Respect for People

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Respect for People

By Lea A.P. Tonkin, editor-in-chief

Employees can change organizational culture in a powerful and sustained way. To gain their active engagement, respect for people is essential, according to Linda E. Taylor, Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) director of worklife equity and inclusion. Taylor challenged participants at the recent AME Champion’s Club meeting in Tucson, AZ, to learn how their behaviors can encourage passionate buy-in for change initiatives.

After a 2006 Raytheon employee opinion survey revealed an increase in the company’s diversity index and a slight decline in the “respect” rating over a three-year period, the company commissioned an employee survey through the Raytheon Diversity Council (RDC) to learn how people define respect. Taylor said survey responses indicate that respect is both something shown to others and held by people.

“It is the language, behavior, or perceived behavior that makes a person feel safe, supported, and/or valued,” she said. The 1,500+ responses to the survey (sent to 150 people in two email requests) reflected “a lot of passion around this issue,” Taylor said.

When it comes to respect, here’s what mattered most to surveyed employees:

-Acknowledge my presence/know my name (574 responses)
-Value my opinion/diversity of thought (692)
-Give me ongoing informal feedback – good, bad, and honest (421)
-Show that you appreciate and value me (337)
-Explain business decisions to me (296).

If employees don’t receive explanations about why business decisions are made and other communications that show they are valued and appreciated, Taylor said, “it’s like looking at the knee of an elephant … you need a fuller picture.”

Mindful leaders should be aware of “micro-inequities” in day-to-day activities, Taylor said. For example, a manager who interrupts a conversation between two associates may assume that his or her priorities are more important than others; the interruption sends a powerful message to the associates, who may have been discussing process improvement issues.

“Remember that respect develops trust, and trust leads to risk-taking, and risk-taking leads to innovation and growth,” Taylor said. She suggested that managers ask for feedback on their behavior, adding, “Take steps to include others and learn to hear new ideas.”

Learning How to Do It
Raytheon is in its sixth year of several “respect” initiatives. Here are five ways the company is progressing:

* it shares employee attitude survey results with all employees.
* Managers hold “lunch and learn” meetings with their teams, learning from the dialog about concerns, problems, and issues, such as safety and process improvements.
* Company-wide training focuses on specific behaviors that demonstrate respect and honesty.
* Respect councils encourage all-hands dialog.
* Employees acknowledge colleagues in a “caught being respectful” campaign.

Respect is a core value at Raytheon. Demonstrating respect and ethical behavior and valuing diversity of thought are foundational to the company culture.

“There is more to be done,” Taylor said. “And with the continued support and commitment of employees at all levels, we are making great strides in this most important area. Strong companies such as Raytheon are always searching for ways to get even better. This is another example of our ongoing journey.”