How to deal with disrespect

 By RACHEAL NABISUBI
Catherine Nakazzi did her job with zeal and energy but was not on good terms with her bosses. It actually did not come as a surprise when she woke up one morning to an expulsion letter on her desk. She says knowing her job description and doing it well was enough to help her keep her job.

However, her supervisors complained that she was disrespectful, never heed their advice or requests.  Disrespect cost her her only source of income and she was back to struggling like some of her peers. Tom Imoot, the human resource manager at Sadolin Paints, disrespect by subordinates can be caused by differences in salaries; whereby some employees get more pay than others even though they do the same task.

“Some people were raised badly to the extent that one cannot say simple courteous words such as thank you, please and sorry,” says Imoot. James Baker, a human resource clerk at Hotel Africana says respect and trust cannot be demanded. They have to be earned, this applies to loyalty. 

Respect is when there is a bond between the manager and the employee. They have a relationship based on consideration and trust based on professional terms. True leaders foster respect in their employees by being respectful to them,” says Baker. Baker explains some of the ways to deal with disloyalty.

Be friendly
This is the most important tactic. Supervisors must be friends with their subordinates. Understand one another and seek opportunities to connect with them on a personal level. Get to know their interests, hobbies, aspirations, and goals. A company’s most valuable asset is not the service it provides or the product it makes - it’s the people it employs.

Values and goals:
Determine the kind of values expected of employees. These could be honesty and openness.

Treat employees well
Since employees are adults, they deserve to be treated as such. Restrain yourself from treating people like children, for instance, raising your voice at them, cutting them short when making a point and never considering their point of view.

Encourage growth opportunities

Encourage your employees to seek advice and assistance from other managers and supervisors. This aids employee’s professional growth.

Reward hard work
Set up a reward or incentive programme.

Set policies
These should be in place and well communicated. Employees may also be involved in the policy formulation.