How To Earn Respect As A Manager

Getting assigned the position of a manager does not automatically come with respect from underlings. If you are a new manager who has just started in the company, or a younger supervisor who is managing older employees, your new role in the organisation may be difficult to fulfil if your staff doesn’t show you proper respect. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to gain respect as a manager from your staff. Read below to find out more.

Be Assertive – If a 28-year-old female gets promoted to a management role, and is supposed to supervise older colleagues that have worked at the organisation far longer than she has, she may encounter a lack of respect. To quickly make her staff see her as the supervisor and gain authority, she needs to show her assertive side. While it is always beneficial to be courteous and polite, managers need to be confident, decisive and firm. Show employees that you mean what you say by being strict on deadlines and sales quotas. Don’t be afraid to show your strong side, and you will certainly see a difference in the way your staff see and treat you.

Become an Expert – One of the challenges that new managers often face is uncertainty in the new role. They may have just joined the company, and do not fully understand the product they may be selling or the projects they need to be managing. If a supervisor seems to be inexperienced or not have proper knowledge to complete the job, this will be evident to employees, and they will not respect that individual. Therefore, it is imperative that managers become experts in their field. Study up on the job, the culture of the office, and the environment in the department. Show your staff right away that you are competent and knowledgeable, and they will respect you for that.

Show You Care – While it is important to be assertive and knowledgeable at the job, it is also vital to show your new staff that you care about them. Employees respect a boss that appreciates their work and will strive to make their work environment positive and effective. Take the time to get to know your new underlings, ask them questions about their lives, their experience, and their aspirations in the company. They will appreciate the time you are taking to get to know them.

It’s not always easy to become a manager as employees do not automatically respect their supervisor. You need to take steps to earn respect from your underlings. Follow the steps above to show your employees who is the boss!

Many Thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training and Development

MTD Training