How to Get Your Co-workers Respect When Youve Been There a Long Time - The Muse

How to Get Your Co-workers Respect When Youve Been There a Long Time - The MuseHow to Get Your Co-workers Respect When Youve Been There a Long Time According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average length of time a Millennial stays in a job is about half the national average of the typical tenure. But what if you dont move on? What if you really like your company? Thats awesome (and rare). However, as youve probably noticed, staying in the same distributionspolitik for a long time can make it easier for people to take you for granted. And that leaves you in a strange place where youre constantly struggling to prove yourself to your colleagues.So, if youre being overlooked for new opportunities because the higher-ups dont see how your skills have evolved, if colleagues ask you questions assuming youre still in your entry-level role, or if people just dont seem register what you do, here are six steps for getting the respect youve earned and rightfully deserve.1. Determine Your Unique Value to Your CompanyIts hard to see our unique qualifications from the inside. Were way too close to our own experience to determine our value. So, here are a few questions to help you figure it out Why is what you bring to your job, company, or office relevant to your workplace? Or, to put it another way What problem are you solving? What makes you different or unique? What would the people you work with say is the value of your presence? Being able to answer these questions will help you realize your own value. And from there, you can move onto the next step.2. Own Your ValueRespect your position and respect how you do your job every single day. When you start to treat your job like it matters, others will notice and follow suit. (And this isnt just for your benefit According to a 2013 study on relationships, your self-esteem impacts those around you.) Take it a step further and be willing to ask yourself What else could I be doing? What skills should I develop to take mys elf to the next level? Approach management for feedback, then listen and absorb it. The mora respect you give to your position, the more respect others will give it. 3. Communicate Your Value to Your ManagerAccording to HR expert Josh Bersin, theres a shift happening now in performance reviews, with many companies changing how they evaluate employees. Long story short, managers cant be expected to quantify a years worth of work in a single meeting anymore. So, whether or not your company still conducts annual reviews, its incumbent upon you to communicate your value and keep your manager up-to-date on your work. Set up a meeting where you can discuss how often he or she would like updates from you. Then make sure to follow through and send regular recaps on the projects youre working on. Include your colleagues contributions, note when youve mastered a new skill, and keep him or her in the loop on any new work youre tackling.4. Compliment Your ColleaguesThe easiest way to get respec t is to give it, yet so few people do this. So you can really set yourself apart by praising your co-workers publicly. Whenever youre collaborating, be vocal about sharing the credit. This is a good reminder that you dont always have to expressly convey your value as much as you need to just be a valuable colleague. Bonus Offering up compliments has actually been shown to improve the performance of the colleague you complimented. 5. Show Youre Capable of Nurturing TalentWeve heard it before Competition is dead. Collaboration is in. A study out of Washington University in St. Louis found that creativity among women is actually squelched in more competitive- as opposed to collaborative- environments. One of the best ways to nurture those around you is to bring out the best in them. Loop a less- experienced colleague in on a project thatll enhance his or her skill set, or take the time to teach an intern how to use the companys reporting system. These small moments send a powerful mess age about your confidence level. You dont need to resort to undercutting or one-upping your colleagues in order to make yourself look good. By just collaborating, you show that you believe you have useful experience to share. 6. Learn How to Say NoYes, you can still print out presentations materials for the team before a meeting or grab coffee for a co-worker stuck at his desk- doing the menial stuff shouldnt be beneath you. But, be prepared to remind people where you are now. One way to do that is to start saying no (politely) to those entry-level requests- especially if theres someone else whos job it is to complete those tasks.Still getting questions based about the position you did three years ago? The best way to absprache with this is to set people on the right track without sacrificing your own productivity. If its not your job anymore, you simply have to say, I havent been in that department for a couple years, but you might try so-and-so. When youve been somewhere so long, people can start to overlook you. So, it is up to you to remind them of your worth. Have you been working for the same company for forever? Which one of these will you try to do more often? Tweet your answer to me.Photo of frustrated man courtesy of Shutterstock.