Certain people at work are the ones that everyone go to for advice, counsel and wisdom. Often when asked about why they go to the person they have chosen you will hear things like, “they just seem to understand me”. Understanding others and situations is a true skill. Some can do it and most can’t. The difference between the two is often the difference between whether or not one can stop, listen and then intake the information and put it in context to the other person’s situation. That seems easy, right? We should all be able to do that. If it was so easy then we wouldn’t look left and right at work and think about all of those people who have their own agendas and are constantly only looking out for themselves and who only care about their own opinions and point of view. Those that have true understandeing of others can put themselves in the shoes of others and walk that mile plus in their shoes. If you want to be someone who can understand others and be someone that others seek out for advice and counsel and someone who others think of as a real team player, then I suggest we all can start with the advice in Proverbs 18:2; “Fools have no interest in understanding, they only want to air their own opinions”. True understanding starts with the subordination of our own opinions and allowing ourselves to be placed in a state of empathy and caring about others that allows us to internally squelch our need to be the one with our own opinions before they are shaped by the condition of others. We as a believers have the ultimate example of One who came to earth and walked in our shoes so that He could share in the experience of man. To be one who truly understands we need to put ourselves in the place of others. We get there through listening, slowing down and walking with others in their shoes, and by constantly checking our own egos and opinions. Work needs more people like this. Perhaps, you are to be one for your office.

Reference: Proverbs 18:2 (New Living Testament).