7 Steps to Get Employees to Respect You

How to Get Employees to Respect You

1. Become the go-to expert

Why do people look up to professional athletes? It’s because they are the best in the world at what they do.

Their skills are so advanced that you can’t help but stop what you’re doing and watch in awe. The same concept applies in business.

If you want your employees to respect you, then you better know what you’re doing. You better have the technical skillset of a seasoned professional.

If not, then you probably shouldn’t be in charge. You risk running the business into the ground.

Aim to be one of the experts in your field. Obtain the most distinguished credentials available and speak at industry-specific conferences.

Ultimately, when you walk into the room, people should know who you are. I am not just talking about your employees. I am also referring to people in the industry at large.

If you are an expert in your field, then people will want to emulate you. They want to learn from you so that hopefully, in a few years or decades, they can be just as successful.

2. Stay engaged

No one likes to work for an out-of-touch boss. Don’t be one of those business leaders who make decisions in an air-conditioned corner office while your employees are out there doing all the grunt work.

If you want to be respected, then you need to roll up your sleeves and work alongside your frontline workers.

You don’t have to do this every day. I’m sure you have a lot of meetings to attend.

However, you should occasionally work on the frontline to understand what your employees are going through. You will get to know your employees on a much deeper level.

Afterward, you can be helpful by making managerial decisions that make sense.

3. Be fair

If you want your employees to respect you, then you cannot show any favoritism. You cannot give preferential treatment to one employee at the expense of other employees. That one employee might think you’re great, but the others will resent you.

Resentment of any kind is bad for the workplace. It hinders team dynamics and productivity. This explains why being fair to all your employees is so important.

So, how do you be fair?

For one thing, use the same benchmarks when evaluating your employees’ performance. If possible, quantify these benchmarks. Being objective is often easier when there are numbers involved. You can simply let the numbers speak for themselves.

In addition, make sure policies for vacation and sick days are clearly written down. Let everyone know about the policies. This is how you can be fair when someone asks for a few days off. There should not be a problem if everyone follows already established rules.

4. Lead by example

Your employees are more likely to respect you if you respect them.

Most people don’t just randomly act out. If someone engages in disruptive behavior, then you probably have a valid reason to terminate their employment. I’m sure your other employees would support your decision.

Respecting your employees means treating them as fellow human beings and not as people below you. Be humble even though you call the shots as the business owner.

Respect your employees’ time by being reasonable with deadlines. Give out instructions as early as possible so that workers have ample time to complete assignments.

No one likes to be surprised with more work when the day is almost over. Of course, there are days when the unexpected happens. Just see if you can minimize the occurrence of these days by analyzing and improving business processes.

Respect your employees’ feelings by resolving disagreements calmly and professionally. Avoid getting into shouting matches. Keep in mind that people may not always remember what you say, but they will always remember how you make them feel.

Your employees will have a hard time respecting you if you belittle or patronize them. Therefore, you should choose your words carefully whenever there is a conflict.

5. Don’t hesitate to apologize

You will not always get things right as a business owner. That’s okay. Entrepreneurship is messy and stressful. You will often make decisions without knowing the full story.

Own up to your mistakes if you find out that you were wrong after the fact. Apologize to your employees and/or customers so that everyone can move forward.

Your employees will appreciate your emotional intelligence. As a result, they will see you in a positive light.

6. Value your employees’ opinions

If you want your employees to respect you, then you need to listen to what they say. Don’t be one of those business leaders who figuratively cover their ears whenever someone below them on the corporate hierarchy speaks.

Be open-minded because sometimes, the best ideas come from the most surprising places. This means that yes, even your junior employees can help you solve a problem that you’ve been pondering about.

7. Take care of your employees

Naturally, we respect our loved ones. We don’t think about it. We just do it. Why is that? Well, I think it’s because we genuinely care about their well-being. We want what’s best for them.

Now, I am not asking you to treat your employees like family, although that is a trend these days. I am asking you, however, to give your employees the same level of empathy.

For example, what would be the first thing you say if an employee lets you know that they will be a few minutes late because of a car accident?

Is it, “What time will you get here?”

Or is it, “Are you okay?”

There is a huge difference between the two. What you say in this hypothetical situation represents your management style.

Do you only care about profits?

Or do you also care about the people who make those profits possible?

Becoming an empathetic manager will not happen overnight. However, it’s worth it.

Your employees will reciprocate. This goes beyond respect. Ultimately, you will foster a work environment where everyone looks out for each other.