In Proverbs 15:1 it says
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. This talks about the way we answer people. We need to not only watch the words that we use, but also how we say them.
God does not always give us the answers that we want to hear. He does, however, give us an answer. We are typically aware if we answer someone harshly, but sometimes not answering is even worse. Do not tell someone that you will get back to them and then hope that they will forget about it. Tell them “no, I can not provide what you need at this time”, if that is all that is possible.
Be sympathetic to their struggles if you can not provide everything that they want at this time. The key is to be upfront and honest with them enough to give them a
response. Sometimes you’re caught off guard or you do not have the answer for somebody at that given point in time. Let them know that. Explain to them, if needed, that you need to do some more research and get back to them. Do not hesitate. Do the research that you need to do and then get back to them with an answer. This also shows respect.
I have seen managers that appeared to take the approach that if they ignored a problem, it would go away. No matter what was brought up regarding it, they would not respond. Phone calls and e-mails would be used to bring it to their attention with no response at all. Phone calls would not be returned. E-mails would go unanswered. Eventually the staff would give up and quit bothering them.
In their minds, the problem is now solved. Did the problem go away? In most cases, it got worse. People communicate with one another. If they have frustrations, they will vent to their peers. This could be in the break room over a cup of coffee. It could be while they’re outside smoking a cigarette with somebody from another department. Eventually they will talk to somebody about it. Now, what started out being a simple request or question is beginning to turn into a big issue.
Always be aware of how you are responding to a person’s request from you. Be careful of how you respond and make sure that you do respond. Remember that God does not always give us the answers that we want to hear and we are not obligated to do that with others. It is all in the approach. Feel free to leave your comments in the space below.
