Whether you’re a professional or not, you can operate like one.
I meet with people a lot. A whole lot!
Invariably, lots of folks have to reschedule. And I love it when they let me know beforehand.
I was supposed to meet with Rick Howerton today in Nashville (about a 45 minute drive from Clarksville, where I live). It’s well worth the drive to meet with Rick…except if he’s sick, and can’t make the meeting.
So Rick cancelled on me…two hours before we were supposed to meet.
Rick, being the pro of all pros, went to extraordinary lengths to get me the message.
- At 6:25, I got a Twitter Direct Message from him.
- Just a few minutes later, I had a Facebook message from him.
- Followed by an email.
- Then I got an email from Karen, a staff member here at Grace, saying Rick had emailed the church office to let me know he couldn’t make it.
- Then I got a text from Karen, saying the same thing.
- The I get a call from my mom, saying that this guy, Rick, had called the house (not sure how he got my parent’s house number, but I guess ninjas have their secrets), and that he can’t make the meeting with me this morning.
- Then I notice that Rick’s put out a blast to everybody on Twitter asking if anybody knows how to get in touch with me.
So, to sum it all up…I got the message. Thanks Rick.
You may not be a “professional,” but you can operate like one…and we, as followers of Christ, should be careful to do just that. I firmly believe that not keeping our commitments, and being flippant with our responsibilities, is dishonoring to God and is a violation of the 9th commandment:
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)
If you’ve got to cancel a meeting, that’s fine. Do it the professional way.
Do it the “Rick Howerton way.”
