By Jim Mathis – In difficult economic times, many of us have friends or relatives in need. We want to do whatever we can to help. The easy thing may be to just give them some money. A gift card to the grocery store or paying a utility bill can be a big relief for somebody

By Robert J. Tamasy – How do you feel when a server in a restaurant is friendly, seems genuinely interested in you, and is prompt in attending to your needs? Or a sales rep who demonstrates eagerness is doing more than earning a commission – who goes the extra mile whenever a problem arises that requires

By Rick Boxx – There is a disease afflicting the workplace that receives little attention, but it’s devastating. This “disease” is gossip, the practice of repeating disparaging, demeaning, and often deceitful information about other people. It destroys relationships, damages employee morale, and can poison any workplace environment. Gossip was a sport to Jennifer, one of my

By Robert J. Tamasy – This year in the United States, May 30 marks the observance of Memorial Day, an annual day for remembering the sacrifices of many thousands of men and women who died while serving in the military. It originated in the days following the U.S. Civil War. While not celebrating war, the annual

By Fritz Klumpp – “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” These are the three most important questions anyone could ask themselves at any time. Fifty years ago, I came to the realization that for these questions, I had no answers. Over time, this troubled me more and more. Through

By James D. Firnstahl – During my career as an International Banker and then as Chief Financial Officer of an international manufacturing company, I learned that character matters for many reasons. In fact, a character that consists of trustworthiness, honesty, and love of neighbor at work may be the most important success factors in one’s career.

By Robert J. Tamasy – “What is truth?” This is a question countless people have asked through the ages. It has been a recurring topic for philosophers, sociologists, counselors, writers, even business and professional people. As if “truth” were an ever-changing commodity on some kind of philosophical buffet. The quest for truth is important, whether it

By Rick Boxx – In their book, Rare Leadership in the Workplace, authors Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder use RARE as an acronym for how to become a mature leader. The first R stands for “Remain Relational.” I would like to explore those principles from my own vocational experience. While in public accounting, a manager thought I had undermined

By Jim Langley – Discernment: It is defined as the innate ability to recognize the moral and practical consequences of our decisions. Discernment also is a quality rarely demonstrated in the business and professional world today. In these times, when we seem to find evidence of moral decline everywhere we look, it would be wise to

By Robert J. Tamasy – During my years as a magazine editor, some of my favorite times involved getting our creative team together to plan the titles and graphic design for the next edition. Being a writer with a good sense for visual presentation, I would go into those sessions with my own ideas but would