By | Jacqueline Whitmore | www.entrepreneur.com
Respect is something not automatically given. It must be earned. When you’re in a leadership position, it is imperative that the people with whom you work respect you. They might respect your work habits, your intelligence, or your ability to close a deal. Yet, there’s more to respect than that. If you can earn their respect as a person, then you’ve really won the game.
Here are some tips for earning more respect.
1. Be polite.
Always be polite to everyone you meet during the day, from your family members to your co-workers, to the checkout person at the grocery store. Give others the same respect you’d like to receive yourself. Seek out actions you can take to offer politeness. Open the door at the coffee shop for the person behind you, or let the person with one item go ahead of you in the grocery store. Say please and thank you whenever possible.
2. Act respectfully.
Eliminate disrespectful behaviors such as rolling your eyes, interrupting or talking negatively about someone. Not only are these actions not respectful of the person you’re interacting with, they deter or prevent further involvement or resolution of issues, and create a wedge that can become permanent. Instead, foster an environment of respectful listening. Everyone deserves to be heard, even if you don’t agree with a person’s views or opinions. Consider how you’d like to be treated if you have something to say, especially if there is an important issue at hand.
