R- E-S-P-E-C-T = Productivity

Respect – Find out what it means to me… When Aretha Franklin belted out those lines it gave insight into creating a respectful workplace. In fact, while teaching “Respect in the Workplace” around New York State for Cornell University Industrial Relations School, people freely shared two key ways which left them feeling respected. One was by feeling listened to and another was being acknowledged for the work they do. When a person feels respected they feel the admiration of others. This is accomplished when employees, at all levels of the organization, ask for their input. This is especially important if changes in the workplace will affect the individual. Once a person’s opinion is given, it is imperative they receive input into whether it will be used. If it cannot, the individual should be told why it is not a viable solution and how the selected decision will impact the person and their position.

Secondly, individuals want to know the work they do is important. Often people go to work, put in their hours and have no idea how their work influences the vision and mission of the organization. Feedback should be timely and specific and given in positive as well as corrective approaches. Too often people only receive feedback when there is a problem or a mistake is made. At a recent visit to a client, managers focus on incidentals and never give employees positive recognition for the work they do in an extremely stressful environment.

So why focus on helping your people feel respected? When a person feels respected they are encouraged to do better. This does not mean they are not held accountable, it means their errors are addressed not through punishment but through discussion, learning and a plan to ensure the error does not happen in the future.

Christin Porathe from Georgetown University, found in a survey of 20,000 employees conducted through Harvard, that respect from leadership was a key indicator of productivity and she found when employees aren’t treated with respect:

• 48% decreased their work effort
• 47% decreased the time spend at work
• 38% decreased the quality of their work
• 80% lost work time worrying about the incident
• 66% said that their performance declined
• 78% said their commitment to the organization declined

Respectful workplaces are productive, rewarding, and an enjoyable place to be for everyone. They build on individual strengths and promote a positive workplace. Bottom line, respect promotes productivity.