The funny thing about mutual respect is that you can’t control it. Sure can control yes or no you exercise regularly, either you control your temper, or whether or not you express respect to others, but mutual Respect implies that two or more people respect each other, and as unfortunate as it may seem sometimes, you can never control when and where others choose to show you respect. So perhaps the question should be: “How can I foster mutual respect?”
Read the five tips below and learn what you can do to create an environment that is more conducive to displays of mutual respect.
1) Foster mutual respect over time
It’s painfully obvious that we just don’t get along with some personalities, but it’s also pretty obvious that the more you get to know someone, the more you begin to understand and respect them at the same time. After those early bad impressions “wear off,” you might even make some surprising friendships.
If you really want to foster mutual respect with people who can be difficult to get along with, you’ll need to “buckle up” and set aside time to be with that person, work with that person, talk to that person, and even play with that person. You may have to grit your teeth from time to time, but in the end little by little you will begin to realize that of him or her personality or point of view are not so hard to understand after all.
2) Foster mutual respect with patience
Patience, in my opinion, is a combination of empathy and selflessness. In other words, patience is about other people, that’s why patience is such a difficult virtue to master. After all, who wants to spend time thinking about other people when we are so busy with our own agendas? The truth is that the best people, the smartest people, and the most successful people take a long hard look at other people and express empathy and disinterest towards the people they associate with. The sincerity of the action is also very important. A person who just goes through the motions of being disinterested (meaning, taking more time to talk to someone) will just come off as fake if they don’t show sincerity.
3) Foster mutual respect by listening
Listening is one of the greatest manifestations of respect. Even if you think a coworker or acquaintance’s ideas are “off,” listen carefully to what he or she is saying, and then ask questions that really pique your curiosity. For example, if your coworker wants to increase your marketing budget and you think it’s the stupidest idea you’ve heard in your entire career, don’t express your feelings or your own thoughts about how stupid the suggestion is supposed to be. Instead, start asking questions like “How will the company have enough to pay for new hires in two months?” or “What do you think about our current marketing strategies? Do you think we should improve them first? You may find that he or she has some great ideas that weren’t well expressed because no one took the time to look at them further.”
4) Encourage mutual respect by laughing
If you laugh with others, you can relax, and when you relax and help others relax, communication is more effective every second. Take the time to analyze your “opponent’s” sense of humor and be patient with him or her. Try to find common interests or laugh about experiences you’ve already had together without using humor that he or she might find offensive.
5) Keep Mutual respect with honesty
Once a person trusts you and starts showing you respect, it doesn’t mean you will have their respect for life. To maintain mutual respect, you need to be honest with that person even when it’s extremely uncomfortable to do so, and you need to be honest every day, not just on days that are convenient for you. A dishonest businessman or professional is not really a businessman or professional. If you’re honest, you’ll be better at everything you do, and others will crave your mutual respect.
