R.E.S.P.E.C.T

"Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity" Wikipedia

We all want to feel respected right? Am I right?

I believe so.

In the working world I hear so many people say that they in no way whatsoever feel respected in their workspace.

Where has respect gone? Did it vanish? If so, how do we get it back? Do you respect yourself? If not, why not?

So we spend most of our days working. This is a fact for many of us.

If we work in a team environment the chances are we are working with other human beings.

If we work with other human beings, chances are that we interact with them in some way almost every single day. Even if it's just to ask them to pass the stapler.

Chances are when respect is lacking or absent for ourselves and others, problems can occur.

Problems by the names of hostility, irritability, sarcasm and suspicion.

Hmmm those don't sound very nice. From my experience this can lead to workplace conflicts, bullying, paranoia, frustration, low morale, decreased productivity, negativity and a whole other host of nasty things.

So imagine if you worked somewhere where they respected one another. You respected yourself and your team members, your manager and your clients.

So chances are when respect is present and around the workspace will be peaceful, calm, positive and nice.

Ahhh that sounds much better. From my experience this can lead to workplace harmony, inclusion, relaxation, increased morale, increased productivity, positivity and a whole host of other nice things.

So how do we foster a respectful workplace?

Here are some suggestions to show respct for others and for yourself:

Be Compassionate to others- embodying kindness and genuine compassion which is defined as a deep awareness of the suffering of another with the wish to decrease it.

Be Understanding- truly listen to other people and don't just fill the space with talk and think you know what they are going to say. Practice being quiet and letting someone really talk and don't feel you need to fix everything but be that support for someone else.

Be Empathetic- this kind of goes hand in hand with compassion. Recognise when others are suffering and share feelings with them without getting too involved and taking on their suffering.

Be Mindful- Think before you speak. Ask yourself what benefit what you are about to say brings. If it is not kind and not helpful keep your mouth closed.

Be a Conscious Communicator- Interact authentically with those around you. Be honest and open and do what you say you are going to do.

All of these things will go some way to promote a less stressful working environment and encourage respect in your workspace.

It all starts with you...