When it comes to business, I am used to talking and thinking about warning flags. The screaming ones include trends that are taking longer and the absolute number of customer complaints. Others with a loud voice include actual time the technology we depend on was not available, regardless of the reason. If one chooses to listen, there are lots of flags to consider. Some are direct indicators while others are alert-signs. The latter could link to a good trend as easily as a negative one. Often they are signs of change.
I am still learning how to respond to the flags. Taking immediate action is rarely the answer. Two important keys before action are asking questions and developing a consensus on what the indicators are tell us. While there is the occasional emergency, it is often more effective to bring others in the community to a shared understanding.
Do we see the flag? I know I do, but do others share my view? If not, what is an alternative way of looking at this? Am I able to see through the eyes of another?
As we explore the flag, its meaning and linkage to actions, what is the story? There is often more than one. Taking the time to listen to the story as told by others opens up new avenues of awareness. In this context, learning together becomes a possibility. A consensus is often the foundation for stronger action.
The awareness of how my views about business are evolving has raised questions about the rest of my life. While I am aware of indicators, what follows?
Given the insight that “the person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. [And that] this is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.” (1 John 4.6) The question remains, how am I going to respond to the other?
Asking questions, developing shared understandings of our views, especially with our differences, opens the door to the possibility of seeing the deceptions that hide within each heart.
