Getting along with others
Were you hooked on this season's episodes of "The Apprentice"? I must hesitantly admit that I was also. I find Donald Trump to be a classic case of ego, power, and self-indulgence; but yet somehow still find him to a likeable person. But then he’s a mega-star business man with a lot of experience behind him both in success and failures.
Many thought him to be crass and crude when dealing with people and it makes you wonder if its just the tone of voice, or is that his true personality. In either case, he’s got something that works for him – a take no prisoner attitude, and do the right things first to ensure success.
Ray Pritchard has an interesting take on some of the positives that we can take away from "The Apprentice". If you find this kind of mundane chatter a waste of time... then... 'You’re fired!'
Although I've not watched all the episodes this season, I did watch the last few when the competition narrowed and the in-fighting became intense. Besides being good entertainment, what can we learn from "The Apprentice"?
The most important thing involves likeability. Simply put, most of Jen's competitors grew to dislike her intensely while most of Kelly's rivals seemed to enjoy working with him. In the end, Donald Trump could not ignore that reality. No one wants to hire a superstar that no one wants to work with. To put it in football terms, if you're going to be moody, petulant, spoiled and mean-spirited, you'd better score twenty touchdowns if you want to stay on the team. The simple ability to get along with others over the long haul may be the single most important trait you can have. If people perceive you as a good person, a hard worker, a team player, and someone who is positive, upbeat, and fun to be around, you're going to have a ton of job security. Many people get fired simply because they rub others the wrong way. One of Mr. Trump's associates called Jen "abrasive." He wanted Mr. Trump to choose her anyway, but it wasn't going to happen.
What else sticks out? Brains and talent matter, but not perhaps as much as some might think. Passion matters a lot, especially the passion to speak up for yourself when your job is on the line. Taking care of details came up again and again. People who let things slide eventually get found out. Manipulation works for a while, but in the end people rally to a leader with integrity.
Finally, the series demonstrates that in life there are many factors we can't control. It's not clear that the best leader actually won the contest. You could argue that a half-dozen others were more qualified than either Kelly or Jen. One could even argue that Mr. Trump made some bad decisions along the way. Not that it matters greatly since every one of the contestants will be making huge amounts of money eventually (if they aren't already). But in any competition, there can only be one winner. When you don't get accepted, when you don't get the job, when someone else makes the sale, when you are rejected in favor of someone else, all you know is that you didn't win. You don't always know why, and maybe it wouldn't help to know why anyway. The race is not always a matter of the swifts, nor is the battle always to the strongest. The smartest don't always get rich nor do to the skillful always rise to the top. "Time and chance happen to them all" (Ecclesiastes 9:11). You can do your best, and you can even be the best, but you still may be passed over. That truth ought to humble all of us.
Meanwhile it helps to know that being a good person still counts for something in this day and age. Our primary concern should be to love one another as we would love ourselves. Be kind, and gentle, and full of compassion to our neighbors, employers, and family members. There’s room for us all here but when things get crowded or we over stay our welcome sometimes we have to take the initiative and move on as Isac did in the story of the 3 wells found in Genesis 26
1. Now a severe famine overshadowed the land, as had happened before, in Abraham's time, and so Isaac moved to the city of Gerar where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. 2. Jehovah appeared to him there and told him, ``Don't go to Egypt. 3. Do as I say and stay here in this land. If you do, I will be with you and bless you, and I will give all this land to you and to your descendants, just as I promised Abraham your father. 4. And I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars! And I will give them all of these lands; and they shall be a blessing to all the nations of the earth. 5. I will do this because Abraham obeyed my commandments and laws.''So Isaac stayed in Gerar.Let’s skip down a few lines and pick up the story
12. That year Isaac's crops were tremendous--100 times the grain he sowed. For Jehovah blessed him. 13. He was soon a man of great wealth, and became richer and richer. 14. He had large flocks of sheep and goats, great herds of cattle, and many servants. And the Philistines became jealous of him. 15. So they filled up his wells with earth--all those dug by the servants of his father Abraham. 16. And King Abimelech asked Isaac to leave the country. ``Go somewhere else,'' he said, ``for you have become too rich and powerful for us.'' 17. So Isaac moved to Gerar Valley and lived there instead. 18. And Isaac redug the wells of his father Abraham, the ones the Philistines had filled after his father's death, and gave them the same names they had had before, when his father had named them. 19. His shepherds also dug a new well in Gerar Valley, and found a gushing underground spring. 20. Then the local shepherds came and claimed it. ``This is our land and our well,'' they said, and argued over it with Isaac's herdsmen. So he named the well, ``The Well of Argument!'' 21. Isaac's men then dug another well, but again there was a fight over it. So he called it, ``The Well of Anger.'' 22. Abandoning that one, he dug again, and the local residents finally left him alone. So he called it, ``The Well of Room Enough for Us at Last!'' ``For now at last,'' he said, ``the Lord has made room for us and we shall thrive.''With God on our side, people tend to get really nervous. They know that at any moment things could happen to them for harming one of God’s chosen few. They become scared and will do just about anything to save face, and remain in good graces with that person. How often have we done this with our employers, begging for forgiveness before we are let go for something we’ve done wrong? In the following verses we’ll see that we aren’t the only one’s who do this. Take a look and see if this sounds familure.
23. When he (That’s Isaac now) went to Beer-sheba, 24. Jehovah appeared to him on the night of his arrival. ``I am the God of Abraham your father,'' he said. ``Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you, and will give you so many descendants that they will become a great nation--because of my promise to Abraham, who obeyed me.'' 25. Then Isaac built an altar and worshiped Jehovah; and he settled there, and his servants dug a well.(O’ boy here we go again! You’d think he’d learned the first time)
26. One day Isaac had visitors from Gerar. King Abimelech arrived with his advisor, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. ``Why have you come?'' Isaac asked them. ``This is obviously no friendly visit, since you kicked me out in a most uncivil way.''Time to beg your way through a screw up here…
``Well,'' they said, ``we can plainly see that Jehovah is blessing you. We've decided to ask for a treaty between us. 29 Promise that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you, and in fact, have done only good to you and have sent you away in peace; we bless you in the name of the Lord.''Sound familiar? It should we’ve all done this once or twice.. Let’s continue reading now and see what the out come was.
So Isaac prepared a great feast for them, and they ate and drank in preparation for the treaty ceremonies. 31. In the morning, as soon as they were up, they each took solemn oaths to seal a non-aggression pact. Then Isaac sent them happily home again.Ok you can have your job back, you’re right we this was a mistake we need you here. When we get it back if we are going to get it back that is, WE take on a more positive attitude with our job safely secured again.
32. That very same day Isaac's servants came to tell him, ``We have found water''--in the well they had been digging. 33. So he named the well, ``The Well of the Oath,'' and the city that grew up there was named ``Oath,'' and is called that to this day.Remember saints, sometimes it’s good to move on rather than argue with someone. Only bad things can happen as a direct result of a bad choice. When we use good sound judgement knowing when enough is enough, we’re always richly blessed.
Now I’m NOT saying run out and quit the job you’ve had for years tomorrow. But use good judgement. Have a plan, look for other opportunities before you go. Secure the land first and make a way to move in with out argument or distrust. As the saying goes, never burn the bridge to friendship because you’re next employer may just call them. The last thing you need is a bad reputation following you around like a dark cloud over your head.
If you must leave, leave on good terms, and make a pact to help each other not fight each other. What’s done is done, you can’t change yesterday but you can change today. Make the best of it, and trust in God to bring favor upon you as a result of it. All things good and bad bring glory to our father when we focused on his will for us and obey his commandments – love thy neighbor as yourself.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father we thank you for this life lesson today. May your words bring encouragement to all those who read them and hear them today. Lord, you said that faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word. Let your words reach out today to spark someone to continue reading your word and the valuable lessons you have laid before us. In your name we pray Amen.