Organizationally, the bar for respect is so low that it’s become a “perk”

I think I’ve used this graphic before when writing about something else, but I’m too lazy to go find that post. Years ago, when I used to sit in a dingy cubicle off downtown Fort Worth and do nothing all day under the guise of being a “marketing manager,” I sometimes blogged 5–6x/day, and one of those posts was about the startling lack of respect in the workplace. On that link, you’ll see some asinine manager say in a quote that she’s “so slammed” and “doesn’t have the time to respect her employees.” Uh, what? Respect is something you schedule? I thought it was something that happened organically based on interactions and competence. No? Hmmm. I feel like my narratives have been warped.

I’ve written about respect at work a few other times, including the little ditty of “the future of work is all about respect,” and this post doesn’t have a ton to add. I’d just say that over the last few years, as I’ve struggled periodically with my own 1099 career and advancement opportunities, I can tell you that it often feels the bar around respect is so low that people have come to see being respected as a perk of some kind — when, in reality, being respected should be a natural part of the human condition, insofar as you’ve earned it. If you come into the office and sleep under your desk all day, no, I don’t think that has earned…