Taylor’s Musing: Respect is the key to engagement. People want to do their best for an organization that creates a culture of respect and value. Proactively addressing the importance of respect as a leader is guaranteed to improve employee engagement and create a sense of belonging throughout the organization.

Respect is one of those subtle lubricants that keep the engine of management running smoothly. But when, like oil, it gets low, parts start grinding.

I was reminded of this through a series of conversations about a change in management an old friend of mine recently experienced. He was a longtime employee - the industry doesn't matter, the same dynamics can apply anywhere - who knew his job well and had long been regarded as a valued member of the team. But the company was in transition and a new management team had been installed. His new manager was about half his age and viewed him as, well, somewhat "dinosaurish."

While my friend had been doing his job successfully for years, his new manager didn't place much stock in his history and wasn't much interested in his experience. As is often the case, new managers often see themselves as change agents - whether or not change is in all cases necessary. At first an uneasy manager-employee truce prevailed, but the bottom line was a long-valued employee no longer felt respected. The lack of respect gnawed at him. "I get no respect, so I give no extra effort" was what it boiled down to. The end-result? He's no longer committed to the organization and has begun to look elsewhere.

I offer this story not just to illustrate how fragile employee engagement is, but also to show what a key piece of the puzzle respect is. And make no mistake, employee engagement is a management puzzle. If it weren't, we wouldn't perennially have 70% of the workforce in various states of disengagement, at annual productivity costs in the hundreds of billions.

No, keeping employees engaged isn't always simple. And respect is one of those foundational puzzle pieces that make all other pieces easier to fit. Without it, it's hard for employees to stay upbeat too long.

Following are three basic reasons why respect (or lack of it) is such an emotional difference maker.

It makes employees feel a natural part of the team. As my friend described above, for years as a well-respected employee he felt he was an integral part of the operation, appreciated for his skills and track record. It was easy for him to feel motivated; it just came naturally.

Employees want to do their best for people they're respected by. This of course is common sense, but as I often say about management: Just because something is common sense doesn't mean it's commonly practiced. When my friend fundamentally felt respected by his management, he was invariably well-disposed toward them and ready to "go the extra mile" to make sure his job was done as well as it could be, which is what engagement is all about.

Without respect, employees feel disconnected and this creates an environment where morale problems quickly fester. This is the flip of the engagement coin. The management-employee bond is a delicate one. Once my friend felt this bond had frayed, it didn't take long for his attitude to change. Despite years of harmonious management relationships, it only took one seriously problematic relationship for morale issues to set in. As he said, it gnawed at him. Constantly.

The lubricant was gone and the machinery of management was grinding.

One thing you can count on: When respect is absent, employee engagement - and full productivity - won't be far behind.

Article by: Forbes

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