Why Respect Is Important
Arguments about why respect is important stall because two different things share the word, and people are arguing about different ones.
Respect as courtesy. Being addressed civilly, listened to, and treated as a person whose time matters. This is owed to everyone unconditionally. It is not earned and it cannot be withdrawn as a punishment.
Respect as regard. Thinking highly of someone’s judgement or work. This is earned, it varies, and no one is entitled to it.
Most workplace conflict about respect comes from collapsing the two. A senior person who feels their expertise is not regarded starts withdrawing basic courtesy. A junior person who is treated discourteously reads it as a verdict on their competence.
Naming which of the two is actually in dispute resolves a surprising amount of it, because the two problems have different answers and neither responds to the other’s solution.
Safe Work Australia covers psychosocial hazards. This is general information rather than legal advice.
See Sentrient’s respect at work training and psychological safety course.
Why Respect In The Workplace Is Important
Let’s be honest. Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks, “I can’t wait to be spoken down to at work today.” And yet, workplace disrespect is far more common than most managers would like to admit. It shows up in subtle ways, an eye roll during a meeting, a credit-stealing colleague, a manager who […]
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