The Christian Working Woman - Mistakes to Avoid with Managers

If you are a Christian in the working world, working for someone else, I’m sure you know already your manager or employer can have a lot of influence on your success in your job and in your career. It just makes sense you would want to avoid any mistakes in that relationship, if possible, right? How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver (Proverbs 16:16)! Wisdom is more valuable than money. Getting wisdom on your job is better than getting a raise! And Proverbs 13:10 says wisdom is found in those who take advice. I’m going to share a little wise advice that just might help you avoid some mistakes in dealing with your manager or employer—or the person in authority over you. Mistake No. 1: Complaining about Your Manager. I would say it is inevitable you won’t like everything your manager does. There is bound to be something in their style or skills you don’t agree with, or you feel is ineffective. I can tell you from experience, managers are easy targets for complaining and griping in most organizations. A man I worked with in my first sales job gave me a good piece of advice, which was: It’s your job to get along with your manager, not your manager’s job to get along with you. That probably goes against our culture today, but let me tell you, that attitude will work very well for you. I know not all managers are good at their job. I know not all managers are good communicators. And some managers or employers are pretty close to impossible. I know! But as long as you report to that person, you will do yourself a favor to remember it’s your job to get along with your manager, not your manager’s job to get along with you! One of the favorite past-times of many employees is to bad-mouth the boss and the company. If you’re wise, you will avoid that like the plague. Ecclesiastes 10:20 says: Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say (Ecclesiastes 10:20). What wise Solomon is telling us is talking behind the back of someone in authority, saying things you wouldn’t say to their face, will almost always backfire on you. Somehow those grumblings make their way back to that person, and they find out what you’ve said. Some little bird tells them! And that is a mistake you want to avoid.