Effective Church Communications

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and a Biblical Perspective to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. Our tools constantly change; our task doesn’t; we can help.

Timely Tips for the Holidays

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Editor’s note: Thanksgiving is this week and then the holiday season starts in earnest. For most of us who are involved in church responsibilities as well as family events, things won’t slow down until January (just in time to start getting ready for Easter). Gayle’s wonderful tips will help bring some joy and peace back into your holiday season.

Timely Tips for the Holidays, by Gayle Hilligoss

Your life is always busy. Then along comes the holidays and make the rest of your year seem like a vacation.

Even for those who cherish the true meaning of the season, for those whose celebrations focus on church, family, and friends, it is easy to get caught up in the rush. Suddenly days become a blur of to-do lists, projects in progress, obligations, and unfulfilled intentions. This year resolve to have truly joyful holidays—days to enjoy now and to save forever as lovely memories. Choose from these tips used by others to keep their holidays unrushed and on track.

• Put plans in writing. Take a few minutes now (even if you think you don’t have time!) and save hours later. Planning helps make holidays what you really want them to be. Make a master list today of all you want to do before the big day. Then make it friendlier with the next tip.

• Create a schedule. Work backward from the holiday filling in your planning calendar with items from your list. The schedule you’ve made is likely packed. You may trim it later, but check out the time savers here first.

• Start early. Purchase and make gifts throughout the year. Take advantage of vacation trips and bring back interesting regional items to tuck away for Christmas. Some make after-holiday shopping the start of gift buying for the next year. Choosing the right gift is more fun without the crunch.

• Use smart shortcuts. Choosing the “easy” way can allow you to do something you might have to abandon altogether otherwise. Kids will remember you made cookies together, not whether they were slices of store-bought cookie dough or your favorite recipe from scratch. Your company will remember your hospitality, not whether the menu originated in your kitchen.

• Stock up. As you prepare meals now, fix an extra for the freezer. Not having to think about what’s for dinner each evening gives you extra time to focus on special events and activities or to treat your friends to a lovely evening in your home and a delicious buffet—all prepared ahead.

• Computerize Christmas greetings. Start now to assemble a data base of those to whom you’d like to send Christmas greetings. Print transparent mailing labels or address envelopes directly now. If you choose to send cards, sign a few each day in spare moments. Or, spend an evening composing a family letter with each member contributing to the update of your year. For friends and family who enjoy e-mail, send electronic greetings. Utilize Facebook and other social networks to share pictures and news.

• Do the unconventional. Some like to distribute tasks over a wider time frame by sending cards or greetings at Thanksgiving or New Year’s rather than at Christmas. This can provide more time to add personal notes and, in the later case, allows you to include a thank you for any holiday gift.

• Trim your schedule. Give the calendar you’ve made a reality check. Identify the activities that matter the most to you and your family; those are your priorities. Use time savers to ensure these activities remain on your list. All other items can be ranked according to their importance. Scratch altogether those things you are comfortable doing without for this year.

• Appreciate simplicity. Enjoy the pictures, plans, and projects for the spectacular that fill
magazines, television, and the Internet but limit the number of our elaborate undertakings
to what you can reasonably handle with enjoyment. Simple decorations, gifts, and menus can be beautiful.

• Postpone your Thanksgiving meal. Volunteer to serve meals at a shelter or community center on the day; have your own  family dinner on Friday. Or, invite a new family in the community to share your day. Obviously, this works well at Christmas too—or any day!

• Buy or make a savings bank today. Drop in at least some loose change every day plus a self-determined weekly amount from your check. Periodically deposit your funds in an interest bearing bank account (even today’s tiny percentages add up). You’re on your way to financing next year’s holidays.

• Reserve time just for the special people in your life. On your calendar, ink in two or three blocks of time for each of your most significant others: spouse, children, parents, whomever. Plan an evening just to enjoy the tree, to sip hot chocolate and listen to carols, to make cookies, whatever brings you close.

• Live in the real world. People’s personalities and habits don’t change just because it’s Christmas. When making plans and tailoring your holiday activities, you can stretch a bit (maybe your husband will go to see the Nutcracker Suite?) but be realistic.

• Devise a numbering system if you have gift snoopers in your house. Instead of using names on your gift list, use numbers. The master list is in a safe place known only to you. When you come home with gifts, wrap them immediately and put only the number on the gift tag. Even if snoopers find your hiding place, even when gifts are under the tree, they can’t be sure which gifts are theirs—until you break the code.

• Keep a notebook handy to jot down gift ideas starting now. A small notepad with a spiral binding works great. Make a page for each person on your gift list. As you get ideas, jot them down. List several ideas for each person; when you get ready to buy you can choose what you like best. When children ask for ideas for Dad, share ideas from your list. Make a page for yourself too; when someone asks, “What would you like for Christmas?,” you will have some good answers.

• Give gifts from the past. Nostalgia and the holidays so go together. List in hand, visit an antique mall or flea market. Start someone off on a fun collection of vintage games, green handled kitchen utensils, old medicine tins, ornaments, tools—the possibilities are endless.

• Say why. Do more than say, “I love you.” Tell the someone why: I love you because you make me laugh, because you keep the yard so pretty, because you like my cooking…

• Cook a family meal together. Everyone makes a favorite dish. Get out the best china and silver, light candles, enjoy

Some special tips, just for you.

Over-focusing on responsibilities, tasks, chores, and pressures is especially common during the holidays. Often “you” is who gets lost in the process. As a result, all that running, all that concern, has no positive payoff. Instead of the blessed time you hoped for, the holidays become a stressed time of bad tempers and tired tootsies.

Some ideas for a more tranquil season—

• Be your own guest. Deck out your room as you do your guest room: flowers on the nightstand, fresh fruit in a pretty bowl, a stack of interesting books, fragrance on crisp sheets, soft music in the background.

• Get comfy. Take a few minutes for yourself when you get home from work to slip into something soft, cozy, and comfortable. Remove your makeup and smooth on a favorite face cream. Look good; feel good.

• Pretend you are at a spa. Relax at the end of your day with a leisurely soak in a tub of bubbles or bath oil. Light a few candles, wind up a music box, meditate and count your blessings.

• Take shopping breaks. Rather than shopping until you drop, schedule a little break every hour or so. Rest, regroup, and treat yourself to your favorite energy food (say cappuccino and a cookie). A little pampering can be good for us.

• Shop online. It has never been easier to purchase every gift on your list without going within miles of a mall. You might even choose the same category of gift for everyone: book, sweater, slippers, CD, video, cosmetics, candles, foodstuffs. One website and you’re done!

May you enjoy the most blessed of holidays.

How and why to leave the office on time, part two, Plus tips on how to avoid church office burnout

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Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. Note: The first part of this article is available if you click here. It started out describing the situation many in the church office know well—caring so much about your work you are working to the point of burnout. This second part of the article tells what to do about it.

An early clue to burnout is the tendency to take yourself too seriously.

Losing the ability to laugh, especially at yourself, is a good sign all is not well. Actually, others may see signs of your burnout even before you do. But if they suggest you ease up, you will find it easy to justify your long hours. You may see others as not as dedicated as you and manufacture a whole list of “Yes, but’s:

“Yes, but if I don’t stay I will think about this work all night.”

“Yes, but if I don’t do this, no one else will.”

“Yes, but unless I stay I will be more behind tomorrow.”

Commitment is a good thing, but even good things need to be kept in proper perspective. The Christian professional’s commitment should be to God, not just to her work. God would not have you neglect your home, family, friends and self. In the long run over commitment will not enhance your service but hinder it, perhaps end it.

Often we think turning problems around calls for drastic adjustments. Sometimes remedies look so difficult we do nothing when, as a matter of fact, we could make small changes and achieve big results.

Putting these three practical steps to work will allow you to get out of the office on time—and feel good about it.

First, set realistic goals.

To succeed as a Christian professional you must acknowledge you cannot do everything. Focus on doing the most important things. Some of those “most important things” are outside the office!

A key question to ask yourself is, “What do I want to achieve through my work?”

Dream on paper. What does your perfect work week look like? How do you spend your time during and after work? How do you relate with others? How does your office look? How do you look? Think of someone who has achieved the working style you would like and use her as your role model.

Identifying the kind of assistant you want to be helps keep your life in balance. Pat never would have chosen as a role model someone as enslaved to her work as she was herself. She had no clear picture of what she wanted to achieve and therefore no clear sense of priorities.

Once you know where you want to go, use your favorite planning tool to help you get there. As you schedule each day’s activities keep clearly in mind: the total number of hours available each day, and the amount of time each task will take. Use your priority system to keep you on track. All things are not of equal importance. Remind yourself often: your goal is not to do everything but to do the most important things.

Keep a to-do list as a guide. When asked to take on a task, check your list. Agreeing to a task not only pledges your energy but your time. You must realistically avoid the trap of making more promises than you have time to keep.

Put activities on your list that move you toward your ideal work style. Promise yourself to come to work on time, take a lunch hour and breaks, and leave on time. Always give an honest day’s work so you need never feel guilty, regardless of what remains at the end of the day. Be too sharp to believe you can keep ahead of the workload by putting in extra hours several nights a week.

If you have established a pattern of over commitment, people already take it for granted you will get the work done regardless of the extra hours required, the lack of adequate equipment, the continuing need for more help.

You can break the cycle by initiating your own changes, but it may also help to talk with your supervisor. If that seems a good move, explain your need to create a better balance in your life. Give your pledge of excellence and share your plans for constructive changes in your work style.

The second step to get you out of the office on time is to begin winding down about half an hour before time to leave.

Make this your regular “wrap up and plan for tomorrow time.” Even for the most effective time manager there will always be “just one more thing.”

Set a specific time to tie up loose ends and determine what will be on the agenda for tomorrow. Commit any unfinished tasks to your planner and park them there overnight. Just before you leave the office each afternoon, praise God for what was accomplished. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. As you turn off the office lights visualize turning off all thoughts of the office until tomorrow; turn your thoughts toward home.

And finally, get out of the office on time by having a pleasant experience waiting for you after work.

Shift your thinking so you see the end of the work day not as leaving something but as going to something. Within the framework of what is possible for you, give yourself some freedom in choosing after-work activities.

Sandy likes coming home to a bubble bath and good music. Ann spends her evenings sewing for her grandchildren. Roxanne has teenagers, so she plans many of her evenings around their activities. Nancy belongs to a health spa and goes there directly from work several evenings a week to swim and exercise. Shirley enjoys coming home to her yard and garden.

It is easy to get so wrapped up in making a living that you neglect to make a life, so busy doing good things that you pass by the better things. Building a rewarding life beyond the office is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for those you serve.

No one should presume to tell you how many hours to work or how to demonstrate your commitment. You decide those things. My point is that “hours worked” are not the best measure of one’s dedication. To a far greater extent than most of use care to admit, we make the choices determining our quality of life. You know the consequences of over extending yourself. You can make choices to bring your life more into balance.

The rewards of leaving the office on time are impressive—for you and your work:

You will feel and be more in control. Once you have a realistic sense of what you want to achieve, you can give up trying to be a cross between Wonder Woman and Dear Abby. Instead of being pulled in a hundred directions you can set firm goals and work toward them. You can accept your own limitations and relax. Make up your mind once, instead of deciding every afternoon, you will leave the office on time. Having that question settled is absolutely liberating!

You will accomplish more in less time. Of all our resources, we tend to misuse time more than any other. Once you determine you will only be in the office a set number of hours, you become much more aware of how valuable your time is. You spend your minutes more wisely.

Your weekly plans keep priorities in view and help you say no to tasks that would keep you from your goals. “Discipline,” wrote Bill Vaughn, “is like broccoli. We may not care for it ourselves, but feel sure it would be good for everybody else.” Ordering your day will take some discipline, but you can do it.

The real reason for not doing so many things is not too little time, but too many excuses. Once we give up the excuses, there is room in our lives for all the things that really matter: family, friends, church, community, and self. Balanced living not only can add more years to your life, but more life to your years.

Each day do these four things:

• Spend time in prayer and in the Word.
• Move yourself closer to one of your goals.
• Perform a random act of kindness.
• Do something nice for yourself.

An added advantage to leaving the office on time—it gives you greater longevity in your work. Food for thought: How would you treat your car if you knew it was the only one you would ever have? How do you treat yourself knowing you are the only “you” you will ever have? Pace yourself, take time to refuel your body and spirit, do proper maintenance.

You can avoid a major overhaul and be around long enough to become a beautiful classic!

Staying afloat in a sea of requests

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Gayle Hilligoss PictureEditor's note: Sometimes I think that even though she lives half a country away, Gayle Hilligoss is looking over my shoulder—her wonderfully helpful articles always seem to speak directly to something I am either struggling with or working on—I imagine quite a few of you will share that feeling when you are finished reading this.....

Many words could be used to describe the workday of ministry assistants. Simple is not one of them.

The dilemma is you truly like to help others, to share your gifts and skills, to be involved in getting things done. And the church office, as well as your out-of-the-office life, provides many—maybe too many—opportunities. You can easily find yourself drowning in a sea of requests.

Usually it is not the valid responsibilities of the job that create waves, not your supervisor’s  assignments or requests, but optional projects—nonessentials that compete with your mandatory tasks. The lifesaver for staying afloat can be found in one tiny word. That little, but powerful, word is no.

If you are one who still finds no hard to say, it is simply time to accept the truth that no one can do everything; choices must be made. For each elective demand on your time ask, “Is this the best use of my time right now?” Honest answers allow you to throw nonessentials overboard without hesitation or guilt. More than saying no to the request, you are saying yes to a higher priority.

Not all opportunities represent necessary, appropriate, or even worthwhile endeavors. Some create conflicts with previous plans or reflect others’ priorities, not yours. Some just don’t feel right for you; it is good to acknowledge when your plate is full enough.

All these, and more, are sound reasons to say no. Exercise your right to decide, “I have all I can handle now,” or “This isn’t something I choose to do.”

Calendar cramming can get to be a habit. Being asked to do lots of things often leads us to believe we are indispensable; we are not. Sometimes ego prevents our stepping back. Other times, being immersed in small busywork provides a good excuse for not giving attention to more meaningful things.

The freedom to say no doesn’t belong only to the super busy, of course. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

When you do decide to turn down a request, do it gracefully. Briefly explain your reasons; express thanks for being asked. Don’t be ambivalent; say no, not maybe. Stringing people along is not fair to them and is a drain on your own time and energy.

In some cases, you may be able to suggest an alternative. People may ask you to perform tasks someone else could, and possibly should, do. Knowing you are not obligated to comply with every request gives you confidence to pursue the course clear to you.

The guideline that helped me most in overcoming my personal tendency to overcommit is, “Have a bigger yes burning inside.” That principle not only puts things in perspective, it is realistic.

If we are to achieve the best we can’t allow ourselves to be diverted—even by good things.

Just how friendly is your church? great tips!

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Gayle Hilligoss Pictureed. note: We can work very hard to create communications that will link us with visitors and make ongoing connections, but if we have grumpy people and messy churches all the careful communication pieces won't mean anything. Our wonderful encourager, Gayle Hilligoss has some tips that will help any church make your actions match your message.

The church sign proudly proclaimed The End of Your Search for a Friendly Church. An hour later the visitor was certain someone had violated the truth in advertising laws.

While friendliness is not the primary element drawing people to a congregation, most won’t stay around long enough to discover the church’s other attributes unless a hospitable, welcoming environment initially puts them at ease.   If you have been ensconced as a church member for a while, you may owe it to your church to visit some other churches to sense for yourself what it is like to be a visitor again.

Most staffs and members want to be caring and friendly, but in the midst of teaching, preaching and fellowshipping, too many give way too little attention to the impressions their visitors receive.   Perhaps if we could figuratively slip into the shoes of a guest for a few Sundays we would be more sensitive to visitors and new members in our own congregations.

Consider  these observations noted after visiting scores of congregations and talking with their members and staff; see how you can use them to the advantage of your own situation.  

Churches send positive messages by:

  • choirs that smile during the songs and stay awake during the message
  • members who are friendly beyond the time designated to be friendly
  • parking near the door reserved for visitors rather than the staff
  • clean and well cared for buildings and grounds
  • walkways cleared of ice, snow, grass, mud
  • attractive, functional signs inside and out
  • members who refrain from chatting during the music or message
  • a reception area staffed with friendly people ready to give directions or help
  • words of choruses printed in the bulletin for those unfamiliar with them
  • sending the church newsletter for a few weeks after the visit
  • the pastor acknowledging the visit with a letter
  • personable music directors who look like they enjoy what they are doing
  • crisply printed bulletins with print large enough to be read easily
  • providing thoughtfully prepared New Member packets  

Things that should never happen, but often do:

  • the first communication from the church has to do with finances
  • scruffy, hand-lettered signs designate classrooms and clutter walls
  • bulletin boards contain out of date information
  • the only greeting visitors receive is an obligatory handshake during the service
  • only a few members welcome the new members following the service
  • no church directory is included in the New Member packet
  • people’s talents are ignored when they are asked to fill positions in the church  

Things that could always happen, but seldom do:

  • pretty bowls of wrapped mints are on the reception desk
  • staff members turn to give attention to the choir when it sings
  • men on the platform stand when a woman comes to the platform
  • new members receive a handwritten note from the pastor
  • beautifully landscaped grounds are planted and cared for by volunteers
  • professional or neat computer-generated signs are used
  • new members and visitors receive a call from the church office on Monday
  • churches benefit by allowing members to use their unique talents

With members and staff working together any church can become more visitor friendly. Assistants can bring about significant differences. Pastors and ministering staffs can become more sensitive to what it is like to be on the other side of the pulpit. Congregations can follow their lead.

Why? Because many people want to end their search for a friendly church.

___________________________________

Ending note from Yvon:

If your church has a unique way of making guests feel welcome, please share it with us in the comments section here. Thanks so much!

From Gayle Hilligoss: Working Smart

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Gayle Hilligoss Pictureed. note: When I read Gayle's wonderful article, in addition to being inspired to make my office more tidy and professional,  I was reminded of when Jesus said, "You will be my witness" (Acts 1:8). Everything we do reflects who we belong to and our priorities in life. This article will help you be your best as a communicator for the King of Kings.

You cannot not communicate. Everything you do as a church office professional communicates—how you look, how you speak, how you work.

Knowing the job and doing it with excellence communicates commitment as well as professionalism. Learning new techniques helps us work smarter rather than harder. Thanks to all who have shared ideas via email, seminars, and informal discussions. Here are some tips to check out and incorporate into your own work style.

• Make forms to handle routine assignments. Use your computer and copier to design forms (paper or digital) to gather wedding information, newsletter specifics and requests for assistance. Other forms might outline assignments for volunteers, list particulars for printing jobs or log requests for the use of church space or equipment. Forms ensure that you get all the information you need, that it is in a uniform format, and that the person filling the form knows any applicable guidelines.

• Date equipment manuals when you get them. As you use a machine, note on the inside cover of its manual any hints for better performance; you may discover many not mentioned in the manual. Keep service contracts and manuals together in a place easily accessible to users. While online resources are super handy, they obviously won’t help if the thing that is not working is the computer!

• Use the skills of volunteers. Make a list of all tasks you might delegate. If your church does not distribute a skills and talents survey, talk with your pastor about using such a form. When the responses arrive, match the jobs on your list to the talents of your congregation. Once volunteers begin to take on tasks, let them know they are appreciated. Some volunteer corps have names and are identified by wearing buttons or clothing of a particular color. Many churches treat their volunteers to regular lunch or dinner parties. Others recognize helpers via the newsletter or introduce them during services. Certificates of appreciation are fun too.

• Keep a vertical note holder on your desk. Mark a slot for each staff member. Sometimes paper is better than a computer screen. This is a handy place for everyone to pick up phone messages, mail, and memos. Don’t allow papers to accumulate here. This is a message center, not a file.
• Eliminate forgotten enclosures. Put a paper clip at the enclosure notation before giving a letter to your supervisor to sign. When the letter comes back to your desk you will be reminded to send the necessary enclosures. Evidently this is still a problem even in this age when we send fewer letters. I receive such a letter every now and then—usually from a bank or utility.

• Make paper files easy to use. Tabs may correctly be attached to either the front OR back of hanging folders, but putting them on the front does away with the push-pull of filing and retrieving. Creasing a folder on the horizontal scores of both flaps allows you to pull it up and prop it open on top of adjoining folders. (For years, I didn’t know the purpose of those scores. How handy!)

•  Subscribe to a computer resource. So much new happens daily in the digital world, only a specialized publication or online service (like this one) can keep you up to date. Browse each issue (digital or paper) and flag articles of special interest. Plan a special time in each week’s schedule to delve more into new techniques and tips to try.

• Use spelling and grammar checkers on your computer, but don’t put total confidence in them! So say scores of assistants who thought proofreading was no longer so important. Proofread with a blue pencil in one hand and a stiff card or short ruler in the other. Place the ruler directly under the line you are reading in order to focus your attention. Always proofread in good light—it helps concentration. Yes, it takes a bit of time. Yes, it is worth it.

•  Multitask with listening. Listen to constructive CDs or online resources while you are doing routine tasks that do not demand your total concentration. Other great listening opportunities: traveling to and from work, while doing household chores or while exercising (or soaking in a hot bubble bath).

•  Consolidate purchases with those of other churches. Many offices save big dollars on supplies by buying in quantity. Organize your purchases so this need not be a hassle or a time consumer. Try it for an order or two and evaluate if the process works for you.

• Conserve paper. Print only the copies needed. Unless the message is confidential, use the backs of printed papers for notes, routine forms, or copies. Private correspondence should be shredded and recycled.

• Stay focused. Keep only current projects on your desk; avoid keeping unnecessary trivia and mementos in your line of vision.

• Tackle an old job in a new way. This is a great technique for maintaining enthusiasm for routine work. Use a different format for the newsletter, a new style for your correspondence. Challenge yourself to complete the job in less time or to find shortcuts.

• Plan your ideal day on paper. Then compare it with a real day and determine what is keeping you from your perfect day. Decide what you need to do to reach your goals. You may find it is only your self-imposed limitations keeping you from your ideal. Decide what is truly important to you and then do it.

• Enjoy your successes. Have you just reached a major goal or completed a big job? Celebrate by rewarding yourself with a treat. This smart tactic helps reduce the letdown feeling that often accompanies the end of an important task.

• Play act. When you write a letter or memo, pretend you are writing to yourself. This causes you to examine your terminology and choose an appropriate style or tone—one you would like if you were at the receiving end of the correspondence.

• Place your desk phone opposite your dominant hand. This allows you to be ready to take notes—pencil in hand—as you pick up the receiver.

• Give yourself permission to say no. No one can do everything for everybody right now. Some demands on your time are inappropriate; some requests are impossible. Work smarter by reserving your right to control your time as much as possible.

• Concentrate on strengths. Obsessing on faults or weaknesses becomes a habit that inhibits effectiveness. Instead, magnify your good points and positive features. Work to be the very best at what you already do well.

• Know why. Each time you handle a paper or digital file, be aware of how you are going to use it. The answer provides guidance for what to do with the information—deal with it now, file it, pass it on, discard it.

• Imagine. Fantasizing can help you finish a difficult job. Visualize yourself as having completed the task successfully. Imagine how satisfied you will be. The good feelings generated can serve as your motivation to accomplish the job.

• Be genuine. When asked a question for which you have no answer, never fake it. Reply, “Let me locate that information for you and give you a call back.” Indicate a timeframe in which you will call. Then follow through.

• Handle anger constructively. Wait for that first burst of emotion to subside. Then discuss the issue with the appropriate other party. Share the problem with a third party only if that person can contribute to the solution.

• Get the best from volunteers. Let them know you expect excellence. People tend to live up to others’ expectations. Since fear of failure inhibits performance, give people the freedom to risk failure. Let them know they are important to you.

• Never operate according to assumptions. What you assume may not be correct. Get the facts before taking action. Consider all the times that assumptions, by you or others, have caused problems in your office.

• Three rules for effectiveness: keep only current projects and necessary tools on your desk; keep reference materials within easy reach; straighten your desk before leaving the office for lunch or for the day.

• Spruce up your office. Researchers say the appearance of your office can either greatly improve or severely hinder your ability to work productively.

• Use mapping protocol. This may seem obvious to those who do it, but still so many ignore this rule when preparing maps for newsletters or brochures: always position maps so NORTH is at the top of the page—and indicate that on the map.

•  Keep the message on your voice mail current. Speak distinctly and give specific instructions on how the caller is to leave a message. Check your machine immediately upon returning to the office. You must be conscientious about responding to messages if people are to gain confidence in leaving them.

• Work ahead whenever you can. The temptation is always to relax when the pressure is off, but the better way is to keep focused when everything is going your way so you can ease back when circumstances aren’t as advantageous.

• Have a place for everything. This saves you time searching for things and gives you the advantage of working in a clutter-free environment. If others in your office are not so tidy, your actions set a positive example.

• Schedule some relaxation time every day. A few quiet minutes of prayer can do wonders for your effectiveness and for your spirit.

• Add your personal touch. A handwritten “Thanks” at the bottom of a letter conveys caring and is makes your communication more meaningful to the receiver.

• Be gracious. When a project you are involved in does well, share the credit. It makes your coworkers feel good and makes you look more professional. If the project goes poorly, learn from it and move on. Take the words, “I told you so,” out of your vocabulary.

• Keep confidences. Never divulge information that comes your way because of your position. “The strongest human emotion is not love or hate, but the unquenchable urge to share a secret.” The Christian professional must simply never give in to that urge.

• Be an adult. Life is not perfect or fair. Never whine about bad breaks that come your way. Accept the inevitable knocks of your work life with grace.

• When you need help, ask. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so and then try to find the answer. If you make a mistake, admit it. Never bluff; it undermines your credibility.

• Show respect for time. People are more likely to be on time for meetings scheduled for an unusual time (10:05 or 2:10). The unspoken message is that you consider all time valuable and will not waste it.

• Have a private stash. Keep an emergency reserve of essential office supplies in a place known only to you. If someone uses the last box of envelopes or last computer disk, you will have a backup to get you through.

• Be willing to do tasks not on your position description. Christian office professionals must be willing to roll up their sleeves and take on the jobs that simply need to be done. Establish yourself as the person who is not afraid to dirty your hands in service to others.

Working smart vividly communicates your professionalism. Go that extra mile!