They don’t lie
If respectable colleagues promise to come to work half an hour earlier, they do so. If they say they’ll back up a sick colleague, they do just that. If they claim they’ll finish this task by 5pm, the task is finished by this time. We all lie. Some people lie more, some less. Getting rid of this habit at all seems impossible as it would be very hard to live in this world. However, don’t forget that at work you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for your colleagues. Try to be sincere and if you cannot do something or don’t have time for it, better say so.
They don’t complain
Jack got complimented for his work and you didn’t, although you achieved the same results. Melissa got a promotion and you didn’t, although you think you work as hard as she. Kathy has been leaving the office two hours earlier for a month and she has the same salary as you. Never complain about those things to your colleagues and especially to your boss. First of all, remember that complaining is the prerogative of weak people. Second of all, you never know all the details about other people’s lives. Maybe Kathy’s kid is seriously sick and Melissa presented some great project she never talked about. Instead of useless complaints, turn that indignation into positive energy: try to work harder and show that you don’t only spend time in the office, but are interested in your job. In this case, you’ll be much more respected by your colleagues and boss.
They don’t talk too much
Having friends at work is great. It is very nice to talk to someone at lunch and laugh a bit. However, sharing the details of your personal life with everyone at work is not a very smart move. Imagine someone else telling you about a two hour fight with a spouse. You don’t want to hear that, do you? So don’t make other people listen about your personal problems.
They don’t talk too little
Here is the opposite situation: there is a colleague that never talks to people apart from work related questions. It is also not good and definitely not very respectful. Truly respectable colleagues always do small talks asking you how your daughter is, how you like the weather or whether you watched the game last night. Over sharing is bad, but not talking to colleagues at all is also not a way to gain trust and respect.
They don’t date their colleagues
Is there a guy or a girl at your work that always flirts with every new secretary and never misses an opportunity to go on a date with a colleague? How much respect do you have for them? That’s right. Dating a colleague is not very professional and always causes gossiping and sometimes disrespect. You will be even more disrespected if you have an affair at work while being married. Of course, there are situations when people fall in love at work and then get married, but these are exceptions.
They don’t behave unprofessionally
Respectful colleagues are always very professional at work; they know the boundaries. They don’t tell rude jokes, they don’t talk about your religion, financial state or other personal things, they don’t get drunk at corporate parties and they don’t dress too casual to work. There are norms and unspoken rules that you should follow to be respected.
They don’t have truly annoying habits at work
Does someone always eat loudly at the computer? Is someone constantly talking on the phone about their personal problems? Does a colleague next to you have a weirdly restless leg? Is someone it your office always cold and insists on keeping all the windows shot even in summer? Is your colleague listens to music very loudly or even sings along? All those things can be utterly annoying especially if you see, hear or smell them every day. Try not to become one of those people with irritating work habits.
They don’t blame others
People will definitely not respect you if you cannot admit your mistakes and always blame someone else. Throwing your colleagues under the bus won’t make you a better worker because the truth will come out and you will be not only disrespected, but also hated by everyone around. Be a bigger person and say that you’ve made a mistake and you want to fix it now.
They aren’t too active
Let’s all dress in green on the St. Patrick’s Day! Let’s make the Eiffel Tower with the paper clips! Let’s play volleyball with crumpled paper! Let’s celebrate Jack’s birthday on the roof! In every office, there are some overly initiative people who try too hard to bring the team closer. Team-building is a great thing, but if you overdo it, you’ll probably just annoy your colleagues.
They don’t look down on everyone
Good colleagues don’t look down on people because they have more working experience, they are older or because they’ve worked for this company longer. They don’t try to teach other people “valuable lessons” and they don’t patronize. If they are asked for help, they’ll help. But they wouldn’t try to show that they are smarter every time they have an opportunity. Featured photo credit: Business men/markus spiske via flickr.com
