Organizational Intelligence: Confronting a Fear-based Working Environment
Employed as a leadership coach for various organizations over the past two years I encountered many working environments; some great, some good, and unfortunately, some bad ones. The one most demoralizing is the fear-based working environment. You know that place of employment, where there’s little to no motivation to passionately pursue and expand organizational goals. The problem isn’t the employee but leadership’s inability to foster respect and build trust. In a fear based one working environment, the leader (manager or owner) controls with fear, creating negative vides in the workplace. This type of environment is challenging to say the least. In an economy like ours (December 2009), it is much more difficult for any employee to leave their job for a better work setting, so they stick around hoping for any kind of change. Like the movie, The Matrix, it’s like being caught in a never ending simulated reality; once you’re in it, you can’t leave. If you do leave, you have to get at the end of line, and wait for weeks, even months to be called for an interview. So what‘s an employee to do? The ideas presented in this blog post will help you navigate through this kind of working environment.
In a fear based working environment employees’ walk on eggshells wondering when the leader will show up to reprimand someone publically. I personally witnessed this scenario first hand many times. I remember a situation where employees were doing their jobs when suddenly the owner appears, standing quietly in a corner unannounced, watching to see if anyone says or does something slightly out of line. As soon as employees’ became aware of this person’s presence the atmosphere changed, giving each other “the look”, as if, “Be aware, she’s here!” As the owner walked around, the employees became quiet, perhaps hoping she would not choose any of them to pick on.
On other occasions, procedures or systems were changed simply by the owner’s whim or because a client-customer made passing comment or mild complaint. Instead of keeping or making a slight adjustment to a working system, a whole new system was devised and implemented. And most critical of all, reprimands were too often made in the open or in meetings, not in a private office.
Liz Ryan, author of Ten Signs of a Fear Based Workplace notes:
“Fear shuts down our ability to think creatively, collaborate, and bring passion to the job. When getting through the day requires a focus on keeping one’s head down, taking no risks, and sucking up to anyone in management, your organization’s soul has left the picture.”
A fear-based working environment is difficult to change, since the owner/leader is set in his or her ways. Insecure leaders who think critically of others, rather than optimistically breed fear. Weak employees, who fear confronting the obvious elephant in the room, would rather put up with it, keeping the status quo. A leader creating this type of environment is usually caught in trap; to change would mean he or she would have to admit they have been managing wrongly, and would need to change their ways. So the struggle to achieve excellent working cultures stalls organizational effectiveness, even quenching the human spirit.
How does one confront such a leader? The best way to do this is through group confrontation, where several respected, tenured and highly qualified employees approach the leader in private with a short list of observations. What is a leader to do, fire this elite group? If a leader has any sense he or she should receive this honest feedback to gain respect required to lead effectively, then create the changes needed to transform themselves and their working environments.
What are other suggestions required to turn this type of working environment around?
Latino Townhall’s Top 25 Quotes of 2011
These are Latino Townhall’s Top 25 Quotes of 2011, which are provided to inspire you to stimulate your thinking, and help you through times of difficulty. I have provided my name at the end of each quote in case you want to copy and paste on social media sites. Thank you for your support in 2011:
Fear is the sure beginning of failure, eventually leading to one’s demise. –Joel Garcia (January 2011)
Every Christian should aspire to a leadership role becuase the Spirit of God within them is constantly moving and creating change, and this is what leaders do. –Joel Garcia (April 2011)
Leading with love is the most excellent way. –Joel Garcia (April 2011)
To overcome incompetence do not stand-alone rather deepen your pool of knowledge by standing alongside others. –Joel Garcia (April 2011)
Listening provides the context you need to ask the right questions. –Joel Garcia (May 2011)
Your personal gifts prophesy to your future. –Joel Garcia (June 2011)
Hope is the assurance of a release date from your wilderness journey. –Joel Garcia (July 2011)
Leaders who reinvent themselves see things in a whole new way, therefore, driving needed change in their environment. –Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
A comprehensive Christian worldview must instill belief, power and the ability to transform culture. –Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
If you keep hope alive, you stay alive. –Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
A gospel with power adds wonder. –Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
Ideas have a better chance of life in a community. –Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
Complaints measure your ineffectiveness, while solutions measure your effectiveness. -Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
Creativity rebounds during moments of rest and solitude. –Joel Garcia (Sept. 2011)
Every action you take sets in motion something greater; transformation begins with enough of the right actions. –Joel Garcia (Aug. 2011)
When a man loses his moral compass, he lands in desolate places. –Joel Garcia (Sept. 2011)
There’s no transformation without a struggle. –Joel Garcia (Sept. 2011)
The gift of change is loss; if we don’t learn to let go we’ll never change. –Joel Garcia (Sept. 2011)
Servant leaders inspire others to be and do their best by their lifestyle. –Joel Garcia (Oct. 2011)
Tension and misunderstanding go together; get understanding and watch tension gradually release itself. –Joel Garcia (Oct. 2011)
You can’t “cherry pick” your character, it’s cultivated through time, choice and action. -Joel Garcia (Oct. 2011)
The primary objective of parenting is making a child beautiful on the inside. –Joel Garcia (Nov. 2011)
Wisdom triumphs over experience. –Joel Garcia (November 28, 2011)
Submission doesn’t come when you ask for it; it happens when you’ve work for it. –Joel Garcia (November 28, 2011)
Ten Strategies for Empowering Latino Youth
It’s time for Latino/Hispanics to set aside their “cultural lens” and see life through a different one. The one I am referring to is the “success lens”. I am personally exhausted hearing the same ‘ol lingo from family, friends and casual conversations at networking events, “That’s how Latinos do it!”, or “A si somos”, meaning that there’s a settled way of doing things in our culture. This is cultural pride, and that’s the central core of this issue… cultural pride keeps our community stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. It’s time to put off the old, and put on new thinking. So what do young Latinos need to know to succeed? I was contemplating this question for awhile on a Saturday afternoon as I watched a game of college football. The following strategic tools emerged before me to empower Latino youth:
1. Become a Christian
Jesus said, “You must be born-again“, meaning that you must have a spiritual encounter with the Savior who can transform the way you think, act, and live. Therefore, seek to know God personally (not religiously), and make Him known to others. Spirituality should be your top priority since it’s key to awakening your inner person. Many Latinos are stuck in religion; we must move away from that mold and seek the true lover of our souls.
2. Learn and master the English language
Learn to write effectively and communicate well. Don’t be shy to take classes that challenge your verbal development such as speech class, debate, and rhetoric. Speech class in college helped me overcome my fears in speaking in front of others. I’m so thankful for that class.
3. Find your passion and life mission
You must ponder and answer these questions: Why am I here? What was I created to do? Develop a life mission statement, something that will guide you and direct your decision making. Here’s a glimpse at mine:
I was created to help others find their niche and passion in life; to develop them to display their fullest potential.
It’s simple yet tells people that I love personal development and helping others find their place in life. Second, your passion is what energizes you to do what you do best each day. When you’re passionate, it’s like there is no difference in days; a Monday is like a Friday because you love what you do. Combined, your “mission” and “passion” are powerful tools for personal engagement, and engaging others.
4. Discover and cultivate your innate gifts and abilities
You must ask yourself: What are my strengths? The Gallup Organization conducted a 25 year study and discovered 34 innate strengths common in people. The test reveals your top 5 signature themes. You can take an Online test to discover and develop your personal gifts. Go to this link: http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx . Yes, there is a small cost but its worth the investment.
5. Find good mentors
Find mentors who will help you think critically. Mentors who will teach you “how” to think, not “what” to think and believe. Usually, youth pastors make good mentors.
6. Build your relational network early
A network can be your school, church and place of employment. Make friends horizontally (your peers and co-workers), and vertically (your teachers, coaches, employers, etc.) When you graduate from High School keep a list of teachers and administrators who made a difference in your life, and stay in touch with them. You’ll never know if you’ll need them in the future to provide you with a reference or open a door. Don’t forget to foster new relationships while managing old ones. Relationships are key to your success!
7. Develop your character
Character is developed over a lifetime of choices, so start early in life; speak well of others, learn to love others, and respect them even if you disagree with them. Ask others, like your mentors, to speak into your life, provide feedback and check your blind spots periodically.
8. Learn and practice generosity
Learn to give your time, talent and personal treasures away to others. Freely you have received, freely give. A generous person never has to worry about the lack of supply. What you sow you shall reap. Generosity is basically living with an opened hand.
9. Never stop learning
Some people develop pride and think they “know it all”. Therefore, be a life time learner, read books, leadership journals, magazines, listen to audio tapes of great leaders. Don’t settle for mediocrity but strive for personal excellence. Learn from others, even if they are younger than you. Build a personal culture of a learner.
10. Seek to be affluent and influential
When you seek to become affluent (having money) and influential (impacting others), you won’t have to count on government to take care of you, and you will be able teach others to be self-sufficient. Don’t allow others to make you think wealth is “wicked” or that the “wealthy” are greedy. Those who point to “greed” are full of envy themselves, don’t listen to them. Class warfare causes unnecessary divisions. Wealth is a biblical concept. God meant for you to have money. Godly people like Abraham, King David, King Solomon and countless others were wealthy individuals. God meant for you to have wealth and be influential. However, don’t let the love of money control your life. You must control your desire for only money since “the love of money of the root of evil” but building personal wealth is critical to your viability.
Can you add your wisdom to this list?
Developing a Comprehensive Christian Worldview
A comprehensive Christian worldview must instill belief, power and the ability to transform culture.” ~Joel Garcia
As Christians we are commanded by the apostle Peter (1 Peter 3:15) to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Understanding and communicating our faith is only one of three components that define a comprehensive Christian worldview, two additional pillars remain; displaying power by the Holy Spirit, and the impact Christians have on culture to transform it in the God’s image. Many Christians have difficulty communicating their faith without using “The Bible says…” or “God says…” We must take notes and learn from the apostle Paul who stood on top of Mars Hill (Acts 17). In Athens, Paul communicated a Christian apologetic to an intellectual elite who asked him about his faith. Paul posed his answers to fit their historical background and understanding. Paul did not fail as some have proposed; he merely presented the gospel to a secular crowed in a way they could understand. Many of his listeners were tracking his message up until the time he brought up the resurrection from the dead; many snickered, while a handful of them believed.
A Christian worldview must have three components to make it viable. These three components include a set of beliefs, which are communicated effectively in conjunction with the manifestation of the Spirit’s power via signs, miracles and wonders; the ensuing outcome is personal and cultural transformation.
1. Belief
Every worldview philosophy has a text, a code or a set of beliefs it adheres to. In this respect, the Christian faith is not any different from other faiths, philosophies, etc. The sacred text, known as the Bible, forms our views; the way we worship, the way we live, approach and apply solutions to the problems that exist in the world. For instance, the central message of the early church was the life, crucifixion (death), burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. They were witnesses of the Majestic King on earth; they saw, touched and spoke with God incarnate. After witnessing the resurrection of Jesus, no one could shut up the early preachers, even at the point of death. They kept their message intact and undeluded. When we study the patterns in Scripture, when the Word was preached, it was accompanied by signs, miracles and wonders.
2. Power
The one distinction between the Christian worldview and all other views known to mankind is it’s simple claim to “resurrection power”. No other belief system or religion in the
world has a central feature such as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not only is the resurrection of Christ a settled belief in scripture; it’s a reality in the 21stcentury church – we believe Jesus rose from the dead, and this power is alive and accessible. Luke, a traveling companion of the apostle Paul, provides a glimpse into this premise in Acts 14:3:
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there (Iconium), speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
In the city of Iconium, we see a strong connection between their message and ensuing “power” released to perform miraculous signs and wonders. The spoken Word accompanied by power produces amazing results; it gets the attention of people.
3. The Capacity to Transform Culture
Christians sold out for Christ possess power by the Spirit of God to affect positive changes in their physical world. The gospel has power; the ability to change people’s lives, to heal, change atmospheres and environments, and to transform culture in His image. The apostle Paul was accused of turning “the world upside down” (Acts 17:6), dividing cities in two, and at one point a lawyer bringing charges against him describes Paul as a “plague” (Acts 24:5), meaning his message was having an impact upon culture. Paul drove the religious and non-religious establishments crazy; they persecuted him, threw him in prison and many times almost took his life. The power of the Holy Spirit residing in him and others affected the spiritual and physical climate, thus, impacting and transforming culture (Acts 19).
A Christian worldview is nullified when any of these three aspects are absent.
What are your thoughts of a Christian worldview? Is there one size fits all?
Una Nota para Pastores
Amados Pastores, Oro y confió que nuestro Señor Jesucristo siga manifestándose en sus vidas y congregaciones. Declaro que veremos todos juntos su Gloria en nuestra hermosa ciudad de las Vegas.
Como muchos de ustedes sabrán el Señor puso en mi corazón iniciar una Escuela de Liderazgo Transformacional desde hace mucho tiempo y creo que ahora es el tiempo de iniciar esta escuela para beneficio del cuerpo de Cristo y tomando la oportunidad de esta carta quiero informarles que nuestra escuela comienza el martes 13 de septiembre de este año en curso. Esta escuela está destinada a alcanzar y formar nuestra próxima generación de líderes de nuestra comunidad.
Latino Townhall, Inc. ha sido certificada como una Escuela Privada de Educación Superior en Nevada. Esta es una escuela para nosotros los latinos. Disponemos de 12 cursos sobre liderazgo basado sobre la roca fuerte de nuestra fe que es Jesucristo. Nosotros capacitamos a los estudiantes a tengan la ”mente de Cristo” para que así influencien en el área que ellos decidan por terminar en la vida, gobernando con esa mentalidad.
Esta visión es imposible hacerla yo solo, necesito del cuerpo de Cristo y que nos unamos a correr la voz en los próximos tres domingos anunciando en su congregación nuestra escuela. Un anuncio no es suficiente, y como pastores que somos, necesitamos tomar la visión más de una vez. Por qué estoy diciendo esto? Estoy oyendo que muchos de nuestros jóvenes latinos después de la escuela secundaria no están motivados para la universidad, otros necesitan buscar un trabajo, y muchos están en casa jugando juegos de video sin ningún propósito para la vida. ¿Mi pregunta es por qué perder más el tiempo?
Nuestras clases de otoño tendrán lugar cada martes por la mañana, tarde y noche. Estas serán en Inglés (una clase es en español y se reúnen cada sábado de 6 a 8 pm.). Nos hemos comprometido a ayudarles a aprender, crecer y vivir la vida abundante que nuestro Jesús prometió. También estaremos con el estudiante a la par que su carácter y liderazgo es formado con nuestro equipo de entrenadores de vida. Con nuestros contactos el estudiante podrá prepararse para encontrar trabajo.
Joel Garcia
Presidente’ de Latino Townhall, Inc.
3 Definitive Tests of Intregrity
When I think of the word integrity, immediately the biblical story of Joseph comes to mind. This story is found in the book of Genesis, chapters 37 to 45 – it’s worth a concentrated read. In this story, three major challenges were encountered by Joseph that would test and measure his integrity; his worth as a person. I have presented these three tests in question form for your consideration. Let’s see if you can pass the definitive tests of integrity:
1. Does your integrity waiver when everyone around you is against you?
Joseph, the youngest among a band of 11 brothers, was envied, verbally abused, scorned, rejected and sold into slavery by his brothers after he shared a few stories about how the others would bow before him and serve him. Simply put, his brothers’ couldn’t stand the youngest and most favored son of their father to rule over them. Joseph became so annoying to them that when they found a place and opportune time to get rid of him, they did, by selling him as a slave to a caravan heading toward Egypt.
What would you do to save your life in this situation? Would you renounce your dreams, change or stop telling your story to preserve your life? Many perhaps would, only a few would allow the hand of Providence to have its way in time. Joseph did not sell out his dream, even when everyone around him was against him. This is integrity.
2. When you are falsely accused, do you try to clean it up?
As a slave in the land of Egypt, Joseph landed a position as a steward, as overseer and manager of his master’s house, meaning his was the executor of his master’s business dealings and wealth. This position placed Joseph in his master’s estate; close to his personal belongings and his family, even his wife. His master’s wife had something for Joseph for quite some time, she wanted to have sex with him. One day, when her husband went away on a business trip, she saw her opportunity to seduce Joseph; by accident Joseph found himself alone with his master’s wife. She tried to force him to come to bed with her but he refused turning his back on her, he fled out the door in a hurry. As he fled she managed to grab a hold of his garment, tearing it off of him. She was then left with a piece of Joseph’s property, so she devised a plot to accuse him falsely. When her husband arrived from his trip, she told him a lie to get even with Joseph for not sleeping with her. Surely, she was covering up her own lust and intentions toward Joseph. Joseph’s master was angry and had him put in prison.
When you are falsely accused, would you try to clean up the mess to set the record straight? Would you lawyer up? Joseph loved his master, and did not want to make this incident a public disgrace for him, so he kept quiet and allowed Providence to have its proper course. Many would try to get out of it but Joseph kept quiet, trusting that a just God would soon vindicate him.
3. Once you gain a position of power over those who’ve hurt you in the past, do you try to get even?
Much later, after Joseph’s troubles were over, he found favor in Pharaoh’s eye. So Pharaoh promoted him to a position of great influence over Egypt. He was responsible over food allocations for the country, and eventually after a severe famine that took hold in the region, he became even more significant to the world. Joseph had risen to the top; no one had this kind of power except Pharaoh. Egypt was the economic power of the world at that time, and Joseph was given status to rule and administer the food portions to the world. But Joseph had one more test to go through; he needed to be reconciled to his brothers who had sold him into slavery. One day his brothers came to ask for food, since the land of Canaan had severe famine. To make my story short, Joseph’s brothers encountered Joseph twice but did not know who Joseph was since he had changed physically over time, and perhaps with Egyptian garb he became less detectable. Joseph needed to forgive his brothers, and he did, even though he had enormous powers to do as he pleased with them. Joseph kept his integrity intact through this whole process. Forgiveness was the measure of Joseph’s integrity.
How many of us, in positions of great power over others, could forgive a wrong done to us by those seeking our help?
Quote of the Month – August 2011
“Our System of government, with a Ruling Class of long-time incumbents surrounded by lobbyists and buttressed by the party system, stopped serving the American people a long time ago.” - Senator Jim Demint
