Since being in the workplace I have noticed that there are two types of managers: those you fear and those you respect. Most people mistake fear for respect, but it is different and you can’t have both. Here at Pixafy I am honored to be in the position to be managed and to be able to manage in a respectful environment.
Fear is clearly defined as “to be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.” The fear based method I found is less productive and unfortunately more common. Employees are constantly in fear of losing their jobs or getting scolded at for making a mistake. This method also leads to dishonesty, as you cannot truly trust your co-workers in fear they may be trying to sabotage you in order to gain favor of the manager. Employees working for a fear based manager do not reach their full potential and in turn hinders the full potential of the company.
Respect is the less common method yet tends to yield much more positive results. It is also the more difficult road. A respect based employer willingly listens to the complaints and ideas of their employees and recognizes that not everything is always perfect. An employer who respects their staff does not talk down to them and does not micro-manage them. An employer who respects their staff allows their staff to have input on how the business is run. An employer who respects their staff willingly admits sometimes an employee may know more than they do. Employees who respect their employer will be harder working, more loyal, and will stick around longer.
Fear suffocates, respect motivates. Fear destroys self-confidence, respect builds it. Fear is demanded. Respect is earned.
Here are a few tips to help gain the respect of your employees:
- Stop, look, and listen: Acknowledge the ideas of your team and actually listening to what they have to say
- No news is bad news: Give one-on-one reviews to motivate your employees. If your team isn’t talking to you there may be more going on than meets the eye.
- Create a collaborative environment: If the workplace maintains a sense of family or community; the employees will begin to put the good of the company (family) before themselves.
- Don’t be a pushover: Be careful when walking the thin line of friendship and management. If you try too hard to befriend the staff and show no backbone you may get taken advantage of.
Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi summed up the coach’s role like this: “The leader must walk a tightrope between the consent he must win and the control he must exert.”
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