Professionalism

Does your organization have rules to follow about how to dress, how to conduct yourself, how to reply mail, and what is acceptable and not in the execution of your work? Your organization has these rules to help you maintain professionalism.

What is professionalism?

Professionalism is how you conduct yourself at work. These could include being at your desk when you are at work, being courteous to others, and being mindful of everyone’s time.

How to be professional

One of the cardinal rules of working with others is being respectful towards them. When you give them respect, not only do they respect you back, but it also becomes easier to work with others because they understand that you are a professional and a decent human being.

But there are other things you can do to be professional. You should be on time to every meeting and to work on every working day, be honest in your dealings with everyone, keep your integrity, communicate well, support other people, actively listen to your team mates, be present with them and at the office with full attention, and stay positive. These will help make things run smoothly and will benefit you too.

Dress for the role you want if you like, but definitely dress well for work. Your image says a lot about you and people will judge you based on what they see first. If you are sloppily dressed, people will hesitate to work with you because it shows a lack of respect to them as well as says that you don’t care enough to be presentable.

Conduct all business in a professional manner. Stay courteous and respectful whether on the phone or in person, and maintain an email correspondence that records all that has been discussed. This will allow you to remember what was discussed, clarify any misunderstandings, and also refer to at a later date when things might have slipped from your memory.

Elements of professionalism

• The little things matter. Being courteous, punctual, respectful, and honest goes a long way in working in an organisation. Your behaviour to others sets the tone for their behaviour to you.
• Be focussed on your work. Don’t forget why you are there. Your first duty is to the organisation that you are employed by and you should put in 100% of your time and energy while there.
• If you are unable to work on a particular day, inform your manager as early as possible so that they are not left scrambling to find someone to do your work.
• Stay organised. Whether it is your desk or your cupboard, or even your laptop hard drive, keep things neat and tidy. This will help you be productive on any given day but will also help others if they need to find something in a hurry when you are not at the office.
• Professionalism does not end when you leave an organization. You must maintain your professionalism from when you give your resignation (as early as required or possible) to the day you leave. Also, if a former colleague reaches out after you have left, keep all communication professional even then.

Professionalism is a prized skill because we work with so many people and our behaviour to them and in the office sets us apart. But it is also a necessary part of our social interactions because it keeps our interactions pleasant and productive.