Commanding and Earning Respect

One of my favourite moments in yesterday's podcast with the Farmah brothers was listening to the comments made about commanding and earning respect.

It really did get me thinking.

It is pertinent to our current circumstances because, on a daily basis, I'm hearing stories from owners and managers about the disrespectful behaviour of team members, clinicians and patients.

It's not OK for a team member to maliciously gossip or to undermine your plans whilst they think your back is turned.

It's not OK for a self-employed clinician to ignore your systems and standards or to game the appointment book to suit themselves.

It's not OK for a patient to step into The Drama Triangle and to be intimidating with team members or threaten you with adverse reviews.

When people do that they are disrespectful.

Sometimes because they simply do not know your core values - you haven't commanded respect because you haven't drawn any boundaries as to what is and is not acceptable performance and behaviour. In the absence of stated core values, you have fostered anarchy.

At other times because they know your core values but have decided it's OK to ignore them - you haven't earned their respect by living your core values as an example and by never tolerating any performance or behaviour that compromises those values.

You command respect by establishing your vision, mission, roles, goals, business plan and courtesy system.

You earn respect by becoming the example of everything in which you believe and zero-tolerant of anything or anybody that gets in the way of you making your difference in the world.

p.s. next week I'm taking some time for Extreme Self Care. I'll be at home, of course.

The blog will be back on Monday 8th March - until then, stay safe.