How to Earn Respect: Getting the Respect You Deserve at Work

by Oct 22, 2013

What Does It Mean To Earn Respect?

Most employees aim to like their jobs, and all want to be respected. Sadly, doing a great job and earning respect don’t happen to always be mutually inclusive. There will be people that work harder than others, only to get walked over by their co-workers or upper level management.

Respect is given to people who are valued. If you are a tremendous workaholic, but can’t grasp the politics of the office, you are good as dead. All work, but no recognition. The best benefit of being respected is that your life away from your job will rarely be impacted by your career. Here are some tips on how to gain the respect you deserve.

Stop Caring So Much

I’m not saying you should stop caring at all. People often become obsessed with their careers. It’s good to show that you are competent at what you do, but don’t over do it. If you’re always working later than everyone else, chances are, your employer will take advantage of you.

Yes, the economy is tough, but you cannot be walking around, terrified about where you will be if you lose this particular job.

Don’t Miss Deadlines

There is a reason people call them deadlines. Meeting deadlines show that you are accountable. With that said, if someone gives you an unreasonable deadline, respectfully point out that your work quality might suffer and the task might not be deliverable within that time frame. Give an alternative suggestion.

Keep A Clean Workspace

You don’t have to brush off the dust everyday. A slightly messy desk can show that you are getting work done, but having candy wrappers and bottle caps lying around your desk doesn’t look too impressionable.

Never Be Late To An Appointment

Nothing shows more disrespect than saying, “I value my time more than yours.” If you make an appointment, make sure to arrive promptly.

According to the New York Times, the average American spends about 45 hours a week at work. This is a big chunk of your life. By following these tips, I hope that you can earn the respect you deserve at work.

Do you know how much money chronically bad behavior costs your company? Spoiler alert – it’s a LOT higher than you want it to be. Download our data and worksheet to see how it’s costing your organization and what you can do to fix it.

 

Catherine

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, an organizational development firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners’ clients range from Fortune 500s to small businesses across many industries. Catherine is a TEDx speaker and an HR thought leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She’s an award-winning speaker, author, and blogger and has 60+ courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning.  Her fourth book, Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies (Wiley), is available in all major bookstores and where audiobooks are sold.

“What to Say May”: Turn Good Intentions into Everyday Courage

May has always been a month of transition. Spring in full bloom, fresh energy, and just enough optimism to believe people might actually follow through on their good intentions. So this year, we’re channeling that energy into something practical. We’re calling it...

3 Reasons Gen Z Won’t Take B.S. From Their Employers

Gen Z is quickly becoming one of the most influential voices in the workplace and they’re not staying quiet.  In fact, research shows that Gen Z employees are highly values-driven. Nearly 9 in 10 say purpose is critical to their job satisfaction and they increasingly...

3 Ways to Handle Employee Departures Without Damaging Your Culture

Employee departures are more common and more impactful than many leaders realize. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently reports millions of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs each month, with quit rates hovering around 2–3% in recent years....

“Job Hugging” & 4 Ways to Respond

Nearly 48% of employees say they are staying in their jobs longer than they otherwise would for stability and security, and about 75% expect to remain in their roles for the next few years. At the same time, voluntary quit rates have dropped to around 2%, one of the...

Workplace Red Flag: “We’re Like a Family!”

Have you ever worked in, or heard someone mention, a workplace that prides itself on being like a family, or family-oriented? “We treat each other like family here,” they say.  People mean it as a signal of care, loyalty, and belonging. But calling your workplace a...

Unpopular Opinion: “Open Door Policies” are Just for Show

Most employees don’t feel safe speaking up at work. In fact, research consistently shows that a significant portion of employees, often more than half, hold back concerns, ideas, or feedback because they fear negative consequences. And yet, ask almost any organization...

Employees Afraid to Discuss Work Toxicity?

I just returned from the Ohio Safety Conference (OSC), where I spoke about Why Safety Fails Without Culture & Behavior. In addition to my session, we hosted a booth where we handed out some swag, including copies of my book, Navigating a Toxic Workplace For...

Should HR Come as a Pair? Compliance vs. Strategic HR

Have you ever noticed how small most HR teams are in comparison to everything they’re expected to do? In many organizations, HR makes up only about 2% of the workforce. Yet they’re responsible for the business’ most valuable asset - PEOPLE. That means culture and...

AI Prompts for Busy HR and Leaders Building Civil Cultures

You don’t struggle creating and managing a positive culture because you don’t care about it. You struggle because you don’t have the time. Between performance issues, leadership coaching, hiring, compliance, and “one more urgent fire,” culture work often gets pushed...

An Important Survey Question You’re Not Asking

Employee Appreciation Day is March 6th here in the United States, and with it often come social events, catered lunches, swag bags, and gift cards. It’s kind of annoying, if you ask me.  Not because you shouldn’t appreciate your people, but because leaders are fairly...