Christian Business Concepts
Christian Business Concepts
Year-End Actions Every Leader Should Practice
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Can you imagine ending your business year not just with financial success, but with a Christ-centered approach that truly fulfills your mission? Join me, Harold Milby, on this journey as we uncover how to align your business practices with faith-based principles, ensuring your year-end reflection is not only strategic but spiritually enriching. Inspired by Psalms 107:1 and insights from figures like Zig Ziglar, we'll explore the power of gratitude, testimonies, and stewardship as the core of your business ethos. Learn how prayer meetings and gratitude journals can transform your team's outlook and harness the blessings you're entrusted with, as emphasized in 1 Corinthians 4.
As we look towards the coming year, we'll discuss the importance of realigning your mission and vision with God's calling, conducting SWOT analyses, and nurturing a culture of service and integrity. Through this episode, you'll gain practical insights on reviewing ethical guidelines and fulfilling commitments with the highest standards of integrity. Concluding with a heartfelt prayer, we invite you to reflect on the past year's blessings and look forward to a new year filled with spiritual and financial abundance. This episode is your guide to embedding faith into every aspect of your business, ensuring a prosperous and blessed journey ahead.
Welcome to the Christian Business Concepts with your host, harold Milby. Christian Business Concepts is dedicated to guiding companies and business owners in becoming effective, efficient and successful through God's Word and godly principles. Now, here's your host, harold Milby.
Speaker 2:Thank you for that introduction, kelly, and for all of you for everything that you do really to produce Christian Business Concepts each week, kelly, I thank and for all of you for everything that you do really to produce Christian business concepts each week. Kelly, I thank you for that. Welcome everyone, and I'm your host, harold Milby, and I'm here for one reason really I'm here to help you find true godly success by applying biblical principles, and this is what we're all about here at CBC, and this is what we're all about here at CBC, and I humbly believe that God will encourage you and enlighten you and empower you as you listen to these podcasts. Please help us grow the CBC family by sharing this podcast on your LinkedIn or Facebook pages. You can also share this podcast with four or five other people that you feel. It would be a big help and a blessing too. Now, before we jump in today, I just want to give a big shout out again to Sydney, australia and New South Wales for having the most downloads this week, and you know we love you folks there and all of you around the world who download and listen to this podcast every week, including the United States. You are helping us grow the CBC community and also just let me say this. Also, just let me say this this year we've added several new countries and, honestly, the biggest city in the world for the number of downloads for this year, the largest city, number one city is Sydney, australia, and I'm just so happy to be a part of your all's lives. Thank you for letting me come into your life and try to be an encouragement to you. And the number one country obviously is the United States, and I appreciate all of our friends in the US who listen every week and download our podcasts on a regular basis. Thank you so so much this year.
Speaker 2:You know the end of the year will be here before you know it and you know I think it's important as individuals, as leaders, as business owners, that we take some specific actions and really take some time to think about things before we start a new year. At the end of each year, it would benefit you as a person and a leader to reflect, to renew and realign as Christian business leaders. The end of the year just presents a unique opportunity to really take a pause and reflect on things, align your business practices with your faith and prioritize your gratitude and stewardship and strategic planning so that you can continue to lead your organization and lead them into a new year with a lot of purpose and a lot of clarity. And I want to talk about some essential things that you can do to have a Christ-centered approach to ending this year and ending it well. And it's just a good time to look back at the year and evaluate some things. And so first let's talk about this.
Speaker 2:I think one of the first things that you need to do in the end of the year is you need to celebrate God's goodness. You know his word says in Psalms 107 and 1,. It says oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. And I think it's important that we celebrate how God's goodness is there for us and how good he is to us and how good he's been to us during the year. And you know you can tell others about God's work in your life, and this can be with your families, with your friends, with your church community. But you can share those testimonies and you can also create a memorial.
Speaker 2:I encourage you to do that. Write in a journal, you know, create this gratitude list If you need to use photos, if you want to commemorate God's blessings. My wife and I actually have a journal for the things that God does in our lives, the miracles that have taken place and other things that have happened and just spend time in joyful, truly joyful worship, thanking God for his provision and his love. The next thing that you can do is reflect with gratitude and prayer. You know, zig Ziglar said one time gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for, and I believe that.
Speaker 2:I believe what 1 Thessalonians 5.18 says. It says give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. All things for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So spend time thanking God for his provision for this past year, for his guidance, for his blessings over the past year, and involve your team, involve your team in this practice of gratitude. You can host a prayer meeting at your work in your company. If you're the owner, you can absolutely do this. Now, according to the law, you cannot require people Now that's here in the United States you cannot require people to go to that prayer meeting, but you can have one and you can promote it throughout your company. Don't let what others say influence you and say well, that's against the law, you can't do that. It is absolutely not against the law and you are protected by law in order for you to be able to do that. So you can involve your team by hosting that special meeting and you can think about how God has shown his faithfulness in your business this year. In what ways have you been able to demonstrate your gratitude as a leader, not just for what God has done, but others as well.
Speaker 2:The next thing that you need to do before the end of the year is to really take an assessment of your performance and your stewardship. You know 1 Corinthians 4 says, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. Have you been faithful as God's steward this year? Remember, business owners. If you're a Christian business owner, that business doesn't belong to you, it belongs to God. You're a steward and he allows you to manage it and to run it under direction from his word and through prayer and through actions that you believe is pleasing to God, but you're still a steward. So you need to review your business's financial and your operational performance. That's what good businesses do anyway, but you need to also evaluate how your resources, your time, your money, your talents how were they managed? How were they managed? Can you give yourself an A plus for performance? Can you give yourself an A plus for stewardship? You know you need to identify areas where you can improve your stewardship and that's going to help you to ensure I should say to ensure that you honor God with the resources that God's entrusted you with. You need to review your financial health, that's, your profits, your expenses, your debt management. You need to measure your impact on employees, customers and even the community, and then you align your business practices with your Christian principles. But you need to assess your performance and stewardship.
Speaker 2:Next, you should celebrate, celebrate your accomplishments, recognize contributions. In other words, the Bible says Philippians 2 and 4, let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. So you should have a celebration to acknowledge the hard work of your team. Maybe you could have a get-together at Christmas where you let them know how much you appreciate them, or before the new year or right after the new year. But you need to celebrate those accomplishments and other people's contributions and you can highlight individuals and you can highlight team both individual and team contributions. These are the type things that have happened that have really shown or exemplified excellence and Christlike values. You can offer some personalized notes, you can write handwritten notes to certain employees, certain partners and clients to let them know how much you appreciate the accomplishments that they've had. You appreciate the accomplishments that they've had, and you can create awards for values like integrity or service or teamwork, and share how the team's efforts have contributed to the company's mission and purpose and vision. So you know it's important that you recognize and appreciate your team. It's so important that you do that publicly and you can do it privately too, but it's important that you do it publicly and you can offer very personalized rewards like bonuses or physical awards or things of that nature. So it's very important because recognition improves employee retention, it strengthens your team loyalty and motivates people to continue in that path of excellence in the coming year.
Speaker 2:Next, you should realign. Look at your year and then realign with your mission and vision. Proverbs 16 and 3 says Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. So revisit your mission and your vision statements to ensure that you're still reflecting God's calling for your business, and assess whether your goals and your strategies align with your long-term purpose. And seek God's guidance, get his guidance and prayers. You will realign your plans. Now you may not need to realign, but go into this assessment with thinking that you might have to Look for ways, if you need to, to realign your plans with his will ways if you need to realign your plans with his will and then what you want to do is you want to communicate that vision to your team for the coming year.
Speaker 2:I mean you can ask yourself things like are my business goals rooted in faith? Are they rooted in service? How can I better integrate my faith into my daily operations? So those are important and when you do that, you should make sure that you're looking at your strategic goals, because you may have to realign and evaluate your strategic goals. You should have a review process and then you compare this year's performance against strategic goals that you've set at the beginning of the year. It's also a good time to do a SWOT analysis. So you know that's something that you should do every year.
Speaker 2:And then adjust your plans, refine you know your objectives, maybe refine some of your strategies based on what you learned throughout this year, and maybe there's been some change in market conditions, so you have to look at that too. So you got to ask yourself, you know, are our goals still relevant and are they still aligned with our mission? Maybe they're not, maybe they are, but you have to take a look at it. And then you ask yourself hey, has the market or the industry changed? Has it evolved? How should we adapt? How should we change?
Speaker 2:You know Pablo Picasso said one time. He said our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan in which we must fervently believe and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success, and I absolutely believe that the next thing you should need to consider for the end of the year is blessing others through giving. You know 2 Corinthians 9 and 7, it says each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. So you need to evaluate your company's giving practices. Maybe you need to make some year-end contributions to causes that really align with your values, encourage your employees to participate in just you know different acts, acts of generosity, and just you know different acts, acts of generosity. Maybe they volunteer or they donate to certain causes and then share stories of how your company or your business, how it's given and how it's impacted others and hopefully that will inspire this culture of service. And you know you can. You know for some ideas. You can donate a percentage of your profits to a local church or a missions or a community program. And don't forget, you know you can support employees and their charitable efforts by sometimes matching their donations to a specific thing that they're that they're giving to. I just think it's important that we look at blessing others at this time of year.
Speaker 2:Next is you need to close the year with integrity. You know Proverbs 16 and 8 says better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. You know, I think what you need to do is conduct a final review of your business practices to make sure that you are utilizing ethical guidelines and ethical actions and they're Christ-centered. You know you should address any kind of unresolved conflicts or outstanding commitments with employees or partners or customers. Make sure that you follow through on those things and finish the year strong, you know, by fulfilling any kind of promises that you've made and make sure you kind of close those gaps. You know what I mean and accountability. So make sure you've done that.
Speaker 2:Next you need to plan Plan for personal growth. You know you hear me talk about having a personal growth plan a lot. I'm a big believer in it and you know the purpose of that is just to commit yourself to continuous improvement and self-development. You know the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13, 5, it says examine yourselves to see whether you're in the faith. You need to test yourselves. So what you want to do is you want to reflect and assess on your strengths and your areas that you need to have growth in, and you can always ask some team members, maybe ask some upper management people, some peers or maybe mentors, for constructive criticism. They can help you see areas of your life that you need to have some focus. But you need to focus on your skills, you know. Focus on where you're at with communication skills, delegation, strategic thinking, there's all kinds of things, and when you do that, you need to develop a plan. You need to develop a plan and assess your walk with God. Your personal growth is not just your professional growth, it's your spiritual growth. Right, you should reflect on how your faith has grown this year and areas where you need improvement.
Speaker 2:If you look at your life this year and after a year and you say, well, I'm about the same as I was last year, then you did not have a growth plan. Either you didn't have a growth plan or if you had one, you didn't follow through with it. Because a growth plan, or if you had one, you didn't follow through with it Because a growth plan will assure you that you will not be the same as you were last year. You will have grown. So you need to do that. You need to evaluate your habits, review your prayer life, your Bible study, your church involvement and service to other people. Evaluate those things. Can you get better at them? I think we probably could all say we can. So these are some of the things that you need to evaluate and then you can identify then specific ways to do that and specific ways that you can develop your relationship with God in the coming up year.
Speaker 2:Now what do you need to do to do that? Well, you may need to attend some leadership development courses or maybe some conferences. Maybe you decide, hey, there's three books leadership books that I'm going to read this year. I'm going to start listening to a Christian business podcast. I know you're listening to Christian business concepts, which we appreciate, but maybe there's some others, maybe there's some good leadership podcasts out there that you want to take advantage of. But make sure you develop a plan and write it down. Write down your plan and then you execute it right. So you ask yourself, doing this assessment, did I prioritize my relationship with God this year? That always should be the number one question. And then, how can I grow in my understanding and not just the understanding, but the application of God's word, Because you don't want to just understand it, but you need to apply it. Apply it in your personal life and in your business life. It Apply it in your personal life and in your business life.
Speaker 2:And next is ensure that your business is ready for a fresh start. Because you got a new year, so you want to make sure that you close out the year organized and prepared. You know, revelations 21 and 5 says and he who was seated on the throne said Behold, I am making all things new. And also it goes on. And he says there, in that same passage Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. So you know, what we need to realize is that tomorrow is a new day, the next year is a new year. So we want to make sure that we're organized and prepared.
Speaker 2:So make sure that you tie up any loose ends. Make sure that you try to complete any outstanding projects. Don't defer them out for the next year. Try to get them done now. You know, make sure that you're clean and organized, make sure that your company's workspaces are organized, your digital systems, your inventories are in good order. You just want to make sure that you're ready for this new year, and that also means you should be looking at your processes. You should review these policies. You know your procedures. Maybe your employee handbooks, if necessary. Are all your outstanding invoices paid or collected? Have you documented your year-end earnings for future reference or earnings, I should say, for future reference? So these are some of the things that you need to do to be prepared for a new year and to be going into that new year very organized.
Speaker 2:So schedule this time. Schedule some time in December for a lot of these activities that we're talking about, and share this guide that I'm giving you today with your leadership team. Share this guide that I'm giving you today with your leadership team. Make sure that they can do some of these same things. So create a checklist. Get a checklist together to track the progress on all your end-of-year things that you need to do.
Speaker 2:And then, lastly, plan for the year ahead with God in mind. That's so important. Plan the year ahead with God in mind. You know, proverbs 16 and 9 says the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. So you need to set faith-driven goals for the new year. You got to balance your financial success, but you've got to balance it with eternal impact. How are you going to impact the world around you. So plan ahead with God in mind, develop a strategic plan that kind of incorporates business growth and employee development, personal growth, community engagement. These are all key areas that you can plan with God in mind and pray for wisdom.
Speaker 2:Pray for wisdom, seek his discernment, get a plan from God. I've always said get God's plan and you don't have to ask for God to bless it. If you get God's plan it's automatically blessed. It's better than you coming up with a plan and say God bless my plan. I'd rather have his plan that's already blessed. So seek God's wisdom through prayer and fasting. You know the Bible says in James 1 and 5, I've said it many times if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth liberally and upbraideth not, and it will be done to him. So pray for wisdom. And then pray for very specific aspects of your business. You can pray for things like team unity and financial growth and opportunities to share Christ's love. You can pray about those things. God wants to hear you pray those prayers. So some of the things maybe you want to consider as you expand your business's approach or outreach to charitable giving or charitable impact, or maybe creating new opportunities for employees to grow spiritually and professionally, or maybe strengthen partnerships with other faith-based organizations that you can be a part of. So make sure you do that Now, just real quickly.
Speaker 2:There's some personal things on top of these things that we've talked about. There's just three of them, but I think they're important. So what you need to do is, at the end of the year, for you personally, is seek forgiveness and reconciliation. You know, 1 John 1 and 9 says If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We're not perfect, but we need to confess to God, make confession to Him. If there's anything that we need to seek Him for, make sure that we do that and then make sure that we reconcile with others. You know you've got to give grace and give forgiveness to others. Make sure that you don't start the year off with those things you know still undealt with or not dealt with, and then maybe you've got to accept grace and forgiveness from someone else, but make sure that you seek forgiveness and reconciliation.
Speaker 2:The second thing is is give thanks. Give thanks through generosity. I know we've talked about it from a business perspective, but you need to look at it from a personal perspective, because the Word says it's more blessed to give than to receive. So make sure Bless others. You can donate to your church. Your missions are a charitable cause. That's part of your values. But give thanks, and give thanks through generosity, so you can support those in need. Volunteer your time if you need to Resources, encourage somebody, write a note of encouragement to someone, or just share a small gift with someone who's blessed your life. So you know these are things that you should do personally. You know how can you use your blessings to glorify God and serve others.
Speaker 2:And then, lastly, pray. Pray for the coming year, for you personally. The Bible says Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. That's in Philippians 4 and 6. And so make sure you pray for the coming year. You know surrender your plans. You know commit your goals and your aspirations to God's will. And then pray for others. You know lift up your family, your friends, your church, your community as we enter into a new year and then ask for renewal, pray for spiritual growth, pray for strength, pray for guidance in the year ahead. These things are important that we do at the end of the year to really prepare us to be even more successful in this new year. So you know, ending the year as a Christian business leader is more. It's more than just wrapping up operations. It's really an opportunity to honor God through your reflection, through celebration, through preparation, and when you focus on gratitude and things like stewardship and planning, you can ensure that your business reflects your faith and serves as a witness to his glory.
Speaker 2:Heavenly Father, we thank you right now, lord. We thank you for your provision, for your guidance and for your grace through this past year. Lord, we ask you to help us to honor you in all that we do as we reflect and celebrate and prepare for the year ahead. Lord, may our work glorify you and bring blessings to others. Now, lord, I pray a special blessing over all of those who've been a part of Christian Business Concepts this year. Please grant them a new year of blessings, spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Lord, bless the work of their hands, as your word declares that you would do. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Well, thanks again. So much for being a part of Christian Business Concepts this year, and we love you, we appreciate you, we appreciate what you're doing for the kingdom of God and we pray that this new year will be a greater, more blessed year than even this year was. Well, that's all the time we have for today, so until next time, remember that Jesus is Lord and he wants you blessed.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning into this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast. Go to christianbusinessconceptscom for more information and resources. Be sure to check out other podcasts that will help you take your business and your personal life to a whole new level of success.