Respect and Employee Engagement

As business strategy consultants, we often meet prospective clients who want to grow faster than their competitors. Sometime after these meetings, we end up coming away inspired by the vision and personality of the person in the driving seat. Today, was one such day, when we met a young entrepreneur who made us feel hopeful about the world at large and our economy in particular.

Our client is a well managed family business - with the youthful scion in the driving seat. While the gentleman was erudite and well versed in business, what impressed us was the way in which he interacted with the senior management - several of them significantly older and not as up to date as him.

Why? All of us have been in situations where senior leaders have cut down a junior manager or have been spoken to rudely in a public environment. Those moments may be few and far between, but we remember them with crystal clarity. And that is because disrespectful behavior has a long term impact on ones self respect and confidence.

What's happening around us? Sadly, recent studies show incivility is on the rise. Whether it is caused by the culture of email feedback or remote working or even the 'business first - feelings last' mindset in several companies, the result is unpleasant. We recently came away from a meeting where a CEO berated his marketing head for a minor matter in front of us. As outsiders we felt uncomfortable in the situation and sympathized who the manager who was humiliated in an easily avoidable situation.

How does one show respect? In today's interaction, the young leader spoke respectfully to the senior managers. He asked for their opinion, listened to their perspectives, allowed them to interject and if he had a difference of opinion, expressed it in a civil and professional manner. The overall feeling in the board room was one of positive energy and professional bonhomie. By the end of the discussions, we had a clear road map and clarity in terms individual expectations.

What is the pay off? After the session, we discussed internally on whether the new project was one worth taking up. As a group we agreed the engagement is a challenging one but it would be a pleasure to work with a leader who carried his team along. And that is the crux of the matter.

In summation : Respect and employee engagement are intrinsically inter twined. Being boorish and unkind to ones peers and reporting managers makes the overall work environment unpleasant. Employees leave and the firm suffers. This sort of behavior impacts both start-ups and established firms.

In today's competitive world, an engaged manager with relevant work experience is worth her price in gold. Business leaders should lead by example and demonstrate the benefits of being respectful and speaking politely to co-workers. In the long run, it pays off for everyone.

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