11 Ways to Earn Respect at Work
We seek respect in our professional lives. Gaining the respect of others in the workplace is something many people want, but often have misguided ideas on how to achieve this goal.
The following tips will provide valuable insight into the process of gaining and keeping respect in the workplace.
1. Display self-confidence.
Show co-workers your passion for company goals and encourage others to do the same. Maintain your individual identity by not allowing the job to consume you. Your employer must realize that you choose to work for them. Do not let the fear of losing your job hinder your performance.
Have a backup plan in place if you are ever laid off. Always have options. This will give you the confidence and flexibility to be a visionary. Maintain a level of practically and adjust goals as needed.
Related: 6 Actions You Can Take Every Day to Build Your Self-Confidence
2. Strive to complete each task and assignment on time.
This will demonstrate to both your supervisors and subordinates that you are a responsible person who keeps their word. This also helps others trust you and shows your have a high level of accountability. If you are given a deadline that is unreasonable, tactfully find a way to convey this information to the individual who set the deadline.
3. Show humility.
Be willing to admit your flaws, but do not focus on them. You should have some self-depreciation, but it should be paired with self-confidence. People generally will not respect a leader who appears insecure and continuously mentions their shortcomings.
Show your human side but maintain a sense of bravado and self-assurance.
4. Have patience with others.
Realize that co-workers each have their individual levels of learning and adapt to new tasks and job assignments accordingly. Praise others as they master each step of their new assignments. Having patience with others will demonstrate you have confidence in co-workers and believe they can expand their knowledge and skills. People are most likely to respect those who treat well and will not fear approaching them with problems or questions.
5. Respect co-workers even if you don't like them.
Despite not always seeing eye-eye with co-workers, you still must show professional respect to everyone you encounter during the course of the workday. Things change rapidly in the corporate world. Someone who is your subordinate may someday become your supervisor. Or a co-worker may join another company and become one of your future clients.
6. Don't repeat workplace gossip.
While it may be tempting to listen and repeat the latest office gossip, doing so will give the impression that you are not to be trusted with confidential information. It also gives the impression that you enjoy discussing the misfortunes of others. That is not a good way to earn respect.
Related: 3 Strategies for Dealing With Toxic People
7. Be inclusive.
Tell employees about changes in the organization and what impact it may have on all involved. Encourage employees to ask questions and stay informed about what is happening within the company. One simple way to accomplish is to publish an office newsletter.
8. Workers enjoy being praised.
This enhances their confidence in their skills. It may encourage them to work harder and learn new tasks and skills. If you must give criticism, combine it with praise for what the employee does well. If something does go wrong, do not publicly blame anyone else. If addressing a group, explain the problem and what steps are being taken to prevent future occurrences.
9. Share knowledge with co-workers.
This action demonstrates that you have confidence in their abilities to handle new situations and that you respect them enough to share this important information. As you seek knowledge, you must also learn the value of communal learning.
This will help you form a team mentality in the workplace and include others in your success. Respected people are seldom loners on the road to success. They include others along their journey and make it known that everyone has a role in the success of the company.
10. Be neat and organized.
An active workplace is indicative of a hard-working individual but a disorganized workplace leaves the impression that you have no regard for the image of the company. Your clothing should also reflect the idea that you value your professional image. Dress each day as if you are going to ask for a raise.
11. Always be professional, even at office parties.
The final word of advice to those who seek respect in the workplace is not to get drunk at company social functions. Although an event may be held off company premises, it is still a work-related event and it isn't be professional to act rudely or say something inappropriate.
While your private life is your own business, you have to maintain your reputation at work by not over-indulging at social functions. If a co-worker gets intoxicated at an office party, be discrete and do not mention the incident in the following days.