Minute With Mallon: Ask & You Will Receive!

Hi folks and welcome to "Minute with Mallon!"

Something I Taught:

Many years ago, around 2007 or 2008, my son Clint lived in California.  One day I got a call from him.  I could hear that he was in a crowded place.  He said, "Hey Dad, remember that verse you taught Joe, Brock, and me that says, 'Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete?'"  I told him I did.

That verse is John 16:24 and it's one of my favorites.  Many of my clients don't ask enough, so I often bring this up with them and recommend that they ask more for things that they want.  It might be for new business, promotions, things to be delegated, etc.  You get the picture.  People who move forward quickly in life get in the habit of shifting out of their comfort zones and asking for what they need.  Most people aren't great at it.

Anyway, Clint then said to me, "Dad, the new iPhone is out.  You told me that that verse works.  So I'm asking you Dad, will you buy it for me?"

I sat there on the other end of the call with my mouth wide open for about 20 seconds.  He didn't say another word.  I was thinking if I say no, he'd say that the verse doesn’t work.  And if I say yes, I'm out several hundred dollars.  The decision became clear.

"Yes son, I'll buy you the phone. BUT, don't ever ask me or put me in this type of situation again!"  I said it with a smile on my face.

I heard Clint start laughing and someone else laughing too.  "Dad, one of the salespeople from the Apple Store is right here with me.  I told him about the verse and how it works in people's lives.  You just proved that it works.  Thanks Dad, I'm going to hand the phone to him so he can take your credit card number."

Money well spent!  Quite frankly, I was proud of Clint for asking!

And by the way, he's tried several other times over the years to use that verse on me.  We just laugh!  (Or at least I do!!) 🤣

Where specifically do you need to start asking more in your life?

Something to Ponder:

"If you don't ask, the answer is always no.  If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place."  Nora Roberts

Something I Learned:

The Post-Pandemic Workplace

As you know, things have changed dramatically since the pandemic began back in 2020.

I'm reading the book Culture Rules by Mark Miller.  Excellent content. Miller’s book is full of insights about building culture within an organization that resonate in a new way in a post-pandemic world.

Culture in companies was traditionally nurtured within office walls.  According to a survey by EY, 16,264 responses from 16 countries across 23 industries revealed that 90% of employees desire flexibility in their work arrangements.  More than half prefer flexibility in when they work, while 40% prefer flexibility in where they work.  The survey indicates that, on average, employees would like to work remotely for two to three days per week after the pandemic. Many are now working from their homes and many are working alone.

However, humans are social creatures, and a 2021 American Psychological Association survey found that 79% of US adult employees experienced work-related stress.  “Loneliness, isolation, fear, anxiety, burnout and more all existed when most people went to an office, but the intensity and frequency of these conditions appear to have increased.”  

Mark raised this question in the book: Is this shift away from working in an office sustainable, or will it eventually impact productivity and worker health?  Several statistics indicate it's making some folks feel isolated, depressed, and it’s affecting their health.

From my own perspective, my assistant Rebecca and I have worked remotely now for seven years and have a great relationship.  The culture within our organization is high and our productivity is up.  But we are both interacting with people all day long.

So my question for you is why does it work for some and not for others?

As a leader, it's something worth considering.

Something I Saw:

On a recent trip to Greenville, SC, Sandy and I saw this right outside of Falls Park. Beautiful!

Thanks for tuning in this week! 

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See you next week,

Robert