Earn Your Coworkers’ Respect Would you rather be beautiful/handsome, or have respect? That is a question Steve Jobs would ask perspective employees early in his career. The fact is, you do have to earn respect. It is not simply a natural attribute, so how do you earn it? Steps to Earning Coworkers’ Respect 1. be honest. People will respect someone that is honest and does not come across as untrusting. 2. Defend yourself when necessary. No, you do not need to meet the world with an attitude ready to argue your case with everyone. You should, however, stand up for yourself when necessary. If someone points a finger at you, and you know it is unjustified, speak up. If possible, make it one on one, and let them know that not only are they blaming the wrong person, but also that you do not appreciate the accusation. Then of course, move past it. 3. Your opinion matters more than you know. This is a big one, and will earn you respect quickly. When asked your thoughts and opinion, give it. The person asking may not agree with you, and they may hope you say something else, but be honest, and do what they asked, offer your opinion. 4. Speak up when you feel strongly about something. If one person comes up with a way of doing things, and you have an alternative way you believe would be better, share your thoughts. You may not win out, but speaking up will earn you the respect you deserve. 5. Maintain professionalism at all times when working. Always be on your best behavior at work. You are being paid to be a professional, and that is what you should stick to. Related: Top 10 Reasons to Become a Preceptor Losing Respect Of course, if someone can earn respect, they can lose it as well. A very quick way to lose respect is to be indecisive. “Whatever you think”, or “it does not matter to me, I don't care”. It may seem like you are going along with the crowd, and being easy to get along with, but it actually bothers most people. They want to know, they want an answer. Building yourself up is a very bad habit to get into. Your position and credentials should speak for themselves. People that brag
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continuously lose credibility and others will try to avoid them or at least not take them seriously. Do not ever gossip and discuss other coworkers in a negative way. You have to assume when someone discusses coworkers in a bad light, they will do the same to you when you are not around. This behavior will earn you the reputation of being a pot stirrer.
It is not that difficult to earn the respect of others. Just be yourself, and don't be just part of the crowd when asked a question. One CEO of a new medical facility had to select one nurse out of 40 to be head nurse. He gave a little test to everyone, and then separated them by groups. Ironically, people adjusted their answers to join the larger groups, however, one nurse stood true to her answer. She stood alone while there were 2 groups full of all others. The CEO walked over to the nurse standing alone, and appointed her head nurse, he knew he made the right decision, and in fact he did, she did an excellent job. Related: Nursing and Social Media Speaking your mind and voicing your opinion may make you a few enemies at first, but eventually they will turn that into respect. They may not be your best friend, but they will respect you. As a head of nursing can put it: You may not like me, but you will respect me. Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter