Professionalism at Work

"Gerard was not of the same ethnicity as the others in his office. Nonetheless, due to his acumen in the field and great communication skills he was posted at a fairly coveted position. His seniors seemed to like his work and appreciate the work that he put in. But, this was only until their position was not threatened by his. Gerard was a man of free speech, in a diplomatic way. He did not believe in sweet talking his way into the social circles in the office. Due to this, he was not really favored by the juniors. When the time for promotions arrived, Gerard was at a loss, in spite of deserving the promotion. For what seemed like, no reason at all!"

Do you really think there was no reason why Gerard faced problems at work? As per the ordinary code of conduct regarding professionalism at work, it was due to his differences with a few others. This is definitely not an uncommon sight in the corporate world. As such the concepts of sweet talking and, occasionally, "compromising" have become household terms when it comes to the office.

If you want to succeed, then hard and smart work is not enough. You need to be the boss's favorite. For your work? Well, not necessarily. It could be for the fact that you invite your boss for dinner often, or for the fact that your boss and you take regular smoke breaks together. This is a very well-known fact. Not that doing these things is wrong, but if it affects the workplace, then it is. The ones who are indulging in such activities are also completely aware of the consequences of their actions. But, they still carry on. Why? For the "competitive edge"!

What is Professionalism?
Professionalism is the expertise that a professional has of a certain field. In the workplace, professionalism refers to an individual doing their job, with sincerity and genuineness. Professionalism leads to logical and unbiased decision. In the absence of professionalism, the concepts of "politics" and "mind games" find room to breed. But, this explanation is not enough to understand the concept of professionalism. Let us delve into its depths further.

Professionalism in the Workplace
These days, every salaried employee with a degree considers himself a professional. If that fact was worth any salt, professionalism would not be hard to find and tough to keep in the corporate sector, right? Well, then how do we understand professionalism in the workplace? Professionalism at work requires an individual to possess these characteristics.

• Knowing oneself and being in control of one's reactions and work related antics. Losing control over one's temper is not considered professional at a work place.
• Handling constructive criticism. Constructive or not, criticism is a part of any working experience. As such, as a part of professionalism at work, one needs to be receptive of criticism. While giving the criticism a thought and following it through if it is constructive and ignoring it if not.
• One has to be aware that workplace conflicts are natural and hence inevitable. It is not in human nature to be around so many people for so much time on a regular basis, under occasional stress, and yet manage to be conflict-free. The point is to harness that conflict into positive productivity and leave it at that.

Importance of Professionalism at Workplace

• Being a team player. This is a very wellknown requirement for professionalism at work. A team spirit allows people to have their differences, yet follow the same goal. It requires an individual to give consideration to others, take suggestions and share credits.
Having a pleasing personality. Besides work, professionalism at work requires one to have a pleasing personality. This helps keep the environment in the office, favorable and conducive. Let's face it, regularly seeing a person come shabbily to office will foster a very unprofessional atmosphere. Read more on professional dress code.
• Maintaining appropriate communication. Free communication and open door policies are all very conducive and welcoming at every workplace. However, this "freedom" has to be kept to a limit. Too much prying into personal life and friendships beyond the workplace as well as fraternization are completely against professionalism.

Other than these points, it is also required to maintain a good track record and achieve targets under conducive circumstances. It is also important to have a good reputation in the organization.

Lack of Professionalism in the Workplace
Like the case study we saw in the start of the article, lack of professionalism at work can be the cause for a lot of biased and wrong management decisions. It can lead to demotivation of performing employees and a general negative feeling in the workplace, in general. Lack of professionalism is often due to irrational biases, "power-hungry" management, autocratic style of management and lack of job satisfaction at the higher level of the management. It is common and can be warded off, by conscientious efforts by the other employees, to eradicate that style of working.

Read more on professional etiquette and professional ethics.

Unfortunately, the best way to get rid of a case of lack of professionalism at work, is to find a new job. If that is what you thought of doing, I don't blame you. We are not all out to change the world. But I do hope, that this article has worked as a mirror for those who are at fault for being biased or not being thorough professionals. This is where I sign off! Happy working!