In business, sometimes it's said: "nice guys finish last". How do we come to this understanding? Why would it be the case that to get ahead, you have to put someone else behind? There is a radical shift occuring in the business world today. Organizational charts are moving from a vertical orientation to horizontal; employees are invited to be "owners"; teams are being held accountable as groups, making each member look out for the others on the team; and tyrants are having a more difficult time than ever attracting and keeping employees. Perhaps we are learning the value of "relational equity"-- experienced when trust is present and people show decency, kindness, and respect to one another. Those that don't build trust with others find themselves more and more adrift without connections, and without a relational anchor. The ones who seek to attain only selfish ends, tend to end up with more toys, but no one to play with. Is that what getting ahead is? Doubtful. Business is still relational. The phrase, "it's not personal... it's just business"... means nothing, because it's all relational. While accountability is still vital in all human organizations, and everyone needs to pull their weight, we find that those organizations who have high levels of trust and which value supporting one another make for better business all around.
Readings: 2 Kings 10:32-12:21; Acts 18:1-22; Psalm 145:1-21; Proverbs 18:1
