Bring Unity to a Fractured Workplace

I didn't realize it at the time, but one of my early bosses was a Rolls Royce. Even though he was an Executive Vice President, he always made an effort to talk to every employee who reported to him, either directly or indirectly. He asked about their jobs, how things can be improved. He encouraged everyone's participation and input. He had a talent for not interfering with the chain of command, and he instilled a deep sense of teamwork within all managers and employees.

More importantly, he made everyone feel needed.

All of the employees felt important in their roles—from the newest hire to the most powerful manager. That's a unique gift. Everyone talks about the importance of teamwork, but we often forget the importance of the individual in the workplace.

As a consultant, it's not unusual for me to discover a workplace fractured into territories. No workplace can be completely void of this: Even the best workplaces must suffer to some degree. These territories within the workplace are often occupied by both single individuals and pods of workers. I suspect the process comes as second nature to us humans: We all tend to gravitate to secure places. But unfortunately, damage can be done, not only to the team but to the individual as well.

The more territories grow within a workplace, individual worth or value tends to decrease. Territories often get marked by criticism of others outside the territory, which can lead to an increase in mistrust among workers and further divisions within the workplace. Both criticism and mistrust can devalue the other person—whether intentional or not. Therefore, not only do the opportunities of teamwork get lost, but so does the value of the individual. Instead of heading home at the end of the day excited about their work, employees drive home wondering if they need to find another job.

As believers in Christ, how do we escape this dangerous pattern?

A few years ago, I heard author Don Everts speak at a dinner. Author of Jesus with Dirty Feet and God in the Flesh, he told of a frustrating time in his life when he began to doubt the worth of his writing. "Why bother?" he asked himself. "No one cares." Feeling discouraged, he opened his Bible and began reading 1 John. One verse jumped out at him: "And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete" (1 John 1:4, ESV).

A revelation hit Don: John wasn't writing to be noticed. First John isn't about John. It is about the Gospel. John wrote so that his joy may be complete. And the joy came from his life in Christ. At that point, Don's despondency evaporated, and his job of writing had new purpose.

We are not all book authors, but the same message applies to us no matter what our occupation may be—managers, CEOs, secretaries, doctors, or warehouse workers. It is an especially good lesson for those of us in the workplace who deal with people daily:

Why promote unity in the workplace? … that our joy may be complete.

Why make other employees feel important? … that our joy may be complete.

Why treat others with dignity? … that our joy may be complete.

Let us pray that God will grant us great wisdom in our daily workplace to watch for opportunities to lift up others, not to serve ourselves, but to serve and love our God.