In 2022, the focus of business owners worldwide has been on retention. I recently looked over a 2021 study from MIT Sloan that evaluated over 1.4 million reviews from Glassdoor, the online employee review site, around the world. They were able to determine the top 10 things your corporate culture needs to get right.
The research clearly identifies respect as not only the most important factor, but it is nearly twice as important as the second most predictive factor, a supportive leader. This aligns with our recent research that found that a leader who respected, supported, and cared for their team members was the most important determinant in whether someone would stay or leave their current job. Caring, respectful, and supportive managers even beat out higher wages and an increased focus on health and well-being, so it’s clear just how important respect really is to today’s workforce.
Right now, it is extremely difficult to attract and retain top talent. Team members are tired, and some are even quiet quitting – doing the bare minimum at work and hoping to just skate by. When interacting with business leaders around the world, I am often asked, ‘What can I do right now to help me keep my people?’ The answer, as the title of this article suggests, is give a little (or really a lot of) respect. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can show respect to your staff.
Mind Your Manners – and Your Managers
The first and most obvious way to show respect is in the way you speak to and behave with your staff. Treating other people with courtesy and dignity is simple, yet, essential in establishing a relationship built on respect. But while we have all heard the saying, “good manners don’t cost us a thing,” it seems that today those manners are in short supply. Irish novelist Laurence Sterne said it best when he said, “Respect for others guides our manners.” So, to show your people respect, start by remembering your Ps & Qs, and ensure that your managers at all levels do the same.
Listen, Listen, Listen
Next, remember to listen. This might seem obvious, but the reality is, we do not often listen well. Author Nicole Lipkin suggested that “listening is one of the most difficult skills on the planet.” The reason it has become so difficult is that we try to listen and do other things simultaneously – most notably, focusing on our electronics while others are trying to communicate with us. When we tell someone we are listening, but are avidly focused on emails, texts, or social media, we need to stop kidding ourselves that we are actually listening. I can tell you in our employee focus groups that employees feel most disrespected when a manager says they are listening but are doing something else while the employee is talking. To demonstrate respect to others, we need to give the other person our full physical and mental attention, so we can actually understand what is being said.
In addition, truly listening requires not just hearing the words someone is saying, but truly seeking understanding. There are different levels of listening. While it’s likely that you don’t outright ignore your staff when they are trying to speak to you, it’s also very likely that you spend much of your time listening to respond – meaning, listening just enough to catch the gist of the message and then thinking about what your response will be. To show your people the full amount of respect that they need from you, focus on listening with the intent to understand, fully, what is being said, even to the point of repeating their words back to them and asking for clarification if needed.
See the Good in Your People – and Tell Them About It
Showing someone respect also means that you see their talent, accomplishments, and potential. But most important, and something we don’t do often enough, is to tell them what you see. To see the good your people are doing, you need to pay attention. So, a good practice I urge managers to follow is to schedule an hour throughout each day when you can get out of your office and walk the business or operation, so that you can see people doing great things. Avoid pointing out things that they are doing wrong, which is probably what many managers tend to give feedback on. Rather, look to see your people doing something great, and then recognize it in the moment. This is an important aspect of demonstrating respect in the workplace.
Respect Others’ Time
Another way to demonstrate respect is how you view a person’s time. When you schedule a meeting or time with someone make sure you start on time and finish when you promise. While I am told these days it’s ‘no big deal’ being late to a meeting, I find it quite disrespectful that it seems to have become so commonplace in society. In this technology-driven world, there’s no excuse to miss or be late to a meeting. Sync your watch, update your calendar, use whatever notifications you need, but ensure that you show your people that you respect them by not wasting their time.
Encourage Feedback from Everyone
Finally, ask your people for their ideas and input on how business should get done. I am still surprised that so many managers fail to engage with their employees for ideas on how to achieve goals or improve the way business is done. When you take the time to ask someone for their opinion or ideas it not only demonstrates respect, but it also gets your people more interested and involved in helping you make the business successful. You need as much help as possible to make your business successful, so it is still frustrating when you do not turn to one of your best sources of ideas and insights – your employees.
Hopefully, this all seems quite obvious. But then again – if it was happening, we would not be seeing so many issues in the workplace. Make “respect” the focus for yourself and your managers, and you will have the most immediate and meaningful impact on your workplace culture and how your team performs.
Looking to improve your leadership skills, or those of your managers? Check out SGEi’s Leadership Performance Program – our next cohort starts in January, so don’t wait!