Series 16 Faith and Workplace Convergence-I am opting out!

Genesis 30: 27?Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. For I have learned by divination that the?Lord?has blessed me on account of you.”?28?He said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.”

31?Now?Jacob?heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and he has gotten all his wealth from what was our father’s.”?2?Jacob saw the look of Laban and saw he was not congenial toward him as before.

3?Then the?Lord?said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, to your family, and I will be with you.”

Key Lessons:

1.????? Workplace Culture and Relationships:? Retention has always been an issue for employers and employees, one of the main drivers of retention is relationships. In the workplace, cordial relationships, and internal communications procedures are vital to productivity and overall success. Contentions will always lead to slow delivery if not stalling productivity. Jacob had become uncomfortable in the relationship, at some point it was written that Laban was congenial towards him. And it would appear that the only indicator he required to start questioning his stay at Laban’s is the ability of Racheal to birth. This is also similar to employees looking at the one project or task they are working on, and determining that on completion they will leave. Relationships tend to be an indicator of stay or go. If you are an employee how do you perceive the relationship? If you are the employer how are you reviewing relationships with your teams? As the leader of a team, what is the temperature of the relationship in the team? Cold or hot? Luke 6:31 and as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

2.????? Innovation and work environment- Jacob realized within the first few years that he was deceived. That never left him, a dossier of his achievements was outstanding even Laban knew he was blessed by Jacob being with him. Over the years it is apparent the distrust had grown even as he multiplied the wealth for Laban. Often this is seen in workplaces, where employees feel overused, and burnt out and the environment continues to stifle the employee. At some point, increased compensation is touted, however, due to the circumstances, the innovation that could drive the revenue of the organization may then be applied differently by staff just to continue to show competency, leaders must ensure they do not create an environment that promotes this level of pressure. Laban felt he could taunt Jacob with compensation, Jacob owned the skills, he gave the condition of work without compensation, and the application of the skill gave him more than the compensation Jacob offered. Leaders, you hire people because of the capacity they have, be sure to let the environment enable them. Exodus 35:31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of skills. If you had the capacity you won't have hired them in the first place.

3.????? Compensation: It was clear there was a huge disparity between the work being done by Jacob and how he significantly added value and changed the fortunes of Laban. Employers and organizations often practice pay methodologies. Whichever pay is adopted must answer the question of fairness, degree of commensurate effort, and sustainability of the future of the employee. Jacob evaluated and saw, that all three indices were not accounted for with Laban. The counteroffer he gave was what finally sealed his wealth and capabilities for the future. Genesis 31:41 I have been twenty years in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times! As a leader evaluate the Job, evaluate the skills, review the circumstances well, and don’t seek to take undue advantage of the employee. In a standard Organization, there should be Job and Skills evaluation, competency frameworks, market-based pay surveys, peer reviews are all tools available to create a productive environment.? James 5:4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

4.????? Recognition and Appreciation: All through Jacob's stay at no point did Laban ever convey any form of recognition or appreciation for Jacob, even when Jacob came to announce his exit all he offered was compensation. This is one of the errors by organizations compensation may be an issue, but there are many cases where basic appreciation is what is missing. The employee seems to be on a treadmill continually with no one acknowledging the pressure but rather demanding more. Everyone seeks to have a sense of inclusion or belonging, Laban's daughters even confirmed they are treated as strangers! Gen 31 15 Are we not seen by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has completely spent our money also. What kind of team, organization, or business are you running? Do you see people are people or a means to an end?

5.????? Career Development Opportunities: Jacob saw no further future beyond the current moment- Gen 30: 30 For you had little before I came, and it is now increased to a multitude. The Lord has blessed you since I came, and now when may I also provide for my own house?”? Every employee will always seek to have a plan for the future. The question is how much of the future do they have with the leader or the organization? Where the picture is bleak, exit is inevitable. In all of this, all Laban was still asking was his price! A price that does not cover the future is not worth acceptance, it leads nowhere. He ultimately fled! –Gen 31; 21 So Jacob fled with all that he had, and he rose and passed over the river and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. Any wonder at times in Organizations staff just hop and leave?

6.????? Effective Leadership and Management: Laban was a bad leader- How else would you describe being oblivious to all the circumstances Jacob went through to secure his flock? 38 “This twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and the male goats of your flock I have not eaten. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand whether it was stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 It was like this with me: In the day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 I have been twenty years in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely you would have sent me away empty now. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”? Yet Laban started by saying it is in his power to kill him but for God- How disconnected can one be? As a leader are you aware of the realities of the pain of the people within your span of control?

Please share your thoughts and experiences .