It doesn’t matter who you are or what level you work at—whether you’re a new starter, a manager, or the CEO—people take cues from you on how they can behave.
If you allow colleagues to interrupt you constantly, they’ll keep doing it. If you tolerate dismissive or disrespectful behaviour, it will continue. If you don’t speak up when someone takes credit for your work, they’ll assume it’s fine to do so.
We teach people how to treat us by what we accept, what we ignore, and what we challenge.
This isn’t about being confrontational; it’s about setting boundaries. If someone’s behaviour is impacting you, say something. If you need more respect, more recognition, or more space to do your best work—ask for it. If we don’t address it, nothing changes.
People will treat us how we let them.
What’s one behaviour you’ve had to call out to reset expectations?