FOUR DIGNITY SHOW RESPECT

Ponder this: In how many ways do you show you respect them?

What kind of boss would your employees say you are? Would they say that you are smart, dedicated, motivating, hard-charging? How about results oriented, demanding, or fun to work with? Just as you tolerate a range of behaviors from your employees, so, too, your employees will accept you as you are, no doubt less than perfect but doing your best.

The one behavior that talented people seldom tolerate for long is disrespect. If you wish to keep them, it is absolutely critical that you recognize each person’s unique qualities and then demonstrate your respect in consistent, undeniable ways.

Alas

We lost one of our most important paralegal assistants. Every attorney in our office counted on her, and we were shocked to see her go. In her exit interview, she said it was not the pay or perks that caused her to seek a new job. It was the daily and weekly indignities that she suffered while trying to do her best in this job. Her performance review (and possible raise) had been overlooked for the past six months. Her request to join an association of paralegals still lay on her boss’s desk after six weeks. She was denied attendance at a free seminar that would have benefited the firm, because they couldn’t free her up. She had not been thanked for her hard work and excellent results. Her boss grunted and vented and took out his frustrations on her without giving it a second thought. She finally left the firm because she did not feel respected or valued, but she did feel used and demeaned. And everyone noticed.

—Attorney, major law firm

Could that happen at your workplace? Have you, or has someone you know (even one of your direct reports), ever left for reasons like that?