Respect
For most of human history, people have been valued or devalued based on their ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, politics, and social or economic status. Judging people on as little as one characteristic has led to unequal rights. When this devolves into viewing a group as less than human, it often results in slavery, genocide, and other atrocities. Totalitarian regimes, such as the Nazis in Germany and Communists in the Soviet Union, typically began by demonizing and vilifying those who were different or were believed to be a threat. Unfortunately, there are still many examples where such people are being fired, silenced, belittled, or otherwise attacked and treated as enemies.
Wherever a paradigm of respecting each person as an individual is embraced, there are much greater levels of freedom, peace, civility, trust, and human progress. Treating everyone with dignity and respect not only leads to better outcomes, but it is the right thing to do. It is disrespectful to believe you can know everything about a person and to judge an individual — positively or negatively — based on group identity or other characteristics. It is natural and appropriate for people to be proud of their heritage and other personal attributes, but there is no excuse for an “I’m better than you” attitude.
We naturally want to associate with people who are like us in some way; however, we all need to make an effort to build relationships with people outside our normal circles or comfort zones. This expands our knowledge and perspective, enriches our experience, and enhances our ability to learn and contribute.
People are more likely to share their opinions and ideas and engage in effective challenge when a culture of Respect and trust is promoted. We leverage the power of diversity by seeking and embracing different perspectives, experiences, aptitudes, knowledge, and skills to innovate and capture opportunities. With more than a hundred thousand employees and a presence in dozens of countries around the world, we rely on diversity — and respect for differences — to better understand and relate to customers and all other constituencies.
Respect is more than treating others kindly. It includes being honest. We must be truthful and sincere, especially when dealing with challenging situations or having difficult conversations. We show Respect by believing others can handle the truth and providing feedback that will help them deal with reality and improve. Avoiding or sugarcoating a tough message is a disservice to the person and the company. It lacks integrity and usually leads to a bad outcome.