Respect in the workplace make a huge difference. In fact, employees who are respected by their boss are happier, more confident, and more likely to be trusted with high-level work and projects.
Research shows that respectful engagement is positively correlated to resilience, employee wellbeing, and long-term business benefits. And on the other side, employees see respect as the most important leadership behavior.
Respect in the workplace, then, is important. It can contribute to a positive workplace and support your goals for career advancement. That said, many people believe that respect is earned, not given. You may disagree with that statement, but it is the way a lot of workplaces operate.
So, respect is a key part of your pathway to promotion. Here are some ways that you can gain respect from your boss, particularly if it’s a new relationship or you feel you’re not being selected for advancement.
3 Tips to Gain Respect from Your Boss
1. Be so good they can’t ignore you
Consistent, high-quality work sets you apart from other people. If you are known for delivering great work, your boss can’t overlook you. Some things that help you do this include:
- Deliver before the deadlines
- Add something extra to your work beyond the bare minimum
- Be consistent with quality
2. Be invested in the company’s success
Your top priority should be aligned with the company’s top priority. That means saying “yes” and “no” to specific opportunities so that you can spend your time on what’s most important to drive the company closer to their goals.
Another way to be invested in the company and your manager’s success is by being solutions oriented. Bring actionable ideas to your manager—respectfully and in private—so they see you as a valuable team player.
3. Communicate as an equal
If you want to be seen as an equal, you need to act like one. This means getting over any fear of speaking out in a meeting or having casual one-on-one conversations—you’ve got to make your voice heard!
The DiSC assessment is a personality profile that recognizes four unique communication styles. They relate to whether people are task-oriented vs. people-oriented and outgoing vs. reserved.
Everyone favors one style, including your manager. If you start communicating with them in their style, you’ll gain their respect and build strong rapport.
Learn about your and other people’s communication styles by taking the DiSC assessment. The more self-aware you are about how you communicate, the easier it is to adapt to your manager’s style.
There it is—three tips for gaining respect from your boss. These three strategies are what will set you apart from other colleagues and show your manager that you are ready and able to take on a promotion and raise.
You can check out the full YouTube video on this topic as well as my other videos about career advancement for professional women.
And if you’re interested in diving deeper into what it takes to receive your next promotion, take a look at my proven 6-week course, My Promotion Plan, where we develop a customized path for your career advancement.
