Month: May 2026

Facing and Being Here With Pain

/ johngregoryjr / Leave a comment

More from Mark Chironna’s “Rising With Hope” devotional

Here are three clips:

Whatever you do, do not surrender your praise or self-isolate. Lift your praises to God and allow someone in the faith whom you trust to remind you who you are. (Day 5, Facing the Unthinkable)

The hardest thing about being here, in the place of your pain, is the thought that you might be there alone. I can assure you that you aren’t. Wherever here is, He is. (Day 7, Being Here)

David said to God, “You have…put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?” Imagine! Your tears are so precious to God that He collects and keeps them! (Day 8, Being with Your Pain)

Seeing, Faith, and Feelings

/ johngregoryjr / Leave a comment

I’m three days into Mark Chironna’s “Rising With Hope” devotional

Here are two clips:

Sometimes you cannot see what you covered over until a crisis forces it back to the surface. Then you cannot unsee it. (Day 1, Firmly on the Edge of Hope)

Yes, you are called to live by faith rather than by sight. But faith does not ignore feelings. Faith considers feelings in the light of faith. (Day 2, Pay Attention)

Why Do You Stay?

/ johngregoryjr / Leave a comment

I summarized an interview candidate this week saying, “He knows how to stay.”

He’s been at the same employer over 16 years and worn a couple of hats. He’s looking to leave for a couple of reasons, none of which have anything to do with his employer. Good personal reasons.

This interaction reminded me of one of Travis Bradberry’s tips for retaining employees. See this post and the image below.

I love tip #3. A board member recently made a similar suggestion regarding conducting annual reviews, but he didn’t have a name for it. Stay interviews captures it.

Some might say this appears too vulnerable, for either party. That mindset is most likely what Bradberry is saying may cost a company a top employee.

I’ve known the answer to why I’ve stayed in positions that others scratched their heads while asking, “Why do you stay?” Those “others” didn’t include my boss, of course. But my boss also didn’t take the time to be vulnerable. And guess what? I eventually left.

Your top people, for that matter all your people, desire to be seen and heard. Most likely, they would rather not leave. They would rather have the tough conversation. Chances are it won’t be near as tough as perceived and definitely not as regretful as having to find their replacement.

We’re almost six months into 2026. Time to schedule some stay interviews.