Professionalism in the Workplace
Create and maintain a high level of professionalism in your workplace by applying some simple, yet important guidelines. Educational consultant James Stenson describes professionalism as "a set of internalized character strengths and values directed toward high-quality service to others through one's work." Take a quick, downloadable quiz from the Goals Institute to measure professionalism in your organization, then apply these tips as needed.
Professionalism is defined as one's conduct at work. In spite of the word's root, this quality is not restricted to those in occupations we describe as "professions," typically those which require a high level of education and have high earnings. Cashiers, janitors and waitressescan demonstrate a high level of this trait, just as doctors, lawyers or engineers can display a low level of it, and vice versa.
As with good health, the absence of professionalism is usually more obvious than its presence. Who will notice whether you have this quality or not? Your boss definitely will as will your customers and co-workers, and it can affect your ability to keep your job and advance in your career. So what can you do to make sure you exhibit professionalism and what can you do to ensure that you don't show a lack of it? Follow these dos and don'ts:
Make Being on Time a Priority: Time management is another topic of professionalism in the workplace. Employees display their professionalism by arriving to work on time. Showing up late for work or meetings gives the impression that you don't care about your job so make sure you pay attention to the clock. Employees who must miss work should immediately call their direct supervisor to explain their reason for missing work. Not only does this go for start times, but this tip also applies to returning from your lunch break. According to information presented on the website of the University of California, Davis,