Fishers of men

Influencers seem to be the best role aligned with being “fishers of men” – after all, influencers can reach many people and affect their beliefs. Influencers work hard to create content to catch attention just as fisherfolks create nets to catch fish.

Content creation is a big responsibility; therefore, it should be grounded on insight. If all “content” is just entertainment and stimulation, is it content at all? After all, great stand-up comedy is both entertaining and insightful.

If influencers are the new fishers of men, then the challenge is to create insightful content.

Matthew 4:18-22. Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 334: NOVEMBER 30, 2022]

Our worthiness is always a work in progress

The paradox is that those who feel they are worthy are unworthy; and those who feel unworthy are those who have higher chances of actually being worthy. Excellence ceases when a person thinks they are perfect.

Some may think that if we can never be perfect, why bother? But if we think about it, isn’t it more exciting to always have the opportunity to be better than before? Isn’t it exciting to be works in progress rather than a finished product which cannot be “updated” anymore?

Matthew 8:5-11. I am not worthy…

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 332: NOVEMBER 28, 2022]

Safe spaces are brave spaces

Today is the end of this year’s National Business and Management Conference, which also coincides with the tail-end of my students’ research defenses for the trimester. The invited speakers of the conference talked about bouncing beyond (not just bouncing back) through responsible, relevant, and practical research.

A particular insight that stood out to me is the role of scholar-practitioners to design both “safe spaces” and “brave spaces”, especially because it seems like a great answer to the question: “how should we deal with mental health?”

Our society has done an admirable job in being more aware when it comes to mental health and holistic well-being issues. It is a big deal that we are more mindful of creating safe spaces — spaces that are psychologically and emotionally safe for us to discuss our anxieties and negative emotions. However, what makes the management of safe spaces challenging is that there could be people who may act in bad faith, using mental health as catch-all phrase to get away with being irresponsible. Since managers and educators should always strive to give stakeholders the benefit of the doubt, it is trickier to evaluate performance.

But if we look at how athletes train and analogize gyms as “safe spaces”, what stands out is that gyms, exercises, and supervised drills are not only safe spaces but also “brave spaces” — we challenge the trainee to go beyond their limit, even for just a little bit, and if they fail, there are coaches and trainers who can spot and give a bit of respite.

Thus, a truly safe space is also a brave space. The challenge for the trainer-teacher-manager is to encourage courage and for the athlete-student-stakeholder to bare their vulnerability in the hopes of flourishing, even for just a little bit. Because hiding behind our vulnerabilities stunts our growth, while embracing our vulnerabilities vigilantly enables our flourishing.

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Luke 21:34-36. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 330: NOVEMBER 26, 2022]

It takes courage to pursue insights

The past few weeks have been filled with many research defenses both at the graduate and undergraduate level. Having sat both as a panelist and as an adviser, my key takeaway is that the pursuit of insight requires courage.

Are researchers willing to swim through uncertainty to fill gaps in our knowledge?

Are panelists willing to trust the capabilities of the researchers?

Are we willing to rethink conventions at the cost of challenging our supposed stock knowledge and preconceived notions of how research should go?

Indeed, it takes courage to pursue insights.

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Luke 21:20-28. There will be signs

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 328: NOVEMBER 24, 2022]

Training ourselves to feel morally obliged

Ignorance is bliss, but ignorance is the opposite of attentiveness, insightfulness, reasonableness, and responsibleness. The latter four states of being is what Fr. Bernard Lonergan describes as the transcendental precepts of authenticity.

Thus, to pretend to be ignorant is to fool ourselves; and it is very inauthentic.

How many times have we tried convincing ourselves that we don’t need to know more? To exert a bit more effort? To just wait for the apple to fall from the tree? To just pray for manna to fall from heaven when the bread is just a few walks away?

Ignorance is illusory bliss because it is the state when we conveniently choose to not ask questions or stop exerting effort anymore. But what we don’t realize is the moment we kill our curiosity is the moment we start murdering our authentic self.

Luke 21:5-11. “All that you see here the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 326: NOVEMBER 22, 2022]