What makes a good workplace? Respect

Do you feel respected at work and do you show respect to others?

Showing respect in the workplace is very important and it needs to work both ways — employee to manager and boss to subordinates. It ranges from simply greeting another person — “Good morning” — to showing appreciation for the contributions others make. Everyone in the organization should show respect for others, even if they disagree, regardless of the level of the position held.

Here are some of the many benefits that result:

Job satisfaction. In workplaces that are respectful, all employees are more engaged and productive. It can lift the spirit and bring a little sunshine in a person’s day. It brings encouragement and can instill confidence. The Society of Human Resources Management conducted a survey in which 72 percent of employees responding rated showing respect of all employees as “very important.” It was the top contributor to overall employee job satisfaction.

Employee engagement. A recent Gallup study of over 350,000 American employees revealed that only 30 percent were engaged in their work. One of the simplest strategies to inspire disengaged employees was to show respect for fellow team members. A survey conducted by Harvard Business Review of over 20,000 employees found that respect was the No. 1 behavior that leads to greater engagement and commitment.

Fairer work environment. When a sense of fairness is evident and workers show respect toward one another, incidences of harassment, hazing, intimidation, bullying and horseplay dramatically decrease. When a manager sets the example for his or her employees by showing them respect, it sets the foundation for quality work and shows there is no tolerance of disrespectful behavior.

Less stress. Respectfulness reduces any stress an employee may have regarding being stepped on or stepped over. It allows for freedom without worry about being the subject of gossip or being ridiculed. Any way you can reduce pettiness and workplace politics will result in decreasing the stress levels. Employees can be themselves without feeling they have to “walk on eggshells,” not having to try to be someone they are not.

Knowledge sharing. Employees who respect each other will automatically build relationships on the job and share ideas with each other. Individual growth and team productivity will increase as employees share ideas with each other.

Empathy for others. Empathy is the ability to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions and actions of others. Being able to walk in another’s shoes will make you aware of the feelings and issues they deal with and to better understand their needs. It will result in more respect being shown to others.

Bottom line. As employee engagement increases, a fair environment exists, stress levels are reduced, knowledge sharing increases and the company’s bottom line will be boosted. Respect replaces jealousy and backstabbing. It becomes a fun place to work where managers and employees alike become encouragers of others. People look forward to coming to work rather than dreading it.

Showing respect is not hard. The book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” written by Robert Fulghum, gives some simple directions of things learned in the sandbox.

• Share everything
• Play fair
• Don’t hit people
• Put things back where you found them
• Clean up your own mess
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody 
• Wash your hands before you eat
• Flush

It’s really not so complicated. Most people learned the value of demonstrating respect at an early age. However, some people were not taught these principles at home.

Live the GoldenRule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” However, recognize there are some people who don’t have a basis of understanding of the proper and respectful way to treat people as they may have never experienced respect shown to them or been taught the right way to treat others. You may work with people you don’t feel deserve respect. Everyone has rights, opinions, desires and wishes, but they often come across very belligerent. People have different work styles, perspectives and ideas. People don’t always see eye-to-eye. These situations can be very challenging.

Respect can transform your workplace, change the way you look at others and how others see you. Being respectful, professional and pleasant at work and in other relationships will create a positive environment that has many benefits. It also impacts the way employees treat customers. It is vital and is the responsibility of employees and managers to ensure a positive culture on the job, which everyone will benefit from, internally and externally.

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Contact Becky Vaughn-Furlow at bvaughnfurlow@gmail.com.