5 ways to earn your co-workers’ respect

Being respected gives you a great sense of purpose in the workplace. If you want to be respected by your co-workers, you can start by respecting yourself. Here are five other easy ways you can gain respect from your teammates.

Be nice, but not too nice: Nobody likes the jerk in the office. When you’re not nice to your co-workers, they usually won’t want to have anything to do with you. On the other hand, if you’re too nice, always doing favors for others, you can actually start to come across as ‘soft.’ If your co-workers think you’re a pushover, they may like you, but the respect probably won’t be there.

Admit your mistakes: No one likes people who think they’re right all the time. Even if you’re right a lot, nobody’s perfect. When you know you’re wrong, you should own up to it. Your colleagues will be very impressed if you can be humble enough to admit your mistakes.

Stand up for yourself: Sometimes, no one’s wrong. Sometimes, people just disagree. Don’t feel bad for standing up for your opinions even if no one else agrees with you. When you’re part of a team, you won’t agree with every decision that is made, and that’s perfectly normal. Just know that you can’t win them all.

Lend a hand: We all have a lot of work on our plates. Any chance you get to help someone lighten their load, will definitely be appreciated. If you’re someone your co-workers can count on, you’ll be a valued member of the team.

Give out respect: One of the simplest ways to be respected by your co-workers, is to give them respect first. It’s easy to respect someone who acts respectfully towards you. Be a good communicator and don’t waste anyone’s time.