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Lesson #7     Place - The Gift of Your Environment

Issue:  What's the best work environment for me?

Solution: Be in the right place at the right time.

What We Will Cover in this Lesson

• The Engagement Equation
• The components of the "right place at the right time" opportunity
• Action steps

Why would a team of doctors - who could establish successful medical practices in the locations of their choosing - desire to experience the worst of human suffering through famine, slavery, starvation and injustice in places such as Uganda, Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo?

How does a violent gang leader whose family was wiped out by incarceration, murder and abuse come back to the very environment that practically destroyed him and become a respected community leader and director of the Center for Fathering?

Why would a respected business leader seek out the job of Senior Vice President of Corporate Governance at Tyco International - just after the company was publically demonized for its corporate greed and unethical practices?

Randall Zindler and his team, John Turnipseed and Eric Pillmore all have one thing in common: They were each in the right place at the right time. Their success and significance as leaders didn't depend on whether their environment was good or bad, but on how they engaged their environment.

The Engagement Equation:  Environment + State of-Mind + Right Time = Significant Impact

There's nothing wrong with seeking a positive work environment with an ethical culture that aligns with your values, but it may not be the right environment. Rather than asking yourself Is this environment good or bad?, ask yourself Am I in the right place at the right time?

Place has three definitions, including an external environment, an internal state of mind and an appropriate moment in time. Each of these three dimensions is important, but insufficient on its own. Combine them together, however, and they interact to create a powerful "right place at the right time" opportunity. Let's take a closer look at these components.

Our Environment is the Trigger that Sparks the Best (and the Worst) in Us

Your environment can bring out your best or worst. It can lead you to significance or render you insignificant. Regardless of whether you're seeking a new environment or staying in your existing environment, don't allow the wrong circumstances to determine your fate. Rather, seek the right circumstances that trigger your best. In the end, ensure you're in the environment that brings out the best in you so you can bring out the best in others.

Your State of Mind Determines How You Respond to Your Environment

Your environment is important, but will be rendered irrelevant if you're not in the right state of mind. There are leaders throughout the world who are in the right environment but in the wrong place emotionally and spiritually. Joyfully, I also know leaders who do remarkable and significant things in spite of an environment you or I would be tempted to label as "bad." Their state of mind transcends whatever challenge comes before them. "Where are you?" Regardless of your environment, if your mindset isn't in the right place, you'll miss your right place at the right time opportunity.

The Appropriate Moment Determines the Right Time and the Right Place

Timing plays a key role in determining the right place at the right time. Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 3:1, There's a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Some moments call for immediate action. Other times are heavy with waiting and preparation. Regardless, we're called to be ready. Trust that God will reveal this unique moment in time to you. As Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:11, He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Again, each of these three dimensions is important, but on its own, insufficient. Combine them together and they interact to create a powerful "right place at the right time" opportunity.

Ask yourself "How do I fully engage in an environment where I can serve a purpose greater than myself? The ability to look beyond yourself will provide you with meaning and satisfaction in your work - regardless of your environment.

Action Steps

As you seek to evaluate a present or future work environment, consider these three components:

Environment:  What kind of trigger does this environment spark in my soul? For example, does it make you want to be a part of something? fix something? create something new?

State of Mind:  What is my present state of mind? For example, are you scared but excited? disengaged? comfortable? angry, yet fired up to do something?

Right Time:  Is this the right time? For example, are you excited for a change but need time to complete a present obligation? Is it not the ideal time but the opportunity is compelling?

Apply the Engagement Equation to your specific environment. What is it telling you?

What's Next?

Our time together will soon be coming to a close. Next week, in our final installment, we'll ask the question, "What does it mean to live a prosperous life?" Join with me to discover your prosperity - the gift of relationships as your legacy.

The Julian Group, 14405 4th Avenue North, Plymouth, MN 55447, USA