Integrity Moments

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 16% of the workforce have a substance use disorder. Furthermore, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, this is costing over $93 billion in lost productivity a year.  Proverbs 23 addresses all kinds of snares like alcohol, gluttony, and adultery. Proverbs 23:29 says, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Wh...

In his book “Second Wind for the Second Half,” Patrick Morley describes questioning the team he hired to paint basketball markings on the driveway around his garage basketball hoop. When the team seemed to take a long time to get started, Morley asked if there was a problem. The team foreman said they were checking and rechecking measurements before they started work.   “We’ve learned from experie...

For too much of my career, I was worried about where I ranked in the organization. How was my career advancing in comparison with others? Who was moving ahead faster? Who had the boss’s favor?  It’s a human tendency, but it takes our eyes off the one on whom we should be focused.  Peter falls prey to that tendency in the final verses of the Book of John. Jesus has ... The post Shepherd Focus appea...

As Kathy and I toured Richard Nixon’s Presidential Library, we learned a more complete picture on this complicated man and time in history. Many believe Watergate wasn’t President Nixon’s biggest problem; it was the cover up.   Some doubt President Nixon even knew about Watergate before it happened. But his lies and deception made the cover up far more harmful than the Watergate break-in itself, d...

While visiting Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library in Simi Valley, one of the interesting discoveries Kathy and I came across was his note cards. Sometime after President Reagan had passed, a folder of 4 by 6 note cards was found among the President’s possessions.  President Reagan maintained a folder filled with quotes, stories, and jokes. He then categorized these handwritten notes into categor...

Kathy and I took our son to see the movie, Toy Story 5, recently. When the camera focused on an individual character, the focus was clear.   But when the camera scanned out to a bigger picture everything was blurry. We assumed they would eventually fix the projector, but they never did.   Afterwards, we learned we’d been in a 3D movie but were never offered 3D glasses.  ... The post A Blurry Movie...

When Jeremy lost his job, he was so angry that he spent more time complaining about his situation than trying to resolve it. His bitterness came through in his job search and interviews. The Biblical story of Joseph offers a different response to setbacks. When he was falsely accused and sent to prison, Joseph chose ... The post Serve Anyway appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

In his book, “Smarter, Faster, Better,” author Charles Duhigg describes an automotive factory launched as a joint venture of two Japanese and American auto manufacturers. The new factory incorporated new operating processes, training long-time auto workers to take responsibility for stopping the production line when they saw a defect on a vehicle. In one anecdote, ... The post Servant Leader appea...

In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman persistently called out for Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Surprisingly, Jesus ignored her. When the disciples urged Jesus to send her away, Jesus responded by sharing His personal purpose. In Matthew 15:24, Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” Jesus said to this ... The post Exceptions to Being Mission Focused appeared first on U...

While studying Matthew 9 recently, I pondered Jesus’ concern for the souls of the vast crowds that were following Him. He told His disciples to pray for workers because the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. Then my Bible had a new chapter, making it appear that the story was finished. I wanted ... The post Scaling Your Business appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

Several years into my early career, I felt limited as an entry level individual contributor. But I was adamant that I wasn’t ready to supervise people. I felt that I needed more training, more experience, and more time. I didn’t ask God for his guidance; I just decided I wasn’t ready. The first time Jesus ... The post Over Prepared appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

During the 17 years in my first corporate job, I advanced from an entry-level coordinator to the company’s top communications professional. During those formative years, I based my identity on my job. So, it was unsettling when I moved to a new, less visible role at a new employer. But the change was a valuable ... The post New Thing appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

Lifeway, a Christian publishing organization, performs a research study called Living Unashamed. In their recent study, they asked Protestant churchgoers whether they agreed with the statement, “Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian.”  In 2013, 14% of polled churchgoers strongly agreed that others wouldn’t know them as Christians. Unfortunately, that number has now dramatically in...

When I was a kid, my uncle bought a go-cart that had what was called a governor on it. The governor purposely limited how fast the go-cart could go.  That is, until my uncle overrode the governor. Suddenly this go-cart flew across the parking lot.   Many of us in the workplace have placed mental governors on ourselves, limiting our God given abilities. These limits may ... The post Eliminate the G...

Larry, a college acquaintance, partied hard at college and was kicked out of business school. Amazingly, the Dean gave Larry another chance, provided that he had a 3.5 grade point average at midterms.   Larry amazingly started his final exams with a 3.8 grade point average, exceeding his 3.5 goal.   The night before Larry’s last final, Larry packed his belongings and shouted to his fraternity brot...

The break-neck pace of work today tells us that we can’t stand still or we will fall behind. The accelerating pace of new technology creates an exhausting sense that we need to urgently get to the next big thing. But when we focus too much on what’s next, we miss being present in the moment. ... The post Don’t Miss Today appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m highlighting some foundational pillars for business that our Founding Fathers established. The final pillar for our discussion is religious freedom. Centralized control over ideas was not uncommon to our Founders. From the beginning, freedom was a driving force behind many of our forefathers coming to America. The ... The post PIllars of Commerce...

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m highlighting some foundational pillars for business that our Founding Fathers established. The fifth pillar is intellectual property rights. Our Founders were creative and forward thinking when it came to protecting inventors, authors, and artists. The Constitution proclaims, “To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by ... The post Pi...

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m highlighting the foundational pillars for business that our Founding Fathers established. The fourth pillar is enforceable contracts. Before the Constitution was written, individual states could undermine contracts that crossed state lines. The Constitution was written, in part, to unify a nation and provide that no state law ... The post Pillars...

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m highlighting the foundational pillars that our Founding Fathers established, allowing businesses to flourish. The second pillar is the rule of law. Our Founders had experienced injustice from rulers and leaders who were able to change the rules anytime it benefitted them personally. Because of their experiences, our ... The post Pillars of Commer...

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’d like to highlight some foundational pillars that our Founding Fathers established, allowing businesses to flourish. Because of their wisdom, the U.S. became a place where risk-taking was rewarded, innovation was protected, and power was constrained. One of the first pillars is protection of private property. Our Founders ... The post Pillars of C...

According to JD Power surveys, 49% of small businesses are financially unhealthy. That fact, coupled with their discovery that 89% of small businesses use credit cards for business purchases, can lead to danger.  Especially, when we learn that the average interest rate on credit cards rose to 21% in February from 14% in 2022.  Borrowing money ... The post Credit Cards and Small Business appeared f...

Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, was recently sued by some employees because of the content of an Easter message she sent to her staff. Her email discussed Jesus’ resurrection as being the foundation of our faith. The offended employees claim that this was government-sponsored religious coercion. This case will likely be a significant ... The post Religious Speech From The Govern...

After waiting fifteen minutes to get my food, I finally saw the problem. The layout of the drive-through window was inefficient. The Order Taker walked to the other end of the building to run my debit card for payment. Also, the food preparation was far from the drive-up window, requiring many extra steps. The employees ... The post Providing the Resources Needed appeared first on Unconventional B...

Nehemiah dreamed of rebuilding Jerusalem after it had been mostly rubble for over 140 years. This week we will examine 5 key steps Nehemiah took that paved the way for his team’s amazing success.  The first step is “Prayerfully Assessing the Situation.” When Nehemiah learned that Jerusalem was in ruins his heart broke.  He prayed ... The post Nehemiah’s 5 Steps to Success: Part I appeared first on...