On the career ladder, if you don’t advance, you will retreat?
[Heavenly Workplace People] Column 4
Oral narration and photos provided╱Kong Leihanqing‧Interview╱Yang Xuejing
"Who am I? Who can I be? Who can I make?"
People in the world have many big questions about life, and they all long for satisfaction and success. In the process of pursuing self-worth, comparison and competition turn the workplace into an arena. However, God’s gifts to people are different. For those in the workplace in heaven, since work is God’s calling, what should be the difference between pursuing excellence and the world’s people?
This issue will explore how Christians can achieve both themselves and others as they grow and advance; how they should respond to challenges and traps, experience God in them, and seek God's will.
How to grow in the workplace
First, see the advantages.If you carefully study the art of leading the Eight Quotient, you will find that the strengths of the Chinese should be IQ, reversal quotient and change quotient. The definition of IQ is not only strong learning ability, but also good at solving problems. Adversity quotient means being able to face different challenges and adversity; Chinese people all over the world face various challenges and changes, which leads to the development of strong adversity quotient and flexible change quotient. IQ, reverse quotient, and change quotient are all the abilities to deal with things. These characteristics show that Chinese Americans have the greatest advantage in doing things, handling work, and solving problems. (Picture 1)
Figure 1
Next, face your weaknesses.Influenced by Confucian culture, Chinese people are taught to be open-minded. However, being too humble and not seeing oneself in the right way results in a lack of self-confidence and sincerity, resulting in a false humility that is inconsistent with the inside and outside.
We are good at solving problems with high IQ and becoming outstanding individual contributors. However, we lack the conditions to become managers; because managers need to have high emotional intelligence to manage the problems they face at work. The limitations faced by Chinese Americans in the workplace are both environmental factors and self-inflicted. We work hard and do our best, but we do not raise our heads to look up to God, nor do we raise our heads to recognize people, let others know who you are, and see your reputation and ability. Therefore, the weaknesses of the Chinese are: lack of understanding of their own healthy image, and weak interpersonal relationships. Another thing that needs to grow is communication: why? To whom? say what? How to say? Where to say? When to say?
Thank the Lord, a Christian’s greatest strength is a relationship with God, which builds spiritual intelligence and helps overcome weaknesses.
To grow in the workplace, you must seek God’s will.Everyone is God's masterpiece. When facing problems, you should first seek and understand God's will, so as to understand yourself, give full play to your strengths, build your personal reputation and brand, and let others know your characteristics and value.
People in the workplace are often troubled by hidden rules that hinder their work. For example, those in higher positions have the final say; the opinions of supervisors and customers cannot be refuted. The direct cause of these phenomena is poor communication.
How to interact and communicate intelligently? The five-step process of seeking God’s will allows us to analyze and understand it more concretely: (Picture 2)
Figure II
Step One: God’s Word.God’s word becomes a filter and establishes clear vision; the more familiar you are with God’s word, the more you understand God’s will.
Step Two: The Spirit of God.Through prayer, let the Holy Spirit intervene in the work and receive God's guidance.
Step Three: God’s People.Seek the counsel of those who love God and love you. God will often speak to you and support you through them.
Step 4: God’s environment.Use tools such as common sense and the 5P model to pray and wait for God to raise up the right environment at the right time, so that the situation that originally seemed unfavorable can be reversed.
Step Five: God’s Sovereignty.Walk with God, trust and obey God’s guidance.
In the 41 years since I believed in the Lord, God has never let me down. Occasionally, I am confused by my own thoughts and desires and find it difficult to make a decision. If I still can't figure it out after practicing in the order of the five steps, I will directly turn my actions into strength; do my best and leave the results to God.
Encourage people in heaven to bring Jesus to the workplace, experience Him at work, and at the same time pray and seek to wisely find the “right” person, time, place, reason, and method.
Also, abide in the Lord.When seeking God’s will, what’s important is the process, not just the results. The process is to experience and enjoy God, see God’s intervention, and experience His help and silent response. Examine whether you are abiding in the Lord and live out what is said in John 15: Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If there is no withdrawal from the source God, there is no wisdom.
Psalm 37 Reminder:“Trust in the Lord and do good⋯⋯byHimHis faithfulness is your food; and you will delight yourself in the LORD,Himand I will grant you the desires of your heart."Through the "Five Steps to Seeking God's Will" and connecting with God's mind, many decisions will become easier. Also give glory to God through good deeds in front of everyone.
Another scripture that has a profound impact on me is:"You have to ask firstHimof GuoheHimrighteousness, all these things will be added to you. "(Gospel of Matthew6:33)Throughout my life since I believed in the Lord, I have used this verse to help me make decisions.
cognition5PModels can help grow.The 5P model gives us a deep understanding of ourselves. Not only in life or career planning, it can also be used in couples and marriages, raising children, mentoring young people, and serving God. (Picture 3)
Figure 3
The first layer of the model is goals and vision, starting with the end in mind. The second level is principles, what are used to make decisions, including beliefs, values, family background, cultural personality or experience. The third level is passion, which determines whether you can be like a fish in water, be happy even if there is no reward, and have the enthusiasm to continue. The fourth level is interaction with others. The top level is the performance that everyone wants to achieve.
The first three are internal cognitive sorting; the latter two are external connections and interpersonal relationships, which belong to soft power, influence and hard power. You must proceed step by step, starting from the goal and slowly developing upward.
How to win in the workplace
first of allThere is no need to avenge oneself.Competition is originally neutral. Without competition, there would be no improvement and improvement. It is because of competition that human history can continue to develop and grow, and this is what God allows and blesses. Healthy competition brings growth; for example, in market competition, companies improve product quality and customer service to make themselves more distinctive and compete for opportunities. Of course, there is also vicious competition: overt and covert fighting, selfishness and pride, and unscrupulous means for self-interest. This is the depravity of human nature that is immature and does not honor God or benefit others.
Benign or malignant? Define and respond with the truth taught by God. What happens in life, 10% is the impact of the event on us, and 90% is the effect of our response. If we allow things to control us, we become its slaves. thank God! God is the Lord of life, work, and family. He will worry about us and redress our grievances. He will use the method taught by God, not to use evil to cure evil, but to repay evil with good. He will wisely regard competition as neutral and regard every situation. Turn the crisis into an opportunity and face the competition with a healthy attitude.
Healthy competition creates room for growth and helps us live out our testimony in conflicts. When encountering vicious competition, following God's methods can turn it into a positive one. You can grow in it, build relationships, live out your faith, and bear good fruits. When encountering competition, you should use Romans 12:19 to remind yourself to encourage yourself:“Do not avenge yourselves, but rather yield to the wrath of the Lord; for it is written: ‘The Lordexplain: Vengeance is mine, and I will repay you. 』』
Trust in God’s sovereignty and surrender everything to God. He is in control of everything. Even when the floods come, He is still sitting as King.
followed byGet a sense of accomplishment at work. The sense of accomplishment for people in the Tianguo workplace should be the pursuit of win-win situations at work rather than winning or losing. A win-win situation should be based on the team's perspective and consider the team's interests; how can we benefit ourselves while benefiting others? You should bless others based on their interests first, and you will naturally receive feedback. From the perspective of the world and ordinary people, this approach seems incredible, but the principle of mutual blessing and feedback can indeed be proven through practice and research.
Altruism is not a conditional exchange, but thinking from the perspective of a servant leader: What does the other person need? Why does the conflict occur? How to satisfy both individuals and the needs of the team? It is natural to benefit others and benefit yourself.
Of course, you can't always be a human being. If you just work hard and others don't know you, they won't know how to use you. Therefore, we must seize the opportunity to communicate with others and sincerely appreciate and praise each other. Especially when building a team, you must openly reward your partners. Praise each other's contributions and efforts exaggeratedly without exaggeration. Blessing and helping others while also receiving recognition is the secret to success. When you can help people, things, and things improve with dedication, value, and integrity, you will get a sense of accomplishment at work.
Give full play to the gifts given by God and look at your own growth instead of comparing yourself with others; make today better than yesterday and make this year better than last year. This is achievement. So the definition of achievement is: doing your best faithfully, leveraging God’s grace to your advantage, and glorifying God and benefiting others. This is also the idea of healthy competition, so that you will not be self-centered and step on others. Christians must practice integrating their faith into their work and put God at the center so that they can be aware of themselves and the needs of others.
Another key to victory depends onWays to respond to challenges. I have worked in 16 jobs for 33 years, many of which hired me because of my strengths and personal reputation.
The 16th job is a very hot new technology. The executive in charge is a successful future star. He presides over top technology projects and encounters many difficulties, resulting in multiple failures. It is very difficult. Because I have worked on large projects that were responsible for the company's top CEO, I have improved my reputation and have a high reputation in the fiber optic field. This executive paid attention from a distance and knew that my strength was to simplify complex problems; I could organize my team's strengths to grow together with them. So after waiting for three years, I was invited to join.
I didn’t expect that this project would be really difficult because of the top-notch technology and fierce competition. This job coincides with the third season of my career [Notes]: Be God-centered, integrate faith into work, and learn to face peers with a humble attitude as a servant leader. When I bring Jesus to work, I naturally experience God’s calling, leadership, and His reality, experience how He intervenes to solve problems, and gain support in the face of competition with limited resources, manpower, and material resources. See the meaning of the team from the perspective of others, proactively turn vicious competition into benign, and make important progress on difficult projects within three months. The team also won three awards within three months, reaching the pinnacle of my personal career in 33 years. It was at this time that God told me: It was time to retire. Following God’s call, I chose to retreat bravely.
To succeed in the workplace, you mustPracticing humility and character in setbacks. I was not appointed to the projects I wanted to land; I was not given the promotion I deserved; I was deprived of resources and projects were cut in half. These experiences have allowed me to learn to accept setbacks and my own limitations positively; to practice humility, character, and understanding of myself. And reflect: Why did my colleague get this job? What strengths can I learn from others? I realized another important point: we should not just look at the results, but also pay attention to the process; in the process, we not only see things (product), but also understand the process (process). Although the project did not receive the resources I needed, I built relationships in the process and learned skills that I can apply elsewhere.
Even if it feels unfair, try to take a long-term view and make the best of your setbacks. The most important thing is: we must know that God is in control, and whatever God wants to give us, he will definitely give it to us, never without delay. He has given us salvation and His only Son, and our good is no more than God. Even if you lose a precious opportunity or lose a winning competition, you still have to trust in God. Don’t arbitrarily link frustration in the workplace with racial discrimination; even if there is discrimination, you must deal with it head-on and communicate with wisdom to protest. Do not step on others, nor be stepped on by others. In the process, you can improve your faith in God and your relationship with yourself. This is spiritual intelligence.
How to overcome challenges and obstacles
It starts with breaking the glass ceiling.Although the "glass ceiling" formed by ethnicity, gender, age, and religion has not been completely eliminated, the situation has improved. According to data, many Asians have broken through tangible and intangible restrictions and gained opportunities and success in North America.
Research compares East Asians and South Asian Indians: Due to cultural differences, Indians are more willing to express their thoughts, while Chinese people influenced by Confucian culture are more inconsistent and timid to express themselves, making it difficult for people to know their true thoughts and hindering communication. Because Indians are brave enough to fight, the CEOs of many of the top 500 listed companies in the United States are Indians, such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, Adobe...
Chinese people, regardless of gender, should see that everyone has their own value, believe that God wants to use you, work hard to give full play to your gifts, do not let fear, worry or low self-esteem limit you, recognize the environment and move forward bravely. There is still a lack of women at the top levels of companies, gender and ethnic imbalances remain, and there is a lot of room for improvement. If you use correct values and attitudes, live out your principles, and perform well, you will not be limited by the so-called ceiling, know how to advance and retreat, and get what you want. I hope that one day the impact of the glass ceiling will be reduced, making the talent pipeline smoother and more balanced. (Picture 4)
Figure 4
Secondly, we must see through the myths of entertainment culture.The so-called entertainment actually refers to connections and popularity. Being a person requires popularity; doing things requires connections. Interpersonal relationships in the workplace are indeed a very important part, and socializing is part of it. However, building relationships does not have to be about feasting and feasting.
The Bible doesn’t explicitly talk about connections, but Ephesians says:「⋯⋯Each joint has its own function and helps each other according to the function of each part, so that the body gradually grows⋯⋯. "My definition of networking and popularity is to establish meaningful and mutually helpful relationships, rather than for self-interest.
Sometimes you think that the other person is more accomplished than you and doesn't seem to need help, ignoring that everyone has a need to be cared for. Being able to see each other's needs, provide help or share information, reciprocate and benefit each other, and invest in each other is a healthy way to manage connections and popularity.
For decades, I have also participated in socializing, which is called networking (connection); there is no pressure, mutual respect, and the management of interpersonal relationships. Even if there is no socializing, try to have a chance to have dinner with your colleagues, get to know each other and enter each other's world. The atmosphere at the dinner table is relaxed, you can get a lot of inspiration, and it is easy to discuss or solve problems, which can help build relationships.
If you don't socialize at all and others don't know who you are, how can you build connections? On the contrary, although God has placed us in this world and company, it does not mean that we can engage in negative social interactions. Anything that is not biblical or conscientious, pray to God to give you the wisdom and opportunity to say no and set boundaries.
Know that your value and strengths are your contribution to your work, your performance, your passion and your accomplishments. Although the relationships established through entertainment are helpful, your content and abilities are more valuable.
Asia’s entertainment culture is full of temptations. Pray to God and ask Him to help you discern: Which ones can you go to? How to respond? Let you be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove; let you enter the world and not be of the world.
MoreGo ask, go ask, go knock.. There is an acrostic poem ASK in the Bible:
You pray (Ask) will be given to you; look for (Seek) and find; knock on the door (Knock) will open the door for you. (Refer to Matthew7:7)
thank God! Problems can be brought to God, and the Lord is happy to guide and respond. He is always meek and humble, waiting for us to come to Him boldly. Are we willing to ask, ask, and knock on the door with the Lord before blaming people and circumstances?
God has given us many promises, and He has given us thoughts of peace, not disaster. Even during the epidemic, God has a plan to expand our realm and bring us blessings out of misfortune.
On the career ladder, if you don’t advance, you will retreat, is it true? I hope that those who work in the Kingdom of Heaven, no matter whether the ladder is dangerous or difficult, will not only see the advantages and face the weaknesses, but also seek God’s will. If they always stay in the Lord, they will be able to be calm and stable, and gradually rise to the top.
Note:
Three seasons of Kong Lei Hanqing’s career:
• Season 1: The first 10 years—ignorant, picky, arrogant; self-centered, working more than workers.
• Season 2: 15 years—Excessive demands, perfectionism.
• Season 3: 8 years before retirement - practicing humility, building connections, benefiting others and self, putting workers before work.
For more exciting sharings from Elder Kong Lei Hanqing, please link:
1. CALLED To WORK Workplace mission:https://calledtowork.org/zh_trad/Kong Lei Hanqing Resources/.
2. Global Reachout global communication:
• Octopus for workplace communicationhttps://global-reachout.org/zh-hans/webcasts/4/4-8;
• Work life balance serieshttps://global-reachout.org/zh-hans/webcasts/4/4-7.
Respondents
Kong Lei Hanqing (Elaine Kung), founder, president and speaker of "Mission in the Workplace". He has held multiple technical and business leadership positions at Bell Labs and AT&T, providing career guidance and other life skills needed by people of all ages. After retirement, she and her husband devoted themselves to evangelism and discipleship training. In 1996, he founded the "Called To Work" ministry to encourage Christians to do their jobs well in the workplace, bear good witness for the Lord, receive God's blessings in the workplace, and become a blessing to others, equipping Christians to become A workplace missionary with "double-vocational ministry".Yang Xuejing, a native of Taichung, Taiwan, graduated from the Chinese Department of Tunghai University. He once worked as a copywriter for an advertising company and a high school Chinese teacher. After coming to the United States, he settled in Texas and participated in local Chinese education. I hope that through words, more people will know the gospel and the values of heaven will be spread widely.