In a business world which seems to stress financial success over relationships, the Steier Group has tried to create friendships rather than just client lists.

The following are excerpts from a column written by E. Jane Rutter, Director of Stewardship for the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo., for the Catholic Missourian. We reprint it with permission to show the value of friendship.
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On the Spiritual Journey –
Til we meet again

The Grateful Memories…Faithful Future Capital Campaign is winding down and they’re heading back home to Omaha for a well-deserved rest before taking on another client. Mary Gene and I have been working side by side for almost two years now and she has transitioned from being a consultant to co-worker, peer and, yes, to a friend. Tom joined her here this spring and has quickly become one of us as well.

With their professionalism and work ethics a given, I am additionally grateful for the grains of wisdom they’ve shared:

• Assumptions rarely stick. “Consultants from The Steier Group” elicits a one-dimensional image of outsiders. But that label doesn’t introduce us to the real Mary Gene Wepfer from Texas: the Air Force wife, grandmother, baker, and coordinator of referees for a youth soccer league. Or that Tom Elser is a journalist with a yen for chocolate that was born and raised on an Iowa farm that his parents still work.

• Communication is key. It’s easy to assume everyone has access to the same information and presenting it once is enough. However, serving a diocese of 81,000 Catholics and 110 faith communities, dictates sharing information many times and in a variety of formats.

• People should be given the opportunity to make their own decisions. Trust is an important component of decision-making. We build trust through communication and information sharing. Open, two-way communication includes listening and responding with respect, objectivity and selflessness. Using these grains of wisdom, Mary Gene and Tom diligently helped us raise $26 million for support of our ministries. With gratitude, I invite them to share their sentiments.

“There’s no question that the Diocese of Jefferson City is one strong Catholic family. We leave with so many new friends – it’s difficult to say good-bye. We are extremely thankful for everyone’s time, generosity, and kindness. The Diocese of Jefferson City will always have a special place in our hearts.”

We say a fond goodbye to two friends who have shared a time in our lives, wishing them blessings from God on their journey forward. And we’ll remember to see through assumptions, communicate and trust.