RELATIONAL WISDOM AT THE WORKPLACE

IN every sphere of life, effective relationships are key to maintaining progress. When people work together in harmony, the nation progresses.

To function effectively at our workplaces or in our careers, we need more than academic qualifications; we need wisdom on how to relate with our colleagues and superiors. Sometimes we stumble in life because we lack relational wisdom. Proverbs 36:21-23 declares; “... keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck.

Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble.” To stumble means to trip in walking, to walk unsteadily or clumsily. It also means an unintentional but embarrassing blunder. So many people experience embarrassment at their workplaces because they do not know how to wisely relate with their colleagues and superiors.  

Wisdom is usually defined as the ability to apply knowledge, experience, understanding or common sense. It is the quality of being prudent and sensible. It is to have sound judgment, discernment, understanding, right perspective, hindsight, foresight and insight. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding,” (Proverbs 3:13). To be significant at our workplaces we must learn how to walk in relational wisdom.

We might be qualified academically and may be good and focused in our career, but we won’t make a significant mark if we don’t know how to walk in relational wisdom.

The ability to work around your colleagues and superiors with minimum rigidity is the art of relational wisdom. You might be a teacher, head teacher, manager, CEO or cleaner, relational wisdom is key to you being effective. This is because the value of our significance is equal to the value we place on those we relate with at work, whether they are our subordinates or superiors.

Just as we focus on excelling in our performance, we also must excel in our relationships. This is what makes great homes or great companies. Respect is one of the great ingredients that bring great returns on any investment in the workplace. If you do not appreciate or respect your finances, money will always exit your life. In the same way if we act disrespectfully or indifferently towards others, they will distance themselves from us and ultimately exit our lives.

In a marriage situation, a spouse who is being disrespected may not leave the marriage physically, but he or she may become emotionally distanced. Respect is a powerful force, essential in multiplying our life investment within our workplace. Respect means giving attention to others, holding others in high esteem or deeming others as distinguished and worthy. In our workplace, we need to give honour and attention to everyone, especially to those who are over us. Respect should be the quality that lives inside us; we must choose to be respectful.   

        
Respect actually guarantees success, and plants seeds of access and favour. Disrespect is the thief that usually comes to steal our promotions at the workplace. Usually our supervisors are willing to listen when we are respectful in our words and actions. Actually it is not just the quality of our work that gets us noticed on the job; it is the combination of quality and respectful conduct. Respect will get us promoted and favoured. No matter how hard we work, disrespect will cause our boss not to notice us. Disrespect will usually subvert rather than multiply the investments we have made at our workplaces.

The wisdom of respect demands that we don’t correct upward. If we disrespectfully correct our bosses, because maybe we don’t like the way they do things, we have just lost access to them. Most likely the boss may stop trusting us because of our disrespectful criticism or approach. Sometimes we lose access to promotions and increases because we attach ourselves to disrespectful people.

We must make every effort to attach ourselves to wise people at our workplaces, people who will cultivate relational wisdom in our lives. We must move away from people who think their individual rights are more important than the principle of authority, rank and corporate good. Solomon instructs us; “He who walks with wise men, will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed,” (Proverbs 13:20).

If we make discontented, disrespectful co-workers our bedfellows, we might easily abort our promotion and increase. Sometimes such people harbour hidden agendas that we may never understand. We need to attach ourselves to those who are wisely respectful – it is our access to increases, promotion and favour. Gossip and rumour mongering is a killer of effective relationships.

To be wise is to refuse to judge a matter before you have all the proper details surrounding a situation or person. We are all limited in understanding certain aspects of life. An attitude of love, mercy and kindness are key to walking in relational wisdom.  The result of relational wisdom is productivity in the workplace, a successful society and a prosperous nation. 

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