Business management practices the foundation for Christian life

Tom Peters is an American writer on business management practices, best known for “In Search of Excellence,” which he co-authored with Robert H. Waterman Jr. He has also given us some practical “secrets” and “clever strategies” for dealing with the recession. Many of his secrets are simple practical rules for good Christian living anytime.

“You come to work earlier. You leave work later. You work harder. You might work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the adverse circumstances with a smile – even if it kills you inside.

“You volunteer to do more. You dig deep, deeper, deepest – and always bring a good attitude to work. You fake it if your good attitude fades. You literally practice your ‘game face’ in the mirror in the morning, and in the midmorning.

“You take better than usual care of yourself and encourage others to do the same. Physical well-being significantly affects mental well-being and response to stress. You shrug off the poop that flows downhill in your direction – buy a shovel or a raincoat.

“You try to forget about ‘the good old days’ – nostalgia is self-destructive and bores others. You boost yourself up with the thought that ‘this too shall pass.’ Then you remind yourself that it might not pass any time soon, and so you rededicate yourself to making the absolute best of what you have now.

“You want to stay in touch with and be on the mind of everyone. You frequently invent breaks from routine, including ‘weird’ ones. Changes prevent us from becoming stagnant and bring a fresh perspective on life. You shun all forms of personal excess. You simplify your life.

“You sweat the details as never before. You rise to the sky and maintain at all costs the Standards of Excellence by which you unfailingly and unflinchingly evaluate your own performance. You are obsessive when it comes to responding to even the slightest screw-up.

“You find ways to be around young people and to keep young people around. They are less likely to be members of the ‘sky is falling’ school.

“You learn new tricks of your trade. You pass old tricks of the trade onto others. Mentoring matters now more than ever.

“You remind yourself that this is not just something to be ‘gotten through’ – it is the final exam of competence, character and, even if you’re not a boss, leadership.

“You network like crazy inside the company. Get to know more of the folks who ‘do the real work’ and are/can be your most important allies when it comes to getting things done seamlessly and fast. You network like crazy outside the company. Get to know more of the folks ‘down the line’ who ‘do the real work’ that can be your biggest allies and champions.

“You thank others by the truckload if good things happen and take the heat yourself if bad things happen. You behave kindly, but you don’t sugarcoat or hide the truth.

“Humans are startlingly resilient, and rumors are the real killers.

“You treat small successes as if they were World Cup victories and celebrate and commend accordingly.

“You shrug off the losses (ignoring what’s going on in your stomach), and get back on the horse and immediately try again. You avoid negative people to the extent you can – pollution kills. You eventually read the gloom-spreaders the riot act.

“You give new meaning to the word ‘thoughtful.’ You redouble, re-triple your efforts to ‘walk in another’s shoes.’

“You mind your manners and accept others’ lack of manners in the face of their life situations. You are kind to all.

“You leave the blame game at the office door.

“You become an ideal of personal accountability. Then you continue to pray.”