Yesterday, I watched a YouTube video in which the woman was over the antics of hiring managers and unreasonable expectations of employers. I understood where she was coming from. I’ve also heard managers complain about their inability to find employees who will do what is asked of them, and when I hear their list of expectations, I don’t see a problem. Having been a worker and a manager, both perspectives made me ask a question. Are we managing and working as Christians? Are we applying Christian principles to how we handle employees or how we perform our work? The line for our faith doesn’t stop at the office door. When we truly live as Christians, we should take our faith with us everywhere we go.
Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. […] Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6, 9-10, CSB)
In Galatians, Paul was talking about helping each other, and this still applies in the workplace. Christian managers should be understanding, compassionate, and forgiving when employees make mistakes or unexpected family or health issues arise. However, they cannot allow the behavior of an employee to have a negative effect upon the other staff because this creates distrust in employees toward the manager and each other. On the other hand, if managers can’t learn to trust their employees, this will foster hard feelings between employees and the manager. Supervisors need a willingness to train and help employees progress even if that means they will move on to other positions or companies.
It is a balancing act, and if someone is a micro-manager, they will find themselves worn thin in a short time. It is key for managers to hire the right employees and encourage existing employees to adhere to a positive set of operating principles. Further, there should be a set of reasonable expectations for a position instead of taking advantage of an employee. Even when it comes to firing employees, Christian managers need to exercise faith-based behavior.
Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load. (Galatians 6:4-5, CSB)
As Christian employees, each of us as has an example to set. I can honestly say that I haven’t met those expectations all the time in my career. When I made mistakes, I have been blessed to have understanding managers who forgave me and allowed me to correct my errors. I’m not saying my managers were perfect, but almost all of them were fair. Having served as a manager, I understand how hard the job is, and it helps me see both sides in a disagreement between a supervisor and employee. If Christian managers have faith-based responsibilities, what are the responsibilities of Christian employees?
When we are hired, we agree to deliver the job skills that we promised we had, and we agree to a salary, benefits, and responsibilities. A good manager will make all of this information clear prior to hiring. Our job includes bringing all the things we promised to work with us every day. If we agreed to be there at a certain time, then we need to arrive either early or at least on time because other people are depending on us. If we agreed to provide certain skills, we should honor that, and if we find that we cannot, we need to be honest with our managers about it. As Christian employees, we are responsible for our own work, and we take responsibility for our mistakes instead of blaming someone else.
As someone who is not a morning person, I had to learn to arrive at work on time, and when I could, I preferred to be early. If I arrived late, I made up my time by working late. There have been a few times when I agreed to do something that I found was not a skill I performed well, and I would sit down and talk to my manager about how to handle it. I found that honesty was the best policy when I struggled with a job duty. Many times, my managers were more than understanding. When I made mistakes, it was on me to accept responsibility and fix my error. When it was time for me to move on, that’s exactly what I did. I was never irreplaceable, and that’s an attitude that I cultivate to this day. It keeps my pride in check.
While I no longer work full-time for someone else, I keep many of the lessons I learned in mind. As a Christian writer, I technically work for God so I have to ask myself if I’m writing acceptable material, using my time wisely, and spending enough consultation time with The Boss. I still try to keep a regular schedule, and I still like to keep guidelines on my responsibilities just like a job description. As Christians, we need to take our faith with us as we work and manage instead of using worldly practices that do more harm than good. As we enter our office each day, no matter what it looks like, ask God to go with you so we can work and manage well as Christians.
All Things Subject to Change 