- Respect in the workplace is a genuine appreciation for other people’s unique traits and strengths.
- Respectful workplaces promote empathy and clear communication. On the other hand they discourage biased and discriminatory behavior.
- Show your respect to coworkers by listening to what they have to say, being open to hearing everyone’s opinions, and including everyone in meetings and events.
What is respect in the workplace?
Respect in the workplace is appreciation for people’s unique traits and values. Respect is the key to building a healthy work environment where people can feel genuinely valued and appreciated for their work. Respect comes in many forms, such as making an effort to include and listen to everyone, helping coworkers, and actively shutting down disrespectful behaviors. It’s all about treating someone with dignity and showing your sincere admiration for the great work they do. Examples of respectful behavior include: Being polite to your coworkers Listening to others’ opinions with an open mind Including everyone in making decisions Showing sincere compassion when others are facing a tough situation Making everyone feel safe in the workplace
Traits of a Respectful Workplace
Employees and managers that show compassion Being empathetic is being able to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings, while showing compassion is showing care and genuine concern for their well-being. A respectful workplace is full of both. When you act with empathy and compassion toward your team members, boss, and customers, trust forms within your relationships, and you’ll hopefully feel like you’re in a place where you’ll be cared for and respected. For example, some companies allow their employees to take mental health days or weeks in order to recharge and come back to work ready and excited to fulfill their roles. Doing something like this shows that the company prioritizes their employees’ well-being and treating them with compassion. Giving a day off, a bonus, or a gift card (e.g. to one of their favorite restaurants) can also be the ways of showing compassion to employees.
A lack of bias or discrimination Biased acts and discrimination are two major things that can make a person feel isolated in their place of work and leave them feeling as though they’re not respected or valued by their peers. If your workplace truly prioritizes respect, the people within it will work hard to overcome their biases, both conscious and unconscious, and avoid discrimination. As an example, some companies practice “blind hiring,” which usually involves the personal information of a job applicant being left out as their resume is reviewed. This may include things like their name, address, and even educational background. Blind hiring is meant to curb an employer’s bias and allows them to focus solely on an applicant’s qualifications and skills.
A work environment where everyone feels safe Companies and workplaces show respect by clearly prioritizing their employees’ safety and well-being. Being proactive in preventing harassment and bullying within the workplace is just one way your employer can show you that they respect your physical and emotional safety while you’re under their care. It’s an incredibly good sign if your employer requires everyone to participate in trainings on things like workplace harassment. It shows that they take the issue seriously and want to promote a work environment based on respect and trust.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion Your workplace can also promote respect by making sure that everyone is given equal opportunities, and people from all types of backgrounds are heard. A respectful workplace is welcoming to everyone, and it can even benefit from all the creativity that can come from so many diverse perspectives coming together. A good example would be a company that has people of different cultures, educational backgrounds, and genders in leadership roles.
Clear and open communication between peers When you feel respected at work, you often feel like you can speak your thoughts truthfully without fear of being reprimanded. Respectful workplaces ensure that everyone feels like they can speak up and participate in conversations. These kinds of workplaces also prioritize clear and concise communication, making sure that no one is left out or missing any important information. For example, a company might send out surveys to their employees frequently to get their honest opinions about what they think is and isn’t working and what improvements they wish to see. Or, a company executive can show respect by conversing with each employee and getting their honest feedback face-to-face.
A commitment to ethics and integrity A respectful workplace is one that’s filled with people who act with integrity and practice good ethics in the decisions they make. When you apply for a job, it’s important to look at a company’s values and mission statement, as this can help give you a general idea of the type of environment you’ll be working in. When people actually stick to these values and act in good faith, they make their workplace a much more respectful organization. Toxic things like gossip and negativity are oftentimes red flags that might reveal how certain employees or companies aren’t as dedicated to respect and trust as they should be.
How to Promote Respect
Encourage the exchange of constructive feedback. Whether you’re an executive or a regular employee, exchanging constructive feedback with your peers is a good way to show them that you care for their development as a professional and want to see them succeed. Point out an equal mix of things they’re doing well and things they can improve on, and always be sure to ask them for their opinions and feedback as well. Open yourself up to collaboration when you give someone constructive feedback. Ask them things like, “What do you think you could do to improve this skill?” and “What are some ways that I could support you?”
Acknowledge others’ strengths and accomplishments. Give people the recognition and praise they deserve when they do a good job or accomplish a goal. Respect is all about acknowledging the people around you and appreciating their talents and unique strengths. Think about how good it would feel to receive a compliment from your boss or a coworker and pay that kindness forward. For example, if you know your coworker just got done with a presentation that they’d been worrying about for some time, be sure to tell them how great they did and how much you learned from them. If you’re in a leadership role, acknowledge your team members’ accomplishments without showing favoritism. Avoid giving special perks to people or praising just a select few employees to show that you respect everyone and are being fair.
Listen attentively to what others have to say. One of the best ways you can show your respect for someone is by actively listening to their opinions and ideas. Refrain from interrupting them as they talk, ask questions to make sure you’re understanding everything, and give them your honest feedback if they’re looking for it. Get rid of any distractions in order to give someone your full attention, such as putting your phone down and shutting your laptop. Use positive body language to let the other person know you’re listening to their every word. Make eye contact with them, sit or stand up straight, and angle your body towards them.
Show empathy toward your team members. When one of your coworkers comes to you with a problem, listen to what they have to say and treat them with compassion and understanding. Even if you don’t find a solution, show that you’re there for them and do your best to empathize even when you can’t totally relate to their situation. You might even learn a thing or two by listening to their unique experiences. For example, take the time to check in with your coworkers about how they’re dealing with their workload. If you notice that they’re on the brink of burnout, talk to them and ask how they’re feeling. Offer them any support you can and listen with an open mind. Or, if you’re in a leadership position, make an effort to support your employees’ interests. For example, if one of your employees is dedicated to a certain philanthropic cause, consider donating to the cause and encouraging others to do the same to show your support.
Be aware of your non-verbal behaviors and actions. Stop every now and then throughout the day to reflect on how you’ve been interacting with people. Are you maintaining a friendly tone? Is your body language open and inviting? Do you use a kind and warm facial expression when talking with others? Your non-verbal actions can speak just as loud as your actual words. Check-in with yourself throughout the day to make sure you’re maintaining a respectful and professional appearance. An example of a respectful gesture would be maintaining eye contact with someone while they speak, whether that’s during a presentation or private conversation. Another example would be offering a bright and enthusiastic greeting to each of your coworkers in the morning and a friendly farewell once the workday is over.
Respect others’ time and workload. Just like yours, your coworkers’ and team members’ time is precious, and they likely have a lot on their plates on a daily basis. While asking them for help on a project or having them do a small task isn’t a bad thing, being mindful of their time and responsibilities is a big sign of respect. For example, if you’re leading a meeting, make an effort to start on time and end on time to remain respectful of your coworkers’ individual schedules. When you’re making a request either in person or over email, add a line like, “Whenever you have a free moment, would you be able to look at this?” to show the other person that you’re being respectful of their time and not forcing your own work on them.
Include everyone in meetings and events. Make sure that everyone feels included in all-staff events, whether in the workplace or outside of work hours. This could be asking for everyone’s input during a meeting or making sure that everyone gets an invite to an after-work dinner or outing. A big part of respect is making sure that everyone feels like they’re equally valued and important. Do your best to make your team members truly feel like a part of the team. If you’re setting up a meeting, take the time to ask each person what they’re hoping to learn and get out of your presentation. They’ll likely feel more involved in the meeting and less like you’re just talking at them.
Be polite and practice common courtesy. Being polite and being respectful are two slightly different things. Politeness is a way of acting kindly towards someone, while respect is a mindset of genuinely appreciating and valuing someone. However, being polite is a big part of cultivating this respectful mindset. Even small, polite gestures, like saying “Good morning” to your colleagues each day, can help create a more respectful workplace. Practice common courtesies such as answering emails on time, cleaning up your office space, and showing up on time for meetings to show the other people at your workplace that you respect them.
Perform a random act of kindness for your peers. Doing random acts of kindness for your coworkers and peers is a great way to show them how much you care about and respect them. It could be something small, like picking up a coffee for the person you share a desk with, or it could be something a bit bigger, like helping a coworker with a big presentation. Being kind is just one way to practice being empathetic, aware, and respectful of others. Other random acts of kindness you could do include getting your coworker a cake on their birthday, writing encouraging messages on post-it notes and putting them around the workplace, or acting as a mentor to a new employee.
Keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. When your workplace is filled with people from all different backgrounds and cultures, there’s a whole lot of creativity that’s just waiting to be tapped into. Embrace the multitude of ideas your team members bring and keep an open mind during each of your discussions. Be sure to ask everyone for their opinions and don’t be afraid to try something new if you think it’ll yield good results. For example, even if someone from a different department may not know all of the ins and outs of the project you’re working on, ask for their input if you’re facing a hard-to-solve problem. You never know, they might just have the right insight to help you find a solution.
Be transparent with your other team members. Be willing to share more explicit details as well as the bigger picture with your employees or teammates to make them feel like you truly respect and trust them. Keep others updated as soon as developments happen and give them adequate time to adapt and respond to the new situation. For example, if you’re in charge of a big project, send your boss and other coworkers weekly updates about your progress to help keep them in the loop and show that you’re open to feedback.
Call out discriminatory or biased behaviors. While not engaging in discriminatory or biased behaviors yourself is already a huge show of respect, it’s even more important that you call out others for their disrespectful behavior. Dealing with disrespectful people might be a bit intimidating at first, but it’s an important step towards creating a more respectful workplace. Be direct but polite if you decide to talk to them and explain why their actions or words were disrespectful. For example, if you want to tell someone that their comment was offensive, say something like, “It makes me uncomfortable when you say things like that.” If the problem is persistent, don’t be afraid to write a letter of complaint to HR or go to your boss for help. Remain respectful of every person’s individual beliefs, culture, educational background, religion, and other personal matters when you speak to them.
Benefits of Workplace Respect
Reduced stress It can be a huge relief knowing that your peers, customers, and managers genuinely respect you and the work you do. You’re likely to feel less stressed asking for help and voicing your opinions since you know that your peers will support you and listen to what you have to say. Reduced stress can also do wonders for your physical and mental health, and you may feel much happier and more relaxed within your workplace. On the other hand, being blatantly disrespected at your place of work can cause a lot of emotional and physical stress. Disrespectful acts like harassment and discrimination have been closely linked to increases in stress.
Improved collaboration and teamwork When you treat your peers with respect and show genuine interest in what they have to say, it’s likely that everyone will be more willing to work together to find solutions and create new innovations. Respecting people is also about offering to help others when they need it, so a workplace full of respect is likely to have lots of people who are willing to assist one another and take on more responsibility for the sake of their team. On the other hand, if employees aren’t respectful towards each other, they may find it hard to trust one another and collaborate on projects. People may choose to not communicate with one another and simply look out for themselves instead of their whole team. A lack of respect and collaboration could also lead to a huge deficit in creative ideas and solutions, making work that much harder for executives and employees.
Better employee engagement and productivity Knowing that you’re in a place that respects you will likely make you a lot more willing and eager to throw yourself into your work and give it your all. This, along with the great teamwork that can come out of a place that values respect, can lead to an overall increase in productivity for your company. The more your place of work values you, the more you’ll value them. Opposite to that, if you don’t feel respected at work, it makes sense that you wouldn’t be too motivated to perform at your very best.
Higher levels of employee satisfaction It makes sense that people who like their job and feel satisfied with their place of work are happier and feel more fulfilled by the work they do. Cultivating a respectful workplace is just one thing an employer can do to make you actually look forward to going to work each day. Not only that, but employees who are highly satisfied are also less likely to leave their position, so a respectful workplace is also beneficial for slowing down turnover rates. However, people who don’t feel safe or respected in their place of work likely won’t hesitate for too long before finding somewhere else that will hopefully recognize their value. If that happens, a company might find itself with a lot of vacant spots it needs to fill quickly.
Fair and equal work environment When you and your peers show mutual respect toward one another, you establish a sense of fairness in your relationship and put yourselves on an even playing field. No one is better than anyone else, and everyone is offered the same opportunities. This also helps get rid of any instances of harassment and bullying. Those who work in an environment that chooses not to prioritize respect will likely see a lot of favoritism and unequal treatment among employees. For example, instances of harassment or aggression may be completely ignored, resulting in people finding it hard to trust one another.
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