Sunday, February 7, 2010

Respect...its got to be earned...

According to Wikipedia, "Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity (such as a nation or a religion), and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected (e.g., "I have great respect for her judgment"). It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect. Rude conduct is usually considered to indicate a lack of respect, whereas actions that honor somebody or something indicate respect".

It has been going on for some time..rather its been brewing. To me respect has got to be earned!
Some people have been demanding for this and that...rightly so if you are the boss...but if you are not well, that's a different piece of cake. No matter who you are, what position you are in, you have to consider other people's feelings when dispensing orders or making requests. Human beings all have feelings, people have dignity and people all want some respect. You want people to respect you, you have got to respect other people first. Office politics is one thing, running down people is another. Me, I am not game for with one.

To me, it has always been my policy. When it comes to work, nothing less than the best is expected and quality should never be compromised...even though some things happen beyond our control at times, or when we let our guard down for a minute. I often tell my staff, where work is concerned, we must give our best at all times, we must take our work seriously and take pride in our work. After office hours, we can always pop out for food and drinks and be pals. Then for a while we can enjoy ourselves and inculcate good friendships. Sometimes, we find it hard to differentiate the two...that of boss and subordinate and between friends. But somehow...that is understood in silence.

What is most important is that, at no time should we make anyone feel uncomfortable in public or in the presence if somebody else. We want people to respect us, we must earn their respect too. Orders or tasks can be given in a clear manner..without barking at them, nor bringing anyone down. People should not be made small...but happy to carry out their tasks. People are willing to work, give them a chance to prove themselves. If there are mistakes, these can be corrected...and the person given a talking to, but no one should be made to feel so small and incompetent that they feel their dignity and respect has all but stripped away. No one wants to fail...no one plans to fail...a good leader ensures that. A good leader must ensure he or she has followers...that there is empowerment...a good leader must also lead by example, must also show how it is done...instead of just asking the subordinates to do it..and finding fault with it later. Intsructions given must be clear and most important, trust people to do it. make them believe they can do it and praise them for a job well done.

So all in all, give respect if we want to be respected in return. Nothing beats a happy family working environment. It is said, people don't care till they know how much you care.
Hey you out there...it's ok to love and be loved!
Cheers.