Respect - You Have To Earn It

It is my experience that in management of any organisation, too many people fail to realise that to obtain the respect of their colleagues, they first of all have to earn it. During my working career I have seen many instances of senior officials thinking that just because they have the title works manager or sales director they will as a result enjoy the respect of the employees working directly for them.
Normally on promotion to a senior position there is an initial period where the employees are waiting for tell-tale signs as to how the person concerned is going to perform towards them in relation to his or her overall designated contribution to the business or organisation. 

So how is respect achieved? 

Firstly, it helps if the new senior official carries some personal standing for what he or she has already achieved in the business or industry generally. Secondly, and I think this is so important, everybody from the most junior to the most senior member of the team has to feel valued and that they are playing a part in what is trying to be achieved. My best example of this was a Managing Director of a moulding company who employed 140 people. Whenever he was not away on business or holiday he used to, as he put it, ‘walk the floor’ replacing his suit with a white working coat. He knew every individual name of his workforce and any major problems that they were going through… he was quite incredible in this respect. The response from all the staff? Absolutely brilliant, without exception they would have done anything that they were asked and with great pride. Contrast that case with another I was aware of where the newly appointed production manager was nothing short of a bully, he was aloof from his staff, he could not appreciate the work of the few female employees which they had and worst of all he had his favourites, his chums could do no wrong. He was a ‘walking disaster’ for the company, key staff gradually resigned, the quality of the company product began to fall, customers became dissatisfied and after 18 months the department was closed down and the production transferred to another depot.

I would hope that for readers of this article what I have set out might strike a chord. Earning that essential respect is far from easy and some will find it easier than others. I suppose that arguably one of the greatest examples of achieving that respect must be Sir Alex Ferguson the manager of Manchester United. He has been their manager since 1986 and he has built 5 successful sides in that time. For some I guess he is at times a bully but look what he has achieved for Manchester United and before that at Aberdeen. He could not have achieved that without having the respect of those around him. At times he might be a bully but one only has to listen to the countless testimonies of how he has helped and looked after the players under his command and then what he has achieved for his club and supporters most of whom worship him!

So to sum up I do not think it hurts any person in a position of authority to occasionally stop and assess how they are performing in terms of getting the very best out of their staff. Certainly I do!