6 Types of People You Need

I love all the new tech stuff now days but do not enjoy all the charging that it all needs. I even have a 6 port USB charging station in my home that we use for all the tech stuff that needs charging. It looks pretty impressive too! Our technology is not the only things that need charging. I learned a long time ago that people need charging and re-charging too. The area I am referring to is relational refueling. We don’t always think of that type of refueling. Obviously if you don’t refuel your vehicle, it eventually stops. If you don’t refuel your tech stuff, it eventually stops working. People are no different!

I have figured out that there are at least six types of people you really need around you to keep you going. There are many stages or times in your life where a friend can help refuel you and get you going again. In each of these areas you need to know someone that lifts you up. Here is my list 

• Fun people – for the times when you get so busy you can’t see straight. When your schedule is crammed and so full that you forget to enjoy life. Find this person and have a little fun together. Recharges me every time! Fun people will make you laugh and that is so therapeutic.

• Prayer warriors– these are the ones that even if you just call them, they would pray for you over the phone in a heartbeat. Share your life needs with a warrior and they are praying endlessly for you.

• Mentor – you have to be a lifelong learner and a mentor does just that for you. Always there for advice or just a sounding board for you. Mentors teach through love and can teach you about yourself that no one else can do. A mentor is open and honest and will tell you straight out how to respond to a situation you may be feeling.

• Family – are all important and will love you unconditionally. They know you and understand you more than anyone in most cases.

•  Successful People – these people I ask how they did it or what it’s like to be successful. In my business world I need to be around successful people now and then to show me I can do it too.

• Encouragers - invaluable in a friendship. Encouragers will lift you back up and get you going quickly. They are positive and focus on the good in everything. They complement and make you feel great when down emotionally.

Recharging relationally will super-charge you and move you forward. Look around and check for these six types of people to see that you have all six. Identify people in all six areas so when the time comes you will be ready to make a call or go see one of them. There can be multiple people in each area, but one will probably surface as the primary one. If you are a Christ follower then you may be asking where Jesus is in my list. If you are a Christ follower, Christ will be first and foremost and can satisfy all the needs you have in all six areas. Jesus spoke this truth in the book of Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28-29: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If you are reading this article and feeling overwhelmed with something in life or think you have no one to turn to in weary times, remember first that Christ is there waiting for you to turn to Him. He will direct you to the right person in one of the six types of people you need here on earth. Now you know where there is recharging here on earth plus recharging for our faith through Christ. Start making your list today and be ready to be charged relationally. Get fully charged and make some fun life videos! 

Comments? Do you have all six?

5 Words Every Employee Wants to Hear

Creating a fun, safe, and inviting environment at your office is important to your employees working there. If you want employees that can’t wait to get to the office each day, then there are certain words they need to hear on a daily and weekly basis. As a leader, you can make or break the office atmosphere by taking the initiative to add value to them. Here are my top 5 words I try and use daily and weekly to each employee. 

• Good morning – every day as I arrived to the office I would make the rounds to those in their office and just say "Good Morning" with a smile. A simple yet invited gesture that says thanks for noticing me!
  
• Great Job – whenever possible I would look for a reason to tell an employee what a great job they are doing. I would maybe see a project they cranked out that was outstanding and I commented to them "great job".
  
• Thank you – look for things about your employees to be thankful for like getting a project done early, or going the extra mile on something, or just being attentive to special things they get accomplished.
• You rock – adding a little fun to an employee’s day will go a long way in building a good relationship. Watch and be alert to things they accomplish that maybe was more than expected or chipping in on an office project that needed extra help.
• Can I help you? – you can tell when an employee is down or not up to par by their countenance and or actions around the office. Don’t miss this opportunity to just ask how they are doing and if you can help them. 

 

By using all five of these daily and or weekly, you will be adding value to each employee. Adding value makes people feel better about themselves and causes them to serve and work with vigor. When employees hear these on a regular basis, they can’t wait to get to the office to be noticed, encouraged, and valued.  It just works!

Rick Cadden CCA, CCBA is a Certified Business Administrator with over 40 years of experience with employee relations as a business owner and church business leader.

5 Simple Rules of Delegation

Who doesn’t enjoy delegating? I love handing off tasks and projects to other team members. But there are some simple rules I believe we need to follow to make the experience rewarding for both people. By delegating, it relieves you of a heavy work load that may be hindering you from taking on more pressing projects that only you can handle. Delegating is shifting responsibility and balancing your load and is a great tool for team building. If you are not delegating you are missing out on a great opportunity. These 5 simple rules are from my experiences I learned along the way.

Let Go

You have to be able to let go of things and know that others can do them as well as you or even better than you. Do not delegate and still hold on to it, let go and let the other person run with it in their own capacity. You can still oversee the task but from a distance as to give them some ownership over the project or task.

Give Clear Instructions the First Time

Make sure that when you are delegating, you give the other person clear instructions so they are not constantly coming back to you asking questions. If they keep asking questions and coming back to you the time is wasted and the very purpose of delegating is to free you up. NOTE: If they keep coming back asking questions repeatedly, then you either did not give clear instructions or they are the wrong person for the task.

Always Affirm

Once the person you handed something off to brings you the completed task, always affirm. Even though you see some things done wrong, if you criticize them, they will not be receptive to more delegation later. Receive the project from them, affirm them, and leave. If what is wrong is minor, then fix it yourself later. However, the next time you give them the same or similar task, make the correction then with them for the future. If, what they did wrong just won’t work, bring it back to them the next day. Giving some time in between when you affirm them and correct them really helps them feel they are helping.

Start Small to Big

When you are delegating, always start with a small task and work your way up to big. Once the other person is comfortable with being delegated to, then you can give them larger projects that will really free you up more. If you start with a really large task, the other person could get overwhelmed and not enjoy the delegation and be reluctant to receive more at a later date. 

Be Selective

Just because you find someone that picks up how to do things really fast, don’t just dump all your little tasks to them. Be very selective as to what you delegate. Also, don’t just delegate off things you think are not important. To delegate is to free you up to take on new projects that are more pressing to you at the time. If you always delegate small less important tasks, the other person will pick up on that and get less value from the experience. Remember, delegating is building a team, balancing the work load, and giving others the opportunity to learn new things and grow in their job.

Comments?  Discussion?