8 Ways to Gain the Respect of Your Coworkers

8 Ways to Gain the Respect of Your Coworkers8 Ways to Gain the Respect of Your CoworkersSome people just walk into a room, and every eye and ear are immediately tuned into them. Is this magic? Doubtful. In reality, that person has worked very hard over the years to gain the respect of the people who work around him. You can earn the respect of the people with whom you work as well. Follow the Rules Sure, on television or in the movies, its always the rogue cop or the office worker who pushes the limits who wins the rewards and praise. In real life, its the person who does what they are supposed to do. This is especially important if youre the boss or work in a management role. The boss who slacks offfrom working, comes in late, leaves early, and spends mora time shopping online than working, wont engender respect from the coworkers. While the effect of rule-following isnt as strong among peers, it still plays a critical role. People dont respect people who dont respect the rules. This is especially true in a workplace wzu siche most employees do follow the rules. After all, they were put in place for a reason. Whether to create workplace harmony or to fairly and ethically deal with employees, workplace rules most often are carefully thought out. Work Hard This is one area where the television shows get it right- that cop may break all of the rules, but he certainly puts in the hours. Now, working hard doesnt mean you need to work 80 hours a week, but it does mean that you need to work when youre supposed to work. If youre an exempt employee, youll probably need to put in a bit more time than the office norm. If youre a non-exempt employee, make sure that you clear all overtime with your boss before working it. You dont get respect by working off the clock or by surprising your boss with your time card. Working hard also means that you need to spend your work time on work. You wont earn the status of a respected employee if you are viewed by others as a person who steals time from your employer. Talk Less, Listen More You may think that the person with the most respect is the one standing at the head of the conference table giving the presentation, but thats not always the case. If you feel as if you always need to talk, youre not likely the most respected person in the room. People gain respect by actually listening to the ideas of others. This doesnt mean that you cant share your ideas, but it does mean that you need to pay attention to what others are saying. Remember, you were hired to do your job, and other employees were hired to do theirs. That may seem like a super basic statement, but, in practical terms, it means that other people are experts on tasks outside of your expertise. So, listen to what they have to say about their area of expertise. Recognize that, in listening to your coworkers, you treat them with respect. This respect engenders respect for you and what you have to say. Assume the Best About People and Situations When the accounts payable person tells you that it will take three days to get the suppliers check cut, dont assume that its because shes lazy. She may be lazy, but she probably also needs to follow required processes and procedures that restrict her ability to respond toyourtimeliness requirements. Just because you dont understand why or when something happens doesnt mean that a valid reason doesnt exist. Apologize and Admit Mistakes Youre not perfect. No one is. You will make mistakes. If you want respect,you need to admit your mistakes. Practice this statement, Im sorry. What can I do to fix it? The last part is critical in many situations- otherwise, the apology is just an empty statement. If youre the boss, you take the blame for the teams failures as well as your own. If youre an individual contributor, you need to take the blame for your own missteps. A mistake isnt a career ender. Not admitting a mistake can become a career ender. Take Criticism and Learn from It Having people respect you isnt dependent on people thinking that youre right all of the time. Its about people trusting you and appreciating what you have to say. Just like you need to take your lumps when you make a mistake, you need to listen to what people have to say about you. Your boss thinks your marketing plan stinks? Well, ask her why and carefully consider what she has to say. Your direct report thinks that your marketing plan stinks? Well, ask her why and carefully consider what she has to say. Those last two lines werent an accidental repeat of the preceding lines. Whether the criticism comes from above or below you must carefully consider what the person had to say. Go ahead and ask questions. They may be right. They may be dead wrong, but you wont know unless you consider it. Stand up for Yourself The above is not a suggestion tolet people walk all over you. You can carefully consider criticism and say, Jane, I heard what you said about the marketing plan not hitting the right target, but I disagree. I believe that the market research shows that blah, blah, blah. If someone criticizes your personal appearance, family status, race, gender, whatever, you can certainly call them on it. Im sorry, the fact that I look young has what to do with this? Standing up for yourself is critical to earning respect from coworkers and bosses. On the other side, though, dont go looking for offense where no offense is intended. If you get upset about every little comment anyone makes, youll look like a whiner. Some things, you just need to let them go. Help Others Succeed Think about who you respect the most. Is it someone who pushed people under the bus right and left on her way to the top? Probably not. (And if it is, pleaseconsider getting therapy.) Instead, you undoubtedly respect someone who was kind and helpful. So, if you want others to respect you, try doing the same. Take time to mentor. Dont get angry when your direct reports, peers, or bosses make mistakes. Just help them get the job done and done right. When you lift up those around you, you all rise together. - - - - - - - - - - - - Suzanne Lucas is a freelance journalist specializing in Human Resources. Suzannes work has been featured on notes publications including Forbes, CBS, Business Insider and Yahoo.