I read this great article by Gifford Thomas, one of my favorite people to read when it comes to leadership and the do’s and don’ts. Thomas says that when employees respect each other and get along in the workplace, it’s amazing how productivity increases, morale increases and employees are more courteous to customers.
This fact is also true for educators in schools. When you treat students with respect, their intrinsic motivation and love for learning and collaborating with each other and the educators, becomes greatly improved. And can you imagine what the parents must be thinking? They love these educators.
If you are a leader of people, your first task is to care about your team members. Treating people with kindness tells others more about you than if you told them about yourself.
First, you have to give respect to receive respect. Treat everyone fairly, and express the value you have for them. Listen to your team when they come to you with their ideas or concerns, and never talk down to them or insult them. In short, respect is not entitlement, it is something you earn as a leader; you must first give respect to receive it.
Genuine listening is far more than listening to their words. As Sean Covey says in one of his books, you have to listen with your eyes, ears and heart. When people feel heard, it’s amazing what they will do in return!
According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management, respectful treatment of all employees at all levels was rated as “very important” by 72 percent of those surveyed, making it the top contributor to overall employee job satisfaction. I can imagine that the same would apply to educator/student relationships.
