A friend of mine owns a company, and his employees get a little on edge when they see him coming their way.
It’s not that they don’t like him – he just has this tendency of asking a lot of questions. And his questions usually make people a little uncomfortable.
He’s never satisfied. Suppose you are feeling pretty good because the customer satisfaction reports have ticked up another notch. He’ll come up with some brilliant idea that the customer hadn’t even asked for yet, and ask why they aren’t even higher. Or, when the sales team gets all excited about a new lead for business, he’ll jump ten steps ahead of them and point out all of the issues that still must be resolved in order to win the deal. Get cracking on it.
The minute anyone – anyone! – starts to relax and feel a little comfortable with the way things are, he’ll quickly remind them of how far they have yet to go.
“We’ve got to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” is what he keeps telling his people over and over again. “If anyone thinks they can work here and keep the status quo, then they are at the wrong company, and are probably in the wrong life.”
His efforts have paid off. During his ten-year stint as President, the company’s performance has gone from stagnant mediocrity to now sitting in the top 20% of its peers. And despite my friend’s annoying habit of asking too many questions, his employee turnover is one of the lowest in the industry.
Why? He engenders a sense of pride, loyalty, and an unending quest for excellence among his people that they would never get by working for a stagnant, old-school, middle-of-the-road operation. Those employees actually like being pushed. And now their company is comfortably poised for growth and profitability in an extremely competitive market space.
Divine Disturbance
Sometimes I feel God doing that to me – asking too many questions and disturbing my middle-of-the-road space. I want to be left alone to just do my own thing, the way I want, because usually I think it’s good enough.
But then here comes God – poking, prodding and pushing, hitting me upside the head with some disturbing kind of divine intervention that I would rather not encounter: a fight with my wife; a failed project; a falling back to Plan B.
He stirs up the calm waters. He rips through the blue skies. And it makes me cringe.
Most of us don’t like to be disturbed from our routines. We want to go about our business, keeping our heads down and maintaining some perceived sense of stability – calm seas and blue skies. But the irony is that without that periodic disruption from time to time, we’ll never grow – spiritually, emotionally, or professionally.
The legendary explorer and sea captain of the British empire, Sir Francis Drake, knew this too, when he penned a prayer on this very subject:
Prayer for Spiritual Revival
“Disturb us Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves.
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little.
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore…
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.”
When we get too comfortable, a good push from the outside can mobilize us to greatness, beyond what we might even think we are capable of.
So, the next time you face a disturbing encounter, recalibrate your perception. Instead of bristling, bring it on. And thank God for disturbing you.
Post by Bradley J. Moore of Shrinking the Camel. Photograph by nAncY, used with permission.
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Brandley,
Thanks for a kick in pants.
If you don’t mind me saying, God seldom shows up to affirm the status quo. When He shows up He shows up to change things. I think the exemption to this is seen in how God deals with the broken. Other than that, fasten your spiritual seat belts.
I’ll go so far as to say, if the sea isn’t at least choppy, God isn’t involved.
Just a thought
Regards,
Grace Freak
Dan Rockwell
Recent Blog: Overcoming Spiritual Misery
http://gracefreakdan.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/overcoming-spiritual-misery/
I’m with you Dan. Ironically, I am experiencing quite a disturbance this week in a couple areas with my job. It was funny that as it was happening I kept thinking, “All right, boy, stay open, calm down, this will be a good thing.” I was getting comfortable and then got thrown in to an extremely challenging area of the business that I have been asked to fix.
It’s going to be great.
I am going to hold you to this Bradley. ; – )
Uh-oh.
Much to my chagrin, I have noticed throughout my career that some of the biggest jerks (not that your friend is a jerk) to work for are also some of the most successful business people. I have wondered if it is a necessary characteristic to be a successful manager. As a manager in the for-profit, and now nonprofit, sector I would wonder if my success would be limited by having a supportive, encouraging management style. After all, even Jesus was always asking his disciples uncomfortable questions. There are times when I read the Bible that I am so glad I was not there to be put on the spot, but I wonder if that discomfort wouldn’t make me better at everything I do.
I certainly don’t think that being obnoxious is a prerequisite for business success. I would say that you have had some bad role models, if that is your experience with “successful” managers/leaders. There is a certain standard that a good manager can set for expectations from his/her employees that at best is transferred through inspiration rather than intimidation. The questions and prodding are simply this one person’s style. He’s still a good guy – he just gets obsessive over his company. And has very high standards. But he inspires his people. That is what you should shoot for as a leader. That is what Jesus did.
Ugh. I fight it so much. I am too addicted to my own comfort.
In my previous company we called it “satisfieditis”. I remember often battling that nasty ailment. The thing is, we can often accomplish the most while immediately building on a recent success. So kicking back after a good result can be more costly than we think.
But it’s easy to lose track that we need to be prodded, and to remember to welcome the hidden blessings of headaches and setbacks. Great post.
God is not mediocre, and neither should we be. As believers we should be the head and not the tail.
Thanks for a great reminder to not be too comfortable where we find ourselves today, for tomorrow holds great oppportunities.
I can’t tell you how many meetings I’ve sat through over the years where I’ve been told that people resist change. What my experience has been, however, is different: people don’t resist change. People deal with change all the time. What people resist is leaders who don’t live the change themselves — leaders who demand innovation and creativity but stay stuck in the strategy they’re most comfortable with, even when it’s clear that the strategy no longer works. I’ve seen organizations wrecked because of that. At the same time, I’ve organizations almost explode with creativity and results — when the leader lives it.
The best example I know of: Jesus. He challenged the status quo, and not just the status quo for the Pharisees and Sadducees, but for everyone. Go back and read the parables, and all the stories told in the gospels. Everywhere he went, everyone he talked to — he challenged the status quo.
Glynn, I agree — leaders demanding change while standing in place will be resisted (and even then it’s not the change they resist but the leadership). But I also think we resist change for change’s sake alone. Sometimes it’s easy to think that just rearranging the furniture will generate some lasting impact.
Jesus’ challenge to the SQ was pointed, wasn’t it? Never without purpose, never superficial and never without Him walking alongside.
The Drake poem – I’m pasting it under my eyelids to ‘recalibrate’. Often as in frequently.
Great post, Camel.
These are scary thoughts and prayers (that I’ve prayed many times). I’m there again so thanks for the confirmation and encouragement that I’m in the right place.
Jason – You come right out and admit that it’s scary. You are right. Like Dan said before, if the sea isn’t a little choppy, then maybe God isn’t involved. The way I put it is that if you are not terrified from time to time, perhaps you are not exercising your faith enough.
That Drake poem is challenging to me. I go back and forth between delusions of grandeur and the practical steps I’m going to take for specific tangible goals.
I worry that I sail too close to shore, when like Drake I’d much rather be a pirate.
Marcus- That actually sounds like a healthy strategic plan to me: “Moving between delusions of grandeur and practical steps.”
And yes, Drake was a pirate, too. A real, old-fashioned one. Don’t know how that fit in with his reformed Protestant faith, but…I’m sure there’s a good story there.
I love how God works! He has been dealing with me on this very thing, which I just posted about in “It’s All Too Much:”
I love the poem. It will be printed and memorized!
Thanks for the great reminder that God is not a safe God, but that we are safe in His care.
Dena – I like the way you put it – “God is not safe, but we are safe in his care.”
Sounds like the title of a really good sermon.
Or a book.
Oops. I meant to leave a link to my post, in case anyone was interested: http://bit.ly/cUqSrl
This is beautiful, Brad. I didn’t know Sir Francis Drake had a God perspective.
His words are ones I’ll remember. Thanks for introducing it to us.
We’re all a little uncomfortable this side of heaven. Each time I think I know what that means, God allows a bit of earth-now to remind me — in real time.
This is wonderful. This is a side of Drake i’m glad to discover.
I too needed the challenge.
“poking, prodding and pushing, hitting me upside the head with some disturbing kind of divine interventio”
Sounds like Love.
Love, indeed.
This is such good stuff, Bradley. Your friend really knows how to inspire loyalty. I’ve had different supervisors over the years and the main characteristic that I found laudable in the good ones was their willingness to come alongside me. They never asked me to do anything they weren’t willing to do themselves. Sounds like your friend is much the same.
I love the prayer. I’m going to put it up in a prominent place.
Somebody once called God “the Divine Meddler,” which I think is in the spirit of your reflections here. Sometimes the best thing God can do for us is shatter our worst misconceptions and send the Holy Spirit to rebuild our worldview brick-by-painful-brick. Good stuff. Thank you.
I will come across a blog post from time to time that I bookmark for future reference because the message is one I need reminding of or the writing inspires me.
But your post Bradley, I printed and displayed on my reminder board. God deserves more than comfortable from me…