Catholic Herald

Reader writes: An acquaintance recently crowed on Facebook about his teenaged son’s first paycheck – he’s proud of him.  The son works at a business the man manages! He gave that kid the job, a job that many others (including myself) wanted and could do. I don’t share this man’s glee.

What achievement is it for a kid, through no effort of his own, to get his first job handed to him on a silver platter? The boy is my son’s friend. He’s nice, polite, probably doing a good job.

Most of us don’t have it that easy. Given 9 percent unemployment and having been unemployed myself for over a year and also being someone who would have gladly done such work for this man, his bragging angers me.

He knows I have experience in that business and wanted to work there. Others agree with me but won’t say so because the man has power and influence in our small town. They don’t want to be on his bad side.

I’m now blessed with full-time work, but nobody handed it to me. I worked hard to get it! I expressed my thoughts to the boy, and he gloated and laughed.

From what I see, this kid is learning a) you needn’t work hard to get a job, just be related to the right people, and b) compassion is for losers.

I’m so angry I can’t look at or talk to these two. What are your thoughts?

Tom responds: Several issues are raised by this letter, but the one that strikes me as the most serious is the trivialization of work. The boy seems to lack an appreciation for the significance of a job. But first, let’s consider separately the issue of nepotism and the issue of the job recipient’s gloating.

Assuming this is a family-owned or privately-held business with no rules against nepotism, it is not wrong for the father to give the job to his son. However, any hiring process should be transparent, with expectations clearly set out from the beginning.

Problems occur if an employer creates false hope among job seekers. If an employer knows from the outset who is going to get a particular job, then the job should not be advertised as if all qualified applicants will get equal consideration.

The father’s bragging and the son’s gloating constitute grievous behavior. Their insensitivity shows a lack of awareness of the people around them. We are in an economy where unemployment tops 9 percent, and the real unemployment rate, when you include people who have given up looking, tops 15 percent. Boasts about employment are particularly stinging in this environment.

A job is not something to take lightly. We get the sense that the job recipient in this letter does not fully comprehend the significance of employment. Think about all the factors that have to come together before a company can create even one job: Sufficient market demand needs to be identified to support the job and the resources that go into the product or service, marketing efforts need to be conducted, a distribution and delivery method needs to be created or identified, administrative support systems need to be established and investors may need to be identified to fund the company’s work.

When all these factors come together successfully, then a company is in position to hire someone. If you are the one who get’s hired, that’s a big deal!

The letter writer clearly has a sense for the importance of a job, while the job recipient seems to lack such sense, although we can hope that with maturity he will develop it over time.

The author, a small business owner, can be reached through www.TomBengtson.com.

Firing someone is unpleasant. Managers hate to do it, and employees hate to lose their jobs. But it happens, and our faith can guide both manager and employee.

First, consider the manager’s perspective. If employee performance devolves to a point where termination is inevitable, the employer must work hard to balance two principles,  justice and mercy. Justice to people who depend on the organization–employees, customers, shareholders, patients, clients, benefactors–requires that a non-performing employee improve performance, move someplace where work requirements match their performance, or, barring success on those two fronts, leave the organization. A manager must be the one to move this process forward.

Mercy, however, requires that an employer manage an underperforming employee with dignity. The employer might contemplate, “If I were having trouble, what would I want?” Managers can use the answer to that question as a guide. This typically means help the employee succeed at the first sign of a performance issue, communicate clearly about consequences if performance fails to improve, use privacy and discretion if termination is actually executed, and do some level of follow-up to help the employee find work elsewhere.

From the employee’s perspective, job loss almost always hurts, and firings typically hurt more than layoffs. A fired employee is likely to experience a series of emotions, starting with disbelief, then anger, sadness, and finally acceptance. But it could take weeks or months to work through all this. The duration of the process will be proportional to the extent the employer successfully balanced the principles of justice and mercy. It is much easier to accept a firing that is just and merciful than it is to accept one that seems random and harsh.

Since the dawn of time, people have wondered why bad things happen to good people. If you are fired, don’t let this question impede your faith. Any forcible, unpleasant change is an opportunity for a person to reflect on the past, consider factors that led to the change, and plan for a new path in the future.

As you ponder such situations, remember that putting the fire out and rebuilding the home are two separate projects. In other words, initially a fired employee might have to take any job possible to pay the bills, but longer term fired persons want to find work that best matches their interests and gifts.

Whether you are a rank-and-file employee or a manager, work is ultimately a gift that gives those of us in the labor pool the opportunity to co-provide with God for family and self. God invites us into this work to help us develop a relationship with him. In our careers, it is easy to focus on job descriptions, promotion tracks, compensation and profits, but if we focus first on our relationship with God, the rest usually falls in place.

Paul, the great evangelist, might not have been so successful if it hadn’t been for Barnabas. In Acts 9:26-30, we find Paul, still called Saul, coming to Jerusalem after experiencing his conversion. But when he got to Jerusalem, none of the Christians wanted anything to do with him because they recalled how he had persecuted them. Barnabas, however, knew of Saul’s conversation and had heard him preach in Damascus. Barnabas was well-known in Jerusalem so when he put the word out that Saul was “okay,” people began to listen to him.

Barnabas was Paul’s mentor. Paul had a very promising future, but he needed someone more established to introduce him to some of the key people in Jerusalem before his own career could really take off. If even one of the greatest evangelists of all time needed a mentor, than maybe you need one too.

I like to encourage people to find a mentor, and be one too. Find someone at your company who has been there a lot longer than you have, someone who has a job title or responsibility level that you aspire to. Don’t choose your boss for this role; in fact, you might even choose someone from another department. The same way Barnabas showed Paul “the ropes,” you want someone who can show you the ropes of succeeding at your company or in your field.

Some companies are so small that no other employees would make a suitable mentor for you. In that case, look outside the company through a networking club or trade association. Someone in your parish or neighborhood who works in your field may make a good mentor. Of course, when you and your mentor are not located in the same building, you have to work a little harder to make sure you connect on a regular basis, either on the phone or in person.

If you ask someone to be your mentor, they will likely be flattered and accept. Ask them if you can check in with them every month or so with questions about your company, industry or job. You might start by asking them to share their own career story: How did they get the position they currently hold? This is a great way to get good information and to build a relationship.

Then, find someone who is new to the company and offer to be their mentor. Tell the person about your first weeks at the company. Make sure they know how to sign up for the company softball team or bowling league. Offer to take the newbie out to lunch every now and then. If you go to industry association meetings, or Rotary or chamber of commerce meetings, invite your associate to come along. If you come across something interesting on the internet related to your work, forward it to the new employee.

If you are too new to the workforce to be a mentor to a co-worker, consider being a mentor to a college student. Someone who has a job can be of great assistance to someone who is still in school, hoping to one day land a job.

You can always benefit from the experience of others, and others can always benefit from your experience. A little help from Barnabas helped Paul reach his potential. You have a better chance of reaching your potential if you have a little help, and you can help someone else reach their potential by offering that help.

In Hamlet, William Shakespeare warns: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”

There are financial experts who advise as Shakespeare does, saying that debt should be avoided at all costs. But practically, I don’t know how you get through life in early 21st century America without using debt to some degree. My experience with debt is that it is somewhat like chocolate or alcohol — a little can be good but too much can destroy you.

I run a small publishing company, which I purchased in 1992. At that point in my life, I had little money and even less credit history; no bank would give me a loan so I turned to my father, who dipped into his savings to lend me enough for a down payment on the business. It was a huge risk but something compelled Dad to make the loan anyway. I worked hard and, over time, prospered. During the last 20 years, the business has provided employment for a dozen or so people, put food on the table for my family and returned enough to repay my Dad with interest.

For every success story, however, we know there are stories of failure. Only about half of all new businesses last five or more years; less than 30 percent survive 10 years. Anyone who funds an entrepreneur behind a failing business is unlikely to get their money back. Clearly, there is wisdom in Shakespeare’s advice.

But wisdom alone is insufficient for navigating through life. Parents do things for their children because they love them; that love manifests itself in all kinds of ways like encouragement, instruction and sometimes a loan.

Banks and credit unions serve a legitimate purpose so if you need to borrow money, consider whether these traditional lenders can help. If not, don’t be afraid to approach trusted family members and friends. William Shakespeare notwithstanding, we should not be afraid of debt but respectful of it, regardless of which end of the transaction is yours.
Scenario No. 1 — If you need more money than you have, consider:

Do I need the money for something important or frivolous? Only proceed if you can honestly claim it is important.

Do I need this money because of poor spending habits? If so, develop a budget and stick to it for 12 months before reconsidering the question of borrowing.

What is my debt situation now? If a substantial portion of your income already is going toward debt repayment, don’t add to your debt burden at this time.

What is my plan for repaying any new debt I take on? Never borrow money without knowing how you are going to repay it in a timely fashion.

Scenario No. 2 — If you have more money than you need, consider:

Can I afford to lose the entire amount of money I lend? If not, then don’t make the loan.

If the loan is not repaid, will I end up hating the borrower? If so, then don’t make the loan.

Should I put the loan agreement in writing? Yes. The terms of repayment should be written down in a document both parties sign. Such a document minimizes opportunities for misunderstandings about the timing and amount of repayment.
Should I charge interest? Every lender can choose the degree of charity he or she wishes to extend to the borrower, so the answer varies depending on personal preference. Generally, however, a service of this value warrants the payment of interest at least equal to what the lender could earn in a certificate of deposit.

Debt can be an emotional topic. Debt involves risk for all parties, so pray over any decision to borrow or lend. But if a loan is the only thing between you and great opportunity, then ask for the loan; if you love the borrower more than your money, then say yes when asked.

Managers everywhere are setting goals for the coming year. Everyone who is serious about their job should do the same for themselves. What are your goals for 2011?

Don’t limit your answer to revenue, customer volume or other standard performance indicators. Consider what your work has done for your relationship with God. How might you improve that relationship through your work in the coming year? Consider these three approaches.

Solve a problem. Most people go into self-defense mode when someone asks about a problem at work. If a colleague asks, “Did you leave the break room a mess?” don’t just say “no” and walk away. Answer in a manner that solves the problem: “Let me help you clean it up.” Usually when someone asks who did something, they want help fixing the problem more than they care about identifying the perpetrator.

Think about God solving the biggest problem that ever came along — original sin. God makes a perfect world and we humans mess it up. He didn’t have to help us. It wasn’t his problem; it was ours. God solved it by sending His only Son to save us.

Do the work no one else wants to do. No matter where you work, there are unrewarding tasks: taking out the trash, changing the toner in the copier, answering the phone, calling on past-due accounts, filling out forms or cleaning up the storage room. Take on one or more such chore voluntarily; do not wait to be asked. Do it because it needs to be done.

A willingness to take on the jobs others avoid is simply a workplace way to animate Christ’s instruction that “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant,” (Mt 20:26). There are all kinds of opportunities to serve colleagues and customers. Consider the opportunities and turn them into relationship-builders.

Be humble. Self-promotion is a big part of some company cultures. I know one company where people put their names on everything — even other people’s ideas. An organization where everyone is thinking about their own prosperity will never be as successful as a group of people working toward a common goal. That’s why the All-Star team is never as good as a World Series champion. It takes humility to engage around an organizational goal rather than a personal goal.

True humility is understanding your place in the presence of God. In no way is humility a sign of weakness or shyness. Humble people are confident; they do not feel threatened by those around them. In fact, they gladly help those around them without worrying about their own prospects for advancement. Christ, who understood his relationship with God, was the perfect example of humility, doing everything for us without concern for Himself.

Go ahead and make those performance goals with respect to sales and other traditional measures, but don’t ignore your faith. Set goals at work that will help you develop your relationship with God, as well as your colleagues.

Most of us don’t think of people suffering professionally because of their faith, but it still happens. Dr. Josef Roetzer, who died earlier this month, was an example. Roetzer is the Austrian doctor who improved fertility awareness science in the 1950s. His work led to the development of the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning.

Roetzer studied human fertility, recording observations from more than 300,000 cycles. Roetzer discovered that by combing temperature information with mucus observations, periods of fertility and infertility could be identified with extreme accuracy. His work was revolutionary but it was shunned by the establishment, which was dominated by the pharmaceutical industry.

Austrian Bishop Klaus Kung reportedly said that Roetzer “suffered many a setback in his work” due to his Catholic faith. The Austrian bishops funded Roetzer from 1966 to 1974 so he could continue his research. In 1986, he founded the Institute for Natural Family Planning, which today is run by his daughter, Elisabeth. At the age of 91, Josef Roetzer died on Oct. 4.

Ironically, Oct. 4 is the same day the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to Robert G. Edwards, the British biologist who developed in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Unlike their reaction to Roetzer’s work, the establishment lauded Edwards’ work. Cynically, one can’t avoid the observation that there are billions of dollars associated with assisted reproductive technology, while there is almost no money associated with the implementation of fertility awareness.

So often the culture gets it wrong. Church teaching warns against the immorality of IVF while lauding the practice of natural family planning. The modern basis for this teaching is found in Humane Vitae, the landmark encyclical issued by Pope Paul VI on July 25, 1968. The heart of Humane Vitae is the inseparability of the procreative and unitive aspects of marriage. At Catholic weddings, the priest often proclaims “let no one divide what God has joined.”

While the theological basis for the church’s teaching on marriage is vast, I like the two creation stories in Genesis for understanding Humane Vitae. In Genesis 1, God tells the man and women to “be fruitful and multiply.” In Genesis 2, it says “…a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.” God gives us two creation stories for many reasons, and one of those reasons is to help us understand the essential components of marriage.

Edwards disregarded that teaching when he developed the technology which led to the birth of the first “test-tube baby,” Louise Brown. Ironically, she was born July 25, 1978, ten years to the day after the publication of Humane Vitae. Since then, more than 4 million children have been born through the in vitro process, but many millions more have died in the laboratory.

IVF typically results in the fertilization of several eggs, with weaker ones culled away in a process euphemistically called “selective reduction.” Sometimes, the fertilized eggs are saved; today, more than a half a million embryos are being preserved in laboratory freezers in this country, posing mind-bending theological and ethical dilemmas.

My wife and I resolved our own difficult infertility trials through adoption. The church teaching helped us to navigate the infertility experience. Without an NFP education organization called the Couple to Couple League, we would never have known of the church teaching. Roetzer’s work is at the core of the method taught by CCL. I am very grateful to CCL, to the Church, and to Josef Roetzer, a man who lived his faith.

The Sunday before Labor Day, the church gave us a reading from Luke’s Gospel in which Jesus says: “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?” (Lk 14:28) Jesus is endorsing the value of business planning.

When it comes to running a business, there are some inescapable basics: it’s important to plan ahead, maintain accurate books, don’t let your expenses exceed your revenue, and listen to your customers. Organizations that master these basics have a much greater chance for success than those that ignore them.

A lot of people think that the non-profit arena is exempt from the operating principles of successful businesses. But that is mistaken thinking. The same business principles lay at the foundation of any successful enterprise, for-profit and non-profit alike.

Sometimes, people in non-profit organizations think their faith supplants the need for sound business planning. They assume that because they are doing “God’s work,” ample donations or other revenue will come in as needed. They think that budgeting and planning are tools for exclusive use in the for-profit arena. They think that if they believe enough, all the business details will take care of themselves. That’s also mistaken thinking.

Jesus, who is talking about discipleship in the quote cited above, uses a business metaphor to communicate the importance of planning and preparation – important steps for undertaking any kind of venture. The gospel of wealth, in which people experience material gain in accordance with their level of faith, is askew for organizations as well as individuals. If your organization needs $10,000 a month to cash flow, line up 100 customers willing to pay $100 each for your product; don’t sit idle because you have a lot of faith that your product is building the Kingdom of God. The necessity of appropriate action is clear to anyone who has ever misplaced their car keys. You pray to St. Anthony, but you still have to look for the keys. St. Anthony doesn’t drop them in your lap.

How many schools, hospitals, publications, and other worthy non-profit ventures have closed over the years because their managers thought faith alone was enough to keep the doors open? They ignored the fundamentals that every first-year business student learns in college.

Occasionally, I hear from someone who is growing weary of their job in the commercial arena; they complain about the pressure, the deadlines, the competition, or the office politics. Then they say: “I think I’d like to get a job with a non-profit organization, or maybe get a job with a school or the church.” They think that without the pressure of meeting quarterly income goals, shareholder expectations or owner demands, the work environment will be less exacting. But I don’t know anyone who actually works in the non-profit sector who thinks their job is any easier than those working at one of the Fortune 500.

I do not mean to imply that faith is unimportant. Faith is very important. But keep in mind that if you are doing something based on faith — something for the Glory of God — it probably requires more work, not less work, than activities in the secular marketplace. A successfully-run non-profit organization is no place for unmotivated employees. People looking for an easier route should not look to non-profit work.

On the other hand, if you are seeking a career change and are highly motivated, highly skilled, and possess management talent, consider a non-profit venture. The non-profit world needs people who understand how business works. Too many people with amply business acumen discount the possibility of a career in the non-profit arena. As you consider your career options, think hard about your strengths and gifts. If they’re applicable in a non-profit setting, give it serious consideration. Jesus recognized the importance of business skills; most non-profit organizations do also.

Housing makes up a significant portion of the economy, so it is no surprise that the economy has languished. Home sales are far below historical averages, particularly since the federal tax credit program for homebuyers concluded at the end of April.

One home that did sell recently, however, was my own. My family moved from a hundred-year-old home in mid-July to a newer home with a little more elbow room in the same metro area. The relocation experience evidenced opportunities for witnessing, as well as pitfalls requiring careful moral consideration.

Because there are so many homes on the market and so few buyers these days, the experts encouraged us to focus on effective staging. We were encouraged to rip up carpeting, paint, change countertops in the kitchen and make other cosmetic changes. Furthermore, we got advice to remove some of the furniture and wall hangings. “Take that crucifix down; potential buyers may be put off by religious symbols,” one person told us.

We were prepared to fix up the house and move furniture, but the religious symbol comment caught us off guard. My wife and I went back and forth on this one. We didn’t want to hide our faith, yet we did want to sell the house. Ultimately, we decided to leave the crucifix right where it was. Oddly enough, when the home finally sold, the buyers told us they noticed the crucifix upon entering the home and immediately felt comfortable. So, while some buyers may be put off by displays of religious symbolism, clearly others are put at ease.

We refrained from making an offer on a home until our existing home had sold. It took 18 months from the time we decided to sell until we finally moved. That’s a long time, but we know many other folks who needed even longer to sell their home and move. For some, the sales process went so slowly that they decided to move and convert their former home into rental property.

Financially, converting an unsold home to rental property can be attractive, but there can be moral pitfalls. Cohabitation rates among unmarried couples are extremely high. After running ads on Craig’s List or other services, a property owner should expect unmarried couples to inquire about the house. The law prevents property owners from discriminating on the basis of marriage. The possibility to having to accept an unmarried couple as tenants unsettled me so that we never considered this option. You could have a good discussion with your priest or other theologically-informed person about the significance of a property owner’s material participation in an illicit lifestyle. To be sure, there is room for discussion, but it’s not a discussion my wife and I wanted to get into.

After our home had been on the market for a few months, we decided to bury a statue of St. Joseph. Although we had been praying to St. Joseph for a successful relocation, we avoided the burial ritual because I thought it seemed superstitious. But as showings slowed to a trickle, we began to look into it.

Turns out the practice is meant to honor St. Joseph, is a demonstration of faith, and is meant to be a form of evangelization. So we gathered the kids around a patch of dirt in the garden and dug a hole. We put the statue in a zip-lock bag to keep St. Joseph clean, laid it in the ground, and said a few prayers. We replaced the dirt and went on with our lives. That was early June. Our home sold on Father’s Day, a couple of weeks later.

Unexpectedly, selling and buying a home turned out to be a spiritual exercise of sorts. It forced us to consider how we would witness to our faith, and to think about what we would and wouldn’t do. They call a Christian home a “domestic church;” with our four kids, my wife and I want to live up to that name in our new home.

Everyone wants economic security. In the old days, that meant landing a job with a major company. Employment with a Fortune 500 company meant work for life, health insurance and a good pension. But that is not the way it is anymore. Big companies lay people off all the time; hardly a week goes by without a layoff announcement from a major employer. And it isn’t just the newbies who are let go; people with decades of service to a single company commonly find themselves looking for work after a big company decides to downsize.

Small companies, on the other hand, can offer exciting employment but may lack stability. Get a job at a small shop and you may get the opportunity to do a little of everything from customer service, to production, to bookkeeping, to maintenance. But the pay may be less than the compensation offered at bigger companies, the benefits thinner, and advancement less likely. Small businesses (especially new ones) fail at a substantial rate, so a potential employee may legitimately wonder how long a job will last.

With his parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30), Jesus explains that we have to be willing to take some risk in order to make the most of life. The servant who was looking for stability did the easiest thing – he buried his talent. He refused to risk his talent in the marketplace. His fear of losing was so great he didn’t even try. We know how that ended up. The servants who took some risk and went into the marketplace with their talents were rewarded. They weren’t looking for stability; they were looking to use what they were given.

Stephen Covey shares insightful advice about economic security in his 1989 bestseller, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” He explains that economic security doesn’t come from your job; it comes from the talents, skills and gifts you have been given. True financial independence comes from your ability to think, learn, create and adapt, Covey says. Covey is synthesizing the message from Matthew’s Gospel. God has given us what we need. We just need the courage to use it.

Critics might argue that Covey is too simplistic. They might say that the Gospel doesn’t really have anything to do with the workplace. But what Covey and Matthew both write about is human potential. Most people have much more than they realize. The way to make the most of your potential is to think about it, cultivate it and then actually use it. Those two servants provide a great example.

A big company offers some people the best opportunity to develop their potential; a small company offers that to others. And for many people, self-employment offers the most reward. But whether you are working for Wall Street, Main Street or yourself, a certain amount of entrepreneurialism is necessary. Rarely does reward come without risk. Focus on the best ways to use your “talents” and economic security is likely to follow, even if it involves transitions (forced or otherwise) between employers.

Covey writes that true financial independence is “not having wealth, but having the ability to produce wealth.” God gave you that ability. One of the greatest ways people can bring God to the workplace is to make the most of their ability.

God’s “economic security” plan for you is great. What a joy to know that your future is more dependent upon your own actions – those you can control – than upon your employer’s actions – those you can’t.

When I go to trade shows, I sometimes run into a guy who asks me if I know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Years ago, I had a co-worker who liked to leave religious pamphlets in the break room. And, I’ll never forget the time a colleague surprised everyone in the office by opening an important meeting with a prayer.

There are a lot of ways to evangelize at work, some more effective than others. While some people might argue that Christians should leave their faith at home, I would argue that as Christians we have no choice but to let our faith shine all day long, seven days a week. That means evangelizing at work. Although work environments vary, I like the following three tools for workplace evangelization:
Prayer.  Pray for your colleagues at work. Include customers, co-workers, bosses and managers, shareholders and even competitors. A good way to initiate any relationship is with prayer and effective evangelization is primarily about relationship. People are more likely to listen to those they trust. I have found that when you pray for others, you naturally grow closer to them. For example, I have found it impossible to stay mad at anyone I am praying for on a daily basis.

If you have a cubicle, locker or office, include a prayer card or other religious icon among your family pictures and personal affects. You don’t have to say a word, yet when someone sees your workspace they get a little glimpse into the things that are important to you. That’s evangelization.

Example. St. Francis is widely quoted as having said: “Preach the Gospel, use words if necessary.” Evangelization is much more about living than it is about talking. Since your work is a sacrifice to God, make it the very best work possible. Do good work, consistently over time, and others will notice. They may not immediately associate good work with your spiritual life, but a good example inspires confidence. When people have questions — even about personal matters — they go to the person who looks like they have their life together. In a work setting, that is most obviously the people who do good work.

We are all called to love our neighbor and in the business world, that means colleagues and customers. To love someone means to want what is best for them, even if it means a little less for you. Do you treat your customers as if you want what’s best for them? What kind of service do you offer? Go out of your way for your customers, even if it is inconvenient for you, and you will develop loyalty among your customers and grab the attention of those in your company. A reputation for sincere customer care is a powerful evangelizer.

Conversation. 1 Peter 3:15 says: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” In other words, if someone asks you a question relevant to your faith, be ready with an answer. If someone asks you a question with a moral undertone, be ready to articulate something that reflects truth. But never dismiss a chance to verbalize a bit of the faith.

Good conversation is much more about listening than it is about talking. If you get the opportunity to engage someone in conversation, give them your complete, undivided attention. Be fully present to your conversation partner and the impact of your evangelization will increase substantially.

Prayer, example and conversation are three evangelization tools that every Catholic can use to live their faith on the job, as well as at home.