I’m watching the NBA playoffs. There’s a game every night and it’s winding down to the finals. I heard Erik Spoelstra, the coach of the Miami Heat, implore his team: “Do your job.” In basketball, that means a number of things. Cover your man. Rebound. Take good shots when you’re open. Execute the game plan. In professional basketball, coaches can use the short hand, saying “do your job,” because they spend hours studying film, crafting […]

It’s easy to get caught up in the fun of Memorial Day. It kicks off the summer. No doubt there will be families gathering. Beverages consumed. Barbecue sampled. The holiday started around 1865. It initially was a day when the lives lost in the Civil War were remembered. Folks all over the country would visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of the heroes. The focus has shifted from the fallen to the fun. Perhaps we […]

I’m in Antigua, Guatemala this week serving on a mission team from an organization called Faith in Practice. It’s not associated with any particular church or denomination but it is a ministry organized around delivering medical services to the poverty stricken in Guatemala. The ministry occupies a suite of operating rooms 42 weeks a year and provides free medical care to people who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Our group has over 80 surgeries scheduled this […]

Last night I was fortunate to attend the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation dinner in Atlanta. Our host was one of our top customers, Ongweoweh CEO Dan Bonamie. It’s usually the supplier who hosts the customer so that made the honor even more special. It’s rare to have a customer treat you to an event like this. The Coca-Cola folks gave away more than $2 million to more than 250 students. In addition to receiving scholarships, the […]

The new season of the TV show Undercover Boss has started on CBS. It’s on following 60 Minutes on Sunday nights. You probably know the drill. A boss puts on a disguise and goes to work doing jobs in the company he or she doesn’t usually do. It makes for a good show because the CEO proves to be inept and most of the show demonstrates that ineptness. What surprises me is that they are […]

I’ve been saying “Merry Christmas” with purpose this year. My faith is rooted in the birthday of Jesus. I determined this year to not default to a cursory Merry Christmas, a seasonal substitute for “have a good day” as I move on. Instead, I’ve been striving for a bit more connection. This year, when I tell someone Merry Christmas, I want them to feel like they’ve been engaged. First, I’ve been looking at them when […]