Deconstruction is a hot topic button in the world of faith. Many prominent faith leaders are coming to terms that the people they’ve led are reexamining the world they believed in. More than that, many leaders of the faith have begun to deconstruct what they’ve come to believe.
For those that don’t know what deconstruction is, a simple definition may be: The systematic pulling apart of one’s belief system for examination.
Lots of questions are raised during the process of reconstruction. These questions range from the theological to the practical. A lot of times, there’s no specific timing or reasoning for people to begin a deconstruction journey.
Sadly, a lot of those deconstructing fall away from the faith. They discover they didn’t have a firm footing to stand on. Other times, those deconstructing come back stronger with a better understanding of what they believe and why.
One thing I am beginning to believe is that deconstruction isn’t only for those in the church. Deconstruction is happening in the world of business.
Deconstruction
There are multiple questions one asks during deconstruction. These questions will vary from person to person but they’ll be similar. Some questions those deconstructing their faith may ask are:
- Who am I?
- What is church?
- Who is God?
- Where did my belief come from?
- What do I believe?
- How do I interact with the church community?
Deconstruction is a lot of questions with not a lot of solid answers. However, what if we were to apply the questions people are asking during a spiritual deconstruction to business deconstruction? I think we’ve actually seen this happen in the business world.
People are deconstructing the world of work. They’re asking questions because the world of work and business is no longer making sense.
- Why are we working 40+ hours a week?
- Do we really have to go into the office for the community?
- What style of work works well for my personality?
- How does my work impact me?
- Am I making a difference?
Andrew Miller, a connection on LinkedIn, shared a post where he has gone to a 4-day work week (only working 32 hours a week). He’s been doing this for over five months. The results he’s seeing are positive. He and his team are more productive. Communication is still going strong. There’s more energy.
I’ve said for years that the world of business is changing. There’s no need for 40, 50, or 60 hour work weeks. Offices are going to become a thing of the past, or at least not as common. Communication can be just as powerful. People will be happier.
Deconstructing Business
What areas of your business do you need to deconstruct? Are there old, outdated models that have stayed with your organization because they are what they have always been?
I bet if you look and ask questions, you are going to find areas of your business that can be deconstructed and then reconstructed.
Once these areas are noticed, you can work on rebuilding your business in new ways. You’ll discover there’s freedom in this.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions that deconstruct your business or thoughts on work. The more questions you ask, the clearer your vision going forward.
