As more women take on positions of authority and companies become more diverse, the traditional work environment is evolving to become more open and equal. However, that doesn’t mean that true equality has actually been achieved. Women still have to overcome unique hurdles in today’s professional climate, challenges that their male counterparts never have to face.
Asserting authority and gaining respect are some of the most common issues preventing women from developing their careers, especially when it comes to female managers in charge of uncooperative teams. If you’re battling the same problems as well, here are some effective ways you can command respect as a female manager:
Prioritize respect
In order to command respect from your coworkers, you have to respect yourself first, and clearly demonstrate respect to others. You can achieve this by being kind and polite, encouraging employees to share their ideas and opinions, listening to what others have to say before making conclusions, improving your communication and collaboration skills, being mindful of your body language, rewarding and praising employees for good work more often, etc. By doing this, you will gain more respect for yourself in the process, and you can encourage a more respectful attitude among your colleagues as well.
Exude confidence
Confidence is another vital aspect when it comes to commanding respect. Aim to build self-confidence and develop trust in your capabilities, qualifications, and managerial position as a whole. You are performing this role for a reason – because you’re good at it. Don’t let unfounded doubts drag you down. Utilize strong rhetoric and convincing body language to allow your confidence to emanate naturally. Rather than focusing on non-assertive and tentative speech that is common in women, try to use language that expresses an accomplished, assured, and positive attitude in order to command more respect in the office.
Accept criticism
Accepting criticism is difficult for anyone, but it’s truly invaluable. Listen to the criticism you receive from your bosses and learn how to draw important conclusions from those comments. Taking criticism and using it to grow and improve is always commendable. To gain more respect from your teams, make sure you don’t just give feedback, but also ask for it in return. When you are open to receiving constructive and positive feedback from employees, they will respect your honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness to change your ways much more than your strict orders.
Focus on appearance
Unfortunately, appearance plays a much bigger role than we would like to admit. The way we present ourselves in the workplace dictates how we are perceived, regardless of our roles or fields. To command respect in the office, make sure you always dress professionally and feel comfortable in the clothes you wear. Consider using quality tape hair extensions for sleek ponytails and elegant buns to maintain a respectable look. Minimal and neutral makeup can also go a long way toward creating a polished and professional appearance.
Maintain neutrality
No workplace is entirely free from gossip, competitiveness, and other forms of negativity. Don’t feed into it. Your responsibility as a manager is to be reliable while remaining impartial. Joining in on the unfavorable aspects of business can only prove to be counterproductive and result in a lack of trust and respect from your coworkers. When you maintain your neutrality, however, your teams will quickly realize that you are above gossip and negativity, and will adjust their behavior toward you accordingly. Respect can also be earned through inaction, especially in these cases.
Follow your intuition
Science has already confirmed that women’s intuition is real, so why not leverage it for commanding respect in the workplace? Let your gut guide you in situations such as deciding whether to take control or leave more room for your teams to be independent and innovative. Every good manager should support and encourage the autonomy of employees and give individuals room to develop their skills, but they should also know when assistance and guidance are needed to achieve the best results. Follow your intuition in these instances, and earn respect from your colleagues by being a good decision-maker and an excellent manager.
While every professional deserves admiration, women are still faced with unique challenges in the conventional corporate space. To overcome this issue and command more respect, utilize the tips mentioned above and change how you are perceived in the workplace.