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The workplace is an integral part of the business enterprise for the working individual,
whether that person is a manager that is responsible for the leading, directing, and delegation of
some task and responsibility or the average non-managerial employee, whose job requirement
only consists of fulfilling its required job description, as agreed between the employer and
employee.
According to the Spiritual Gift Inventory Survey, there are three dominate gifts that I
possess that were clearly indicated from the survey. These gifts are as follows: (1)
Administration, (2) Evangelism, and (3) Teaching, all of which are important elements that
clearly define my areas of interest, both at the professional and personal level.
The attributes of my spiritual gifts aforementioned has always played an ever important
part in my requirement to be successful in my profession as a service member of the United
States Navy, as well as into every facet in my personal life. Evidence of my spiritual gifts has
always been identifiable and positive throughout my life, especially during the twenty years of
my Navy Service, which helped me gained invaluable life-long learning skills; without these
attributes, no doubt I would have been less effective in every part of the jobs required of my,
commencing from a non-managerial worker to eventually being a first- line supervisor in the
naval force.
On a very large scale while in the United States Navy, I have been extensively exposed in
a type- work environment where stringent adherence to set rules and policies have no leg room
for any possible change and would be considered as a bureaucratic organization. According to
John Schermerhorn (2012), author of Exploring Management explicitly, bureaucracy is a
rational and efficient form of organization founded on logic, order, and legitimate authority.
These are important elements if one desires to succeed within a bureaucratic environment,
especially in an environment where the U.S. Navy continues to operate on those principles (p.
34). In this environment, I have been able to be proficient in the areas of administration as well
as with the ability to teach others in my area of expertise under my directions, so that they may
be able to pass on their knowledge of expertise unto others, especially in times of crisis
management, when called upon to put the skills taught into action.
Another area of importance, where all three of my spiritual gifts were able to be used in a
mature way was during my naval service, when we were directed to understand that basic needs
are important and that if the unit wishes to fulfill other interests both professionally and
individually for each members within the working environment, that is okay within the naval
boundaries, but certain basic needs had to first be met. In Maslows theory of behavioral
management, physiological needs, safety needs, and social needs are the first three needs that are
required to be fulfilled, if one it to be able to move on to the higher esteem and self-actualization
needs (Schermerhorn 2012, p. 41). This form of behavioral management was quite an effective
tool, during my Navy service, especially when new members arriving in my unit found. I
observed that once these members were able to feel that their basic needs were met in their job
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duties, in particular feeling safe and secure, they were able to build confidence and esteem as
they gained experience. As they continued to grow during their service to our country, as an
administrator, I was able to assist them in looking at incentives to better them and work toward
achieving their desired goals in their career and in life.
Although contingency thinking was introduced in the area of my work environment that
was once utilized in an attempt to match management practices, in scenarios where
management of people and products played an important role to meeting objective goals, it
would be short-lived with the modern management approach of evidence-based management,
where it was more feasible to utilize decisions based on hard facts about what really works,
than attempting to do something new from a contingency basis (Schermerhorn (2012) p. 48).
The reason for this change was the fact that in the work environment of ensuring that military
aircrafts were ready for deployment in a time of crisis during wartime, the aircraft must be ready
without any failings. Testing of the aircraft was based on evidence of the facts of what is needed
for these aircraft to be ready at a moments notice without any problems. The testing procedure
on these aircraft for their readiness was something that was tested time and time again
(Schermerhorn (2012) p. 50) to assure their safety. My ability to manage and teach in a time-
constraint, fast paced crisis environment over the course of many years, onboard several aircraft
carriers, was improved by evidence-based management and was more advantageous from a goal
oriented perspective as opposed to the use of contingency thinking. I learned to apply all three of
my spiritual gifts that helped me demonstrated these important skills both to individuals and
various inventories required by U.S. Navy.
An interesting aspect of all three of my spiritual gifts rests on one of the most important
elements that worked well both in my professional and personal life, which is the fact that ethics
and social responsibility continue to be and play an important part in my life. Without
convictions in these areas, it would be futile to see any positive results from my previous
employment with the U.S. Navy and with other employment entities that would require me to be
in conformance with the norms of the business environment. From my experience in the U.S.
Navy, ethics constantly played a part of every job requirement, not only by conducting myself to
the expectations of the Navy, but also to display this in my demeanor both during and off-duty
hours, that I may be an example to others while I was serving my country. All three of my gifts
helped me to reinforce those qualities required from my profession, even during crisis
management, when situations were out of my control, ethical behavior always became an
important part of my professional life. On the other side of ethics, social responsibility is
another important element that I have learned while serving onboard various aircraft carriers;
where inventory ranging from chemical usage for the purpose of military operations to the
accounting of the whereabouts of multi-million dollar inventories had to measure up to the
protocols and policies established by the Department of Defense.
I always believed and continue to believe that serving others, especially during my time
serving in the U.S. Navy, gave me opportunities to express my Christian faith, when led by the
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Holy Spirit to those that I have worked for as well as to those that have worked for me. As the
survey indicated my specific spiritual gifts, it is quite evident that I have experienced using them
during the course of my working years in the Navy along with the other important elements of
various management theories, such as Maslows theory. I have used these theories along with
my faith in Christ to become a better witness, by evangelizing the gospel of Christ worldwide. I
am so grateful that I had opportunities to witness for the kingdom of Christ, which has always
been extremely important, and when appropriate and lead, I try to take every opportunity with
others to share the gospel of Christ by leading them into the acknowledging of repentance
prayers accepting Christ as the personal Lord and Savior into their lives. Although a great many
have not responded favorable to the call of repentance, others have accepted the invitation to find
Christ as their source of salvation and inspiration for their souls.


















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References
Schermerhorn, J. R. Jr., (2012). Exploring Management. Ohio University: John Wiley and Sons,
Inc.