Great employees value those they work with and for. They see the big picture of what the company they work for does and what their job purpose is.
They also understand that each person that works for the company has a position that is as valuable as theirs.
They take the time to earn respect from their co-workers and from the start they show respect to everyone they work with. Respect is the essential ingredient in creating a workplace environment where employees value each other.
From day one you should always demonstrate respect for your boss and co-workers. You may not know them and they may not show respect for you right away, but that does not matter.
Show your co-workers respect in the following ways:
1. Make a big effort to be kind and friendly. Being friendly breaks the ice quicker.
2. Never partake in gossip; that also means not listening to it. There are ways that you can change the topic if someone tries to get you caught-up in gossip (that is another blog post).
3. When speaking, maintain eye contact and show genuine interest in what is being said. Blowing off co-workers by not paying attention to them when they are speaking to you is disrespectful and hurtful.
4. Make sure you do what is expected of you at work. You will lose respect or never gain it by being a slacker.
5. Accept the different personalities that your co-workers have and learn to understand them better. (There are a lot of good resources on understanding personality types that can be very helpful).
Here are a few ways employees can earn respect from their co-workers:
1. Do your job well and be polite.
2. Do not burden co-workers with your personal problems.
3. Do not talk about controversial topics that may offend others, i.e., religion, sexual preference, political issues.
4. Do not talk unfavorably about co-workers or your boss to other co-workers.
5. Leave salary out of all conversations.
6. If you need help ask for it, but do not overburden co-workers with tasks that belong to your job position.
Great employees show and elicit respect. They demonstrate that they value their co-workers and boss. They know that each person contributes to the environment and desires to make it a place where all employees enjoy working each day.
08/26/15
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