Productivity

In spite of...

- the worst attack ever on our country (which oh by the way was in the middle of our financial hub)
- the collapse of trust in corporate America (Enron, Tyco, Worldcom)
- the overcompensation by Congress to fix said trust with Sarbane-Oxley, which is choking corporate America now, causing 85 public companies year to date to buy their stock back and go public...a record if you track such things.
- the worst pattern of Natural Disasters ever (if you track things by dollars damage done)
- two wars (Afghanastan and Iraq)
- oil prices double, virtually causing the price of everything except iPods to go up.

...our economy continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. In fact 2006 is growing at 2% and because it's the worst growth in 10 years, chicken little has re-emerged and is screaming "the sky is falling."

And one word explains why this is all happening...productivity. We continue to get more done with less than any nation in the world. My little company is producing 25% more with 20% less people than it did in 2003 (we were a tad fat in 2003 mind you, but still remarkable)...and we are in a mature industry.

Even more surprising is my expectation over the next four years is to continue to create these same productivity improvements. I'm meeting with each of my direct reports and gaining commitment from them as to their plan to get themselves to be more productive in 2007 than they were in 2006. And the kicker is...we'll continue to tighten the bolts...it's my job...and unfortunately (or fortunately if you are an economist or politician or are my principal supplier) the pattern will continue until I pass the reigns to someone else. And, I'm pretty good at my job.

So here's the rub. Since I look at things from a Kingdom perspective...and my leading candidates for sharing the Gospel and Discipleship are both associates (and direct reports)...I'm having a very difficult time getting my job (which if whittled down to the basic premise is to increase productivity and profitability for my company) to jive with my faith...kind of "rich young rulerish" if you would. So I pray..."God, only you can supernaturally make these two things coexist...please help me to do so." Yet still no peace.

Any thoughts?