It's hard to earn respect, and it's equally difficult to keep it, but almost every professional relationship relies on it. The business world values respect as one of the most valuable commodities because it leads to more trust, more appreciation, and more value.
When your boss respects you, you are more likely to enjoy an ongoing professional relationship and to receive more tangible rewards like raises or promotions.
To earn your boss' respect, you must do excellent work, but there are other behaviors and habits you should adopt.
These are some of the most important:
1. Keep your word
There is no such thing as a guarantee. Delivering on a promise takes a real professional. It's better to admit your boss wants a three-day project finished in two days than to insist two days are no problem and miss the deadline or turn in sub-par work.
2. Solve problems
Incessant complaining is one of the factors that might make your manager or boss lose respect for you. People don't like complainers.
You don't want your boss to do your job for you. He wants you to be proactive. You should be able to count on your boss.
Your boss wants you to roll with the punches, tackle challenges head-on, and use your wits to find creative solutions to problems encountered in the workplace.
Your boss will respect you if you provide solutions instead of whining.
3. Respect those in higher positions
It is not necessary to respect the individual, but it is necessary to respect the role.
4. Let your voice be heard
Bosses respect those who speak their minds, whether in formal meetings or informal conversations. That doesn't mean you need to fill every void with your voice, but you should always express your opinion, even if yours is different from everyone else's.