I perform better when I am understood and appreciated. It is difficult to perform well when we feel like nobody cares. There is just something about being respected that helps us perform better.

One of the basic principles for building winning relationships is making people feel understood and appreciated. In other words, respect people.

Not everybody knows what you know or is good at whatever it is you do well. That does not mean they deserve your disrespect. There is probably something they know that you do not know or they are good at something you are not. Does that mean it is OK for them to disrespect you during those times?

We could all share stories of how we have felt disrespected at times and how that negatively affected our performance. It is difficult to do well when you feel disrespected. Remember how that feels when dealing with others.

So how do you make people feel understood and appreciated? Show them respect. Whether it is your spouse, your kids, another family member, someone you work with, and especially if it is someone you work for or someone who works for you. Respect goes a long way in building better marriages, raising better kids, and creating a more productive work environment.

According to the Zig Ziglar Corporation, 46% of people who leave their job say it’s because they did not feel respected or appreciated. Imagine how different the work week could be if everyone understood, appreciated, and respected each other! We would all have more energy when we got home to invest in our families. You know the difference between working all day with people who are respectful and working all day with people who are not. One group energizes you while the other drains the very life out of you.

Remember understanding, appreciation, and respect starts with you. It seldom, if ever, works when you try to make someone else respect you. You take the first step. Start a “respect revolution” in your workplace and in your home.

We also need to make sure we are genuine in our respect and appreciation of others. Faking it will not work for very long. Author and speaker Les Giblin puts it this way, “You can’t make the other fellow feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that he is a nobody.”

If you want a better boss, genuinely respect them. If you want a better employee, genuinely appreciate them. If you want a better teammate, genuinely do your best to understand where they are coming from. If you want better kids, genuinely respect them. If you want a better marriage, do everything you can to better understand, appreciate, and respect your spouse.

Perhaps Steven Covey said it best, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

I specialize in helping entrepreneurs, leaders, and other dreamers turn their dreams into reality.  Those whom I have worked with have described me as an “inspirational motivator.”

I help clients address lack of focus, self-confidence, and other roadblocks while defining their dreams, identifying changes they want to make and discovering their passions.

With more than 20 years of experience and a master’s degree in life coaching, my mission is to equip and empower clients to climb to their untapped potential.

Primary Specialties: Entrepreneurial Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Goals Coaching
Secondary Specialties:  Ministry Leadership Coaching, Public Speaking Coaching

Visit the website:     www.TommyLanham.com