Essay of the Month: Is it Better to be Loved or Respected?

Every month, we celebrate the work of our amazing students by sharing one of their written pieces on our website.

January’s Essay of the Month is by Ruhama Abebe, Grade 6.

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Greeting people in the street, in the store, at the gym, or even at a workplace can seem like such a chore for some people. Although, what many forget is that saying “good morning” is not just being polite. By saying “good morning”, one person is showing respect for another person, not by greeting them but by simply acknowledging that they exist. Being respected and showing respect can create a fair environment, job satisfaction and increases employee engagement, and overall well-being. If you are not respected, then you are not loved. Anyone at any level or age, can and should, show respect for others and themselves.

When coworkers and people show respect toward one another in the workplace, as sense of fairness is established and any incidents of harassment, favouritism, or horseplay is practically eliminated. A respected employee now has no longer reason to fear being stepped on or stepped over. He or she will feel respected and show you respect back. When another person has your respect, it creates a fair environment, where they have the freedom to perform without the worry of being the subject of gossip or ridicule.

In respect full environments, people are more engaged and productive. Respectful behaviour can lift spirits and shine aa light on someone’s cloudy day. Treating someone with respect can give them confidence and offer them much needed encouragement. According to a survey conducted by The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) in 2014, respectful treatment of all employees at all levels was rated as “very important” by 72% of employees surveyed. This makes it the top contributor to overall employee satisfaction. Having respect for everyone’s ideas and opinions can increase productivity and job satisfaction.

Complete employee engagement is a target all businesses would love to reach. A recent Gallup study of over 350,000 employees showed that only 30% were engaged with their work. In addition to some common strategies for inspiring disengaged employees, one of the simplest is to show respect. Employees reported that respect from their superiors had a more significant, positive impact than useful feedback, or even opportunities for personal and career development. Whether it is being granted the freedom to make mistakes, to a company travel policy, anything that signals a sense of trust or respect increases engagement.

Feelings of well-being are fundamental to the over all health of an individual. Showing respect has a huge influence on someone’s well-being because it is fundamental to their overall health, enabling them to successfully overcome difficulties and achieve what they want out of life. Past experiences, attitudes, and outlook can all impact well-being, as can physical or emotional trauma following specific incidents. That is why respect is such an important thing in everyday life, whether it is during work, or even on a bus. By showing respect you can improves someone’s over all well-being, even if it is only by a little bit.

Overall, showing respect will create a fair environment, job satisfaction, increase employee engagement, and someone well-being. Things like these do not just apply to workplaces, but everywhere you go. Being respected is important but showing respect for others will also be beneficial for you in the end. Something must not be called love if it does not have respect.