How to Earn Respect From Your Colleagues

Attitude Matters

No matter how bad your mood might be when you leave home for work, when you reach your workplace, you should put on a happy face and greet everybody with a smile. A smile goes a long way in creating healthy relationships among co-workers. A great attitude that exudes optimism helps you earn their respect.

You should be ready to accept the fact that there are people who know more than you do. If you need their help, accept it with gratitude; and if you need to help them, be humble about it.

Being humble does not mean that you let them take advantage of you; it simply means that you avoid being offensively arrogant about what you know.

Develop a Good Work Ethic

Maintain a work ethic that speaks for itself, one that lets everyone know that you will always put your best foot forward. If you have spare time, you should make yourself available to help others. This way, others will have confidence in you, knowing they will be able to depend on you and knowing that you are a member of the team.

Be passionate about the work you are doing. You will become an example for others and will earn respect. Have you ever noticed that serious workers rarely complain about their organizations, even if their situations are not ideal? Ever wonder why?

This is because they seek for solutions and are not whiners. No wonder they are the most respected employees in the organization!

Show Integrity of Character

Integrity of character is the major reason co-workers respect each other. The relationship that you build with your co-workers should be based on trust. You should never act in a way so as to raise doubt in their minds about your integrity.

You should not discuss your personal life in the workplace. This is best left for after-hours; even so, it’s best to guard how much you share and whom you share it with. Gossip has been known to destroy careers.

Be a Professional

Your organization will have rules and regulations that you must follow. Make certain you know what they are and that you are scrupulous about abiding by them. Pay attention to the dress code if there is one and dress appropriately to project a professional demeanor.

The way you speak and behave in the organization also makes a big difference. Always behave in a professional manner, don’t carry on time-consuming conversations that are not about the business at hand, and project professionalism by your appearance and your behavior.

Give Respect Get Respect

A very simple yet oft-forgotten rule is that you need to give respect in order to get respect. Respect your co-workers, their views, their privacy, their knowledge, and every thing that is worth being respected.

You should be courteous and polite to your colleagues. A little “thank you” or “sorry” or “please” can help you earn respect. You should pay attention to the person in from of you during a conversation. You might think of it as multi-tasking, but typing messages during a conversation is outright rude.

These are a few simple points to help you earn respect from your colleagues. A very simple yet very good way is just to be yourself.