How to Easily Earn More Respect at Work - The Muse

How to Easily Earn More Respect at Work - The MuseHow to Easily Earn More Respect at Work Sure, we may not love our co-workers, and sure, they may not love us- but that doesnt mean that we dont want to earn their respect. Having it not only helps us get ahead in our careers (a.k.a., people think of you when opportunities pop up), but also helps us be more productive every day. Because truth talk When no one respects you, its hard to convince people to back your idea, or pitch in on a project, or even listen to you in meetings.So, how do you command respect in the office? Its actually easy to do if you practice these five key habits.1. Validate Others OpinionsIn the same way you want someone to back you up when youre proud of an idea, people will respect you if you stand up for them when they share their own thoughts- especially when no one else speaks up. In fact, this is exactly how women in the White House prevented each other from being interrupted during President Obamas presiden cy. If someones point went ignored, they repeated it and credited it to the original thinker.You can easily copy this trick- its as simple as saying I actually like Jerrys idea, and its pretty feasible- all wed have to do is XYZ.2. Help Out When You CanOK, a little obvious, but being a kollektiv player is an instant hit with most people. So, if you see someone struggling, offer to help them out. If you notice an assignment lagging behind its deadline (even if its on a different team), ask if theres anything you can do. If others are staying late while youre heading out right at 6 PM, stick around for a bit and ask if anyone needs assistance. Even if you get turned down, youll still be remembered as someone your co-workers can count on. 3. Speak With Confidence, Not CockinessPeople who command respect stand by their beliefs- not because theyre always right, but because they believe in doing the best for the company. They dont dismiss other peoples opinions (in fact, they welcome oppo sing views), but when they know the best solution for everyone, theyre not afraid to state it- and state it with confidence.But that doesnt mean they brag when everything goes well. Rather than boast about their success and shine the spotlight back on themselves, they use what they learned to further improve their teams efforts.4. Avoid ComplainingNobody likes a whiner, especially in a professional setting. Dont protest when things dont go your way, or your boss is demanding a lot from you, or youre assigned an especially difficult project. Perservering shows that youre up for challenges and wont give up when when things get hard.Thats not to say you cant voice feedback or offer up honesty when the situation merits it, but rather that you should understand when youre bringing up a valid concern or just venting. 5. Do Your Job (Well)Finally, the easiest trick in the book- do your job, and do it well. Work hard, meet deadlines, be an open communicator, go beyond your job description e very once in a while, and theres no reason people wont admire you and what you do for the company.If youre already doing all of these and still cant get people to respect you. Well, you just may be guilty of these seven common mistakes. But assuming thats not the case, you can abflug putting these into practice right away and changing everyones image of you for the better.