Page 28 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Introduction

The core of the RESPECT Model took about two years to
develop and was based on considerable research, both my own
and others’. The key was to determine the factors that affected
people’s experience of respect in the workplace. In the end, I
identified seven factors that form the acronym RESPECT: Rec-
ognition, Empowerment, Supportive Feedback, Partnering,
Expectations, Consideration, and Trust. Each of these contrib-
utes significantly to employees’ feelings of respect and their level
of engagement. Moreover, each factor can be positively affected
by applying the principles of the RESPECT Model.
Over the years, I’ve worked with many organizations and seen
the power of the RESPECT Model in practice. I’ve seen it trans-
form individual leaders, teams, and entire organizations. The
purpose of this book is to provide you with the resources and
tools you need to implement the RESPECT Model in your orga-
nization. The book begins by distinguishing between employee
motivation and engagement and goes on to discuss twenty rea-
sons why traditional “carrot and stick” programs just don’t work.
You’ll read about the concept of employee engagement, why it
is so important, and why, unfortunately, much of the research
is fundamentally flawed. Then you’ll learn about the RESPECT
Model and how it changes organizational culture and increases
employee engagement. Each of the RESPECT drivers will be pre-
sented in its own chapter and will include specific examples and
turnkey strategies to immediately begin increasing RESPECT
in your organization. Trust, the last driver discussed, serves as
a building block for all other drivers. If you already know that
trust is an issue for you personally or in your organization, it is
recommended that you read about this driver before the others.
The last chapter provides useful suggestions on implementing
the model and addresses the general decline of respect in soci-
ety and its impact on the next generation of employees.