Many economists warn that Trump’s plans are likely to worsen the inflation he’s vowed to eradicate, drive up the federal debt and eventually slow growth.

The post Frustrated Americans await the economic changes they voted for with Trump appeared first on Boston.com.

Under the federal law, nearly all hourly workers in the U.S. are entitled to overtime pay after 40 hours a week. But many salaried workers are exempt from that requirement — unless they earn below a certain level.

The post Biden administration finalizes rule to grant overtime for millions more salaried workers appeared first on Boston.com.

When I started my ministry career 18 years ago, I never thought I would ever type the title of this entry: Thoughts from a Pastoral Team Strategist. I definitely wasn’t desiring to fill that role on a pastoral team. I wanted to see my dreams fulfilled in much different ways. I am still convinced that Jesus has called me to something completely different than strategist. I am a worship pastor/worship leader/singer/songwriter/artist. Jesus and I are still arguing about this. Turns out He is just as stubborn as the Son of God should be.

I started falling into the role of systems/strategy guy on pastoral teams because it was a very obvious need on the staffs I was part of. Turns out that a lot of pastors lean towards hiring very talented people with specialized, but limited, skill sets. Administration isn’t sexy…and is hard to put on a visible platform. Many church staffs find themselves comprised of really talented speakers, Bible scholars, personalities, musicians, media gurus and kids' creative types. There is a huge gap in a lot of churches and that gap isn't in the visionary/dreamer category. 

Administration isn’t sexy…and is hard to put on a visible platform.

The global church is packed full of people that have the vision and the dream but is lacking on willing people called to set aside their personal dreams to help another pastor make a bigger impact. This is where I come in. I’m sure I have the capacity to be a visionary on some things, but I know I am called to serve my lead pastor. I am called to help him be the healthiest pastor possible and to create environments in which his vision can come to life. I am called to bring a strategy to his vision. I am called to be one of his No. 2’s. I am not called to push my agenda or make the next coolest worship recording that would distract our church from the bigger picture. (Even though we do and will make cool recordings, my heart is to resource the church with stories of what God is doing at my church.) 

Being a pastoral team strategist has been an interesting and stretching journey. I have navigated this role for a while now. But only for the last 4 years have I been given the authority to go with the burden. I serve my lead pastor as one of his executive pastors. I am loving this role and, to my surprise, it feels like a good fit. I connect really well with other leaders in this field. I feel fulfilled, for the most part, helping our ministries align with values, culture and best practices. When the team wins, I win. I have grown in my ability to love our pastoral team and respect them. I wasn’t expecting this when I said yes to the position, but when you pray for your team every day, you see people differently. God has been rewiring me from the inside out and that has its joys and pains (more on that later).

When the team wins, I win.

I feel the onus of giving 150% of myself to this role because I think it is the difference maker in a successful organization. There is a delicate balance between vision and strategy. I have made some notes along the way that may help you if you ever find yourself in a systems/strategy rut. I have numerous influences in my life when it comes to organizational leadership and vision/strategy; ( you probably do too)—Rick Lorimer (my pastor), Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Chris Sonksen, Dan Reiland, Jim Collins and Henry Cloud. (Just ask me if you’d like a specific resource recommendation.) I am sure most of my musings are not original but maybe my commentary has a different spin on it. Just a few things to chew on:

 Vision without strategy is just a good idea.

• This is a personal conviction of mine. I believe God is speaking all the time and that He has anointed and appointed our lead pastors as the CVO’s (chief visionary officer) of our organizations. I have been a part of small and large, Christian and non-Christian organizations that never fell short of having incredible ideas. The problem is, sometimes you can become so enamored about a really great idea that you don’t think about practicality. You can easily forget about the capacity of the team. You can find yourself being so excited, with good intentions, but you accidentally “out punt your coverage.” Some leaders won’t agree with me on this point, but I don’t think it is the lead pastor’s job to carry this burden. I believe the role of the executive pastor is to have an open relationship with the lead pastor to help process his or her vision. Is this vision for now or later? Is it obtainable/ sustainable? Does this complicate anything? Can we pay for it and how? What do we need to change to make this vision happen? Do we say yes to this or do we keep praying? Not every vision or burden is meant to be developed. Just like a songwriter, a visionary must never stop dreaming. For every good song I’ve written, there are ten others I threw away and no one will ever hear them. (Maybe that song was just for Jesus.) It is my job to make sure my lead pastor has the freedom to keep dreaming.

Vision made public invites accountability.

• I remember when I felt God tell me to share that in 2011 we were going to make a worship recording. We didn’t have the talent or experience. I had no idea how this was gong to happen. I closed my eyes and vision cast this in front of our worship department. I was scared to death, but knew I needed accountability if this was going to happen. Strategy came later, but this was an essential move to make sure that I would take the risk and make a bold move. Strategy or no strategy, if you share your vision publicly, people will expect something from you. Use that public share momentum to develop strategy and to shepherd buy-in. You don’t need a strategy in place to share a vision; you just need to be committed to develop one. It is so easy for charismatic (likeable) personalities to get distracted by accusations of manipulation when they don’t have a strategy. But when people hear a great vision, they should ask questions, like, “How can I get involved?”  “What’s next?”  “What are you asking me to do?” Don’t miss an opportunity to develop onramps to your vision because you haven’t identified a next step. People often allow themselves to feel “satisfied” by just feeling excited or inspired. Our job as pastors is to equip people to do kingdom work. Vision cast to inspire God’s people but commit to developing a strategy, and then empower them to be part of the mission as well.

 Strategy or no strategy, if you share your vision publicly, people will expect something from you.

 Never allow lack of strategy to kill the vision.

• I believe that God is in the dream and the devil is in the details. Commit to developing a strategy but don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come right away. Keep working at it and inviting the right people into the conversation. Some of the best, most impacting visions are accompanied by resistance. When it comes to your vision, there is nothing the devil loves more than to discourage you and steal your confidence. If he succeeds at this, then he stops you from dreaming.  

Some of the best, most impacting visions are accompanied by resistance.

One of my favorite quotes from John Maxwell is: “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only out for a walk.”  Strategy is simply a vehicle to allow people to follow your God-given vision.  A simple tweak in your leadership conviction could be the difference between walking alone or leading an army.  

Employers, manufacturers, distributors, contractor services, and career seekers with entry-level to advanced experience are all invited to attend the 2022 Insulation Career Fair & Training Expo. 

Are you paid $200 an hour … or $25 an hour?

Most owners cannot see the importance of planning and creating a strategy to exit their business.

The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants and Fenestration Canada on Aug. 13 entered into a memorandum of understanding that extends IIBEC’s partnerships in the building enclosure industry while bolstering FENCAN’s promotion, protection and advancement of the window, door and skylight industry across North America.

Registration for the American Concrete Institute’s 2024 Professors’ Workshop is now open. This year’s event will be held in three stages on July 15, 23 and 24.

The American Concrete Institute is excited to host the ACI Concrete Convention on Nov. 3-6 in Philadelphia. Known as the world’s gathering place for advancing concrete, the convention will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

It includes a film directed by the Academy Award-winning James Marsh

Arlington, VA — As the Mine Safety and Health Administration works toward publishing a proposed rule on respirable crystalline silica, agency administrator Chris Williamson is encouraging mine workers and operators to “take proactive measures” to assess silica-related health hazards.

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance is now offering two topics from the upcoming third edition of FenestrationMasters, its flagship education program, for individual purchase. The two à la carte modules cover the North American Fenestration Standard, including the NAFS Canadian Supplement and Fundamentals of Insulating Glass.

BuildBlock Building Systems, the manufacturer of BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms, announced the addition of Frank Gordon, Assoc. AIA, as the vice president for strategic development. Gordon will be leading the marketing, sales and technical teams and bringing them together to build relationships with industry leaders, stakeholders, developers, industry professionals and more, supporting BuildBlock’s growth initiatives.

Paul Johnson Drywall LLC has completed the acquisition of Stratis Construction Inc., one of the leading drywall subcontractors in Arizona.

CISCA’s Leadership Conference will be held September 25-26, 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Ware Malcomb announced Oct. 1 that Nick Watkins has joined the firm as director of workplace strategy. In this role, Watkins will lead Ware Malcomb’s strategy and change management services for clients in multiple practice areas across the firm.

Washington – The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission intends to reduce the average length of time it takes to resolve cases as part of its new five-year strategic plan.

Washington – The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is seeking comments on a draft of its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

Vallejo, CA — Citing multiple studies that suggest shift workers are at increased risk of developing sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome – raising their chances for heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes – a recent analysis led by a researcher from the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine concludes with actions both employers and workers can take to help improve shift worker health.

Washington – NIOSH recently issued an update to its strategic plan for protecting workers from safety and health hazards associated with nanotechnology.

Emergency24, an Underwriters Laboratory-listed central station that writes its own proprietary software, and BluePoint Alert Solutions, a company that focuses on hardware installation, training and implementation of Rapid Emergency Response Systems (RERS), have partnered to leverage each companies’ capabilities to minimize the impact of crisis situations, such as an active shooter event or natural disaster.

This new service includes tunneling and full network management for cameras, NVRs, alarm panels and other devices with built-in cyber security site isolation and automated AI VPN credentialing.

According to the announcement, Solis Energy’s commitment to reliable outdoor power solutions aligns with Magos Systems’ advanced AI-powered radar detection technology.

Your potential security customers need a rational and relational foundation before connecting with your brand. And there’s a powerful and predictable way to do that.

Successfully driving webinar attendance in the physical security sector involves a multifaceted approach.

Subject matter experts from the central station and automation software marketplace address some of the best approaches that security dealers and integrators can follow to up their remote video monitoring game.

Monitoring center executives and managers have a lot to express about the endless work that goes into keeping their call centers staffed with the best talent possible.

Top central station executives illuminate the art of recruiting, onboarding and retaining exceptional talent. Plus, they share their views on remote work policies.

New Orleans — A new approach that allows Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement inspectors to access electronic records onshore will increase their physical inspection time at more than 2,200 offshore oil and gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, the agency recently announced.

Leading security dealers and integrators explain the essential strategies and insights that drive success in the realm of recurring monthly revenue.

Your company’s ability to meet market demand depends on its access to skilled labor in the field. That is a current challenge with low unemployment and ongoing skilled labor shortages. 

Washington – The Federal Aviation Administration is defending its scheduling practices that aim to prevent fatigue among air traffic controllers.

Atlanta — Suicide prevention strategies for workers are needed to help mitigate rising workplace suicide rates, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

Washington — The publication of a proposed rule intended to add flexibility to hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers is expected soon, on the heels of a recent delay, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration head Raymond Martinez said during a June 19 hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

A new online toolkit offers guidance on increasing flu vaccination coverage among workers in long-term health care facilities.

Washington — The Senate has confirmed Amit Bose as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, with a 68-29 vote Jan. 12.

Discover how integrating audio data analytics into security systems enhances situational awareness and proactive threat detection.

Washington — OSHA’s recent citation of a Boston contractor includes the first egregious violation issued under the Biden administration, acting agency administrator Jim Frederick confirmed Aug. 18.

Storrs, CT — Helping workers stay cool in the heat not only improves their health, it also bolsters productivity, according to the results of a recent study.

The S+H editorial team interviews OSHA Administrator Doug Parker live at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo in a special episode of the magazine's "On the Safe Side" podcast taped Sept. 19 in San Diego.

Washington – A greater emphasis on health hazards is one step OSHA says it will take in the coming years as part of the Department of Labor’s strategic plan for 2014-2018.

Hopefully you’re already deep into strategic planning for 2018, but here are a few recommendations based on industry trends and predictions to help aim you in the right direction, as well as a look back at some of this year’s published columns to help you get there.

For more than 20 years, Creative Security has provided security solutions for organizations across California, ensuring their staff and premises stay protected. However, the business also needed to ensure its internal IT tools and services were helping, not hindering, its core business objectives. 

In an era where data-driven insights are increasingly crucial, the physical security domain has yet to fully leverage the abundance of available data.