Michael Libbie had a great post on the recent 2007 Iowa Employment Values Study showing that more than anything workers want R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  Being respected in the workplace is the value Iowa workers feel is most important. 

But what if more employers were like Tony Dungy?  A post from TechRepublic says it very well,

"Dungy is one of the exceptions, and is part of a new breed of coaches who do things differently. He’s not a yeller and he does not lead or motivate with fear. Instead, he believes in putting the right personnel in place, building a winning strategy based on the strengths of that personnel, and then treating them with the respect they deserve as professionals and human beings. As a result, the performance of his players is not driven by a fear of his wrath. The only fear they have is a fear of letting him down or disappointing him because of their trust in him and their loyalty to him."

Studies have shown that how well-respected employees feel is directly related to how enthusiastic they are about their overall employment situations.  Employees who feel well-respected are several times more likely to stay in their jobs.  Interestingly, one study says the main reason employees don’t feel respect is not related to abusive management behavior as much as it is indifference or the failure of management to go out of its way to demonstrate respect to employees.

For the record, just check out my Number 1 out of 7 Ways to Avoid Employee Lawsuits written several months in advance of the Iowa Employment Values Study.  As I said then, it seems like a basic philosophy but it is amazing how many employers forget to treat their employees with respect.  Employees that are humilated or treated in a disrespectful way are much more likely to sue your company.