Please understand that I do not know how power relationships can sometimes go wrong in Ethiopia. I know a little about how the Gentiles lord it over each over in London and across the UK.

These notes are based on a conversation with Claude.ai. I asked Claude to identify some of the ways that power dynamics at work can go wrong in Ethiopia. The results may be accurate or inaccurate. You will be able to correct them. My experience with Claude, and the other AI assistants, is that they are sometimes surprisingly helpful and at other times they are deeply frustrating and completely unreliable.

Please use these notes as a starting point for thinking about the issue that Jesus raises: “You know how the Gentiles Lord it over each other, not so among you …” Read through the abuses of power that Claude identifies. Correct any that are wrong. Add to the list where other abuses need to be there, remove any that are not relevant to Ethiopia now or in the future.

Write a prayer for yourself, asking God to keep you from these abuses in every situation and in your leadership responsibilities. The situation facing an individual or your own experiences in other contexts, may expose you to particular temptations or pressures in this relationship.
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Here are some examples of what can go wrong at work

Nepotism and Favouritism
Preferential hiring of family members or individuals from the same ethnic background regardless of qualifications
Disproportionate allocation of advancement opportunities to those with personal connections
Inequitable distribution of desirable assignments based on personal relationships and not merit
Financial Impropriety
Misappropriation of organisational resources for personal gain
Solicitation of bribes for performing routine administrative duties
Circumvention of procurement protocols to benefit affiliated vendors
Falsification of expense claims and financial documentation
Professional Negligence
Chronic absenteeism whilst receiving full compensation
Delegating personal responsibilities to subordinates while claiming credit
Deliberate underperformance with minimal accountability
Extended personal activities during designated working hours
Sexual Harassment and Exploitation
Coerced romantic or sexual relationships as conditions for employment or advancement
Unwelcome sexual advances or inappropriate physical contact
Creating hostile work environments through gender-based discrimination
Retaliatory measures against those who refuse romantic overtures
Abuse of Authority
Excessive micromanagement that undermines professional autonomy
Public humiliation and verbal aggression towards subordinates
Unreasonable workload assignments with inadequate resources
Claiming subordinates’ intellectual contributions without acknowledgement
Discrimination
Differential treatment based on ethnicity, gender, religion, disability status
Exclusion of certain groups from important decision-making processes
Uneven enforcement of policies across different demographic groups
Language-based discrimination against anyone not fluent in main language
Communication Manipulation
Strategic withholding of crucial information to maintain power asymmetries
Spreading misinformation to undermine colleagues’ professional standing
Selective transparency to benefit some while disadvantaging others
Blocking communication channels to prevent legitimate grievance reporting
We need to think about what can sadly go wrong in relationships at work so that we can avoid them in relationships between Christians, and between Christian leaders and those around them.

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