Having the respect of your team is instrumental to the success of your marketing department. Ensuring each person feels valued and realizes the work you put in yourself is essential in creating a healthy culture. That culture is what will breed teamwork, creativity, productivity and efficiency. Here are five key factors in gaining and maintaining the respect of your marketing team.

Be Organized

“Fact is, being organized enables us to be more productive, set an example for our team members and impress our external clients – to more efficiently manage our time. This will take work, and is well worth it.” Organization is essential in any leadership position as it can help you to provide clear direction. It also sets a good example for your department as a whole and can make your team more productive and efficient.

Pay Them Fairly

“Employees will be much more invested in their jobs and in the company they work for if they feel valued by that company. A higher salary is a way to show employees that they are valued.” While you may not be a decision maker when it comes to your team’s salary, fighting for them to make more and petitioning the higher-ups to do so will endear you to your team members.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Jumping in the fire to help your team achieve goals and meet deadlines is a sure way to gain their respect. Leaders that are willing to get their hands dirty show their team that they are both willing and able to help them succeed. Conversely, those that act as a figure head and are only there to make demands can lose credibility and respect.

Treat Them Like People

“Treat all of your employees fairly, and express the value you have for them. Listen to them when they come to you with their ideas or concerns, and never talk down to them or insult them. In short, treat them the way you want to be treated, and they'll likely reciprocate.” If you truly respect the members of your team, they are likely to respect you as well. Treating them as individuals shows you are invested in them and that you don’t view them as merely a number.

Help Them Achieve Personal Goals

While becoming too involved in the personal lives of your team can be a bad idea, it is important to take some interest in their goals outside of your business. This shows that you care about them on a personal level, which can garner respect and make them more likely to go above and beyond to achieve company goals.