Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:13, Genesis 41:46

3 biblical tips to jump-start your management career. We would like to thank the Theology of Work Project for providing this plan. For more information, please visit www.theologyofwork.org/devotions

The first job for any new manager is to become as familiar as possible with the state of her or his business.

As his first act after Pharaoh placed him in charge of Egypt, “Joseph…went through all the land of Egypt” (Gen. 41:46) on an inspection tour. In order to manage Egypt’s coming food crisis, Joseph needed to get to know the people involved in agricultural production. He needed to take stock of the locations and conditions of fields. He had to learn about roads and infrastructure for transportation. Joseph did all of this as soon as possible after taking on his management role.

Over the next 14 years, as Joseph managed a production surplus followed by a famine, he likely felt that nothing could have replaced the first-hand knowledge he gained on his initial fact-finding tour throughout Egypt.

Getting familiar with your business is a great place to start as a new manager. It’s also the secret of Kathy Wengel, Johnson & Johnson’s Executive Vice President for Global Supply Chain. Kathy Wengel’s sister describes Kathy’s strategy:

“When she’s new to a company she goes in early 2-4 days a week. She goes in at 5 in the morning and just grabs a cup of coffee and hangs out at the loading docks or the manufacturing floor or with the janitor’s staff. She’s determined that every single person that’s connected with that company has something to offer. I think she therefore gains mutual respect back and forth. She also knows that she’s really learning everything she can possibly learn about what’s going on in that company.”

Prayer: God, grant me insight into the people and resources you have given me to manage. Show me what I need to know in order to handle the challenges and opportunities of my work.

Further Exploration: In this video two Christian managers share key insights from their careers and a Bible scholar reflects on Jesus’ parable of the shrewd manager.

Author: Theology of Work Project

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Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.