Over the past year, a number of surveys have shown that American workers in a variety of industries nationwide feel like their companies do not respect them. The ‘R’ word — and a lack of it — continue to be one of the top sources of worker discontent.
On the flip side, research also shows that employees who feel that they are respected by their company’s leadership are much more likely to be engaged, productive and loyal. One study shows that people who feel they are respected by their organization’s leaders are 55 percent more engaged than those who don’t feel they are respected.
How do you create a culture of respect within your team? One way is to become a better listener. Make sure your employees know they can be open with you and that you’re happy to make time one-on-one for them to voice their concerns.
Better yet, schedule time weekly, biweekly or monthly to meet with each team member. Actively solicit opinions. And when an employee provides you with feedback, try to follow up with that employee with any findings or actions taken as a result of the feedback they provided. Showing people that their input and ideas are valued is an important step in building respect.
Respect is a wonderful thing; if your employees feel you truly respect them, their respect for you will grow. And when respect is a two-way street, organizations can accomplish great things.