What is respect?

When asked to define respect one common answer is 'it is acting respectfully' and another is 'it is not disrespecting someone'.  Admirable sentiments yes, but they don't bring us any closer to a definition.

My personal favourite definition of respect is;

'Taking someone's feelings, needs, thoughts, ideas, wishes and preferences into consideration and giving them worth and value'.

When I think of respect I think of: empathy, acknowledgement, truely listening, open communication, consideration and kindness.  We are all individuals with our own styles and idiosyncrasies and we all deserve to have those individualities valued.

How does this fit with the saying 'you have to earn respect'?  If I am waiting for a new employee to earn my respect then how should I treat them while I wait?  Respect at Work believes that the respect that you earn (and can lose) as a response to your actions is different to that basic respect that everyone has the right to be given. 

After all don't I have just as much right to be in the workplace as everyone else?

Contact us to chat about how Respect at Work can work with your teams.