A Warning to the Church - Part 6

 

8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10Yet these people speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals— these are the very things that destroy them. 11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. 12These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these people: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

—The Book of Jude

As you read the Scripture verses at the beginning of this blog post, you can easily come to the conclusion that the Apostle Jude pulls no punches. He calls it like it is. Today, I continue this series of blog posts doing my best to unpack this short Book of Jude.

Word has reached Jude that the churches in Asia Minor—what today we call Turkey—have fallen victim to a common problem. Evil people have come into the church and, over time, ruptured the core of the church. They have taken steps to defame the long-term formal and informal leaders. They have told lies about the more spiritually sensitive believers. They have slowly, but surely, taken over the leadership of the church.

Then, they have brought in other outsiders and elevated them to significant positions of authority in the church. Thus, having seized the reins of control, they have systematically destroyed the effectiveness of the church as a witness for the Gospel and an earthly expression of the Kingdom of God.

The church stands corrupted—its core has become ruptured. In this sad state of affairs, countless lives have been adversely affected.

Contemporaneous liturature of the time talks about the effect these actions had on the youngest members of the church—the children and youth. Many young people who had walked the Christ-road have now fallen away. They have seen their godly leaders replaced with ungodly ones. They have seen those who taught them the whole counsel of God replaced by ineffective strangers. The sense of close-knit family that they once had has vanished, as the corruption within the church has spread to completion.

Into this utter morass of despair comes a strong letter from the half-brother of Jesus, the Apostle Jude. A son of Mary and Joseph, Jude has come to an understanding of the power of the risen Christ somewhat later in his life than you might have expected. It was hard for Jude, his brother James, and his other brothers—Joseph and Simon—to understand that their older brother was not only the son of their mother Mary, He was the Son of the Living God.

But, having come to this reality, down through the years that follow, Jude has taken a significant leadership role. While his brother James became the principal leader of the church at Jerusalem, Jude has become a counselor to the leadership, has traveled widely visiting the fledgling churches, and has become a significant voice in encouraging the spiritual formation of the new believers.

With such a significant role, you may wonder why we only have this short letter to remind us of the role Jude played at the inception of the church. Could it be that he was simply too busy doing the work of the Kingdom to write many letters?

The very paucity of written words makes this short Book of Jude all the more powerful. He certainly doesn’t mince words. He has clearly and methodically defined the nature of those who have wormed their way into the church and, empowered by Satan, have set about rupturing the core and destroying the effectiveness of the church.

How clever these false leaders were. They did not cause the church to cease to exist. Rather, they corrupted the church, leaving it in place, but blunting its ability to do the work God had intended it to do for His own sake.

Do the words of Jude apply to us today? To discover whether or not they do, we must ask ourselves:

“How effective is our church in serving God? If we take a census of all the families in our church, do all the young people love Jesus and do they have an active part in the ministry of the church?”

You see, when the young people in a church begin to fall away—shy away from church attendance, exhibit no interest in learning about Jesus, give no example of faith leading them through their daily lives—this offers one of the major signs that the core of the church has become ruptured.

When a church loves Jesus and is fully committed to obediently serving Him, the young people in that church capture the vision of the Kingdom of God, alive and well, here on earth. They become excited and burst with enthusiasm—not enthusiasm for a program, nor for a personality leading a program, but enthusiasm for the things of the Lord that such a program or personality presents to them. Thus, the spiritual life of its young people provides a significant way of measuring the health of a church.

In my next blog post, I will endeavor to continue unpacking the words of the Apostle Jude. In the meantime, let’s determine to carefully examine our own lives and the lives of our churches. Has the core of our churches become ruptured? If so, what do we intend to do about it? If we don’t know what to do, the Apostle Jude will have some instruction for us.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Warning to the Church - Part 5

 

7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

—The Book of Jude

I began this series of blog posts with the intention of doing my best to unpack this short Book of Jude. If, as the old saying goes, “Dynamite comes in small packages!” then the Book of Jude packs a terrific whallop.

Concerned about all manner of sin and corruption that had wormed it’s way into the church, the Apostle Jude wrote with determined urgency. He wanted to warn the church about the impending disaster that would befall them, if they did not amend their ways.

By the time he wrote this letter, Jude had observed that the greatest threat to the church came from within. By slyly finding an entrance into the inner circle of the believers, individuals with evil intent could cause an erosion of trust and effectively rupture the core.

I have written in each of the previous blog posts in this series about the harm that comes to the church—the body of Christ—when the core becomes ruptured. It spells doom for the church. Why? Because once the core of a church becomes ruptured, it can no longer fulfill the mission that the Lord Jesus Christ gave His church in the Great Commission, as recorded in Matthew 28:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

A ruptured core means the church has positioned itself in a place of utter failure. Oh, it may continue to meet and otherwise exist for some time after the core becomes ruptured. But, it operates as a shadow of its former self. And, the very people who have ruptured the core inherently lack the spiritual sensitivity and discernment to identify that the core has become ruptured. If someone does suggest that something seems wrong with the church, those same core-rupturing individuals quickly deny the obvious truth.

In the verse at the beginning of this blog post, Jude adds one final example to his list of dramatic experiences by making reference to the plight of Sodom and Gomorrah. You can find an account of this tragedy beginning in Genesis 13 where the Scripture records:

¹³Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

Homosexual behavor principally marked their sin. The king of this area seized Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family, and carried them off. Abraham had to come to Lot’s rescue.

Later, as recorded in Genesis 19, God sent two angels to Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot welcomed them and housed them in his home. But, the wicked men of Sodom demanded that Lot surrender the angels to them so they could sexually molest them.

Even though Abraham had pleaded for God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah—if he could locate just ten righteous men in those cities—Abraham could not find even that small number of God-fearing men. So, God rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) down on the cities and utterly destroyed them, sparing only Lot, his wife, and his two daughters.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by artist John Martin

God’s judgment is swift and sure. Though God has great patience and waits a long time for men, women, boys, and girls to repent of their sin and receive His pardon through the precious blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will bring judgment on those who rupture the core—those who corrupt His church.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Warning to the Church - Part 4

 

6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

—The Book of Jude

In this series of blog posts, I intend to do my best to unpack this short Book of Jude. The Apostle Jude continues his letter to Christians gathered in the portion of the world that today we call Turkey. He continues to list a series of offences comparable to what he believes has afflicted the newly formed church. In the second example, he moves from the Rebellion of Korah to the Rebellion that took place in heaven when Lucifer tried to be God without God. You can find a record of this particular incident in Isaiah 14:12-15.

¹² How you have fallen from heaven,
        O morning star, son of the dawn!
   You have been cast down to the earth,
        you who once laid low the nations!
¹³ You said in your heart,
        “I will ascend to heaven;
   I will raise my throne
        above the stars of God;
   I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
        on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
        I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵ But you are brought down to the grave,
        to the depths of the pit.

In this second example of godlessness unleashed, the Apostle Jude intends to prepare the true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ gathered in newly formed churches in Turkey for the hard work of taking a stand against corruption in the church. As I stated in my first blog post on this topic:

…As distasteful as the message the Apostle Jude intends to communicate to the fledgling church, it remains a powerful and timely warning for us today.

We often talk about corrupt politics, corrupt government, corrupt businesses, and sometimes even a corrupt church. The etymology of the word “corrupt” greatly informs the use of the word in our society today. The word “corrupt” comes from the idea that the “core” of someone or something has become “ruptured” or “burst apart from within.”

One cannot be God without God. Satan tried it. It cost him everything. Likewise, in the church, leaders cannot assume the role of God. Rather, they must bow in humility before the one true God and seek His leading. They must become people of the written Word. They must follow God’s commands in Scripture. They must become servant leaders. They must guard against impressing their human desires on the congregation they serve. They must approach every situation with seriousness and great care.

The Apostle Jude urgest the true believers to contend for the faith. To break up the corruption. To cast out those who incite dissent and division, just as God cast Satan, and all of the angels who followed him, out of heaven. This seems like a daunting task. But, as we continue our study of the Book of Jude, we will see other examples that the Apostle gives to bolster the courage of believers as they contend for the faith.

As I have stated repeatedly in this series of blog posts, on the one hand, we must strive to push back against those who desire to rupture the core of the church. On the other hand, we must do so with hearts full of God’s love, with an awareness of our own inherent sinfulness, and with total reliance on the leading of the Holy Spirit. And, as I will frequently state during this series of blog posts, that represents quite a challenge.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Warning to the Church - Part 3

 

5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.

—The Book of Jude

Jude continues his letter to Christians gathered in the portion of the world that today we call Turkey. He begins by examining a series of offences comparable to what he believes has afflicted the newly formed church. In the first example, he reaches back into the history of Israel to the time of deliverance from Egypt. You can find a representation of one such particular incident in Numbers 16.

¹Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent ²and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. ³They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

⁴When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. ⁵Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. ⁶ You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers ⁷and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”

God had spoken and had given clear leadership to Moses and Aaron. God expected His people to believe Him—to take Him at His word. As a result of what has become known as the “Korah Rebellion,” they perished because of their foolishness:

²⁸Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: ²⁹If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the Lord has not sent me. ³⁰But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”

³¹As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart ³²and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah’s men and all their possessions. ³³They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. ³⁴At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

³⁵And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

This event demonstrates what happens to those who do not believe what the Lord has said. Jude wants to make a strong case for contending earnestly for the faith in order to repel corruption in the church.

“Corruption” stands as the most important concept to understand. I tried to carefully address this subject of corruption in my first blog post on this topic. In that post, I wrote the following:

…As distasteful as the message the Apostle Jude intends to communicate to the fledgling church, it remains a powerful and timely warning for us today.

We often talk about corrupt politics, corrupt government, corrupt businesses, and sometimes even a corrupt church. The etymology of the word “corrupt” greatly informs the use of the word in our society today. The word “corrupt” comes from the idea that the “core” of someone or something has become “ruptured” or “burst apart from within.”

In future blog posts, as we examine the other parts of this powerfully packed epistle, you will likely come to see that our role as soldiers of Christ remains quite complex. On the one hand, we must strive to push back against those who desire to rupture the core of the church. On the other hand, we must do so with hearts full of God’s love, with an awareness of our own inherent sinfulness, and with total reliance on the leading of the Holy Spirit. And, as I will frequently state during this series of blog posts, that represents quite a challenge.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Warning to the Church - Part 2

 

1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless people, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

—The Book of Jude

And so, Jude begins his letter to Christians gathered in the portion of the world that today we call Turkey, but in those days was known as Asia Minor. Most evangelical scholars believe that Jude, a brother of James, was also a half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ—namely, a natural child of the union of Mary and Joseph. Scholars note a similarity between the content of the Book of Jude and 2 Peter 2.

Based on his own admission in Jude 1:3, the Apostle originally intended to write a scholarly treatise on the doctrine of salvation. However, word had reached him of errant individuals who had infiltrated the fledgling church and who were causing chaos and division.

This prompted the Apostle to write a letter of warning and instruction. He intended for his letter to circulate throughout the churches in various parts of the then known world, but most certainly in the place with the heaviest concentration of believers—Asia Minor, today known as Turkey.

Notice his strong admonition in Jude 1:3:

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

The use of the words “to contend for” has significant meaning. In New Testament Greek the word “epagonizesthai” derives from the root word “epagonizomai” and indicates a determined forward push that strongly nudges aside anything that gets in the way.

In certain extra-biblical literature of the first century, the word described the movement Roman soldiers used to disperse a rebellious crowd. The soldiers would gather in a wedge formation and slowly and carefully step into the crowd, nudging the members of the crowd aside. This action pushed the unwanted crowd back, narrowed the amount of space they could occupy and, eventually, forced them to move elsewhere.

Jude indicates that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a faith that has worth for which one should earnestly contend. Those who wish to come in and crowd out the truth of the Gospel need dedicated soldiers of Christ to gently, yet firmly, push back until those who would crowd out the truth are themselves crowded out.

Such a concept will offend many. Especially those who wish to open wide their arms to embrace anyone who might come into the church. In truth, as followers of Christ we have to remain open to those God may lead into our midst to explore the faith. But, at the same time, we have to stay alert—that is, on our guard or on the lookout—for those who may try to take over leadership roles and dilute, or disparage, or fundamentally bend the truth of God’s written Word.

Becoming a contending soldier represents an enormous challenge for most of us. We will either become so zealous that our zeal will overcome the leading of the Holy Spirit to remain gentle and loving. Or, we will become gun-shy about actually going toe-to-toe with those who intend to pollute the truth of the Gospel.

In my first blog post on this topic I wrote the following:

…As distasteful as the message the Apostle Jude intends to communicate to the fledgling church, it remains a powerful and timely warning for us today.

We often talk about corrupt politics, corrupt government, corrupt businesses, and sometimes even a corrupt church. The etymology of the word “corrupt” greatly informs the use of the word in our society today. The word “corrupt” comes from the idea that the “core” of someone or something has become “ruptured” or “burst apart from within.”

So, you see, contending earnestly for the faith intends to repel corruption in the church. In future blog posts, as we examine the other parts of this powerfully packed epistle, you will likely come to see that our role as soldiers of Christ remains quite complex. On the one hand, we must strive to push back against those who desire to rupture the core of the church. On the other hand, we must do so with hearts full of God’s love, with an awareness of our own inherent sinfulness, and with total reliance on the leading of the Holy Spirit. And that, my dear one, represents quite a challenge.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Warning to the Church - Part 1

 

1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless people, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10Yet these people speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals— these are the very things that destroy them. 11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. 12These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these people: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. 17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

—The Book of Jude

The relatively short, one-chapter Book of Jude rests as the penultimate book in the Bible. As such, it often becomes lost between the Books of 1, 2, and 3 John and the Book of Revelation. If you regularly attend church, you will seldom—if ever—hear a sermon, or other teaching, based on this Book. Some pastors even avoid the Book of Jude in the same way that Superman avoids Kryptonite.

I posted the entire 25 verses of this Book at the beginning of this blog post so you would have the opportunity to read through it before I start to share with you a series of blog posts on the content of this book. As distasteful as the message the Apostle Jude intends to communicate to the fledgling church may seem, it remains a powerful and timely warning for us today.

We often talk about corrupt politics, corrupt government, corrupt businesses, and sometimes even a corrupt church. The etymology of the word “corrupt” greatly informs the use of the word in our society today. The word “corrupt” comes from the idea that the “core” of someone or something has become “ruptured” or “burst apart from within.”

Thus, a corrupt church is one where the very core of that church has become burst apart from within. It has become corrupt. And that’s the message that the Apostle Jude brings so strongly to the New Testament church:

³Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. ⁴For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless people, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

In my next blog post I will explore this corruption that has so negatively affected the early church. And, over the next several blog posts, I will help us examine whether or not this message may apply to us today. Or, at the very least, whether or not this message is one that we should heed, lest we find ourselves in the same spiritual mess that plagued the early church.

Okay?

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 10: Knowing When to Ask for Help

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

“And, as you embark on your college career,” the esteemed professor told the incoming freshmen from the Class of 2024, “I urge you to aspire to become a professional in your chosen field. For it is within that framework that you will find life’s greatest rewards.”

Aspire to become a professional. Now that is good advice! But, what qualities mark a woman or man whom others acknowledge is a “professional?” So far in this series, I’ve suggested that compassion, justice, common sense, commitment to excellence, a wholehearted determination to always tell the truth, attention to details, going the second mile, a sense of humor, and practicing due diligence are marks of a professional. This time I add to the list knowing when to ask for help

Back in 1991, as I sat in front of my computer writing the original newsletter article on which this series of blog posts is based, I noted that:

Down the hail Dave-the-plumber is busily ripping apart the faucets in my upstairs bathroom. With a certain amount of grunting and groaning, he is attempting to renew the 21-year-old fixtures to stop a constant drip-drip that would make a water conservationist throw a tantrum.

Now a certain number of you are smirking to yourselves, “Call a plumber? What kind of a wimpy householder does that. Come on, Wilson, don’t you even know how to roll up your sleeves and get down under those sinks and fix that errant piping and those valves? Why you threaten the very existence of that manly art of do-it-yourself!”

You’re probably right. When it comes to do-it-yourself, I am definitely a wimp. But, I’ve come to my wimpiness out of a wealth of failed attempts.

Why I’m the guy who bought $200 worth of tune-up gear only to have messed up my car’s electrical system so badly that I almost had to call a tow truck to get the car over to a garage that could finish the simple adjustments I had tried to make.

I’m the guy who started to paint the trim in one of my former apartments, only to end up making such a mess of the job that I nearly had to have new flooring installed underneath where I was painting.

A “do-it-yourself wimp?” Indeed! And, sadly, I still haven’t learned my lesson.

You see the plumber is here only because I started the simple job of replacing the washers in the faucets. Only now I’m having to have the three sets of faucets all replaced. And, the only way I’m going to be able to pay for it is to get out there on the street and try to sell more copies of my newsletter. Just about ten new subscriptions at $125 each will do it.

My plumber, Dave, and I have come to an important agreement, however. He has promised me that he will not teach anyone about the ins and outs of fire protection, fire alarm, and burglar alarm systems, if I hang up my pipe wrench and stop pretending to be an under-the-sink craftsman. Frankly, I think it’s a bargain well struck.

A true professional knows when the task at hand is outside his or her area of expertise. One who has clearly been recognized as a professional knows when to call for help. And, a very real part of this is knowing who to call. Building a network of fellow professionals is an important part of enhancing your chosen business endeavor.

Just yesterday, a veteran in the fire protection business—a man I respect greatly—called me on the telephone. He simply wanted to touch base quickly on a job he was bidding. It was ever so slightly outside his normal area of expertise. After hearing his proposal, I made only one small suggestion. By and large he had hit the mark. When we ended our conversation, he went away knowing that he was on target. And, once again, I had experienced the satisfaction that comes from helping a fellow professional.

You really don’t have to know everything. In fact, if you have recently, or even for some time, been operating under the assumption that you “know it all,” then I urge you to reexamine yourself intently.

The minute you begin to believe that you can go it alone through the jungle of processes, procedures, best practices, and standard operating methods for your particular business endeavor, you have taken the first step that will ultimately remove you from the ranks of those acknowledged as professionals.

Instead of trusting solely in your own abilities, make every effort to nurture the relationships you have with those who share your concern about raising the professionalism of your chosen field.

There’s a Winnie-the-Pooh story by A. A. Milne where Pooh Bear gets stuck leaving Rabbit’s hole after Pooh has feasted on some honey. Pooh tries every way he can possibly think of to get free. Finally, with Christopher Robin’s help, Pooh’s gains his freedom.

Pooh would likely agree, “When you’re stuck, it’s important to realize you need to call for help. And, it’s good to know who you need to call.”

Knowing when to ask for help and being willing to do so is truly a mark of a professional.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 9: Due Diligence

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

“I feel like that Rodney What’s-his-name. I just don’t get any respect.”

The young man had just come back from a meeting with his boss. It seems like every time he’s called down to management row, he comes back to his desk in a high state of stress.

“What is it going to take before they start to treat me like a professional?” he wailed.

A professional, indeed! But, what qualities do mark a man or woman as a “professional?” So far in this series, I’ve suggested that compassion, justice, common sense, commitment to excellence, a wholehearted determination to always tell the truth, attention to details, going the second mile, and a sense of humor are marks of a professional. This time I add to the list practicing due diligence.

Did you notice how all the “legal beagles’” ears perked up when I used that term? Giving or practicing due diligence sounds like either something that will lead you into or keep you out of court.

It is, in fact, a term that lawyers love to throw around during liability suits. One or another of the attorneys present is trying to prove that someone failed to practice due diligence, while the opposing side is trying to illustrate that due diligence was, indeed, given appropriately in the particular set of circumstances.

For my purposes, I am using the term as a catch-all for countless small details that can seem to either bolster or topple an up-and-coming professional. Similar to its first cousin, “Attention to Details,” giving due diligence is a mind-set that can be learned, if one has not already embodied this characteristic. Perhaps a little quiz will help illustrate my point.

• Do you begin your day by making a list of what needs to be accomplished that day?



• Do you answer incoming letters the same day you receive them?



• Do you return phone messages as quickly as you arrive back at your desk?



• Do you open incoming mail, categorize it, and then read through it in such away that you only handle each piece of paper once?



• Do you also separate your “To Do” list into the “Need-to-Dos” and the “Nice-to-Dos?”



• Do you make certain that you do at least one “Nice-to-Do” each day, so that the “Nice-to-Dos” don’t become the “Never-Dids?”



• When introduced to someone, do you pay attention, not only to his or her name, but also who he or she is and what help this person might be to you in the future?



• Do you factor in the concerns of others when you make a decision that affects those around you?



• Do you pay particular attention to time, not becoming fanatical about being early, nor becoming chronic in your lateness?
  
  

Well, these are just a few of many items that can serve to measure whether or not the person who aspires to professionalism is practicing due diligence. It really is a care-giving attitude. It illustrates a mind-set that is genuinely interested in making certain that the “little things” receive proper emphasis, so they do not later blossom into “big things.”

The lack of professionalism in your particular approach to your business activities, or personal endeavors, is no more easily excused concerning this strategy of due diligence, than it is in the performance of any other sincere businessperson. Yes, we all have busy, even hectic, schedules. But, there is never any really good reason for not extending common courtesy to those around us by giving due diligence to those things that simply must be done well and on-time.

It’s like the local radio announcer/control board operator who must join the network precisely at 2:59:30. The professionalism of the announcer is judged by the precision with which he back-times the last recording leading into the network join. Whether that last recording is a musical selection or a commercial spot announcement, the announcer is expected to have both planned and executed his plan so well, that the segue to the network is seamless. It’s the kind of work that the station manager rewards with a smile.

Practicing due diligence is one way to make certain you will get the job done with precision, grace, style, and class. It’s just one more of the marks of a professional. And, it’s a mark to which you and I can aspire.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 8: A Sense of Humor

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

Her beauty was striking. Tall, well-dressed, expressive eyes, gentle smile, and yet a very determined young woman.

“It is tough being a woman in business. All I want is to be treated with respect and to be known as a professional.”

What did she mean? What qualities mark a man or woman as a “professional?” So far in this series of blog posts, I’ve suggested that compassion, justice, common sense, commitment to excellence, a wholehearted determination to always tell the truth, attention to details, and going the second mile are marks of a professional. This time I add to the list a sense of humor.

Please don’t confuse a sense of humor with immature practical jokes or with malicious dark comedy that has become popularized in recent years. A real sense of humor always entertains and encourages others without knowingly causing hurt. In other words, a genuine sense of humor is born out of love. It is not motivated by hate, or discord, or disgust, or distrust, or any other of the negative emotions.

A sense of humor can spell the difference between being consumed by stress in the normal give and take of a day’s activities, or taking stress in stride. Faced with the moment-by-moment crises of a typical business, the ability of the true professional to handle each experience with aplomb will most often depend on whether or not the individual has developed a genuine sense of humor.

Notice I said “developed” a sense of humor. It is quite possible to change one’s outlook from one that is usually quite humorless to one that looks at life with a smile and a twinkle in the eyes. How? Just begin to find the smile and laughter that God so cleverly hides in every experience of life.

“Does God have a sense of humor?” the national radio speaker asked his third son in a broadcast interview.

“Sure, Dad,” came the reply. “He made my brother, Joel, didn’t He?”

And, it’s just this kind of positive mental attitude that can carry you through your day. You see, humor tends to cause the body to relax and roll with the punches. It is a proven medical fact that a good laugh, or even a quiet chuckle, can help you relieve tension that builds up inside your body. In the midst of a moment of humor, your body releases chemicals into the bloodstream that help muscles relax, deepens breathing, increases the blood flow to the brain, and has a generally positive effect on the various bodily systems.

How does one begin to develop a real sense of humor? Start by looking for the smile that is hidden in every situation. Even the most irritating letter or memo has some element that can bring comic relief. Even when your boss has just yelled at you for something, tucked away inside the experience is some little gem of humor just waiting for you to find it.

Here’s an example of how having a sense of humor can defuse an otherwise offensive situation.

Recently, I read a letter from an irate executive. In the letter he told an opponent in a controversy that he no longer had respect for the woman or for the company she represents. The executive was angry that his opponent had enthusiastically fought for what the opponent believed was right. He was disturbed that the opponent had questioned whether the study group the writer chaired was performing without bias. He whined and he cried throughout the letter.

“No humor there,” you might think. But yet there was.

Here was someone so pompous, so arrogant, so consumed with himself, so convinced that he had all the right “political” connections, so determined that what he thought mattered, that he presumed to attack the sincere efforts of this dedicated, professional businesswoman who happened to have a different point of view. In response to this denegrating and offensive letter, the businesswoman wrote a kind and gentle reply. She shared her response we me. We imagined him opening it and chuckled at how chagrined he might be because of how seriously he took the issue.

Here is another example of how humor can transform a person’s behavior for the better.

Some time ago, I was riding with a friend who has always driven aggressively. Suddenly, a little Chevette darted in front of us. As he hit the brakes, my friend whooped with glee. “I sure hope when they get there, they won’t be too early,” my friend chortled.

“What’s gotten into you?” I asked, remembering the shaken fist and curse-filled air of similar incidents in the past.

“I decided that getting angry only hurt me,” he explained. “At least this way I get a little laugh.”

It is important, as professionals, that we concentrate our efforts on providing the highest level of service to our customers or constituents. But, in the midst of the seriousness of our efforts, let’s not forget to look for the smile that God has placed in these daily vignettes along the roads of our lives. For a real sense of humor is, indeed, one of the marks of the true professional.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 7: Going the Second Mile

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

“I want to be known as a professional,” the aspiring businessman told me. What did he mean? What qualities mark a man or woman as a “professional?” So far in this series, I’ve suggested that compassion, justice, common sense, commitment to excellence, a wholehearted determination to always tell the truth, and attention to details are all marks of a professional. This time I add to the list going the second mile.

Matthew 5:38-42 (NIV) reads:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. ’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Jesus’ words during that most famous discourse known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 5, 6 and 7, have always startled people because they cut so sharply across the grain we call “normal” in our gutsy and materialistic culture. Nevertheless, the deep underlying philosophy that this One—known as Immanuel, God With Us—was teaching characterizes an individual who is determined to do his or her very best to meet and exceed the “customer’s” or “constituent’s” or “client’s” demands.

“Now just one cotton-pickin’ minute,” you interject. “Are you trying to tell me that Jesus Christ was preaching a ‘service excellence’ philosophy?”

Exactly. God’s Son was One who taught excellence as a way of life. He taught, and He demonstrated, excellence permeating every aspect of one’s being. So, in a customer service realm, excellence often means going the second mile. Let me illustrate.

Some years ago, my wife, Shirley, was searching through the library at Central Connecticut State University trying to get some material on a project that had taken place in the Pittsburgh (PA) public schools called “Arts Propel.” This project, in turn, is based on work done at Harvard University called “Project Zero.” She needed the information for a research paper she was writing for one of her graduate courses. Everywhere she searched she kept hitting a dead end. Finally, she approached a librarian in charge of lnter-Library Loan, hoping that she would be able to locate some material from the Harvard University Library.

“Let me look up that number for you,” the librarian suggested. “Here it is. Listen, please let me make the call for you.”

After reaching the research librarian at the Harvard University Library, the Central Connecticut State University librarian proceeded to efficiently and effectively establish a rapport with the Harvard librarian. She learned that there was a packet of information available.

To speed the process of obtaining the information, the CCSU librarian paid the fee out of her petty cash, rather than insisting that Shirley write a check that would have to clear before Harvard would send the information.

Shirley was astonished! For days she sang the praises of this librarian who did her job, plus went the second mile to make certain her customer was satisfied.

In whatever endeavor you undertake in the course of your business life, or personal life, it pays dividends in the coinage of professionalism when you willingly go the second mile.

Maybe you’ve come up against a customer, constituent, or client who never seems satisfied. No matter how hard you try to please this one, all you receive in return is complaint and criticism. Do you determine to get even? Or, do you keep on delivering top quality service, consistently bending over backwards to help your customer?

Or, maybe you’re an individual who has supervisory responsibility. When you spot some aspect of job performance that makes you feel that an employee is going to have a problem with one of the other supervisors, do you ignore it, chuckling to yourself? Or, do you give the employee a call, or take the employee aside, and suggest he or she check it out with the other department before it becomes a major snag?

As a supervisor, do you continually remind yourself that your fellow staff members constitute your partners in working hard to ensure your department helps the overall business grow? Or, do you repay years of a loyal and mutually beneficial relationship with unrelentingly hard-nosed supervisory policies when times get tough?

Going the second mile is not necessarily an easy path to take. But, going the second mile is another of those rare qualities that the true professional manifests in his or her business life and personal life. It is the living out of an inner conviction. It sets the professional apart from his or her peers.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 6: Attention to Details

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

When you say, “She’s a professional.” Or, “He conducts himself as a true professional.” What do you mean? Exactly what are those qualities that clearly make one individual appear professional when compared to his or her peers? So far in this series of blog posts, I’ve suggested that compassion, justice, common sense, a commitment to excellence, and a wholehearted determination to always tell the truth are marks of a professional. This time I add to the list a careful attention to details.

A professional colleague of mine oversees the Visual Arts department of a medium-sized southern liberal arts college. His role of department chairman is more often taken up with supervisory matters than it is with pedagogical concerns. Almost every phone conversation we have is punctuated by respectfully-told tales of the latest foibles and fancies of the professors, associate professors, assistant professors, adjunct professors, instructors, technicians, and secretaries who report to my colleague. The contrasts are startling.

Three of his people are extremely creative, not at all surprising for visual artists. But, their creativity is consuming. Each one is constantly coming up with innovative ideas for teaching, controversial concepts for performance or exhibition, dynamic ways of fund raising, and clever schemes to draw more of the student body into a relationship with the Visual Arts department.

Four of his staff are what would be considered kindly, in most management circles, as “plodders.” These folks know their stuff, but their artistic expression and creativity is commonplace. It may well be that they have never had an original idea between them. Their approach to each new day is to move forward at the same speed they moved through yesterday. If they’ve been able to procrastinate in completing a particular assignment, they will continue to do so until they are practically forced at gunpoint to finish the job.

The creative trio are constantly completing a significant volume of work: position papers, memoranda, analyses, manuscripts, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, scores, and a host of output from the visual arts. There is only one problem. Without fail, every document, visual, handout, etc. is riddled with tiny errors. Errors in spelling, improper numbering of captions or illustrations, incorrect dates, blurred visuals, hastily photocopied sections that aren’t quite straight. This list of miniscule mistakes is almost endless. Perhaps the creative process is so consuming that they just can’t bring themselves to make sure the quality of their output matches the quality of their creativity. Whatever the reason, it drives my colleague, the department chairman, absolutely stark, raving crazy. Fortunately, he seems to have infinite patience and an overwhelming sense of humor.

Perhaps the most ironic part of the whole “soap opera” is that these many tiny mistakes of the highly creative professors are fodder for the plodding four. The ones who never create on their own absolutely delight in finding the errors of their peers. They constantly barrage my colleague with reports of the latest mistakes they have found in some document, visual, or other output. “Those that can, do. Those that can’t, find the mistakes of those that can.” Or, so it seems.

There is always a happy side to my colleague’s phone reports. It comes from a husband and wife team of professors who each consistently function at a high level of energy and creativity, and whose work together is DY-NA-MITE!

All material this pair creates is flawless. Pour over their stuff—and the plodders do—but no errors are ever found. Why? Because “He” and “She” possess the quality of a careful attention to details.

You already know which category into which you fall. The good news is that by applying just a few organizational techniques, you can begin to develop the habit of attending to the details that surround your life’s endeavor.

Start by keeping a daily pocket diary or calendar. Note all meetings and appointments and refer to your notes frequently. Jot down phone calls you must make, and then write a few summary words to help you recall the substance of the conversation later.

Put carelessness aside. If you have trouble picking up the mistakes in your written work, enlist the aid of others to check it. Another major point of sloppiness is not using the right terminology. Find out what the correct and standardized terminology is in your field and use it consistently.

Even if you’re the owner or CEO of your company, approach each task as if your continued employment depends on the care you give in completing it. Create a mental posture that attends to details.

It’s that kind of mental attitude that will set the professional apart from his or her peers.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 5: Telling the Truth

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

Qualities that clearly make one individual appear professional when compared to his or her peers: compassion, justice, common sense, a commitment to excellence, and a wholehearted determination to always tell the truth.

We live in a society that no longer places a high value on telling the truth. In fact, we sometimes seem to pride ourselves on stretching veracity to a point so thin that just one more whisper would snap it like a dry twig.

Between media commercials that reward deceit, “Who ate all the Cracklin’ Oat Bran?” to those who suggest that little white lies are really just a part of life, “Only her hairdresser knows for sure!” to the social scientists and pseudo-scientists who suggest that the cruelest of the cruel is to speak truthfully.

Now there’s little question that truth must always be spoken kindly—oh, how I wish I could remember to do that—nevertheless when faced with a choice, the true professional, that man or woman of genuine integrity, will always tell the truth.

Three decades ago at Christmastime, my wife completed a roll of film and took it to the nearby photo store for processing. These folks have always done a pretty good job, so we’ve come to rely on their service. “Thursday. It’ll be ready on Thursday,” the young clerk intoned.

It fell to me to pick up the much awaited photos of “Christmas on the Farm.” At the appointed hour, I dutifully arrived with the little claim slip from the processing envelope in my hand. “Sorry,” the clerk rattled grimly, “We’re out of photo paper. Your prints will be ready tomorrow.”

“Out of paper? Out of Paper!” I thought to myself as I lumbered back to my car. How can a conscientious owner of a photo store be out of paper. That’s as idiotic as the restaurant or snack shop that advertises, “World’s Greatest Onion Rings” being out of onion rings.

Friday afternoon, I trudged back into the photo store, presented my claim slip only to be told, “Our processor’s been broke for two days and was just repaired an hour ago. We’ll have your photos in 45 minutes.” I turned and left the store, deciding not to come back until Saturday.

Saturday afternoon, over 24 hours after my last visit, I popped into the photo store and handed over my claim slip. “Our processor has been down for a couple of days,” the clerk said, apparently not recognizing me as a frequent visitor. “We’ll have your pictures in 40 minutes.”

In those now long-ago days, my colleague, Wayne Moore, often called me “Mr. Patience.” Quite embarrassingly, at that time in my life, I had earned that misnomer with pains-taking attention to exhibiting a great deal of impatience at the slightest delay in my planned schedule. On this particular occasion, it was all I could do to turn and leave the store without dramatically displaying my impatience on the way out.

Forty minutes and twenty five seconds later I was back in the store. The owner waited on me and gave me my photos. He did not say he was sorry for the delay. He did not try to explain what had happened. He didn’t even say “Thank you” when I paid him.

Through a determined series of falsehoods, plus an attitude that can only be described as haughty, the photo store owner had lost a customer, and made an enemy. I now make it a point to tell everyone who will listen about that photo store. So far, I’ve suggested to several other town residents that if they patronize that store, the processing of their valued photos may be delayed.

Did the store run out of paper? Did the machine break? Is 45 minutes really 24 hours long? And, what about saying, “We’re really sorry, but...”

What do you do when you’ve promised customers or constituents that you will provide the product or service they’re expecting and you’ve missed the deadline? Do you tell a lie? Blame someone else who really had nothing to do with the delay? Or, do you speak honestly and kindly, accepting responsibility for your action?

What about your managers or employees? Do you have one of those classic staff members who can never admit he or she is wrong? Instead, it’s always someone else who contributed to the error. Well, chances are that manager or employee treats your customers the same way. Instead of giving truthful answers, the truth is always slightly twisted to excuse the error.

When a professional makes a mistake, he or she explains what has happened, truthfully and contritely, and expects his or her employees to do the same. The plain fact is there just is no excuse for not telling the truth.

Psychologist M. Scott Peck has written a book, People of the Lie. Get it. Read it. And, join the growing number of professionals who speak truthfully. It’s just one more quality that sets those apart who have determined to be the real leaders—the true professionals—in their chosen industry.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism - Part 4: Commitment to Excellence

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

What are those qualities that clearly make one individual appear professional when compared to his or her peers?

We began three blog posts ago with a discussion of the quality of “compassion.” Two blog posts ago, I discussed the quality of a strong sense of “justice.” Last blog post I shared some thoughts on the subject of “common sense.” This time I want to suggest that among those key items which point to professionalism is an overwhelming “commitment to excellence.”

Excellence has been a very popular topic for motivational speakers and writers during the last three decades or so. Countless books, newspaper articles, magazine features, and many, many speeches have been made about the quality of a commitment to excellence. Even the military has taken up the theme with the snappy jingle that accompanies an action-packed video extolling the virtue of a soldier’s career: “Be all that you can be, in the Aaaaarrrrr-meeeeee.”

And yet, everywhere we go, we bump straight up against a host of people who, day in and day out, perform at some level below a standard of excellence. Here's a couple of examples.

Back when I traveled regularly, I had an experience when it took me four phone calls, speaking each time to a different travel consultant, to try to get the large national travel agency to process my ticket as a full-coach fare. Because I am a Delta Airlines “Million Miler,” having such a ticket would allow me to upgrade my lengthy flight to first class. I finally got the ticket in the mail and, you guessed it, one segment of the ticket is not coded as a “Y.” I wanted to scream, but then thought better of it.

I eat far too many meals at McDonald’s, purposefully choosing smiling Ronald over the people who want me to “have it your way.” My standard drive-thru order is a double cheeseburger with extra cheese, extra onions, no pickle, and a large diet coke.

“ Would you like fries with that?” the voice on the speaker inquires.

“ Are they free?” I have learned to ask.

“ No, of course not!” is the startled reply.

“ Then I guess I’ll just stick with what I ordered,” I respond.

After I pick up my food and drive to a parking spot, what do you suppose I find in the bag when I open it? Well it varies, but only about one-half of the time do I get a double cheeseburger with extra cheese, extra onions, and no pickle. One time when I was traveling by air, I even watched a grill person in the Cincinnati Airport McDonald’s announce my order correctly as he lays the wrapped burger on the stainless steel burger trough, repeated by the order taker as she slides the burger into the bag, only to discover no extra cheese and no onions whatsoever when I sit down to eat the burger. And, of course, I don’t just sit down to eat, I sit down to eat with great anticipation.

Somewhere in this chain of events—from order taker to grill person to shift supervisor to store manager—someone, or maybe several “someones,” does not have a commitment to excellence.

Is it so very different in whatever field of endeavor in which you work? Let’s say, for example, that some poor soul calls and says he or she needs the product or service that you provide. Does a mechanism in your company or organization kick in to assure that all along the chain of events—from the moment of this initial call until the product or service is delivered and fully accepted—every person who becomes involved with providing the product or service has a commitment to excellence?

Now I’m certainly not just talking about lip service to some pie-in-the-sky vision of “excellence.” Practically everyone I know gives lip service to the importance of a commitment to excellence. No, I’m talking about a group of “can do” people deciding it is worth their while to provide a product or service using quality materials in a quality manner, and to do it right the first time.

Customers truly do want the best product or service delivery possible. Even if they are operating with budget restrictions, they still expect that whatever they buy will be provided properly with care and attention to detail.

In my chosen field of fire protection, a commitment to excellence impacts significantly on the false alarm problem that has given fire and burglary alarm systems such bad names. If you are committed to providing the best system you can, and are further committed to maintaining that system in top condition throughout its useful life, then by your commitment to excellence you have taken an important step in the process of eliminating false alarms.

So, how does one internalize this particular mark of a professional? The commitment to excellence seems to come, either as a result of several very painful lessons where a failure to perform in an excellent manner resulted in a disaster, or it comes from a personal value you possess that purposefully determines where others err, you will not.

Whichever force motivates you, I would encourage you, and myself, as well, to actively seek to cultivate a commitment to excellence. Somehow I can’t help but think that such an attitude will reap many, many rewards.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}