Promoting the good

No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. (Psalm 101:7)

David desires a company culture that does not tolerate hiding, deceit or lying. This requires a culture of connection, openness, and grace; a culture that allows people to make their own mistakes so that they are able to develop themselves. If bad behavior only leads to dismissal or reprimand, then we create a culture where people are going to hide their mistakes, a culture of lying and deceiving.

Sonja is a Christian entrepreneur who wants to reflect the character of God in her work and behavior. Values like faithfulness, grace, openness, love and connection are central to her company (Psalm 103:8-10 and 14). She cooperates with a supplier who has regularly failed to comply with their mutual agreements lately. Each time he has an excuse for not fulfilling his obligations. The purchasing department wants to stop doing business with this supplier and has already organized alternatives. Sonja thinks there might be more behind it and she values this supplier for the quality of his products. She decides to visit him in person. She is welcomed as an honored guest and gets a tour around the factory. It is a small family business, and the staff are doing their utmost to serve their clients to their contentment. She notices that there are problems with the packaging department. The packaging machine is old and functions irregularly. She wonders why, because the rest of the operation looks good, and the quality of the produced goods is very good. During the conversation after the tour, she asks about the supply problems. The owner stammers something. He tries to avoid talking about the problems, but finally he gives in. The packaging machine does not work properly, and they do not have money to replace it. The person who started the company recently died and several family members need to be bought out. It is a delicate personal issue that he had rather not discuss. Sonja feels compassion and she decides to finance a new machine with a loan from her company.

The culture of connecting and grace was repaid. Space was created for honesty and openness, apart from a threefold business advantage. For by this action, she bought loyalty and commitment, she safeguarded her own supplies and quality, and she received a small profit on the loan.

Question for the day
How do you deal with mistakes and bad behavior of your staff and suppliers?