"Always" Asking the Right Questions

Posted by Scott Williams
13 Comments
February 26, 2008
Leadership | Life Application

In my professional and ministry career I have had the opportunity to supervise and work with a lot of different people; I have supervised as few as 5 and as many as several hundred.  I am always learning from individuals who I work for, work with, as well as individuals whom work for me. In those 16 years that I have been working; 10 which have been in leadership I have ran across three women that have this special gift.  They have the gift of “always” asking the right questions.  The ladies that I am referring to are:

  • Dana Avants (My Accountant/Office Manager when I was the Warden/Administrator of a Juvenile Correctional Facility)

  • Dea Creek (OKC Campus Administrator)

  • Anna Meadows (The current Associate Youth Pastor at my Campus)

The questions that I am referring to are:

  1. Is there anything that you need?  

  2. Is there anything that you need me to do?

These questions may come in some unique variety; however they are generally posed just as those two are written.  Dana and Dea were both older than me and were somewhat like that maternal figure at work; while Anna on the other hand is just 21 years old.  To experience this for the first time from someone who is much younger than me is special. 

There is something neat about how God wires these individuals with something just a little more than “a servants heart.”  Many times I don’t need anything, nor do I need them to do anything, but I know without a shadow of a doubt they will always “ask the right questions” and if I ever ask them for something the answer will always be a cheerful “YES.”   

What if we all “consistently” asked these same two questions to our bosses, co-workers, friends, family, spouses, kids…..? 

Have you worked with, around or know individuals with this special gift?  Are you that person with this special gift?  Thoughts, Discuss!

  • http://www.manymeadows.blogspot.com Robin Meadows

    Yeah…I know someone with that gift….it’s called LOVE! ;-) It’s contagious!

  • http://www.annameadows.com Anna Meadows

    Thanks, Scott! My boss makes it pretty easy to ask those questions. ;) See you in a few!

  • http://www.unveilinghope.com Hope

    Through the grace of God, I am one of those people. I have to admit though that BC, I was more one of the people that tended to think I should be served. So glad He changed my heart. There is just something so very fulfilling in being there for someone else. It’s not to gets thanks or praise … it’s just a matter of feeling that in that particular moment there was an opportunity to be like Him. What’s really great is trying to outdo ourselves, within the boundaries of stewardship of course, and not trying to outdo others.

  • http://www.kevinbussey.com Kevin Bussey

    No,

    But my wife is. I’m a visionary and she sees the small details I hate.

  • http://rollmentalcamera.blogspot.com Roger

    It is funny how 3 small words can make those 2 sentences so different. My needs are so much different than what I might need you to do. I hope the question I always ask of my staff first is if there is anything they need before I ask them to do something. I serve them as much as they serve
    great post

  • http://www.pastorpotter.blogspot.com pastorpotter

    Sometimes people just don’t have the boldness to ask those questions. It is hard for them to ask their boss or someone a question because it opens up their vulnerabilities. I was always taught no question is a bad question, but as a pastor I don’t know if that is true :)

    Check out my Oscars post from today.

  • http://www.floatingaxhead.com michael

    people ask but i rarely think they mean them…

  • http://jameyjohnson.org jamey johnson

    Good post!!!

  • http://www.blog.aaronhavens.com aaron

    it’s called having a servants heart…we all need that!

  • Dea

    Read the post. You are too kind ~ but I must give all glory to God because it is His design. From as long as I can remember, eons before ever knowing God or understanding anything about what Christ did for me on the cross, I have wanted to serve. I remember in Jr High taking typing class. In class I would pretend I was a secretary, waiting hand and foot on my boss, being available for his every wish so he could do all the important things he needed to do to run the company! Then when I turned 11 and heard John Kennedy’s plan of the Peace Corp, I was determined to go and serve the underprivleged (until my mother threatened to disinherit me!) I can only conclude it is a spiritual gift from God; to use for His purpose and glory; and maybe to be honored by Him to lead the way for others to want to be true BONDservants. Afterall, Christ came to serve, not to be served. The part I finally learned in my adult life was that my time is not mine to be spent as I choose, but is only redeemable by the Lord. With this new understanding I learned that real joy and satisfaction is found serving others. I feel sorry for those who walk away selfishly with their time when God has called them to serve another. They have no idea they are missing out on the greatest blessing of all – the peace of knowing the joy of the Lord is their strength!

  • Redell Brown

    This one got me thinking. What if you asked your spouse those 2 question more often, or just asked period. How would that improve a marriage????

  • Redell Brown

    Scott, this was a really good one because as you can see I didn’t finish reading the whole thing. Right after the two question I stop reading and thought of my wife, and posted the same question you already asked. So in that case I will answer my own question. It would make a huge diference in my marriage, I don’t think my wife would know how to respond at first! She would do a double-take.

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