“Respect is like air. As long as it’s present, nobody thinks about it. But if you take it away, it’s all that people can think about…”

Ron McMillan, Author, Crucial Conversations

Christine Porath’s survey of nearly 20,000 employees worldwide, showed that respect was the most important leadership behaviour of all the dimensions that were measured. Respect is fundamental to forming valued connections and relationships between people and contributes to a sense of self.

Definitions vary but as Ron McMillan says in Crucial Conversations, you know it when you don’t get it.

Kristie Rogers Do Your Employees Feel Respected?  talks about

• Owed respect that is accorded equally to all members of a team, meeting the universal need to belong. Every member of the group is inherently valuable; and
• Earned respect which recognizes individual employees who display valued qualities or behaviours.

With social and commercial benefits arising from encouraging inclusion and equity, remind yourself about simple ways to role-model and encourage respect in your team, so, like air, when its present, ‘nobody thinks about it’. Starting off with a conversation about what the word ‘respect’ means to different people in your team would be a good start.

If you’re interested in this topic make sure you  Register  for our upcoming event on Belonging and DEI.

Author, Tim Dyke