Managers play a central role in honoring dignity in the workplace. These leaders set the workplace tone, and employees take their cues from the behavior they model. We offer practical ways to uphold dignity that foster team-building and employee engagement.
When colleagues trust each other, their work relationships are stronger, they are more committed to the organization, and they make more positive contributions. Productivity increases and stress levels drop, which improves retention and fuels stronger performance.
Safety is at the core of dignity. In a safe environment, people can speak up, give feedback, and bring up dignity violations without fear of being ignored or punished. They also need to feel confident that workplace safety measures are being followed.
A culture of robust feedback—about team and individual performance, operations, and perceived dignity violations—promotes dignity. Poor delivery of feedback stands in the way of team growth, empowerment, and retention.
Dignity matters in every type of workplace. Managers should make expectations clear and advance fairness, consistency, and equal opportunity for employees in all work locations.
Policies are given practical life and advance dignity when leaders signal their importance to colleagues and demonstrate accountability through their own behavior.
When they are understood, embraced, and explicitly shown to matter, differences among team members can foster inclusion and promote dignity. Managers who value differences can fully leverage the strengths of each individual and of the team as a whole.
When new people join their team, managers should model dignity in their early actions, which supports the new members while strengthening overall team dynamics.
The operational norms teams follow when they meet directly affect dignity-honoring elements like inclusion, independence, fairness, and understanding. In these meetings, managers indicate whether all voices matter, how recognition is delivered, and how workplace stress is handled.
Teams rely on synergies, partnerships, and feedback from adjacent colleagues. Building relationships across teams increases exposure to others’ knowledge and experiences, promotes visibility and growth, and creates a shared sense of mission.
Supporting employees’ career development with a focus on equal opportunity is a core element of leadership that promotes fairness and empowers people to control their careers. This matters both in daily work and during key development-related junctures.