FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024 - MANAGEMENT AND SCRIPTURE

 FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024 - MANAGEMENT AND SCRIPTURE

Yesterday, I presented W. Edwards Deming’s Quality Principles. Today, I add three people who were employed by Christian organizations and who got fired. Then, I look at scriptures relating to management.

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Person 1 is Paula Stone Williams. Paula was formerly “Paul Williams” - a highly regarded pastor and leader of a thriving church planting program (that is, a program to start new churches). When Paula told her group that she was transgender, she was fired almost immediately. Look at: “8 Drive out fear”. There seemed to be a fear that somehow a transgender woman was going to taint the work done on the team. Number 9 also might apply - Break down barriers between staff areas. It seems like her organization wanted to build barriers and reinforce fears (about transgender people)

Person 2 is Karen Freeman, a nurse and manager at a nursing home. She, too, was fired without notice. I don’t know the specifics, but it seems like communication and training weren’t followed. I found Karen caring and a great person to work with seniors. The nursing home is a service outreach of a Christian denomination.  

Person 3 is Linda McWhorter, a pastor at Hope United. It seems like one person didn’t like Linda's sermons, and boom, she is out of the job with no due diligence or understanding. Where is the love? Love your neighbor, love your brother or sister.

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Hmmm - LOVE WINS - and LOVE WINS is a doctrine for all - but especially for Christians. What did firing the individual do to improve love in the world? How did firing the individual demonstrate God’s Mercy and Grace?  

We enjoy singing “They’ll know we are Christians by our love” - but we don’t practice it.

1 John 2:9-11

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going because the darkness has blinded them.

And 1 John 4:7-11

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. 9 This is how d showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

C’mon, Christian organizations!!! C’mon, forgive and use good management skills (in my opinion, Dr. Deming’s work).  

Institute training on the job.

Adopt and institute leadership.

Drive out fear.

Break down barriers between staff areas.

Remove barriers that rob people of pride in workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.

Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.

To be salt and light to the world, we need to demonstrate love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  

It seems that the organizations behind firing these individuals didn’t follow the blueprint of the first-century rabbi they claim to believe in!

LOVE WINS

LOVE NEEDS TO BE FULLY PRACTICED BY THOSE WHO CLAIM IT AS PART OF THEIR MISSION.

LOVE TRANSFORMS PEOPLE AND CAN TRANSFORM COMPANIES.

Karen Anne White, © April 18-19, 2024

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024 - MANAGEMENT AND LOVE - PART I

 THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, APRIL 18-19, 2024 - MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

In the past few weeks, I’ve heard of three women who were fired from their jobs. Two of them were pastors, and one was a head nurse. Today, I’m going off scripture a little to look at some management concepts first (today) and then scripture tomorrow.

Managing people.

I’m a proponent of W. Edwards Deming, one of the management leaders. He could be called “The Father of Total Quality Management “

Deming was not big on firing people from jobs (especially professional/management jobs)

If a company does its “due diligence” in hiring and picks the best person for the job, why is it that after a while, they are no longer the best person for the job?

Here are Demings 14 points:

1 Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services.

2 Adopt the new philosophy.

3 Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality.

4 End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working with a single supplier.

5 Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production, and service.

6 Institute training on the job.

7 Adopt and institute leadership.

8 Drive out fear.

9 Break down barriers between staff areas.

10 Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the workforce.

11 Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management.

12 Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.

13 Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.

14 Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation.

Some of these points directly point to retaining people.

If someone hasn’t been working out, look at “6 -Institute training on the job”. Work with them. How about “#13 Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone..

The TQM philosophy expects people to “buy in”. Get people to WANT to improve, to be positive. It also focuses on training (#5, #9, #12, #13). An employee should be able to say “I’m excited to go to work today!!!

LOVE WINS!!!

MANAGEMENT CAN USE LOVE - AGAPE LOVE - TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSES

MORE TOMORROW!!

Karen Anne White, ©, April 18, 2024

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024 - EARTH DAY CONTINUED

 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024 - EARTH WEEK CONTINUED

Earth Day is next Monday, April 22, 2024, and the theme is Planet versus Plastics.

First, take a quick look at how plastics are made. (Note: The information used is from websites.  I’m not an expert plastic person.

Plastics are made from raw materials like natural gas, oil, or plants, which are refined into ethane and propane. Ethane and propane are then treated with heat in a process called “cracking,” which turns them into ethylene and propylene. These materials are combined to create different polymers.

Plant-based plastics differ from conventional plastics because they are made from plant-derived molecules, while traditional plastics are made from petroleum-derived molecules. Plant-based plastics are also made from renewable materials, while petroleum-based plastics are made from a finite source of crude oil. 

Plant-based plastics look, feel, and perform like plastic but break down in weeks or months under certain conditions. Some bioplastics are compostable but require an industrial composting facility to process these materials.

Plant-based plastics can release microplastics, but they release nine times less than conventional plastics. According to a study from the University of California San Diego, plant-based polymers can completely biodegrade at the microplastic level in less than seven months. 

"Although our findings show that the PLA released fewer microplastics, which means using plant-based plastics instead of oil-based ones might seem like a good idea to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, we need to be careful as microplastics are still clearly being released and that remains a concern."

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Karen adds - hmmm - while better, plant plastics are not perfect.  

A related face is that currently (April 2024) approximately 100 million barrels of oil is pumped DAILY.  (No wonder we are looking at electric vehicles - with electricity generated by renewal sources like solar and wind.).

Another small concept is that microplastics are more prevalent in our homes.  Get outside - breathe the air, walk.  

And our future:

“According to Earth Day, babies and infants have more than ten times more microplastics in their feces than adults. In addition, microplastics can be in breast milk. Some evidence suggests that microplastics can negatively affect fetal and neonatal body weight and compromise fetal organ development. The danger of microplastics to babies may be less with the particles themselves and more with the chemicals used to create them. Some of these chemicals are known endocrine disrupters, which can cause long-term effects on human health.

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Over the centuries, we have become smarter with technology.  150 years ago, there wasn’t an automobile around.  Airplanes, televisions, computers, bottled water - didn’t exist.  But, not all was well.  We used coal to heat our homes, cook our meals, and put pollution in the air and water.  We used water out of streams - where the factories and cows were upstream from where we got our water.  

So, once a year to think about how we can be better stewards of this planet is good - but it really needs to be every day.

Maybe “back to nature” isn’t quite the way to go.  I’m not ready for a cabin in the woods - without indoor plumbing and running water.  But, being aware of nature and trying to be environmentally focused will work!!!

LOVE DOES WIN

LOVING THE EARTH IS GOOD

LOVE TRANSFORMS HUMANS

LOVE CAN TRANSFORM OUR ENVIRONMENT

GOD IS LOVE

Karen Anne White, ©, April 17, 2024

 TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024 - EARTH WEEK

Plastics are part of our lives.  Can we cut out plastics?  I don’t know.

A recent study suggests the presence of microplastics may increase the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems among people with heart disease. The tiny plastics were found to double the risk of stroke or heart attack. Mar 19, 2024

Should I be worried about microplastics?

So, how bad are microplastics for humans? There are two precise mechanisms through which microplastics might hurt us: either by chemically disrupting the regular running of our body systems or by piling up in enough quantities to block our circulatory, respiratory, or digestive systems. Feb 4, 2024

How to Avoid Microplastics: Reducing Your Everyday Exposure. 

1 Drink filtered tap water. 

2 Avoid single-use packaging. 

3 Store your food in metal or glass containers.

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The Brita Elite Filter is certified under NSF/ANSI 401 to reduce microplastics. However, the Standard Brita pitcher filter is not approved for microplastic reduction. Mar 11, 2024

Scientists do have some evidence that microplastics could make us sick. In lab settings, microplastics added to human cells have been found to trigger cell death, tissue damage, and allergic reactions. In a study released last week, researchers in Naples found that heart disease patients with microplastics in their tissues were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke or to die within three years. In another study, mice exposed to microplastics exhibited “dementia-like” behavior changes.

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In other words, (Karen’s opinion), we didn’t think microplastics were a problem, so we happily went on our way with more and more plastics. (Hmm—as I’m typing, I’m pretty sure my computer keyboard is mostly plastic!!)  

This is an excellent year to focus on microplastics.  Let the National Institutes of Health (in conjunction with health agencies worldwide) fund research projects into the health risks of microplastics.  

Some of the early reports indicate potential health issues - like a higher risk for heart attack or stroke or to die within three years.  

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I rarely drink bottled water.  I boil water on the stove and make (weak) iced tea - year-round.  I use tap water for coffee.  I am planning on a trip to the Grand Canyon (and Utah National Parks), and I’ll probably have to have bottled water (probably a gallon jug).  

A quick scan of my refrigerated foods shows that most are in plastic containers.  My canned food shouldn’t have microplastics, cereals, and many other items in cardboard boxes.  Should I buy a nice tempered glass object for my water and iced team?  

My food storage items are Tupperware-type plastic containers (most say HEB).  Should I get Rubbermaid containers?  (Are they made of rubber - or more likely plastic these days).

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I hope significant research can be done on the effects of microplastics (and plastics in general) on the human body, the environment, and options to avoid plastic materials.

However, such research needs adequate funding and does not distract researchers from other health studies (like Cancer, Dementia, and Heart Disease).  It’s probably not too late, but  I would hate to see the death statistics in twenty years - “40% of the deaths in the United States demonstrated a high amount of microplastics in the blood. 

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

(AND, DEATH ON THIS PLANET ISN’T THE END - but that’s a belief statement)

Karen Anne White, © April 16, 2024

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024 - MICROPLASTICS

 MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024 - A WEEK AHEAD

DO YOU HAVE TAXES DONE? They are due today (unless you file an extension).

Next Monday is Earth Day.  The theme this year is “Planet versus Plastic.”

Let’s start early on Earth Day (and plastics).

The National Institutes of Health says:

“Yes, microplastics have been found in human blood. One study found that over three-quarters of blood samples contained a measurable amount of plastic particles. Researchers also found PET, the material most drink bottles are made from, in the blood of more than half of the people tested.

“However, the health effects of microplastics are still largely unknown. Some scientists have been concerned about their health effects for about 20 years. A recent review suggests that blood circulation transports microplastics throughout the body. However, just because microplastics accumulate doesn't mean they cause harm.

Recent research has indicated a potential link between microplastics in blood vessels and an increased risk of stroke. The study found that the more plastic a person had, the higher their blood levels of inflammatory markers, which are known to contribute to the build-up of fatty plaques in blood vessels, potentially leading to a blood clot. 

Other health effects of microplastic exposure include:

Coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath due to inflammation and damage

Fatigue and dizziness due to low blood oxygen concentration

Mitochondrial damage in human respiratory cells

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WHOA
 

Are there microplastics in my blood?  And it could cause a stroke or a blood clot?  

Again, the NIH (National Institutes of Heath) says:

“Microplastics are tiny plastic particles salt, animals, and humans. Humans are exposed to microplastics through the use of plastic products and paint fragments that have entered the environment. 

“According to Statista, the average person eats, drinks, and breathes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles yearly. Scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands say that humans can ingest up to 100,000 microplastic particles per day depending on exposure. 

“Microplastics can be found in every organ, including blood, lungs, stools, and placentas. However, research on how they impact human health is limited.

TIME OUT!!

The average person eats, drinks, and breathes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles yearly.  REALLY?

I don’t know if 78,000 microplastic particles would add up to (say), a cubic centimeter of plastics through my body.  

Some scientists have estimated the average person might eat 5 grams of microplastics in a week—about the weight of a credit card.  So, in 52 weeks in a year, I’m eating about 52 credit cards worth of plastics?

Another study breaks that down to 52,000 particles annually from various food sources. These figures, which only consider microplastic particles, are likely underestimated, says Phoebe Stapleton, PhD, an assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University. “Nano-sized plastic particles are significantly harder to identify, and thereby quantify,” so they’re often unaccounted for, she says.

Other studies show that microplastics can potentially cause cancer. Two studies have associated exposure to high concentrations of PVC microplastic dust particles with an increased risk of lung cancer. Other studies have shown that microplastic exposure can promote the proliferation of skin cancer cells while inhibiting the growth of normal skin cells.

It's in our air, so we are breathing in microplastics. Cows, chickens, pigs, etc., get grass (hay, etc.) that has microplastics.

It gets in the water supply - so fish have microplastics.  

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So, we have all this plastic in our bodies, and we don’t really know what to do with it!

Should we cut out ALL PLASTICS?

As I write today, my desk is covered in some plastic things.  I have a baggie full of colored pencils (the bag is plastic).  There are so many plastic things.  I have a magnifying glass that has a plastic handle.  My computer cables are covered in plastic so they aren’t easily managed.  

Not much in my apartment or my life - doesn’t have plastic (or … microplastics.) 

YOWIE!!!

I guess I’ll be looking at plastics this week - in preparation for Earth Day next Monday.

 

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LOVE WINS

AND … to my understanding, LOVE doesn’t have any microplastics in it

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Love can transform the plastic in my body into cheese (or something).  

Karen Anne White, ©, April 15, 2024