Tips for Demonstrating Respect

You can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help you avoid needless, insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too.

• Treat people with courtesy, politeness, and kindness.
• Encourage coworkers to express opinions and ideas.
• Listen to what others have to say before expressing your viewpoint. Never speak over, butt in, or cut off another person.
• Use people’s ideas to change or improve work. Let employees know you used their idea, or, better yet, encourage the person with the idea to implement the idea.
• Never insult people, use name calling, disparage or put down people or their ideas.
• Do not nit-pick, constantly criticize over little things, belittle, judge, demean or patronize. A series of seemingly trivial actions added up over time, constitutes bullying.

• Be aware of your body language, the tone of voice, and your demeanor and expression in all of your interactions at work. People, who are radar machines, are hearing what you're really saying in addition to listening to your words.
• Improve your own ability to interact with coworkers and bosses in a way that emphasizes the knowledge you have gained from your awareness of people and your emotional intelligence. It will make you more able to offer sympathy, relate with empathy, and step into the shoes of those with whom you work.

• Treat people the same no matter their race, religion, gender, size, age, or country of origin. Implement policies and procedures consistently, so people feel that they are treated fairly and equally. Treating people differently can constitute harassment or a hostile work environment.
• Include all coworkers in meetings, discussions, training, and events. While not every person can participate in every activity, do not marginalize, exclude or leave any one person out. Provide an equal opportunity for employees to participate in committees, task forces, or continuous improvement teams. Solicit volunteers and try to involve every volunteer.

• Praise much more frequently than you criticize. Encourage praise and recognition from employee to employee as well as from the supervisor.
• The golden rule does apply in the workplace, or, as professional speaker Leslie Charles, says frequently, “You want to implement the platinum rule at work: treat others as they wish to be treated.”

There are many other ways to demonstrate respect at work. You will want to make your job become meaningful work. Respect is a cornerstone of meaningful work. These ideas constitute a solid foundation but your imagination and thoughtful consideration will bring you many more.

Implemented consistently at work, these respectful actions help ensure a respectful, considerate, professional workplace. You can be certain that a respectful workplace brings benefits for all stakeholders.





SOURCE: www.thebalancecareers.com