Shawnee Love   •  
June 21, 2017

Everyone knows asbestos in a building is bad for you.  If your workplace has open asbestos, your employer is going to do something about it or employees are likely to get sick.

Disrespect acts in the same way.  If a work culture permits disrespect or worse promotes it, people get sick.  There is extensive evidence that bullying, harassment, and abuse, lead to increases in absenteeism, conflicts, and costs (e.g., due to benefits use, errors, lost customers, etc.) which is why its important to do something about it.  The problem with disrespect is where to start?

The antidote to disrespect (and thus a way to promote wellness at work), is to create a respectful environment.  That is, to have a culture where everyone operates and interacts from a place of respect. In practical terms, that means:

• Leaders live it.
• Policies require it.
• Systems hire, promote, and reward for it.
• Training teaches it.
• Management models and enforces it.
• Everyone is responsible for it.
• Discipline is swift and significant to anyone who doesn’t demonstrate it.

However, that’s an awful lot of things to get right, especially if you are like most of my entrepreneurial clients, and you need it done yesterday.

The reality of culture is you can’t fix it overnight.  Culture takes time to correct.  A respectful culture is something you have to work on every day in every interaction.  Respect is not a destination.  You don’t get there and say:

“Phew we made it.  Now we are done.”

A culture of RESPECT is a practice, and like any practice, we get better at it…

over time …

with discipline, repeat efforts, learning and coaching.

If you are a leader who wants a culture of respect at your organization, the best thing to do is to start with yourself.  Turn a critical eye to all that you do and say (get input from trusted advisors too).  Make sure you are the living embodiment of respect in your organization.  Some simple ways you can start today are:

• Say hello to everyone when you arrive in the morning.  Say thank you and goodbye at the end of each day.
• Ask questions about employees’ lives, families, and also about their work.
• Listen when people talk- don’t interrupt.
• Pick up the phone or walk over to the desk to speak with someone instead of texting or emailing.
• Show up on time for the meeting. Follow the agenda. Ensure it wraps up on time so people can get back to work.
• Do what you say you will.
• Smile.
• Be thankful. Acknowledge contributions.
• Trust people to do their jobs- never micromanage.
• Have high standards.
• Communicate clearly and often.
• Consult with staff. Ask their advice, hear suggestions and ideas and try to incorporate them where possible.

You can’t possibly do all these things at once, so just pick one or maybe two to start.  Practice every day.  At the end of each day, reflect on how you did in your efforts to demonstrate respect that day. Commit to doing better tomorrow. Repeat.

What’s one thing you will do?