The Articles Library, Section 2

Putting People First

John Beckett

According to John Beckett, one of the great ambassadors of the faith in the business world, “It is because of the Father’s great love for each person that every follower of Christ is called to put people first.” Despite the financial trade-offs that may entail in management, “from God’s perspective there is no greater priority on this earth than people.” What does that mean on Monday morning? This excerpt from John’s book, Mastering Monday, explores some of the practical implications.

Practice the Significance Principle

Les Carter and Jim Underwood

Whether in the board room or on the loading dock, people are starving to hear that they are significant, that they matter, that what they are doing is valued and appreciated. In this article, the authors argue that it is our task as Christians to be encouragers and to recognize the God-given worth of each person.

Giving Something Back

John Beckett

A Christian CEO describes how and why his company has used corporate resources to “give something back” to the local community, to the employees, to the needy around the world, and to many others. As he explains, this is simply an outgrowth of good stewardship, acknowledging that the business really belongs to God and that its resources are to be managed for His purposes.

Overcoming Compassion Fatigue

Michael Zigarelli

If you don’t care as much about the people around you at work as you used to, you may suffer from “compassion fatigue” – a common stress that is a cousin of burnout. In simplest terms, it means that you’ve grown tired of caring, that you don’t have anything left for anybody else. What can a person do about it? This article explains what scripture says as well as what we’ve learned from research.

Design Thinking for Social Innovation

Tim Brown and Jocelyn Wyatt 

It’s a revolutionary reframing. “Design thinking” is a widely-used innovation process that is essentially a third way between hyper-rational and hyper-intuitive approaches. Think iPad and IDEO. But think also, as this article does, about the potential to solve the thorniest social problems around the world. From the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Reward Employees with Praise

Michael Zigarelli

We’ve all been there and it’s not a happy place. We earned a thank you but didn’t get it. Few things frustrate like ingratitude. But consider that your employees may feel the same way. So may some people in your household. We can do better than our bosses have. The Old Testament Book of Proverbs offers plenty of practical advice to help us make a habit of rewarding people with praise.

A Teambuilding Exercise in Encouragement

Sister Helen Mrosla

Looking for a way to build chemistry and energize your team? The ingenious approach of this third grade teacher paid dividends for a lifetime. It may for you as well.

Video: The Power and Practice of Encouragement

Michael Zigarelli 

If we can get in the habit of encouraging and affirming others, every relationship we have will improve. Here’s a practical, 10 minute video message from Michael Zigarelli about how to build people up, rather than tear them down.

Video: Encourage Six Times More Than You Criticize

Jeff Henderson 

Our conversations average six criticisms to every one encouragement. Is reversing this ratio the key to improving our relationships at home, at work, and in our everyday lives?

This is a 35 minute message from North Point Community Church (Andy Stanley’s church) that’s worth every minute you can invest in it.