Work – Page 16 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

One of the hardest parts of social conversations especially in a public venue like the market with the vendors, at workplaces, in schools, social functions and even long-held traffic queues is the art of avoiding a confrontation or the brouhahas or the run-ins, however one wants to call it. Worse is to escape one even especially when it is inevitable.

It is very tricky to avoid pointing a finger and saying “Thy fault is thine own” especially when the hard fact is that the trouble didn’t start with us but has affected us in some manner or the other. Eventually we feel angry, irritated, upset and sometimes even feel like giving back either as strong words or by actions. And the more upsetting part is when we realize that whatever happened was the sole responsibility of the other person.

Human nature has few upsetting facets, one of them being that we tend to throw stones at others, especially when we ourselves stays in a glasshouse.

There are few easy ways to avoid these confrontations that I usually try using. First and the most trickiest one is to try and run away before eyes lock, heads turn and voices get heated up. If that doesn’t work and there is no nearest exit, then the other option is to try to change the subject or the topic of conversation. One of the other strategies that often works for me is to try and let the other person rant and rave, let off some steam and move off graciously and inconspicuously. Fourth is to avoid voicing an opinion unless asked pointedly or if we have absolutely and strongly no choice but to say. This is when silences is really golden. Yet the most important of all is to stay away from such people. This is the most hardest of all, especially when we have to interact with such people either at work or in the community. But this is the most safest.

Our Scriptures also has multiple references about conflicts and confrontations. As per Mathew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Though many a time, it may not be possible especially in public places to quietly correct any offense against us. In those moments, the words from 2 Timothy grant solace,”Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23).”

All said, the most important thing is to not let our nature or peace of mind be affected. “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. (Leviticus 19:17)”

Just like blind cannot lead the blind, neither can we overcome evil by doing or being evil. But we can overcome evil with good. For let not others spoil what we can achieve today or any day in our journey through life.

Source: https://vk.com/englisharoundtheworld

Source: https://vk.com

Source: https://vk.com/englisharoundtheworld

Source: https://vk.com/slideshowarts

All of us have heard about the seven wonders of the world. It includes the ancient, medieval and the modern architectural great works as separate lists. The works range from the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Great Wall of China, the Roman Colosseum, the Taj Mahal Of India, the Stonehenge and the Ely Cathedral of England to name a few. Coming to the modern world, the 20th century saw the Channel Tunnel, the Panama Canal, the Golden Gate Bridge among many others. All these works were not built in a day but required an immense amount of time, team work and skills, not by one lone person but by groups of people.

All said, the balance between “many hands make lighter work” and “too many cooks spoil the broth” has to be struck in time. The following anecdotal story is often used in various management training sessions.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Delegation of work is a fine art, which results in the final masterpiece. It is not humanly feasible to complete a big project or a responsibility by micro-managing every small item or by being the lone wolf. To achieve completion, would require the person who is in charge to delegate selected tasks to people. Yet the beauty of the completed project lies in the decisions to delegate what to whom and when. It also requires the in-charge to match the amount of work with the right degree of authority and responsibility. The entire accountability can’t be delegated but only some of the huge task.

Delegation doesn’t include just handing over. It encompasses communication of the rationale and benefits of the work, context for the project, setting down defined or expected standards, clarification of required results, granting of required authority, getting the necessary commitment, regular followups and above all to provide support for crossing over the hurdles.

Even the Scriptures is filled with detailed descriptions of delegation of work. For instance, Moses was laboring from dawn till late night attempting to resolve the conflicts among the Israelites (who were led out of Eygpt after 400 years of slavery) in the Sinai desert. Jethro, his father-in-law who was a priest of Midian saw the immense workload for Moses was not sustainable and he would head for trouble. He pulled Moses aside and celebrated what God had done through him, then gave him some wise invaluable counsel regarding the concept of delegation (Exodus 18:1-23). In I Kings, we read that Solomon had mastered the fine art of managing through men and the Kingdom was enlarged. Even our Lord Saviour was willing to delegate; as seen in Luke 10:1-23 for after the Lord had given detailed instruction, He sent seventy itinerant preachers who though were inexperienced and far less capable than their Teacher, they were blessed by God.

Delegation is an ongoing process and has the ability to reap far many dividends. As rightly said by H.E.Luccock, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”