An organization recently posted an ad in the paper for the position of Senior Manager. The Ad read, Help Wanted:
Job Title: Senior Manager/Director
Job Description: This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced marketing professional, someone who can lead a very talented team. Responsibilities will include defining and executing a strategy for the team, day-to-day management, designing campaigns around customer needs, research, statistic analysis, creating published works including growth and flow charts, planning and executing, budget analysis, cost management research and implementation, creation of legal contracts, strategic development towards measurable goals, and ongoing campaign management. Prior experience with management and marketing is desirable. We are seeking a highly motivated, analytical, and intellectually curious individual who wants to join and learn from a world-class company. If you pride yourself on being both creative and analytical, an active problem solver and a team player, then this is an opportunity to launch a fast-paced and rewarding career in a cutting edge field. Requirements: BA/BS degree with a minimum 3.3 GPA, some substantive work or university experience involving numerical analysis, some prior experience with monitoring and controlling projects, familiarity with Microsoft Excel or other analytical tools, 7+ years of marketing experience, 2+ years of experience managing direct reports, creative and analytical mindset, strong command of written English.
And like us, our ad in the paper received a lot of responses. Calls came in what seemed like once every 5 minutes. “Hello, my name is such and such. I am calling about the ad in the paper. I have sent my resume and cover letter via email as instructed. I was calling to make sure you received it. Could you tell me a bit more about the position and the hiring process?” The Human Resources department met to go through the 200+ resumes that were sent. After much deliberation, and honestly- quite a bit of laughter and tales of applicants, the organization narrowed it down to a handful of candidates.
Each candidate was asked to come in for an interview. Each of the candidates had some great qualities. One was very charming, knew just what to say and when to say it. One had a good balance of confidence and humility, self motivated and a team player. Another was really smart, had gone to a great school and knew all sorts of interesting information. All of them had the skills listed in the advertisement. They were experienced at strategy and analysis. They knew how to create budgets, write contracts, form policies and procedures for obtaining goals. They even knew a thing or two about statistics and cost management. Happy with the selection of candidates, they sent a representative of HR team to speak the Boss about their findings.
“Boss, we’ve found several really good potential managers here. In fact, they are so good that we’re not sure which of them to call back for a second interview. Would you take a look at their profiles and our notes and tell us what you think?”
They handed the boss a tall stack of papers. The boss took a look at the papers. Then, the boss handed the papers back and said, “These are all very interesting candidates. I like this one here and here, but in all honesty I’m not sure that any of them have exactly what we need in this position. There seems to be something missing from each of them. What I’d like for you to do is start over and see if you can come up with a better candidate.
So, with their heads hanging, the HR team went back to the drawing boards and started at square one. This time, they posted the ad in several publications: a highly renowned magazine, several websites, the local paper, and a broader based paper. 100s of resumes came in. The HR team scoured them, in search of just the right person to be manager. After quite a bit of digging and a lot of late nights and coffee, the HR team finally narrowed down the search to one candidate.
This time, they all went to the boss to present the candidate.
“Boss, this one is the one. You name it, this one’s got it: strategic, planner, financial guru, logical and rational, the perfect person to monitor and control projects and manage day to day happenings.” They handed the paperwork to the boss and even went so far as to show the boss a promo video on the candidate.
“I like this one. You have worked hard and have been diligent in finding a candidate that meets the requirements described in the advertisement. I’ve been thinking long and hard about what was missing in the other candidates and your work here has been a good attempt at filling that void, but I have to say...there’s still something missing.”
The HR team was shocked! “Are you kidding? We’ve worked for weeks to find the perfect candidate to be manager. We came up with a great job description. We ran an ad in all the well known publications. We poured over resumes. We spent weeks searching and researching. We’ve come to you with THE best candidate. And you say there’s still something missing? Well, at this point, we’re at a loss. We have done all we can do until you give us some more guidance as to what you are looking for.”
The boss took a file from his desk and handed it to the team. “As I said, I’ve been doing some thinking and I think I’ve figured out what’s missing. I think we’ve been taking the wrong approach here. I want us to regroup a bit, maybe take a look at the job description and see if it can be tweaked to better fit the needs of our organization. I’ve done some research and I’ve put together a few ideas. In this file, you’ll find a more full description of what I’m looking for.”
The team took the file and, with grumbling, left the boss’ office. After a much needed breather, the team gathered in the conference room so that they could go over the boss’ file. The team leader tossed to file at the intern, “You open it!” And so, the intern opened the file. Inside was this note:
Dear team,
In our search for the perfect manager, we have come up short. I believe the perfect steward for our organization is out there. Maybe we need to take a moment to reconsider the requirements for such a person. Below, you will find my recommendations:
* What we’ve been looking for is a person who looks good, will represent our company well. I’d like for us to reconsider this as a priority. So what if the candidate wears birkenstocks or has dreads? In order to find the perfect candidate, we may have to let go of our preference for business suits and shiny loafers.
* We’ve been searching for someone who is financially responsible and can manage and balance a tight budget. I want us to think outside the box a bit on this. I’d like for us to begin looking for someone who knows what it is like to have nothing, maybe even someone who has been homeless, someone who isn’t too proud to rely on the resources of others. I’d like for us to consider a candidate who can carry nothing but the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet, but still manage to live in abundance.
* We’ve been advertising for someone who is savvy in statistics, strategic planning, and cost management. Let’s choose to be out of the norm and find someone who thinks it is more important to give things away than it is to store things up for ourselves. Someone who wages against conventional odds, someone who is resourceful enough to create something out of nothing, who is able to take the smallest ordinary things and multiply them into enough to sustain thousands of people.
* We’ve been going at this wrong. We’ve been looking for someone who will climb the ladder to success and raise above all others. Let’s get someone in here who for the sake of others will lower himself and endure shame and even persecution.
* Who cares about flow carts and pie charts? I want someone who can draw a line of justice and compassion in the sand.
* Time Management is important. I want this person to schedule large chunks of time, 40 days even, for prayer and fasting.
* We said we wanted someone who could draw up legal contracts for our clients, my new suggestion is that we find someone who will choose persons over policies. Someone who will choose to be in relationship rather than sign a document saying so. I’m looking for someone who will inspire us to follow his lead without legal mandate.
* And we’ve talked about needing someone that is a good executioner, one who monitors and controls all aspects of our projects, including closing a project. I’d like us to reconsider this idea, to instead consider one who endured execution and has lived to tell about it. One, who might be able to inspire in us a sense of victory and joy in abundance. One, who will motivate us to be like him.
I truly feel like these are the requirements we should be looking for in our search- Someone who will be an example of creative and unique management, someone who will be so intriguing and inspiring such that we will all begin to follow in his ways and grow in our own management skills.
I believe in you. I know you’ll be led toward the right person,
Sincerely,
The Boss
The intern, after having read the whole of the document, looked at his superiors and said, “You goofs! You’ve had me read and sort and collate and answer phone call after phone call while all the time you’ve been searching for the wrong person! Had I known this is what you were looking for….well, let’s just put it this way, I know just who The Boss is talking about.”
And the intern went on to tell a story that begins with a baby in a manger, a story that goes on to tell about a man who fed the hungry and healed the sick, a man who gave notice to the needy and worked miracles for the grieving. This man gave living water to a thirsty woman and sight to a blind man. He embraced the children in his arms and welcomed the sinner into his presence. This homeless man wrote the book on how to be a good steward. He gave everything, including his life, out of Love for others.
The Human Resources team sat perplexed.
“I’m game! Let’s hire him!” one of them said.
“On the spot? Just like that?” another responded. “I’m not so sure about this. If he comes on as our lead manager, we’ll have to follow his orders and do what he asks us to do. And I’m not sure about all that. Birkenstocks? Dreads? Homelessness? Prayer? Giving stuff away? Feeding the hungry? I’m not sure I’m game for all that.”
“Yeah!” agreed another, “What if we end up losing money? What if because of his leadership, the organization goes down? I’ve worked hard to save up for retirement. I’m not going to dip into my savings, ‘cause of him!”
“There go my lattes, my mani pedis, and my monthly trip to Loft”
“Oh goodness! I hadn’t thought of that! I’ve got a lot of medical bills I gotta pay. I’m not hiring some guy that’ll threaten my insurance payments.”
“And I’m not so sure I want to be dealing with homeless folk anyway. They are always asking for something, always begging.”
“Just as soon as we get him in here, he’ll start asking us to help finance his plans. I’m not down with that! I’ve been saving for a vacation to Disney World and nobody’s messing with my Mickey!”
“I like flow charts! What’s wrong with flow charts! Straight, easy to predict lines. That’s what I’m here for. I’m not here to take chances like that”
“If this dude takes over as senior manager, he’ll be our supervisor and we’ll be done for! We’ll have to follow his leadership. We’ll have to do whatever he asks us to do. And, well, I don’t know ‘bout all that!”
“Yeah! He’s going to start asking us to volunteer to work extra hours for free!”
“And he’ll probably ask us to do some things we don’t want to do.”
“All I’ve gotta say is I’m not taking my work home. This is work, home is home. The two don’t mix.”
“Oh, and don’t forget all that stuff the intern told us about praying and fasting and junk.”
“Praying’s not the half of it. Did you hear him say something about paying a living wage to the mailroom staff and opening up jobs for the folks on the West side of town?”
“Yeah, and am I right or wrong when I say I heard him tell us something about eating fish and bread. I hate seafood! And we better not have to do away with the endless buffet down in the cafeteria.”
“This organization’s goin’ down in flames!”
The conversation went on. Some paced back and forth, some wrote feverishly in their notebooks, others put their heads on their desk. By the end of the day, only one person was left in the conference room. The others had gathered their things, packed them up, and left.
The intern gathered the boss’ papers and put them back in the file. He then went to the Boss’ office. “Boss,” he said, “We’ve got a problem. I found the senior manager you were looking for, but we’ve got several new positions to fill in the Human Resources department.
The next day, a new add went out,
Help Wanted
Organization: The Body of Christ
Job Position Title: Stewards of the Kingdom
Job Description: This is an ideal opportunity for one who seeks to follow our head manager. Responsibilities will include day-to-day management of God’s resources, using your gifts to meet others’ needs, study of scripture & application to life, relationship development, ongoing prayer, sacrifice, generosity, and obedience. Prior experience is not necessary. We are seeking any individuals who want to join and learn from Christ himself. This is an opportunity to live an inspiring and rewarding life in a cutting edge field. Requirements: following the way of Christ and willingness to serve.
I think you’re a shoe-in. You should apply. Amen.
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