My wife sometimes says: "You don't listen to me!" And of course, when she says that, I haven't been listening. I didn't intend not to listen, and I really do respect her. But by not listening I have unintentionally been disrespectful. I can also assure you that at those times she becomes more "disengaged."

Satisfying employees' "need for respect" is one of the most important things a manager can do. Employees who do not feel respected by their manager or by the leaders of their organization are less likely to be engaged or committed to the organization, and will be much less passionate about doing their best work.

Being Respectful Requires Conscious Effort

There are not many leaders in the current work environment who do not have a lot on their mind. The pressure to achieve results is constant. It is so easy to forget that it is the people who report to you that achieve those results. Without people you would achieve nothing!

Employees who know they are valued and respected because of the way they are treated every day, are more engaged, committed and passionate about their work and the organization they work for, and they achieve superior results.

What this means is that every leader in your organization needs to be equally focused on the need to produce results and the need to ensure that every employee feels valued and respected. As soon as you put business results ahead of the value of the people who produce those results, you diminish their value and start to unintentionally, unknowingly, communicate that to them.

Keys to Increasing Mutual Respect

I think every leader understands that they can't achieve optimum performance if their team does not respect them. Unfortunately, some leaders think that respect is achieved through fear. In fact the opposite is true- respect grows out of trust. Here are some key thoughts that have helped me stay focused on building mutual respect in my team:

1. Remember that you're in the "people business." You may be in banking, IT, utilities, manufacturing, retail, or something else. But the reality is we are all in the "people business." People, and your relationships with them, determine the success of your organization.
2. Recognize that people have a life other than work. Respectful employers work towards balancing the organization's needs with the personal and family needs of their employees.
3. Treat payroll as an investment, not an expense. When you see payroll as an expense, your focus will always be on reducing it, or minimizing any increases. When employees get the message that they are an expense, productivity drops along with the return on your payroll investment. Invest in your employees' growth and development.

How passionate are you about your work and your organization? Click here to take the two-minute Passion Index™ survey and find out! Keep reading our Weekly Leadership Tips for ways you can create a work environment where all team members are engaged, committed to your organization, and passionate about doing a great job every time.

How invested are your employees in the vision of your company? Are you doing all that you can as a leader to engage and retain your employees' interest?

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© 2007 Keith Ayers. All rights reserved.

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