Guts to Guard the Gate

Great quote from Larry Osborne...

"The best time to reduce conflict is before it breaks out. The best way to do that is to keep contentious people (and those with an ax to grind or competing ministry vision) off the leadership team. I look at it this way: If I don’t have the guts to guard the gate, I have no right to complain about who’s in the pen."

http://churchexecutive.com/archives/meet-larry-osborne

WORKING 9 TO 5 WHEN YOU'RE NOT DOLLY

The American workplace is dramatically changing. The traditional “Dolly Parton…Working 9 – 5” is ancient history. I just checked out a copy of Michael Gerber’s book Awakening the Entrepreneur Within: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Companies. Wide ranging reading and studying all kinds of different academic disciplines is a passion and pleasure of mine. The focus of Gerber’s book fits well with a recent email newsletter from Dan Miller http://www.48days.com/

You're already self-employed

In last week’s newsletter I talked about how smaller companies offer most of the new jobs. What are those “jobs” likely to look like? Work models are changing. The traditional 8-5 employee is becoming a less common model of work. We are rapidly approaching the time when only 50% of the American workforce will be “employees.” 50% of American workers will soon be: · Free-lance workers · Consultants · Contingency workers · Independent contractors · Temps · Entrepreneurs · Electronic immigrants These are legitimate, growing and profitable work models. Different perhaps from what we are used to, but real opportunities nonetheless. If you are determined to get a traditional 8-5 job with benefits, you are looking for a shrinking work model. If you can flip hamburgers, make French fries, restock the ketchup, and sweep the floors, you can get a “job.” But what if you have a highly developed skill in: · writing proposals · mediating conflicts · analyzing data · or setting up demonstrations? Or maybe you are talented in: · auditing financial reports · training · handling complaints · or coaching individuals. Maybe your talents shine in · designing websites · managing Twitter and FaceBook updates · writing press releases · and creating compelling videos. You will find that 95% of the companies out there are not large enough to hire you to do just that one task. Thus you will be expected to go back to being the generalist. OR – you could find 8 or 10 companies that would love to use your specialized skills in that area – 1 day a week, or 2 days a month. Can you adapt to the new model of work? AND – you may find it’s easier to find the 8-10 mini-jobs rather than the 1 big traditional (pay me take care of all my needs) job. In today’s workplace we’re all “Self-Employed.” Whether you choose to have one customer or several is not as big a leap as you may think.