People over Tasks

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I think we all inherently know the truth that people are more important than tasks; yet the way we operate at work often doesn’t demonstrate this.

As I reflect back on my career, I see so many times that I have got this wrong. The skills that help me succeed in work – my drive, focus and determination – are actually a liability. I get so focused on the vision and tasks needed to get there that I can miss opportunities to connect with those around me, or worse, blatantly ignore needs I could have addressed.

My point in this isn’t to say that we need to be the office psychiatrist, available to talk to anyone at any time. We all have work that we need to get done on a daily basis and that can’t be ignored. However, often the “urgency” of a task drives us to miss even short conversations that could bear much fruit.

As I seek to get better at this, there are a few things I find help.

• Prayerful planning. As I start each day, I think about who I will interact with, and pray for those interactions.
• Looking for opportunities. As I go about my day, I try and take a step back from the task at hand and look for opportunities to connect with those around me.
• Open to interruptions. Often interruptions are God’s way of bringing people into our lives. If we don’t have room for this (which I struggle with) then we may miss the opportunity.

In all of this, remember that God has called us to the places and times we live, including our vocation, so that we might be a light for Him.

~ Sean