May 16. Thanks! 10,000 Times

As leaders and entrepreneurs, we have at least two separate units to make sure to honor. Those two units are our team members and those we serve. What do we do to honor our commitment to them on a daily or weekly basis? I can think of many things that we do for both units.

For the team members, we arrange for financial pay, some get benefits on tier one while others have tier two benefits. We provide technology for them, great workspaces, give appropriate training and leadership. For the customers, we deliver a front stage experience with backstage support.

Front stage experience is connected to the customer client exchange, the physical environment, the product value proposition and to their feelings of satisfaction. The backstage experiences are the processes and people that make the front stage happen.

When we, as the leaders of the organization, keep our focus on these two units we can appropriately appreciate and acknowledge their work in an honorable way. When we take the focus off these two units, we might expect our value proposition of our team to go down.

Our value proposition as the leader might decrease as well, if even in just the subtlest of ways. We must be careful about what it is that we honor. Where have you missed the opportunity in the last thirty days to appreciate or acknowledge your team?

Where might your value proposition be enhanced with your clients by honoring their contribution? What can you do about it in the next seven days?

King Saul was the first anointed King of Israel, chosen by God. Wow, chosen by God, that is just a humbling statement. What an honor. But do you remember what happened to Saul? Read about it in 1 Samuel 18:7 NLT. Down the slippery slope he goes and eventually David replaces him.

As I read the story today it was Saul's anger over the words that the crowds cheered that made me pause. Saul was upset because the crowd was chanting and raving about David's slaughter of 10,000's and only Saul's slaughter of 1,000's. It is not long after this before the spear is slung at David and the relationship goes downhill.

So much for God being honored! So much for David being honored. Where might we need to honor our other brother and sisters in Christ? It just might be that your words of affirmation and acknowledgement could be the words that might move them closer to Christ.

Maybe an encouraging word to them will let them move boldly towards a new practice in their faith. When we speak those words of affirmation the Holy Spirit can move others. Will we treat those words like treasure to be kept to ourselves or will we share that treasure?

Who can you acknowledge and affirm in the next seven days? What focus can you place in your mind to make that happen?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, we acknowledge you. You are the Creator and the blessing. We want to draw near to your son Jesus Christ who sacrificed his all for us. We can honor you by following his example. We can honor you by sharing the love you have given us.

Help us to leave behind our concern for our 1,000's and affirm the other 10,000's. We move away from your love when we draw the attention to us for honor. Help us to transform any honor for ourselves into value to others in ways that honor our relationship with Christ.

May the glory and honor be yours. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,