How our assumptions about other people can shape workplace relationships, and why curiosity is essential to building a culture of respect. A passage in Amor Towles’ award-winning novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, recently made me think about the sometimes nuanced nature of respect. After a acquaintence asks for the opportunity to make a new [...]
In the spring of 2020, my senior year of high school was upended entirely by the COVID-19 pandemic. As I’m sure many remember, nobody knew during those first few days just how long we’d be stuck away from public spaces. A quick two-week break turned into three, then five weeks, then a year, and so on. We slowly returned to normal, but not until my entire graduating class had missed the chance for any kind of meaningful commencement ceremony.
Updated: August 5, 2026 Respect in the workplace means engaging every colleague fairly and without judgment, regardless of background. It shows up in two forms: respect as a person (equal courtesy for everyone) and respect for professional achievement (recognition for good work). Workplaces with strong respect see lower stress, higher productivity, better collaboration, and [...]
Every one of us has unique views and opinions. With over 7 billion people on this planet, it's no wonder that we see things differently from one another. These differing viewpoints can lead to disagreements, arguments, and even violence. Most of us like to think that we're open-minded and respectful towards those who see [...]
Have you ever heard people proudly exclaim that they are color blind? Or, more broadly, that they treat everyone the same? While that sounds great on the surface (think of Golden Rule), the actual premise for that notion is antiquated at best. At its worst, it can be downright disrespectful. Why? Because we are not all the same.
Showing respect doesn't always require an overt or grand gesture. There are also several small behaviors that can be practiced on a day-to-day basis that can demonstrate respect towards others. Keeping the following tips in mind will ensure that you are part of creating a culture of respect within your professional or personal lives.
There are tons of rules in society, some written and some implicit— a red light means stop and most people obey. In the workplace there are established rules of respect as well. The following are 5 tips to help your organization create a culture of respect.
For the rest of the summer, we will feature Respect Tips inspired by the Why Respect Matters section of the recently released Respect Effect by Paul Meshanko. This is a major issue for me. It's a twofold reason too. First, it is important to personally acknowledge someone and secondly, it is necessary to address them with the correct [...]
For the rest of the summer, we will feature Respect Tips inspired by the Why Respect Matters section of the recently released Respect Effect by Paul Meshanko. The other day when I got into the elevator in our office building there were two other women already in there. One of the women had on a [...]
For the rest of the summer, we will feature Respect Tips inspired by the Why Respect Matters section of the recently released Respect Effect by Paul Meshanko. Last month, I mentioned a former supervisor of mine who supported and empathized with me when I was laid off from my first professional position out of graduate school. [...]
