Showing Respect - Everyone's Time Is Valuable

Is your leadership style disrespecting your team's time? In this episode, host Russel Lolacher reveals the subtle ways leaders overlook others' time and offers practical tips to show genuine respect, regardless of hierarchy.

We all have work to do and deadlines to do them by. But as leaders looking to build connection and relationships, it's vital that we treat others with respect when asking for their time. In a busy world, this can get lost for leaders. 
Russel shares real world examples of how leaders can disrespect others by believing their time is more valuable than those that are lower in an organizational chart.  And multiple ways leaders can demonstrate and communicate how they respect their time. 

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Transcript

Welcome back to Relationships At Work – Your guide to building workplace connections and avoiding leadership blind spots..  I’m your host Russel Lolacher

I’m a communications and leadership nerd with a couple of decades of experience and a heap of curiosity on how we can make the workplace better. If you’re a leader trying to understand and improve your impact on work culture and the employee experience, you’re in the right place.

This mini-episode is a quick and valuable bit of information to start the week ahead.

Inspired by our R@W Note Newsletter, I’m passing on to you… 

Everyone’s Time is Valuable. EVERYONE’s

Has this ever happened to you…let me paint you a picture

Someone higher up in the organization wants to have a meeting with you so they pick a time that works best for them with not a lot of consideration for your schedule. Pretty much assuming you’ll move whatever you have to move to accommodate them.  

Hit a little close to home? 

It often feels that a person’s time is considered more or less valuable depending on where they sit in the organizational structure. 

I’m not talking about responsibility. I’m not talking about influence. Or who does what work. We all have a job to do.  

Nope. This is about relationships. It’s about respect.  It’s about being considerate and thinking beyond our immediacy bubble. 

I can see how those at the top of the organization may see how their time is more important – salaries are higher, responsibilities are greater, those they interact with (like a board) may have a lot of influence on the priorities of the organization. 

And though those are all true, it isn’t an excuse to be less of a leader. Do these sound familiar, either as the one doing or the one receiving? 

·       I'm working and thinking about work at crazy hours, including evenings and weekends, so you should too.

·       I need check-ins constantly to ensure you're doing the work the way I want it done and I don't trust you enough on your own.

·       I know it's 3pm but I need this by end of day, even though I don't know if it's really the deadline my boss expects. And I'm not going to ask to confirm.

Even if these aren't intentional actions, they do happen. Senior leaders can be so busy and reactionary that that "fire drill mentality" can impact those around them and the culture they're a part of.

Our time is valuable. But everyone's time is valuable, regardless of the monetary amount attached to it. We can't compare the time someone spends with their friends and family or prioritizing mental and physical health, as any less valuable than time to fix a work problem or delivery a service/widget. It's ALL valuable.

How can we as leaders communicate to our teams this? Here are just a few suggestions:

1.    Prioritize Efficient Meetings: Meetings can be the worst, especially if they feel useless or bloated. Only schedule meetings when necessary and ensure they are as efficient and concise as possible. Provide clear agendas in advance, start and end on time, and encourage participation from all attendees. If we end early, that's OK. Remember no one ever said, "I wish this meeting went longer." This shows respect for everyone's time and contributions.

2.    Implement Open Office Hours: Establish specific times when employees can drop in to discuss ideas, concerns, or seek guidance without prior appointment. This approach signals that the leader values direct communication and is willing to make time for anyone who needs it. It's their time.

3.    Acknowledge and Respond to Communications Timely: Whether it’s emails, messages, or voicemails, timely responses (even if it's to say you’ll need more time to provide a detailed answer) show that you value the sender's time and input. Keeping in mind that what we think is timely is not the same as what our teams might think is timely. It's also important to encourage a culture where not every email requires an immediate response, thus respecting everyone's focus time. Communication about this is essential.

4.    Delegate Effectively: Trust your team by delegating tasks and responsibilities appropriately. This not only shows trust in their abilities but also respects their capacity to manage their time and workload effectively. Avoid micromanaging, as it can signal a lack of respect for their professional judgment and time. You hired them to do a job, let them.

5.    Support Work-Life Balance: Encourage employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance by setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. This could include flexible working hours, remote work options, or simply respecting their time off by not sending emails or messages during evenings or weekends, except in emergencies. But we'll have to define what an emergency is. Again, it might be different for different people. Leaders can set an example by practicing this balance themselves, demonstrating that they value their own time and well-being as much as their employees’.

Everyone’s time is valuable. And employees know they have to get their work done, they just want to feel like we respect that time and the sacrifices they maybe making to help in our mutual success. 

Respect for the win.