PRINCIPAL`S MESSAGE

Respect

Studies around the world have found that feeling respected by superiors is at the top of employees’ lists of what they value most at work. Because people’s jobs are often central to who they are, respectful cues in a professional setting are important signals of social worth. People who experience incivility in the workplace can spend time brooding about it and the miasma can spread. Leaders often have an incomplete understanding of what constitutes workplace respect – so even well-meaning efforts to provide a respectful workplace may fall short.

Two kinds of respect

Owed respect: The sense that every member of the organisation is inherently valuable.

Earned respect: Recognition for those who display valued qualities and behaviours. In organisations where owed respect is lacking, there is micromanagement, incivility and abuse of power. Where earned respect is lacking, good work isn’t recognised. One of the challenges is finding the right balance between the two types of respect. If there’s too much owed respect, people can feel that everyone is treated the same regardless of performance. Too much earned respect can produce excessive competition and discourage collaboration, sharing important knowledge and skills and admitting mistakes.

Suggestions

Establish a baseline of owed respect. Being greeted or ignored in a corridor can prompt people to feel their worth in an organisation or make them feel invisible. Old-fashioned good manners go a long way.

Know how to convey owed respect in each context. This might include active listening, valuing diverse ideas, and openness to advice, giving the freedom to pursue creative ideas, taking an interest in people’s non-work lives and publicly backing colleagues.

Understand that trying to convey respect can backfire. Done poorly, attempts to show respect can come across as disingenuous or manipulative. Because employees see honesty as one of the most valuable expressions of respect, insincere compliments are likely to be counter-productive.

Customise the amount of earned respect conveyed. If collaboration and cohesion are important, as in schools, lean more toward owed respect; if individual performance counts most, lean toward earned respect.

Recognise that respect has ripple effects. Leadership behaviours are often mimicked throughout an organisation and just as incivility can spiral, so too can respect.

See respect as a time saver. Being pressed for time is a hollow excuse for not showing respect. Besides, showing respect is largely a matter of how we do everyday things – listening, being present with others, affirming their value.

Think of respect as infinite. Deciding when to bestow respect is not like dividing up a fixed pie. Respect is not finite; it can be given to one employee without short-changing others. This is true of owed and earned respect.

Acknowledgement: “Do Your Employees Feel Respected?” by Kristie Rogers in Harvard Business Review, July-Aug. 2018

Kind Regards,