August 19, 2017

15 Simple Ways To Earn Respect At Work

Do people take you seriously? If you want to go far in life, you need people to treat you with respect. Luckily, it’s not too hard to earn respect at work. Are you up for the task?

Contrasting images of the same person dressed as a slacker and a professional

There are countless reasons why people don’t take you seriously. Maybe you’re a certifiable goofball, super young professional, or you made a big mistake in the past. Regardless of the reason, you have to hold your head high and do your best work in order to prove yourself and earn respect at work. It’s not as hard as it sounds, but it does take time.

Below you’ll find a handful of tips to help you earn respect at work:

  1. Be confident People respect confidence. Show people that you know what you are doing and you know what you are talking about.
  2. Proper preparation – Do your homework. When you are always prepared for every possible contingency, people will know that you’re on top of your game.
  3. Stay up-to-date – Take the time to read the news, brush up on industry information, and know what’s going on. If you can prove that you’re a reliable source of information, people will turn to you for answers.
  4. Be humble – While confidence is important, it’s also important to be humble. Be willing to learn from others and know that you can always improve.
  5. Gain experience – Experience is worth its weight in gold. Go out of your way to gain valuable and relevant experience that will help you do a better job.
  6. Be interesting People are attracted to interesting people. Do new things and push your comfort zone. When you have stories to tell, people are instantly interested in you.
  7. Ask questions and listen – People like to talk about themselves. Ask open ended questions to boost conversations. Listen to how people respond and show genuine interest.
  8. Dress appropriately – No matter what you do in life, you need to dress the part.
  9. Mind your body language Pay attention to your body language to ensure that your body is reinforcing what you want to say.
  10. Live up to your word – If you say you’re going to do something, do it.
  11. Ditch the smartphone – No one likes it when people are always on their phones. Put the phone away.
  12. Accept responsibility for your actions – Take credit for your accomplishments, but also own up to your mistakes.
  13. Work hard – One of the best ways to earn respect is to be a hard worker. Put in the effort and people will take note.
  14. Be a professional – Don’t be lazy. When you want to work in a professional environment, you have to be a professional.
  15. Respect others – No one will respect you unless you show them respect also. Always follow the Golden Rule.

21 First Impression Mistakes That You’ll Instantly Regret

Can you do these things? Of course you can. Earning the respect of other professionals needs to be a top  priority. Do these things regularly and you will build a credible, knowledgeable, and professional reputation. Then people will treat you the respect that you deserve. Are you ready to prove that you’re the real deal?

See Also:

Sign up for our newsletter!