Participants: Eric Kelly
Series Code: WTD
Program Code: WTD000009A
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00:01 You know, when you're working the dream,
00:03 the struggle is oh-so real. 00:07 You have to be determined, 00:09 you have to work hard, 00:13 you need to be compassionate, 00:15 set goals, and be timely, 00:19 stay focused, and reach high. 00:22 You need all this and the Lord to come together 00:25 to make you a better person 00:27 while you're working the dream. 00:30 Hello and welcome to Workin' the Dream. 00:34 I am your host Eric Kelly. 00:35 And today, we are going to share tips 00:37 on what can be some of the most challenging parts 00:40 of all of our jobs, 00:42 and that is dealing with bosses, 00:44 the one person at work that seems to have 00:46 the most impact on us 00:48 is the person we report directly to, 00:51 our supervisor. 00:52 Now how many people go home every day dreading returning 00:56 the next day simply because the relationship 00:58 that they have with their manager is so poor. 01:01 Well, today, we're gonna share proven techniques 01:04 on how you can deal with the power-mad boss, 01:07 the evil boss, and still enjoy your job. 01:11 Now if you've worked one day already in your career, 01:14 you've probably realize that the basic workplace 01:17 is based loosely on military hierarchy. 01:20 There are layers of leaders 01:21 with various ranks passing on directives 01:24 are the most senior leaders to those of less rank. 01:27 In a military system, 01:29 the general would give directives 01:30 to the colonel, 01:31 who would then give directives to the major, 01:33 who would direct the captain, 01:35 who would direct the lieutenant, 01:36 down through the sergeant to the private. 01:39 Now to follow the same structure 01:41 in our corporate model, 01:42 let's use the positions that are most common 01:44 in the business organization. 01:46 First, there is the chairman of the board 01:48 who will give leadership and directives to the CEO, 01:51 who will then do that to the company president, 01:54 who will then direct to vice presidents, 01:56 who then will tell the directors what to do, 01:58 who will then tell the senior managers what to do, 02:01 who will then direct the managers, 02:03 and they will direct the frontline supervisors 02:06 all the way down to the frontline employee. 02:09 Now you may be blessed to have a supervisor 02:11 that is a true Christian. 02:14 Now don't get that confused when somebody goes to church, 02:17 going to church doesn't make one a Christian 02:20 anymore than sitting in a garage 02:21 makes them a Ferrari. 02:22 A true Christian will strive to be fair 02:25 and above board in all their dealings. 02:28 They're going to be honest, they're going to be forthright, 02:30 they'll probability be able to correct you 02:32 and coach you 02:33 without making you feel like two cents 02:36 waiting on change. 02:38 You will be able to see their relationship to God 02:40 by the way they treat people. 02:41 That's how it works. 02:43 Some of the rest of us, 02:44 however, may report to someone 02:46 who demonstrates a lot more intimacy 02:48 with the dark side, 02:50 they may employ yelling 02:52 and belittling and rude put downs 02:53 as a tool for controlling their team. 02:56 Either way, you are going to need divine wisdom to deal 02:59 with everyone on your work team. 03:02 Now while you may think good bosses are a breeze, 03:05 the danger is sometimes when you have a good boss, 03:08 you may take things for granted. 03:11 For granted you ask, yes, for granted. 03:13 When you have a great boss, 03:14 you are not daily reminded of how bad a boss can treat you 03:17 so you may not stay motivated to strengthen your daily 03:20 devotional life, 03:22 you may be tempted to say to yourself that, 03:23 everything is gonna be good today, 03:25 its gonna be cool, so maybe it will never end. 03:29 Wrong, recess does not lasts all day. 03:33 Now for those of us whose boss 03:35 seems to have ingested large quantities 03:38 of Mini Beings, 03:40 we've got some help for you, so hang on. 03:42 I would like to introduce a word 03:44 that explains some behaviors that drive us nuts at work. 03:48 The word is ego. 03:52 The challenge with our egos is that sometimes our egos 03:55 are not supported in reality. 03:57 When this is the case, 04:00 it impacts negatively everyone that surrounds us, 04:03 it unleashes a destructive force, 04:05 in fact the most destructive force 04:07 to all relationships, that's pride. 04:11 The Bible has a lot to tell us 04:13 on how this disease ultimately ends. 04:16 In Galatians 6:3, it says, 04:18 "For if anyone thinks he is something, 04:20 when he is nothing, he deceives himself." 04:24 In proverbs 27:2, it says, 04:27 "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth. 04:30 A stranger, and not your own lips." 04:33 You know, for those who like bragging. 04:36 In Proverbs 16:05, it says, 04:38 "Everyone who is arrogant in his heart 04:41 is an abomination to the Lord. 04:44 Be assured, he will not go unpunished." 04:48 I don't want to get punished 04:50 by the almighty God for being arrogant. 04:53 It doesn't make sense how we can be arrogant 04:56 for some skill or talent or gift 04:59 that we have when it's God 05:01 who decides that we wake up every day 05:03 and use the abilities. 05:05 By the way, 05:06 He gave us the talent in the first place. 05:08 So here is the multimillion-dollar question, 05:11 how can you survive your boss's ego 05:15 when it needs an 18 wheeler to get it into the room? 05:18 And that's been said 05:20 that some people become dictators 05:21 after they get promoted. 05:24 Let me challenge that a little bit. 05:27 They were always dictators. 05:30 Yeah, nothing new, 05:31 they just got promoted and they were giving 05:34 an elevated platform from which to better display 05:38 their dictator-ish-ness. 05:43 Years ago, I ran a training division 05:45 in large company 05:47 and we were instituting a new process, 05:51 and this was smiled upon 05:53 and directed by our senior executive team. 05:57 So we went out to various locations 05:59 and we went to one particular plant manager 06:01 and we told him 06:02 the changes that were coming down, 06:04 and our group was to train it and bring his people along. 06:07 So as we're halfway going through this thing, 06:10 there's a part in it 06:11 where the senior managers wanted 06:13 to be apprised of every change 06:15 that was going on in all of the plants 06:17 because executives want to know 06:19 what's going on or else how can they lead. 06:21 When we got to this one part 06:22 and we said and the plant managers 06:25 will report this up through the lines 06:28 of the organization, and he sat back in his chair, 06:31 he says, "Excuse me, sir. 06:33 I'm god in this organization." 06:37 Well, we responded 06:38 that we were not challenging his exalted position, 06:43 but your bosses want your support 06:46 in rolling out this program. 06:48 Wow! 06:49 This person actually in their mind came up 06:52 with saying I am god? 06:56 When this guy comes back to reality, 06:58 his god complex just got knocked down a peg 07:01 by what his superiors were directing. 07:05 First of all, let's start with a couple of facts 07:07 about all bosses no matter 07:09 how they act and how they treat you, 07:11 they are not god. 07:13 Let's compare. 07:15 God has always been and will always be. 07:21 Your boss on the other hand, 07:22 they were born, and one day, they will die. 07:27 God is all knowing, everything. 07:32 Now your boss may know a lot 07:34 about a lot of different things 07:37 but ask him how many hairs are 07:40 on your head, God knows. 07:44 Your boss may have stock options 07:46 and a hefty bonus, 07:49 but God's got all the wealth of the universe. 07:52 Now let's look at a situation 07:55 where the boss absolutely has an exalted view of himself. 08:00 Let me simplify this for the simple. 08:03 In most areas of this company, 08:07 it is lead, follow, or get out of the way, 08:09 but not in this department, not in my department. 08:12 In my department, 08:13 it's follow or get out of the way. 08:17 And the reason why is because I am the king, 08:20 I am the king of this department 08:22 and all of the employees are like little ants 08:25 in my yard that bother me. 08:28 I am like Mufasa, the Lion King. 08:32 I am as sure as I'm standing here, 08:36 Michael Jermaine Jackson taken, 08:41 and I am the boss here, 08:43 and you will do what I tell you to do 08:47 because I am 08:50 the master of efficiency. 08:56 You got it? 08:57 Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, 09:00 I'm the master of efficiency. 09:03 You got a question? No, it's more like a statement. 09:07 Oh, good, because questions bother me, 09:09 questions question my authority. 09:14 Wow, went from one crazy boss to another. 09:17 I just got promoted, 09:18 so you're saying this is the norm 09:20 for bosses around here? 09:21 I hope not. 09:23 I don't know what's going on here, 09:24 but I don't like talking, 09:25 when I am doing a meeting, I don't like talking. 09:28 Where you talking about me? 09:29 If you were talking about me, 09:31 then you're in some kind of trouble. 09:34 What is your name? Maleek. 09:37 Are you new here? 09:39 Actually, we're all new to your group. 09:41 What happen to the rest of it, 09:42 what happened to the other guys? 09:44 I have taken few days off in... 09:46 Never mind. 09:48 You're all blessed to be able to be working under me 09:52 as me as the leader and you as the followers, 09:55 so what I suggest 09:57 that you to do is you start following 10:00 and I am gonna go to my office 10:02 and I am going to get some rest. 10:06 Chop-chop. 10:16 Well, there is only one problem with that. 10:19 If we push the schedule server maintenance up 10:21 by two days, that interferes 10:23 with our normal reporting cycle. 10:24 And at the moment, 10:26 we really can't afford to risk that. 10:28 Mm-hm. 10:31 Okay, so let's do this, 10:34 we can bump up reports one and two up by a day 10:36 and then if you guys can hold off 10:38 on the last server maintenance until 8pm, 10:41 then we can get our other reports done before then. 10:45 Sounds great, all right. 10:48 Bye-bye. 10:50 That is not the best way to do this. 10:52 That's not the best plan. Can you announce yourself? 10:55 I don't need to announce myself. 10:56 You should sense my presence when I come into this room. 10:59 I need a cologne. 11:01 Listen, I could not help, 11:02 but overhear what you were saying, 11:06 and I want you to know that that is not 11:09 the most efficient way to do it. 11:11 What do you suggest? 11:13 I suggest that you do it all, every bit of it in one day. 11:17 That's not even possible and feasible. 11:19 Why is not possible? 11:21 Because we have other tasks that are equally as important 11:24 and those reports take at least two days 11:26 to produce and analyze. 11:27 That's the way that I want you to do it. 11:29 It doesn't matter what programs we got, 11:31 what files we got, and everything, 11:34 I am the MOE. 11:38 MOE? 11:39 Master of efficiency. 11:43 I think I'll stick 11:44 to the original agreement, I'm... 11:46 No, I don't think you will. 11:47 I think you would do it the way that I tell you to do it. 11:50 Ah, I'm gonna stick with that. 11:52 No, you won't. 11:57 Yes, I will. Do you like your job? 12:00 Do you like working here? 12:02 Would you like to continue to work here? 12:05 All right. 12:06 Then do it the way that I say to do it. 12:07 Okay, all right. 12:36 Oh, I see this is how you're doing this. 12:39 Oh, my goodness, you got to be kidding me. 12:41 How can I help you Mr. Tiakor? 12:44 I was just observing what was taking place, 12:46 observing you work here, and I just have to say, 12:48 there is a much more efficient way of doing this. 12:51 But I am just putting numbers into a spreadsheet, 12:54 how much more efficient can that be? 12:55 Yes, but there is a more efficient way to do this. 13:00 How much more efficient can it be? 13:02 Who is that guy? What's his name over there? 13:05 Maleek. Maleek, come over here. 13:07 Come over here now. 13:14 We're wasting time, we're wasting money, 13:16 we're wasting energy. 13:18 This is almost like an old fashioned process 13:22 even though it is up to date equipment. 13:26 Let me explain to you what happens 13:28 when you do it this way. 13:30 Now pay attention, 13:31 you have to look at the spreadsheet, 13:34 you have to look at the computer, 13:35 your eyes go back, 13:37 your eyes go forth, 13:39 back and forth, back, and it takes up time. 13:41 I mean, it could be seconds, it could be minutes, 13:42 it could be hours, 13:44 but if we speed everything up, 13:46 we will make this department 13:48 working at the top of the line in this company. 13:51 Do you understand me? Do you have an adding machine? 13:55 You must not use it if you don't know where it is. 13:59 Surely, there is... 14:01 Aha! 14:06 Now here's what's gonna happen. 14:11 You're going to take the calculator 14:16 and you are gonna call out the numbers 14:19 and you are gonna put them in the adding machine, 14:21 and this is going to save cutting eyes back and forth, 14:25 taking up too much time. 14:26 Two people can do this. 14:29 Are you serious? I am serious, I'm serious. 14:31 It's a heart attack. Okay, now here is the deal. 14:36 My way is the only way. 14:41 My way or the highway 14:44 because I am the genius and the genius teaches those 14:48 that are not-so genius, that's why I am the MOE. 14:53 Read my lips. 14:57 MOE? 14:58 Once again, the master of efficiency. 15:04 Right. My work's done here. 15:06 Chop-chop. 15:07 Do it the way I told you to do it. 15:09 Didn't ask you, I told you. 15:11 No questions. 15:20 Five thousand three hundred. 15:22 Five thousand... 15:25 This key keeps getting stuck. 15:31 Okay, five thousand... 15:33 This is so dumb. 15:37 What are you guys doing? Who uses calculators anymore? 15:39 Wouldn't it be easier to just enter 15:41 into a spreadsheet? 15:42 Yeah, that would make 15:44 all the sense in the world, right? 15:45 Tell that to the master of efficiency. 15:47 Oh, he hit you with that one, too, huh? 15:50 It's only been a week and he's already starting 15:52 to get on my nerves. 15:54 We got to do something, 15:55 maybe we can just go to his boss. 15:57 No, no, no, no, man, 15:59 that's not a how a corporate game works. 16:01 We do that, we might all end up in the unemployment line. 16:03 But we got to do something. 16:05 I say we get a bag of pepper powder 16:08 and put it in his drawer, 16:10 then it will explode all over him, 16:11 and then cause him to sneeze 16:13 and then we don't have to hear his mouth anymore. 16:16 Any other ideas? 16:19 Well, why don't we go to his house 16:20 and put sugar in his gas tank? 16:23 From that point on, he can't come to work anymore. 16:25 Haven't you ever heard of Uber? Oh, yeah. 16:31 I got an idea. Come with me. 16:44 Now our view of our boss can give them too much power 16:48 over our lives if we fail to recognize 16:50 who it is that gave us the job in the first place. 16:53 Who do you give credit for your job? 16:56 Is it you or is it the divine hand 16:59 that allowed you to get that job? 17:01 I'm gonna ask for a couple of my friends 17:03 to help me out and illustrate this point. 17:08 We're going to say that my friend Brian here, 17:10 we're going to call him the source. 17:12 This is the divine hand that makes everything work. 17:16 We're going to have my friend Jason 17:18 be the resource. 17:19 That's my supervisor. 17:21 Now I need to recognize who is really in control here. 17:26 However, here is where things get to be a bit muddy. 17:29 You see, I get paid maybe once a week 17:32 or once a month or twice a month or whatever, 17:35 I get paid from my boss. 17:41 That's a really cool thing. 17:43 I now go pay bills, buy gas, 17:45 keep the lights on, and all that good stuff. 17:48 Now this happens every week or every month. 17:54 I get paid again. 17:56 Now the interesting thing here is I cannot see the source 18:01 unless I'm spiritually connected 18:03 but I can definitely see the resource. 18:05 So I'm ready for my pay again, and at this point, 18:10 I give credit to my resource for everything good 18:14 that's happening. 18:16 In fact, I work harder 18:17 and my resource decides I'm due for a raise. 18:23 Whoa! I am getting more money. 18:26 But I see my resource. 18:30 And if I have not talked to my source, 18:34 then I have a problem. 18:36 Now here's sometimes what God allows to happen. 18:39 Sometimes, the divine hand, 18:43 God's divine hand is in control of my blessing. 18:47 And sometimes He lets my resource 18:49 get moved out of the way. 18:51 And I am so used to dealing with my resource, 18:54 well, is my life over? 18:56 Maybe you lose a job, 18:58 maybe you get transferred, 19:00 maybe whatever is going on in your life goes bad 19:03 and there's a change here. 19:06 Now I'll tell you personally what happens, at that point, 19:08 I generally get on my knees 19:10 and I get really, really connected 19:13 to my source. 19:15 And here is what God does, 19:16 once we know where the power comes from, 19:20 He says, "Okay, I think I can bless you again." 19:23 He'll let another resource come back 19:25 into your life and the blessings flow. 19:30 And that's how we're blessed. 19:32 That's really where the power comes from. 19:34 Now here is an issue. 19:36 As my source uses my resource to bless me, 19:42 God wants to make sure that my relationship 19:45 with my resource is kosher, something that he can bless. 19:50 I cannot worship my resource. I can only worship my source. 19:55 So this flow, 19:57 this is how our careers go when they're blessed, 20:00 this is how our lives go when they're blessed, 20:03 when we understand the power of God 20:05 to use channels to bless us, 20:09 and it all begins with understanding 20:12 who our source is, and that's God. 20:14 Thank you guys very much. 20:15 Can I have my money back, please? 20:18 Thank you. 20:19 I love the things that the source does for us. 20:22 Now sometimes our problems with our boss 20:24 is based on a age old ailment, 20:28 a disease, if you will, an itis, 20:31 it's called the I disease or I-itis. 20:34 And the issue is that may be our egos are at war. 20:40 Am I letting their I be bigger than my I? 20:43 Let me give you a secret. 20:45 Any time there is a conflict between the boss 20:48 and the direct report, 20:50 and the issue is one of I and ego, 20:53 almost every time the direct report loses. 20:57 Sometimes I'm just gonna have to let my boss be the boss, 21:01 it's the way it is. 21:02 And by the way, I have a divine comforter 21:04 that can keep me at peace while I'm doing that. 21:07 So how do you handle a challenging boss? 21:10 Well, first of all, find out who they really are. 21:14 We all come to work, we fight traffic, 21:16 we go through whatever, 21:17 you need to know who your boss is. 21:19 So the better that you understand 21:22 how your boss thinks and what your boss does 21:24 and why, the better situated 21:27 you're going to be to deliver the results that they want. 21:29 You're going to be better able to manage their expectations 21:32 and avoid those no-win positions. 21:35 Now this might be difficult especially 21:38 if your boss gets on your last nerve. 21:42 But if you're able to put yourself 21:43 in their shoes and see the world 21:45 and your work place as they do, 21:47 the leverage that you will have in dealing 21:49 with them will be immeasurable. 21:53 Here's what you need to know, what do they care about? 21:56 I mean, really, at the gut level, 21:58 what keeps them up at night? 22:00 What frightens them? 22:02 No matter how they try to convince you, 22:03 they are superhuman, things do bother them. 22:06 How much importance do they place 22:09 on impressing others? 22:11 Every boss has a boss and they have a boss, 22:14 are they trying to work 22:16 the corporate ladder themselves? 22:17 How do they measure success? 22:20 And what do they think about failure? 22:23 When you know what drives your boss, 22:25 even if your boss 22:27 may not be fully conscious of what it is, 22:29 you can speak to their listening, 22:31 you can speak to their insides when you're talking to them, 22:34 you can frame opinions and use language in ways 22:37 that line up with their values, 22:40 mellows out their fears, and helps them know 22:43 that you understand their priorities. 22:46 In other words, you'll be able to know 22:48 what's really going on in their heads. 22:51 You also want to support their successes 22:54 and you want to work around their weaknesses. 22:57 Yes, everybody has got weaknesses, 22:59 and this boss that may bug you has weaknesses. 23:02 Now it might sound a bit counterintuitive 23:05 to support a bad boss in becoming more successful. 23:09 But there's absolutely nothing to be gained by making them 23:12 look bad or going to war 23:14 or attempting to facilitate their failure. 23:19 If they are as bad as you think and you say, 23:22 they will likely do a pretty good job 23:24 of messing things up all by themselves. 23:27 Now exposing your boss's incompetence 23:30 will only compound your misery, 23:33 and it might damage your reputation, 23:35 it might even damage good job. 23:39 One way to help your boss focus on their natural strengths 23:43 is to be proactive about how you help them 23:46 deal with their weaknesses. 23:48 If you know for instance that you have a boss 23:50 who is disorganized, 23:52 I mean, he can't find papers on their desk, 23:54 doesn't know where the next project is, 23:56 then help them be on top of things 23:58 rather than whining 23:59 about their lack of organizational skills. 24:02 I mean, if they've got a problem, be a helper. 24:06 If you know your boss is often late to meetings, 24:09 offer to kickoff the next meeting for them. 24:12 If he tends to change his mind frequently 24:14 or is outright forgetful, 24:15 be sure to document all communication 24:17 so you can refer it back to them 24:19 if he ever contradicts himself. 24:21 If you know your boss is slow to respond 24:23 to continue working on a project 24:25 while you wait to hear back from him, 24:27 be proactive and contact him. 24:29 Making yourself indispensable and someone your boss 24:32 can really rely on to do their job 24:34 is a valuable asset when you start to look 24:37 at what's the next thing on your plate 24:39 for your career. 24:41 By doing what you can to help your boss succeed, 24:43 you lay a solid foundation 24:45 for greater successes for yourself. 24:47 Now it may not be an immediate reward. 24:49 But in the long run, 24:50 you can never lose by helping others. 24:52 Do better than they would otherwise. 24:55 Take the high road. 24:57 Your personal brand is riding on it. 24:59 Never let your boss's bad behavior 25:01 be an excuse for your own. 25:04 All too often, people start to feel entitled to slack off 25:07 or take longer lunches 25:09 or lose interest in performing well 25:11 because they have a bad boss. 25:13 Don't do it. 25:14 Keep your mind focused on top performance. 25:18 Complaining to your spouse or your friends, 25:20 do that all you want, 25:22 but when you're in the office or the workplace, 25:24 stay upbeat, stay engaged, 25:27 and actually handling a difficult boss 25:29 can really set you apart if you do it well. 25:32 You never know who is watching or listening. 25:34 But be assured people can open up 25:37 or close future opportunities 25:39 based on what you're doing. 25:41 They are watching. 25:42 While it may be easy to succumb to resentment or resignation 25:45 and mentally checked out of doing your job, 25:47 don't do that. 25:48 That undermines your integrity, 25:50 but it can also put you at risk of being branded as a whiner, 25:53 a slacker, or both. 25:55 So if your boss is a shouter, don't react by shouting back. 25:59 If they're petty or small minded, 26:01 don't descend to smallness yourself 26:03 however tempting it may be, rather with God's help, 26:07 maintain a calm professional demeanor 26:09 in dealing with your boss. 26:11 Gandhi wrote, 26:12 "Be the change you want to see in the world." 26:14 In this case, act like the leader 26:17 you wish your boss was. 26:19 If you feel you've run out of options, 26:20 don't go rumor-mongering 26:22 or bad mouthing them to everybody, 26:24 rather follow proper procedures 26:25 for registering complaints with HR 26:27 or with higher level superiors, 26:29 documenting each step of the way. 26:32 Speak up. 26:34 Give your boss a chance to respond, 26:35 have the courage to speak up 26:37 rather than cower in silence with fear. 26:39 So just because it may be easier to say nothing 26:42 don't suffer quietly or complain. 26:45 Pray for them and trust God 26:46 to take care of you in all work situations. 26:48 Proverbs 3:5 says, 26:51 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 26:52 and do not lean on your own understanding." 26:55 Show Christ living in you by interacting pleasantly, 27:00 yeah, even with a rough boss. 27:02 Don't forget your daily spiritual routine, every day, 27:05 wake up, spend time in God's Word, pray, 27:07 listen for His voice. 27:09 My scripture for this is Deuteronomy 1:30, 27:12 "The Lord your God, who is going before you, 27:14 will fight for you, even as He did in Egypt, 27:17 before your very eyes." 27:19 Remember, no matter what, 27:21 you may be powerless over what they, 27:24 even a bad boss, can do to you. 27:27 But they are absolutely powerless 27:29 over what God will do for you. 27:32 So until next time, this is Eric Kelly. 27:36 Keep Workin' the Dream. |
Revised 2017-08-03