Rainmakers Christian Professionals (RCP) hosted guest speaker William Smith last month. Bill has served as chief of staff to two members of Congress, including Mike Pence, the current Vice President of the United States. He is the founder of Sextons Creek, a government relations, strategic communications and business development firm.
Bill covered several topics associated with his overall belief that no matter what you do there is always an opportunity to make a difference for good. Here are a few highlights I gleaned from the discussion.
On Faith and Politics:
Some may conclude that politics is inherently corrupt and therefore an obstacle for anyone wishing to maintain a faith focus – especially in the current political environment. According to Bill, “every profession has bad in it.” To reconcile the perceived incongruity when he was in politics, Bill relied on cultivating his own integrity. He continues to believe that integrity is easier to maintain and allows him to be genuine. He cultivates integrity by being consistent and genuine with his interactions with others.
On Management:
Bill advises his managers to care about their teams and to find out what each team member wants in life. As a manager, Bill made it his mission to help team members achieve their dreams. He knew that people hired in his congressional office were passing through and that their time with him was one stop among many in their professional journey. He wanted them to be as good as they could be for that next step in their lives despite the fact that the next step was not with his team for the long term.
On Hiring:
Bill hires according to the 3 Cs: Character, Chemistry, Competence.
Does the prospective team member have the character to make a difference? Do they have the right chemistry to collaborate with his existing team? For example, he weeded out people who were opportunistic, ladder-climbing or credit-taking. And of course, is the prospective candidate capable of performing the tasks involved?
As a group RCP recognizes that the workplace is their mission field and they are here to encourage one another as they learn and apply biblical principles at work.
Next RCP on June 27th!
Join guest speaker Bob Bryant, President and CEO 500 Festival. He will talk on Making Everyday a Focus on Mission.
