People tend to agree if you tell them that to earn respect you need to show respect. Said another way, if you take the time to demonstrate respect for people, they will show you respect. Think about examples from your own life, when people show you respect, how does it make you feel about them? On the other hand when people DON’T show you respect, how do you feel about them?
While there are a hole host of things that influence your ability to gain respect, such as work ethic, personal character and attitude, one thing is for sure: – if you don’t show people respect, it is unlikely they will respect you. In his article Todd Smith shared a few tips he had accumulated about earning respect.
Remember My Name:
Many people have expressed to me that they respect a person who is intentional about remembering people’s names. When you remember a person’s name, you demonstrate sincere interest and respect.
Be Consistent:
Another common theme you can witness in people is that their respect for people grows when people are consistent. This includes being consistent in your attitudes and business dealings. When we observe someone on top of the world one day and then portraying doom and gloom the next, we start to doubt their character as we do not have a reliable trend upon which to base a favourable judgment.
Decide who you are and who you want to be and be consistent in embodying that.
Be On Time:
People tend to respect those who show respect for one’s time by being on time. When people are late, their actions indicate that they don’t respect your time. When I asked myself if I could truly respect someone who does not value my time, my answer is “NO!”
Be Reliable:
Being dependable and reliable is undoubtedly an admirable quality. Most people will tell you that they respect those who are reliable and dependable. When I think of being reliable and dependable, I think of people who are on time for their appointments, who meet deadlines, who do their work with excellence and who return calls, emails and text messages. I think of people who are in control of their lives.
No Gossiping:
Gossipping is not only hurtful to others, it also traps you in a dialogue of negativity and resentment. There will be very few people who do not respect those who don’t gossip. It is hard to respect people who speak poorly of others behind their backs. If you find yourself engaging in gossip, try using some self-control and keep your comments to yourself. It’s hard to do but when you do it, you will be proud of yourself and your ability to gain respect will grow.
Be Real:
Geoff said, “I respect people who have faced challenges, had bad days, but aren’t afraid to be open about their emotions – and still remain generally positive – I think that means they’re ‘real’.” I think the underlying message here is that Geoff respects people who are authentic and vulnerable. People like people who are genuine. I agree there are times to be vulnerable, but I would also say there are times, when you should use discretion in who you open up with and in what you say.
Do Unto Others As You Would Want Them To Do Unto You:
There is a Golden Rule that says, “Treat people with the respect you would want to be shown.” this is a useful rule and is something we should consistently remind ourselves of. We can quickly fall into the trap of othering, treating people as if they are not fundamentally like us, which they are since they are human. Without this recognition of the similarity between yourself and another, that other person will not come to respect you. You will see and treat them as different and they will see and treat you as different. It is very easy for us human beings to forget the humanity in another. This golden rule tells us to continuously remember it.