[ The Opportunist ] by Niger Lim

ODB: The Belayers (December 30, 2007)

READ: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

We also pray always for you . . . that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you. —2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

I have high respect for brave men and women who climb rugged mountain peaks. They have to take serious precautions as they scale sheer cliffs. One safety feature is a line that’s always connected to a person below, who is called the “belayer.” If the climber loses his balance or falls, the belayer holds him securely until he can regain his footing and continue his ascent or descent. Thus, “to belay” is to anchor, to hold securely, to keep safe.

Hope Church, near Cincinnati, has an adult fellowship group called “The Belayers.” Its members are committed to giving one another help and support in their daily walk with Christ and promise to uphold one another in prayer. They provide assistance as needed, they encourage one another, and they come alongside in times of spiritual danger. They “hold the ropes” for each other.

I think that the apostle Paul was a belayer for many churches, including the Thessalonian church. The believers there were undergoing persecution and were troubled. He reminded them that they were chosen and still loved by God (2 Thess. 2:13). And he encouraged them to continue trusting the Lord, and prayed for them (vv.15-17).

Whose “rope” is God encouraging you to hold?
 —David C. Egner

When others help in time of need,
We then should let them know
How much their strength has meant to us;
To them our thanks we owe.  —F. Hess

A word of encouragement can make the difference between giving up or going on.

Living Out Your Purpose at Work By Daniel Harkavy (LifeatWork)

In business we live and breathe numbers. Every year we set new goals; every month we accomplish one-twelfth of those goals, then wipe the slate clean. Every week in we celebrate those running ahead and lament over those lagging behind. Every day we crack the quota whip. No matter what we’re talking about - leads needed, prospects converted, SKUs sold, deals closed, income generated - it all focuses around numbers. We measure performance by team member, profitability by product, and keep careful track of return on investment, gross margin, and net worth requirements. You know the indicators on which you need to focus most intently to reach your annual targets.

This is what business is all about, right? I say, "Yes and no." On the one hand, you can’t succeed in business without paying careful attention to numbers. That’s obvious. Neglect the numbers, and you fail. But don’t forget that other hand! The frightening truth is, you can come up with all the right numbers and still fail. You can meet your quotas, improve your profitability, expand your market share, keep the shareholders happy, increase efficiency & and still get out of bed every day wondering, Do I really have to do this again? I’ve met too many less-than-happy, stressed out, unfulfilled, bitter leaders - who were all good at their jobs - to believe that making your numbers alone will solve all your problems. These men and women would be the first to tell you that there has to be more to business than numbers. But if that’s so, then what could it be? If producing good numbers doesn’t make for success in business, what does? I believe the answer revolves around discovering your vocational purpose.

What is your vocational purpose? Your business card or title may say this or that, but what is your vocational purpose? Is it more than "to build great systems’? Is it more than "to create accurate and efficient processes"? Is it more than "to build a furniture company" or "to sell a lawn-care product"?

You may be very good at what you do, but if at the end of the day you leave the office feeling professionally empty, spiritually hollow, and bored or weighed down, then most likely you need to re-infuse your task with a healthy dose of job significance. You need to reconnect the purpose of your heart to your actions. You need to start asking yourself not just "How can I lead better?" but "Why do I lead in the first place?" It may feel easier to skip such a big question, but doing so will almost certainly saddle you with a host of unwelcome passengers: boredom, fatigue, discouragement, even despair. Many who refuse to ask themselves about their vocational purpose wind up meandering from job to job, always searching (always unsuccessfully) for that "something else" that will finally give real meaning and significance to their workdays. What a waste!

Why a waste? Because you can find all the meaning and significance and purpose you need right where you are now. You don’t have to be constantly looking for greener grass. You needn’t be always on the hunt for a shining kingdom somewhere over the rainbow. The job you have right now has the potential to supply you with all the purpose you need to feel fulfilled and satisfied in your role as leader - you just need to change the way you think about your job. Based on my work with thousands of leaders over the past two decades, I believe it comes down to this: The key is to see yourself as more than a mere manager. Begin to perceive your role as that of a career and life improver for the people you lead! When you take on that challenge, you’ll find your job overflowing with purpose.

Do you want to become an even more effective leader than you already are? Effective leadership is all about taking followers on a journey that enables them to experience and accomplish more as a result of the coaching and vision you bring to them. Truly great leaders walk alongside their followers and help them to become more on this journey. That’s what these leaders see as their main purpose: to help their people develop professionally, personally, relationally and spiritually. The journey could last one year, three years, five years, thirty years - however long their teammates remain with them. But regardless of the time frame involved, people development is a top priority. That’s how they find real and satisfying purpose in their jobs. And there’s no reason the same experience can’t become true for you.

Excerpted from Becoming a Coaching Leader: The Proven Strategy for Building Your Own Team of Champions by Daniel Harkavy, © 2007, Thomas Nelson Publishers, used by permission. Learn more at www.becomingacoachingleader.com.

Daniel Harkavy is founder of Building Champions Inc, an executive coaching company with more than ten years of experience. As CEO and Head Coach, Daniel leads the Building Champions team while also coaching a select group of high-profile executives and leadership authorities. His team has successfully coached thousands of top executives, managers, and producers to improve their professional and personal lives. www.buildingchampions.com  

Note:

Saturday December 22, 2007 (TheStarOnline)

CARDHOLDERS need not pay more than RM250 whenever their lost or stolen credit cards are used by others. Yet, oftentimes, they end up paying much more. 

This is because Bank Negara has not informed cardholders that they do not have to pay more than RM250 for fraudulent transactions carried out using their lost or stolen cards, when they had not acted fraudulently and had informed the banks about the lost or stolen cards as soon as possible. 

This protection is given under Clause 13.2 of Bank Negara’s Credit Card Guideline (“The cardholder’s maximum liability for unauthorised transactions as a consequence of a lost or stolen credit card shall be confined to a limit specified by the issuer of credit cards, which shall not exceed RM250 provided the cardholder has not acted fraudulently or has not failed to inform the issuer of credit cards as soon as reasonably practicable after having found that his credit card is lost or stolen”). 

Banks know about Clause 13.2 but have chosen to ignore it. Instead they pursue cardholders for the fraudulent transactions. 

They will tell cardholders that a clause in the credit card contracts states that all transactions carried out before the loss of the cards are reported to the banks, are deemed to be carried out by the cardholders.  

Many cardholders then pay up because they are unaware of the RM250 limited liability. 

Bank Negara should rule that:  

· THE RM250 maximum liability on fraudulent transactions is highlighted to cardholders in the card agreements as well as in the monthly card statements. 

· BANKS are not allowed to insert any clause in the card agreement which is contrary to Clause 13.2. 

· BANKS should refund all money in excess of the RM250 collected from cardholders whose cases clearly come under Clause 13.2. 

S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS,
President,
Consumers Association of Penang.