BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
PROFESSIONALISM
(Marcelline Chitolie)
The Oxford Dictionary has two definitions for Professionalism. It states 1“ Professionalism is the competence or skill expected of a professional. 2 “The practicing of an activity by professionals rather than amateurs.” The first definition refers to a job or profession. The other means the practice of certain activities that make you stand out from an amateur. From the definition, one can surmise that it is easy to be a professional. The second however is more difficult. It is easy to do a job, but to do it well and go beyond is somehow not the norm; most of us are content to just do the basics, and not go the extra mile. We are not interested in putting our best efforts because we lack pride in our work. If you are the street cleaner, clean as if your life depends on it. That is the essence of Professionalism.
Are we practicing professionalism in the workplace? Professionalism is more than putting on a suit. It is a mind-set that shows in every aspect of your work life. Most people are under the mistaken impression that someone with a degree is a professional; however, being professional and practicing Professionalism is much more complicated. At work, Professionalism refers to a person doing his job with sincerity and maintaining professional etiquette and professional ethics in the workplace. Professionalism is considered an important trait that all employees should possess from the General Manager to the Office Attendant. In the absence of Professionalism, the concepts of work politics and mind games find room to breed. Professionalism includes both hard and soft skills. Hard skills refer to expertise in a certain field and soft skills include being honest, dressing the part, being punctual, being courteous among others. Those skills can be learnt.
A simple situation of a non practice of professionalism would be - In a hotel, as a guest, you may ask the Security Officer for direction, does he point and remain standing in the same location, or does he show you the way and solve your problems with a smiling face? Simply doing a job over and over again does not make you a professional. In Government there are many people who have been working in the same position for years and are not contributing anything to the nation, even though they are qualified and have been recipients of Government scholarships. They certainly cannot be credited for practicing Professionalism.
Why is Professionalism important in the workplace?
Professionalism is required to keep all employees motivated.
Professionalism ensures good team spirit.
Staff uses their initiative.
It is important to ensure consistency in the treatment of all employees.
It provides excellent performance by everyone and pride in the work, no matter what the job is.
Staff is allowed to air their views without fear of being dismissed.
It encourages courtesy and good work ethics.
How does one display a lack of Professionalism?
A lack of professionalism in the workplace can result in biased and wrong management decisions. It can lead to a de-motivated team and a general negative feeling in the workplace. The autocratic style of management, belittling staff in front of customers and lack of job satisfaction results. Staff may have illnesses such as stress, headaches, stomach issues, lower immune system as a result. These are all symptoms of a company that does not practice professionalism. High Absenteeism is recorded resulting in financial loss to the company. Some illnesses may be genuine and others may be not, staff may be staying away from the business rather than working in this toxic environment.
A lack of professionalism leads to a higher rate of attrition, which keeps the business recruitment budget in use at all times, causing a financial strain and results in a revolving door mentality of staff coming and going because staff cannot stand the tension in the workplace. A lack ofPprofessionalism leads to a lack of loyalty between management and staff. However, some offices and businesses are not conducive to the practice of Professionalism. It must start from the top.
Unfortunately, it gets so bad that the staff may have to leave the job. With the economy so bad and the difficulties experienced in getting a new job, many persons are in jobs where a lack of Professionalism is being practiced but have no alternative but to remain on the job. Such an employee does not work at their optimum level and again the company suffers. However, staff leaving this company does not change the atmosphere because the unprofessional manager is still on board and may be unwilling to change.
What are the characteristics of Professionalism?
The characteristic of someone who is practicing professionalism is one who is honest, practices respect and courtesy and has a great attitude. People, who practice courtesy, remain calm in spite of a tense situation. In personal interactions with colleagues, customers and management a positive attitude is always displayed together with being a good listener and communicator.
A good vocabulary is another key characteristic of Professionalism. It is not the use of big words but using the right words. Because many professionals are managers, the art of vocabulary is key for communicating. Succeeding as a professional requires the right mindset, this is the ability to focus on the task at hand and to see the whole picture, and most importantly to see success as an obvious and expected outcome.
One should also be able to overcome obstacles by seeing oneself as some who practices Professionalism, if you do not see yourself this way, no one will. So go forth and practice Professionalism, you may one day own your business, or if you already do so, you may one day expand internationally.
Marcelline Chitolie is the Management Consultant for the firm TMAC (Tax, Management & Accounting Consultants). She founded The Etiquette & Protocol Academy in 2011. She is a Human Resource & Etiquette Expert. She is available to offer training in Business Etiquette, Customer Service and the preparation of Business Plans. She also offers the service of “The Secret Shopper” and facilitates Management Retreats.
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