Your New Job

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives principles and truths that apply to everything in life.  It’s timeless wisdom, and those who heed it – succeed with it.  Have you ever started a new job?  Are you about to start a new job, or have started one recently?  What are some things that you should know about starting a new job. 
 
#1 God is your boss – He owns the company – he’s just letting these people run it right now.  You work for God, not man, not a company, and certainly not money.  So let your work reflect Him.  And  you can know for sure, when you work for your Dad, He’ll take care of you.  Here’s a secret.  God’s provision isn’t dependent on your paycheck.  You work for the LORD, not for men, knowing that from the LORD you will receive the reward of the inheritance, it is the LORD, Christ whom you serve - Colossians 3:23.
 
#2 Be early.  You’ve heard it said, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. If you’re starting a new job – be early – from day one.  Why – you have a clean slate.  No-one knows your past, and what you do will identify you.  Be early.  Why?  Because leaders are early – you’ll be in good company.  Diligent people are early – you’ll be considered one of them.  You get an opportunity to help and serve leaders – which will benefit them, and benefit you.  You’ll establish excellence from your first day.  Godly people are early, sluggards are late, usually they roll in about 5-10 minutes late, frazzled and frustrated, already behind, now working to catch up, instead of working to be excellent. That’s not you.  That’s not what God has for you.   Whatever you need to do, no matter how early you need to get up, be early.  Leaders are early.  Abraham rose early, Daniel rose early, when Jesus rose from the dead – it was early.  Who was the first one to see Him?  Not the disciples who slept in, it was Mary, who got up early.  Leaders are early.  They get first dibs, first choice, they are involved in the decision-making process, they are the ones who get the opportunities others don’t get… They build the relationships that others don’t have the opportunity to build.  Leaders are early,  If you’re early you’ll be considered one of them, you’ll build key relationships, with leaders and the diligent.  You’ll be there to welcome others to work in the morning when they arrive, because you’ve already been there, getting things done.  Your boss will notice.  It will speak well of you. It honors God, and honors them.  It will serve you well.  People notice.  Give God a chance to bless you – be early.  The early bird gets the worm, the late one gets the leftovers.  God has things for you early.  If nothing else than to just spend a minute with Him, before the day begins, and re-commit to hearing and obeying – occupationally.  He will direct your steps, it’s His excellence that He wants you to operate in.
 
#3 Focus on Names – the most beautiful word in the English language, is your name.  People, when you call them by name, remember.  It’s unusual… Most people aren’t good with names.  It tells people that you care about them, that they are important.  A vice president at a Fortune 500 company I worked for had an organization of over three hundred people – and He made it a point to learn every single person’s name within the first two weeks of His arrival.  When he passed you in the hall, he called you by name.  I was just a pion… an entry level worker, but he made me feel like I was important.  It changes a culture.  Remember names, they’re important. 
 
#4 Smile, give your full attention.  Eye contact is important.  Most people don’t even look you in the eye.  Don’t stare a hole in them, that’s creepy, but meet their glance with a warm increasing smile, for at least one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, or even a little longer.  They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and if that’s true, we are concerned about their soul.  You know something they don’t know…  how much God loves them.  Look people in the eye, it communicates the love of God.  Hold their gaze, with an increasingly warm smile, look away, and make contact again.   Young ladies, just be careful – many guys might get the wrong impression, if you don’t do this judiciously.  Most guys are longing for someone who will see them and value them, that’s not what you’re doing on the chemistry level, it’s just a personal level.  Be careful, but eye contact is what brings genuineness to relating with people.  Let God lead you.  God loves them, so love them with your eyes and your smile. 
 
#5 Work during work hours.   Some people stay late because they have to…  They wasted half the day talking about last nights game or tv show at the water cooler, so now they have to stay late to get their job done.  Those relatable moments are important – you can’t just be all business and no personality, but don’t get caught in excessive conversation that keeps you from doing your job.  Don’t take from your family time, because you squandered your work time.  PiVAT includes not just go to work, but what God wants you to accomplish each hour.  Be diligent to stay on task, so during breaks and transitions, you can engage others.  See PiVAT Hourly – seems a little radical, but Elon Musk understands it.  God has a purpose for your life, and your day, and even this hour. 
 
#6 Extra Hours required.  Especially when beginning a job.  There is a learning curve.  You cannot just work 9-5 and succeed the way God wants you to.  It will take some extra hours.  You will need to plan well, (PiVAT before dinner – get God’s schedule and pace for you).  And you will need to put in the extra time to prepare.  Walk in the door in the morning, already knowing what you have to do, so you hit the ground running.  It’s because you put in the extra time needed, to plan, and understand, even research things necessary to know so you can succeed.  Often times you have work to do during work hours, and research is required off hours.  Let God lead you – you’re not a slave to your job, but God does want you to pursue it with excellence.  Let Him reveal the extra time needed, and how to invest it, with minimal impact on your family.  He will.  You can trust Him.  Be excellent.
 
#7 Come prepared.  Your Job has five parts.  Be prepared, learn to gain mastery of each part.  Part 1: Mission & Vision:  Know what your company is trying to do, trying to accomplish – the desired end state.  Those who help their boss and company accomplish their mission, and realize their vision – are the most valuable employees.  They demonstrate the DNA the company is trying to build.  Understand company vision, and how you can further it.  Part 2: Products & Services – know your company’s products and services inside and out.  Become an expert.  This is on your time, not company time.  Others aren’t doing it.  You Do it.  This will require extra time investment, not just work time.  If you don’t know what your company has to offer? How can you help customers, and grow the business?  Don’t wait til you’re trained.  It’s not their job to train you, that’s your job.  And if you only know what they train everybody in, how does that differentiate you.  It’s your job to get the knowledge.  Average people wait til they are trained, excellent people, pursue expert-level knowledge to serve better, to help their boss, help their peers, and secure their company’s future.  God sent you there to bless them.  Become an expert, experts are always more effective, they help more people, they’re worth more, they’ll get paid more.   Part 3: Customers – know your customers, know what they need, do whatever you can to get to know them.  Listening is far more valuable than talking.  Do research, and when you have the opportunity for direct contact – become skilled at listening.  One wise vice president told me – listen to what they need, not what they want.  They’ll want you into bankruptcy.  Customers want things, that they are not willing to pay for, but what they need, they will buy – no matter the cost.  Learn your customers needs, business, values and vision.  And if you also know your company’s products and services, you can creatively help them succeed in what they want to do, by serving them with what your company does.  So they can do what they do best because they partner with you.  Cash and Customers are king.  Keep a close eye on both.  Learn their needs, and you’ll be able to serve them well.  Part 4: Industry – learn the industry – laws and regulations, legislation, competition.  Be like the men of Issachar.  Which of your competitors are doing well?  Why?  Who are your competitors?  It might be more than even a company.  Who are you competing against, and what advantages does your company have?  Understand the industry and the competition so you can build advantages that will help you serve customers.  Part 5: Your Role.  Know your job inside and out.  Know your job description, learn your job well, develop the skill and practice to become excellent at it. It takes work, and extra effort.  It’s not hard to be excellent.  Most people aren’t, but you have to put in the time, to plan and do.  They say 10,000 hours is master-level.  You can’t do it in a week, but pursue excellence in your role.  Do your job at the highest level.  Even Daniel’s enemies found he was neither corrupt, nor negligent.  He was excellent at what He did.  Get a Daniel reputation.  Become good at your job.  You do that not just by the number of hours you spend, but what you spend them on.  Ask God He’ll make you effective in the time He allots to your job.  Serve well.   
 
#8 Invest money.   This job has a cost that comes with it, the cost of getting better!  It costs money.  Set aside part of your earnings, to get better at your job.  Consider it part of the cost of doing business.  Maybe a training that could increase your skill, even if the company doesn’t pay for it.  Ask God if He wants you to invest in it for your future.  You should absolutely have a gift budget and an info-share budget.  How do you learn to do your job well?  You learn from other people who have gone before you, who do it well, or have done it well it before.  Ask to take someone to lunch just for an info-share, just to get their counsel, because you noticed some things they are excellent at, and you’re trying to follow in their footsteps as you’re just staring out.  People usually love talking about themselves and their personal successes.  You can learn a lot from people who are excellent, it’s worth setting aside money to take them out – and learn all you can.  And set aside money for gifts.  People love gifts, not bribes, just helping them feel valued and appreciated.  People appreciate it.  It’s a love language.  And a professional courtesy that people appreciate. 
 
#9 Add Value.  You should always ask God every day how you can add value at your job.  How you can give more today, than you are getting paid for.  God is a giver, ask Him and He will show you.  You should always be underpaid.  No matter how much they raise your pay, you should be giving more than you get.  God said, it’s more blessed to give than to receive.  Most people look to get by with the least required of them.  That’s not how Godly people work.  That’s not the Joseph anointing, or the Daniel blessing.  Look for ways every day to add value.  Always give more than you get.  There was a dad who owned a shop across from Mr. Johnson’s General Store, and his boy helped him after school each day.  Mr. Johnson also hired a boy to help him…  This man would always look out the window and see that boy, Charlie Murphy out sweeping the sidewalk, cleaning the windows, helping the customers carry their purchases, smiling and tipping his hat to the ladies, helping them cross the street… and every day He would comment, “Looks like Charlie Murphy’s working on a raise…”  After days of the same comment, his son exasperated, he finally said one day.  “Looks like Charlie Murphy’s working on a raise, and He’s gonna get one too.”  Unable to stand it any more, his boy said – How do you know Charlie Murphy is going to get a raise.”   “Because if Mr. Johnson won’t give him one, I will.”  Always give more than you receive.  It applies to your job as much as anywhere else.  God won’t let you be underpaid forever, but as soon you get a raise, you’ll still just add more value than what you’re being paid for.  It’s a lifestyle.   
 
#10 Make your Boss Look Good.  That’s not butt-kissing, it’s wisdom.  God said a wise servant looks after the needs of his master.  Your job is to make them look good.  Don’t worry if they give you the credit or not, you’re working for God, not them.  But God called you to serve them. Do it well.  There’s an interesting phenomenon in the business world.  It’s called the giant sucking sound.  When bosses get promoted, they take people with them.  People they trust, those who make them look good, come with them, they make a place for them, create positions if they have to.  Make your boss look good. 
 
#11 The Greatest Career Skill Ever.  Anticipation.   If you serve your boss, you’ll learn the questions they ask, and the things they need.  Excellent employees, anticipate what they will ask, and they prepare the answers (the research and investigation) before they even ask the question.  So when they ask – instead of coming back a couple days from now… you already have it with you – researched, printed up with graphs and detail, to set on the table in front of them.  While your peers are scrambling to get the information – you’ve got it waiting.   Sometimes you have several things ready – that you do not always get to use, but the skill of anticipation is what enables you to help your boss succeed.  The same with customers, and industry trends, those who anticipate well, stay ahead of the curve.  They capitalize on opportunities that come every day, and opportunities that come once in a lifetime?  Why? Because they’ve learned the skill of anticipation.  The good news is this.  You have a super-power to help you.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit – God said He will lead you into all truth – He will show you what is yet to come.  That’s the skill of anticipation.  Actually it’s the gift of God.  Ask Him, and He’ll help you.  He wants you to be excellent at this new job.  It’s not forever, its for a season.  He will give you grace to do it.  And what is STEP 1 to succeed in this new job.  PiVAT before dinner.   It’s how God directs your time, so you do the best thing, at the right time.  His best for you.  Praying that you will operate with the excellence of Christ on this job and everything He puts your hand to. 
 
Love you all,
dad