HOW TO LOVE PEOPLE BY NOT HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS

I've been reading a John Maxwell book about leadership and asking questions. One of the take-aways from the book is that people generally enjoy being asked about their opinions rather than having someone else's ideas forced upon them. It reminded me of times when people in authority over me have taken the time to ask me what I thought about certain things-it actually made me appreciate and respect them more, rather than the other way around.

However, most of us like to have the right answers and sometimes think that asking others what they think is a sign of weakness. We feel as if we are somehow less respectable if we don't know everything already. But this is a false idea. No one knows all the answers even if they act like they do. Taking the time to ask co-workers (of higher or lower position) what they think in a given situation gives us a better understanding and increases our ability to achieve a solution.

As believers in Jesus and ambassadors of his kingdom, we should always be striving to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31).

One way you can do that in the workplace (or anywhere for that matter) is to make it a point to seek out and value the opinions and ideas of those around you. This not only makes them feel appreciated and valued as co-workers, but also helps you to be more informed and therefore more effective in completing whatever task is at hand.

This week, make it a point to ask a couple people for their opinion. It might be about a particular problem that you need to solve; or you could ask if they see a way that you could improve in some part of your job performance. Whatever you ask, be ready for them to give you an answer that you might not like. If this happens, thank them for their answer and walk away. It is best to provide a response after you have had time to think about it.

Doing this will make you a better informed employee and will be a way you can treat others the way you want to be treated.

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