Mark Steele

[msteelemark]

Career Transition and Isolation: A Blessing or a Curse

The statistics are out and the news is not good. The Wall Street Journal says the average worker will have approximately 7 careers in one lifetime and the average American worker changes employers every 4 years. I have been fortunate to have been in my job for 15 years but that came after I made a career change from working as a Church Pastor to moving into the Senior Living Housing Industry.

Changing careers and jobs can be chaotic in a person’s life and can be a lonely experience. Shelly Trebesch in her book Isolation; a place of transformation in the life of a leader has a healthy approach to address various aspects of isolation sometimes caused by a career change. She approaches isolation from a spiritual perspective and says isolation is a fourfold process: striping, wrestling with God, increased intimacy with God and a looking forward to the future (Trebesch 1997, 35).

After reflecting on her principles and my career change in the past, I could relate to the four fold process as I experienced much of these phases. In the 198s0 and 90s I had a positive experience starting a church in California with the support of two sister churches. My wife and I decided to leverage that experience to start a new church in Seattle but without the support of churches close by. After a couple of years, funds were dwindling and I decided to go bi-vocational and start a second career. The second career lead to become a Nursing Home Administrator with the goal to become an Executive Director of a faith based Continuing Care Retirement Community.

The decision led to a time of isolation and experiencing the 4 phases Trebesch talks about. Stripping was felt as I had a Masters of Divinity and was trained to lead people in a church environment. I knew very little about healthcare and geriatrics which led me on a journey of having my pay cut in half while I interned in a State sponsored Administrator in Training program. This took a year to learn and obtain my license.

The wrestling with God came about through prayer and reflection about working through an unsuccessful church planting effort and deciding to move into another career. Much was learned through a period of months of wrestling and seeking God’s direction in a real life crisis.

Increased intimacy grew over time as I saw God faithful walking along this career transition. He never left me and I found comfort in reading scripture (especially Psalms) and praying through the day to day experience. The lapsing of time and consistent spiritual disciplines helped to take away the pain as my new career became the new normal in my life.

Finally, the looking forward stage was feeling a release that it was OK to pursue another career as a lay pastor and not a professional pastor. This stage took a few years to be released to lean into my new career.

Changing careers can be a lonely and isolating experience and Trebesch’s work was encouraging to read and reflect over some of the isolating experiences my journey has taken me. How about you? Tell me about a career change you experienced. Did you also experience the fourfold process? Was your experience a blessing or a curse?

Trebesch, Shelley. Isolation: A Place of Transformation in the Life of A Leader. Altadena, California: Barnabas Publishers, 1997.

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The Great Turning and How Valle Verde Retirement community is Improving the Environment

  Most people are concerned about the environment and the future of the earth’s ecology and health. Much has been said about environmental warming, the growing pollution in China, the growing population of the earth and the earths ability to support the growth and pollution.

Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone in their book Action Hope How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy address the decline of the environment and how individuals can make a difference to improve the environment. They reflect about three stories and how people  react or respond to the environmental changes that are taking place (Macy, Johnstone, 2013). The first is called “business as usual,” continuing to pursue economic growth without thinking about how it effects the environment. The second story is called the “Great Unravelling” which focuses on the decline of the environment. The third story is the “Great Turning” which focuses on the healing and recovery of our world.

I was first acquainted with the story of the “Great Turning” when I first learned to back pack. My Boy Scout leader explained that when we camp in the forest, we want to leave a camp site better than we found it or that no one would know we had been there. Every time I back pack and camp, I remember these wise words of instruction and leave every campsite better than when I found it.

Likewise, the Retirement Community of Valle Verde in Santa Barbara honors the same principle. For the past 10 years, this retirement community has strived to be self-sustaining and green by adding solar panels every year, re-using gray water for irrigation and recycling their garbage on a monthly basis.

Macy and Johnstone share that active hope is about bring about what we hope for and not just hoping it will come about from outside influences. The Valle Verde Retirement Community has won a number of Green Initiative awards for the past seven years. They are actively participating in making a difference in the environment by their self-sustaining initiatives.

The Valle Verde Retirement Community is putting into practice what I learned early in life about leaving a camp site better than when you found it. Valle Verde’s campsite is an example for all organizations to follow.

Macy, Joanna and Johnstone, Chris. Active Hope:how to face the mess we're in without going crazy. 2012. Navato, California. New World Library.

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Improving your Professional Career using Exit and Voice Strategies

The ideal professional job is when we thrive because we are using our strengths; we believe we are making a positive difference in people’s lives, we have a positive work environment and we have opportunity to grow and advance in our careers. I have been fortunate to have experienced this many times in my vocational life. Many times when I talk with other professionals I hear people have resigned themselves to a mediocre job where they feel stuck. I think this is more prevalent today because of the great recession the world is working through and the high unemployment the US is experiencing.

Hirschman’s book, Exit, Voice and Loyalty has articulated two key principles that can be applied to professional contentment and achievement. These two principles are “exit” and “voice” (Hirschman 1970). These two principles are common sense yet profound when applied to the work place and business. If the work place encourages voice, the ability to speak up and change the work place to make it better, then exit, or leaving, is often not necessary. On the other hand, if voice is discouraged or not tolerated, when the work situation is not satisfactory, exit is often the only means to make a change.

I experienced this phenomenon some 15 years ago. When I entered the senior housing industry, my professional goal was to become an Executive Director (ED) of a Continuing Care Retirement Community. At the time, I had worked as an Associate ED for a company for five years. I enjoyed my work and believed I was ready for an ED position. I then voiced my goal and was encouraged to apply for an open ED position in the company in Colorado. After the interview process was complete, I was told I was the runner up and they chose a corporate person for the job with less experience than I had. I was OK with the decision. Then, I heard the chosen candidate had rejected the offer and another person was chosen.

I had two choices, voice my concern or exit. My observation was that I was outside of the political internal network so I began to look for outside opportunities. I had previously researched companies in California who had good reputations that I would consider working for if the opportunity arose. In my new search, I discovered one of these companies had an opening. I applied and was accepted. I choose to exit my current job and move forward towards my career goal. This decision turned out to be one of my favorite jobs in my career experience.

Principles I have learned over the years that have helped me to achieve my professional career goals are:

Every 6 months set professional career goals and analyze your progress. As a Christian professional, prayer and Bible study are important aspects of my goal setting practice.

Become the best you can be in your current job.

Commit to lifelong learning.

Learn new skills and knowledge to stay ahead in your profession.

Volunteer for new projects that will help you grow and to network within and outside your work place.

Network like crazy.

Belong to your industry association and be active in it by joining and leading committees.

Maintain a good contact base and periodically contact your professional peers and vendors.

Help people in your network whenever possible.

Research and list the companies you would want to work for and be aware of when openings occur through your network.

Be strategic using voice and exit and never be fearful of the exit strategy to accomplish your career goals.

In summary, it takes concentrated work to have and keep a job you thrive in and love. Voice and Exit are important principles to help you be content with your vocational journey.

Hirschman, Albert O. Exit, Voice and Loyalty. Cambridge, Harvard University Press. 1970.

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I was inspired while reading in Global Pentecostalism: the New Face of Christian Social Engagement by Miller and Ymamori about the Kampala Pentecostal Church in Uganda who developed an innovative model to take care of hundreds of orphans (Miller and Ymamori 2007 p 68). The AIDS crisis in...

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Innovative Home Models caring for Orphans and Seniors

I was inspired while reading in Global Pentecostalism: the New Face of Christian Social Engagement by Miller and Ymamori about the Kampala Pentecostal Church in Uganda who developed an innovative model to take care of hundreds of orphans (Miller and Ymamori 2007 p 68). The AIDS crisis in Uganda has created 2 million orphans. This type of problem is usually solved by generous families adopting relatives or non-relatives into their families. This method has become saturated by the sheer number of orphans which has caused a growing large number of abandoned street children.

The Kampala Pentacostal Church responded to this problem by building small villages with newly constructed homes that can accommodate eight children managed by a single mom who has dedicated herself to raise these children. Fathers from the church adopt a home and commit themselves to visit once a week to help the children have a father influence in their lives. The program started in 1992 and now there are three villages. One village serves over 200 children.

This model is good example of innovating beyond the normal orphanage model of housing hundreds of children under one roof. Faith based NGOs are making a difference by innovation applied to social needs.

Another innovative model I have come across is the Green house Model which cares for older adults who need around the clock nursing services. Many faith based NGOs are adopting Dr. Bill Thomas’ work who is transforming traditional Skilled Nursing Facilities. Dr. Bill Thomas wanted to create a paradigm shift to change the way traditional Skilled Nursing was done – taking care of older adults in a hospital setting usually with two people in a small room with usually around 100 older adults under the same roof.

Dr. Thomas had worked with many Skilled Nursing residents in the past and wanted to change the sterile and lonely environment to a home environment. He created a home environment where each home is designed for 10-12 residents, keeping it flexible and maintaining a warm feel. The comfort of private rooms and bathrooms are combined with the family-like atmosphere of open common spaces (thegreenhouseproject.org).

An innovative staff model gives residents four times more contact and reduces staff turnover. The employees are trained to run the home like a family would. The employees rotate responsibilities of cleaning rooms, cooking meals and caring for residents. Residents become voting members of the small family community to help make decisions around activities, meal preferences and governance.

The family model orphanage and greenhouse model serving older adults truly represent innovative paradigm shifts that are making a difference.

MILLER Donald E., YAMAMORI Tetsunao. Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. Los Angeles: University of Los Angeles Press, 2007

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How to Get the Right People on the Bus

Good to Great by Jim Collins has been one of my favorite leadership books ( Collins 2001). I Have had the opportunity to take a number of team members through the principles Collins articulates. One principle in particular, “getting the right people on the bus,” has challenged me for many years.

I remember one of my worst hires, Sue Knolls who I hired to become my Director of Nursing. She had a great resume, excellent recommendations and said all the right things in multiple interviews. I hired her and three weeks later, I discovered she was a closet alcoholic who had attendance problems and who began to undermine my authority. I had to release her within two months.

My next hire, Joyce Sheffer, was one of my best hires as Director of Nursing. She was competent, held employees to a high standard, was committed to customer service and quality of care for residents.

Why did one hire work out and the other not? What are ways to minimize a bad hire and maximize good hires? These are important questions I have mulled over throughout my career. I have had the opportunity to hire hundreds of people and here are a few principles I have developed over the years inspired by Jim Collin’s principle of getting the right people on the bus.

Hire people with a heart for people. People who care for others is not an attribute I can teach someone. I can teach the technical aspects of a job but heart for others is most important in social sector jobs like health care.

Can the person do the job? Does the person have the skills and the knowledge to do the job? I always review the job description and update it for the new need. I then craft questions focused on key aspects of the job requirements. I write past behavior question as I believe past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. For example, “Share with me a past experience you had with a customer complaint and how did you solve it.”

Is the person a team player? I like to ask, “Tell me about your best team experience? And how have you developed team work in your past job positions?’

Does the person fit our culture? After explaining what our culture is like, I like to ask “what do you think about that?” I also like to ask “what do you know about our company?” This tells me if they have done any research to find out about our culture.

I like to use multiple interviews as I believe more people can see different aspects others may miss in the interview. Typically I will choose the best resumes and follow up with a phone interview. Then, I will set up a personnel interview with myself. Once I have multiple candidates I like, then I set up a panel interview of other team leaders and a direct report to interview the top candidates. We use the same questions in each of the 1-4 areas and decide the best candidate after the round. If the panel cannot agree, we will continue the search process and repeat the process until the right person is on the bus.

Over the years, these principles have served me well in hiring good team members. Every now and then, a wrong person is hired. Once the conclusion is made that the person is not on the right bus or in the right seat, then I make the changes as soon as possible. If the change is not made timely, I have found keeping people causes much disruption to the team and costs the organization in many ways.

I am grateful to Collins and the concept of

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Dyrness in his book Visual Faith examines the past history of Christian art and the need to rejuvenate the practice for many reasons. Among his reasons are to worship, share the gospel and to communicate God’s truths with a media driven generation (Dyrness, 2001). While reflecting about...

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Dyrness in his book Visual Faith examines the past history of Christian art and the need to rejuvenate the practice for many reasons. Among his reasons are to worship, share the gospel and to communicate God’s truths with a media driven generation (Dyrness, 2001). While reflecting about...

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Christian Art – A Spiritual Journey

Dyrness in his book Visual Faith examines the past history of Christian art and the need to rejuvenate the practice for many reasons. Among his reasons are to worship, share the gospel and to communicate God’s truths with a media driven generation (Dyrness, 2001). While reflecting about these concepts, I was drawn to look back over my own spiritual journey and explore the moments Christian art made an impact on my soul.

I remember traveling to Romania and Bulgaria on a mission trip and seeing the crude art in Russian Orthodox churches. The many cave like drawing of Christian martyrs being killed for their faith in Jesus helped me to appreciate the strong Christian beliefs many have died for. It encourages me to be proud and willing to die for my faith.

After reading Henri Nouwen’s book The Return of the Prodigal Son, I found myself gazing and meditating on Rembrandt’s painting on the prodigal son. It is such a rich depiction of our total depravity and the deep unconditional love our Heavenly Father has for us. I found myself reflecting on each of the characters in the painting and how I related to each in my spiritual journey.

My wife and I have a painting in our home of Yosemite’s Half Dome and a small church chapel. We renewed our vows to each other and our Lord for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Yosemite Valley is a testimony of Gods great artistic skill. When one looks at Half Dome and El Capitan cliffs, I am awed by the beauty and majesty of creation. As a younger man, I use to spend weeks climbing the cliffs in the Valley – a very humbling and worshipful experience. Needless to say, Yosemite Valley and this church is a very sacred place for the two of us.

I have always loved art. As a boy in high school and college, I always gravitated towards art classes. I enjoyed sketching, pen and ink and painting with acrylic medium. Then I went to work and have not made time to draw and paint.

I like creating art because it makes me see the deep colors as I try to reproduce a scene on canvas. I find myself lost in gazing upon God’s creation. My favorite painting is a painting of Mount Rainier – a very majestic mountain. When I retire, my goal is to learn to use a pallet knife to paint mountains. I find art very worshipful. Dyrness’s book is very timely and our society needs a reawakening to Christian Art.

­ Dyrness, William A. Visual Faith - Art, Theology and Worship in Dialogue. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2001

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I have a love-hate relationship with books. Early in my career as a pastor, I collected books of many kinds. Books are the tools of the trade for pastors which include Biblical commentaries, dictionaries, encyclopedias, Greek and Hebrew language tools, sermon illustrations etc. As I grew in my...

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In my leadership career, I have seen three new Executive Directors of Continuing Care Retirement Communities fail to win the right to lead and after six months to a year, they resigned, were terminated or decided to retire. I have seen two new Executive Directors almost lose their right to...

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My all-time favorite question I ask when interviewing leaders for American Baptist Homes of the West is “Tell me about your leadership values and how you have used them to lead others in your past experiences?” I very seldom get a well thought-out response. I am not surprised as I have found...

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The other evening, I was having dinner with a group of friends and we began to talk about the condition of the world. We talked about the recent assassination of the American Ambassador in Libby and the potential extreme Muslim terrorists who may have committed the act. We then began to talk...

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I traveled to Phoenix this week for a series of meetings. I commented to a stranger in the security line that this is my favorite place to publicly undress. He laughed and agreed. I looked up and saw the sign that all liquids and gels had to be in three ounce containers and that no...

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Critical thinking is needed in all areas of our lives, especially in the leader’s life. My first memory of formally learning about critical thinking was when I took a class on Argumentation and Debate for my Speech Communication Degree at the University. I learned how to take an issue or a...

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I was in an Executive Board Meeting the other day. The Chairman of the Board of a Retirement Community I supervisor was noticeably concerned that the CEO of the Retirement Community had not been more transparent about a serious deficient Medicare Federal survey their Skilled Nursing...