Respect for Others

Hey, it’s Wednesday and I’m Weston Rivers. Today, we’re talking about respect. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

I wasn’t always the office ninja you see before you. Yes, I was once a new professional, roaming the halls of a new organization, meeting my new coworkers, shredding documents for six hours. You know, important stuff.

You’ve probably already noticed, successful organizations are filled with people of different races, ages, sexual orientations, and beliefs. So how do you recognize others’ strengths and learn from such a varied workplace? You guessed it: respect.

The key to respect is being smart about your behaviors and attitudes. Recognize there are differences between you and your coworkers and observe how people’s differences are actually enhancing your workplace. It was on my second day of work when I met a man—let’s call him Alan. Alan was in his mid-fifties, articulate, smart, and more boring than my uncle Dale. He was assigned to be my trainer and office tour guide. It took all of two minutes for me to realize we were completely different people. A week later, I was assigned a project I knew nothing about. Alan saw how I was struggling, came to my desk, and showed me a few tricks for navigating our computer system. Some life hacks.

Despite our differences, I realized I could learn a lot from Alan. I learned generations relay and process differently. Alan was a product of his time, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have valuable skills to teach me. I judged him poorly. Thankfully, he didn’t let it bother him and he was still willing to help me when I needed it.

We’ll never be friends outside of work, but at the office, I’d partner with Alan on any project. Guys, you have got to get yourself an Alan.

Speaking of Alan, he’s also very conscious of his words, something I was completely unaware of when I started my professional career. I had no idea what a microaggression was. How many of us have said or heard these words at work? “Good morning, grandpa!” “Your hair’s less crazy than usual.” “Those jeans are looking good.”

A microaggression is defined as brief and commonplace daily verbal behavior or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults toward any group. Telling an African American woman her hair looks crazy today is a microaggression. Telling an older employee to turn up his hearing aid is a microaggression.

Having respect for others and creating a healthy environment isn’t just about not harassing people, it’s about being an agent for change, diversity and inclusion. Let’s look out for each other, people. Step in when you see an aggression happening. Be an ally.

Remember, respect begins with the desire to treat everyone well. Consider your words, be positive, and always be respectful.

That’s all for today folks. Thanks for coming with me on this journey. As always, work hard, stay out of trouble, check out the links below. I’ll see you next Wednesday.