Deserving?
R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me
(Otis Reading/Aretha Franklyn)Respect - /rɪˈspɛkt/ - noun
1. a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their
abilities, qualities, or achievements.”
I have been thinking a little bit about respect this week and the reasons we give or receive respect and I thought I would share a few words about respect in a business/company environment and culture.
It is my personal feeling that respect is often applied badly when it comes to organisational hierarchy. It is true that some positions in an organisation carry a level of respect with them, especially when it is a merit based hierarchy, but other times we give respect to a person just because they have a position.
Take myself. I am a director and the office manager. I pay the wages, so to speak. I know that some people believe that deserves respect, either they are in a position like that and want it, or they believe they should give respect to someone who has that position.
I don’t think we should. I don’t think having a position alone deserves respect. I think you have to be good at that role, I think you have to achieve and earn the respect.
Giving
“Soul, I hear you calling
Oh baby please give a little respect to me”
(Erasure)
But there has to be a level of respect for people in life. Not based upon a position, a role, a random title. I feel that respect is a sum game, but not where you take what role they have, how influential they are, how much they earn, or any numerative factor.
The first form of respect is the general background, common, automatic respect that we should all give to each other. This is not a proportional thing, it is an equality thing. We are not all equal, but we should have a minimum base equality of how we are treated and how we are respected that we all should be given.
Then there is the respect for people on how they change and affect the world around them. Respect is what they bring to your life, be it personal or work. Respect is about how they affect the lives and situation of people around you.
Some people deserve an extra magnitude of respect because of how they affect a situation. That can be in a variety of ways. You can affect a situation by how you deal with, or overcome, an adversity. Or how you give to others. You might be the best team player who creates a super team, or just the person who remembers birthdays and makes sure to let everyone know. Respect doesn’t have to be for some grand act, it can be for the many small acts of kindness. Respect can be earned because you are the person who smiles and brings cheer into a room, or the person who grounds a team into reality of progressing a project.
How you change : How you affect = What you deserve in respect.
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