Building Material

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to hear Arthur Blank, of Home Depot and the Atlanta Falcons speak at the American Marketing Association AMY Awards. Blank was interviewed by Bob Hope, not THE Bob Hope, but just thought it was funny and wanted to mention it.

When asked to share a success secret, Blank stated that "you build a business around the customers you serve". I am fortunate enough to have professional life experience which manifests the success of that statement. Where I work, we have built a large part of our business, sustaining it through tough economic times, using this Blank-like belief. A dedication to unselfish service, complete transparency, effort and value add, have establish us in the eyes and mind of our client (and others) as a valued partner. Of course no success is given without the privileged blessing from our Father above.

Okay, really nothing new here. Hard honest work pays off. The Truth of God honored principals actually work. And God is good.

But what about outside of the office? What do we build our personal relationships upon. I have always believed that business relationships and personal relationships require the same sort of fundamental components: unselfish service; complete transparency; effort and value add; and the privilege of God's blessings.

Sometimes we can fire on all cylinders at the office, where there is a vision statement, processes, roles and responsibilities, but when it comes to non-work, we can stumble. May I bring that servitude, attitude, trust, creativity and energy to those the really matter—my wife, my kids, my family, my sphere of influence—and mostly, may I earnestly seek the Lord and his favor. I have just started reading Proverbs. I am quite sure that these business practices and relationship principles were written many many years ago, in the Lord's how to guide—with a few other pointers thrown in.

Now if the Faux Hope were sitting in a chair, interviewing the Lord....that'd be pretty interesting. "Let me ask you, God and Creator, Alpha and Omega, The Great I Am....why the orange logo?"