pro·fes·sion·al·–noun
1. professional character, spirit, or methods.
2. the standing, practice, or methods of a professional, as distinguished
from an amateur.
professionalism. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v
1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/professionalism
(accessed: September 19, 2007).
You can often hear complaints today about a lack of professionalism
among the workforce. Employees that don’t do their jobs --
companies that rip off their clients -- people who generally treat
others much worse than they would like to be treated. We often see
professionalism described in the negative, though. This is not professional.
That is not professional. Instead, I think we would be much better
off to describe what professional is, rather that what it is not.
You are what you wear?
One of the first signs of professionalism is usually taken to be
your dress. Frankly, as long as you are decently clean and attired,
I think this has less bearing than anything else I will discuss here.
In fact, it is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Sure, if you dress slovenly,
people will develop a certain opinion about you, but to judge all
your work and professionalism by the clothes you wear seems the height
of folly.
I will make one concession, though. Company culture will often dictate
professional dress. If you are in a suit and tie environment, you
must adapt to the culture. To do otherwise is folly. If you want
to dress differently, you will often have to find another company
with another culture. Does it make sense? Not always, but there are
many things in life that don’t make sense.
Actions speak louder and words, really!
If you want to appear truly professional, in everything you do, there
are some important, yet simple, guidelines to follow. They might
seem commonsensical, but so many people ignore them you are sure
to stand out in comparison. First, return your phone calls and emails
promptly. That’s right, simply by calling people back on the
same day you receive their call, you can seem more professional than
those around you. Silly, huh? I am sure you know from your own experience,
though, that most people don’t do this. Some can take so long
to call you back, despite the urgency of the call or email, you might
think they dropped off the face of the earth. People who call or
email quickly are the one’s that get the job, get the sale,
get the project. It is as simple as that.
Next, when you make a commitment, do everything in your power to
deliver on that commitment. Do what you say you will do. Do it when
you say you will do it. If you can’t deliver on your commitment,
return to your client/boss/peer and re-negotiate the commitment.
Never simply “drop the ball.” Never make people come
looking for you and the information you promised. This is one sure
way to destroy any sense of professionalism.
Be careful of re-negotiating too often, though. Eventually those
around you will understand that your commitments mean nothing. For
yourself, it also shows that you are unable to properly estimate
the time and energy involved in producing results. Are you making
commitments you can’t keep? Why? Are you afraid of looking
bad to your boss or peers? Guess what? Constantly missing or renegotiating
commitments looks even worse and the results will be the same. You’ll
soon find yourself looking for a new job.
Respect
Finally, the biggest component of professionalism is treating everyone
with respect. You respect them as unique individuals and, most importantly,
you respect their time. Professionals don’t show up late for
appointments or meetings, regardless of their level. You might think
a CEO can keep anyone waiting, and they can, but the message they
send to their employees is very clear – I don’t respect
your time. Even worse, I don’t respect you.
Don’t talk down to anyone, no matter what their level. It is
often said that if you truly want to know someone, watch how they
treat “the help.” Someone who mistreats those around
them will have no compunction about mistreating you someday. Do you
say please and thank you? Even to the waitress at your local lunch
spot? Do you assume that everyone works for you and never need to
be thanked for anything? How you treat others is directly proportional
to how people perceive your professionalism. Furthermore, it clearly
shows your character as a human being.
Professionalism has little to do with how you dress and is much
more about what you do and how you work with others. If you keep
your
commitments and respect those around you, you will be seen as a
professional and others will want to work with you again and
again. Disrespect
others and you will find yourself lonely, isolated and the very
definition of unprofessional.
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