‘It’s about how you hold yourself’: Man explains why confidence, not seniority, earns respect at work
Age and designation are not the only factors that determine how much respect an employee receives at work. According to a content creator, the way professionals communicate, respond to questions and handle responsibilities can significantly influence how colleagues perceive them.A man explained how pausing, confirming tasks and sharing learnings helped employees appear confident at work. (Instagram/maarij.n)(Also read: ‘My brother earns less but gets more respect’: Delhi woman shares WFH struggles)In an Instagram video, a man identified as Maarij shared three practical habits that he believes can help young employees appear more confident and earn respect at the workplace.Respect comes from how you carry yourselfMaarij recalled beginning his professional journey at the age of 20 or 21, when almost everyone around him was considerably older.“Here’s how to get people to respect you at work, even if you’re the youngest person in the room. And the reason I can say this is because, when I was an employee at 20 or 21, every single person at work was at least five to 10 years older than me, and I got three back-to-back promotions within 15 months,” he said.He added, “The reason you get respected at work is not because of how senior you are or what your position is; it’s about how you hold yourself.”His first suggestion was to avoid answering a manager’s question immediately. Instead, employees should pause briefly, process the question and then respond.“That two-second delay shows that you’re responsive, not reactive, and that you’re in control and confident. Being reactive makes you look weak,” he explained.Repeat tasks to avoid confusionMaarij’s second tip focused on how young professionals should respond when they are assigned work. Instead of immediately agreeing saying “Absolutely”, “Yes” or “Sure”, he advised employees to repeat the task and deadline to confirm their understanding.He gave an example: “Okay, so you want me to finish the report and send it to the finance team Thursday, right?”According to him, repeating the instructions makes an employee sound attentive and shows that they have properly understood the assignment.(Also read:
