in this study, however, is the younger generation. Only ... The post Br…

Sometimes the best nuggets of wisdom are found immediately after interviewing someone. Recently, I was video interviewing Scooters Coffee franchisee, Tracy Bouwens. After we finished, we discussed some common challenges of managing employees. Tracy told me that a common refrain in her workplace is, “Being unclear is unkind.” Tracy mentioned those t…

As we watch the presidential debates, the destructive power of an impulsive statement or speaking the wrong words becomes more evident. The more you are in the public eye, the more words matter. Likewise, for business leaders who are often required to speak at team gatherings or public events, the choice of words can ... The post Words Can Destroy …

Missionaries and pastors are usually easy to convince that God has given them a calling. Even medical professionals quickly understand the importance and value of their work. But many entry level or blue collar workers struggle to believe that God cares about their work. In a recent Common Good magazine article, author Tom Lutz ... The post Your Wo…

A Rutgers University study discovered that 60% of recruiters responded less favorably to the mock resume of former entrepreneurs with comparable levels of education and experience. In addition, research from the London Business School discovered that former entrepreneurs are 35% less likely to get a job interview, often called the Entrepreneurship …

Our workplaces are full of people who have some form of father wounds. Some never had a father in the home so they may wrestle with abandonment issues. Others experienced abusive or frequently absent fathers, resulting in a different set of problems. By realizing that some of your employees have father wounds that may ... The post Healing Father Wo…

Recently, I scheduled a morning meeting at Panera’s restaurant with a vendor. Since I don’t drink coffee, I typically order hot chocolate. However, the clerk informed me that management recently discontinued serving hot chocolate. As a financial guy, I understand limiting the number of products you serve to enhance profitability. However, I wonder …

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, an employee of an unnamed hospital in Kansas wanted to start a Bible study over her lunch break. The hospital legal department concluded that a Bible study would not be permitted on hospital premises. ACLJ informed this hospital that they have violated Title VII of ... The post A Squashed Bible …