Signs Of Professionalism

No matter what profession, every good worker is expected to show signs of professionalism. Professionalism, as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it, is the conduct, aim, or qualities that characterize a professional person. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the makeup of professionalism, most of these being common courtesy as human beings. Some of these factors include attitude and self-esteem, communication, leadership and professional ethics, and team-building.
Attitude and self-esteem are big factors in everyday situations, but they are especially important in the work place. Attitude affects workers ability to effectively perform their job duties and complete tasks efficiently and in a timely manner. Coming to work with a negative mental state can affect the way they handle situations at work, for example when an individual allows outside factors influence their work ethic negatively it can change the way they are viewed by other employees and even employers. Self-esteem plays a big part in attitude as well.
Professionals with high self-esteem have better self-confidence and more self-respect, which can lead to a higher chance of developing close relationships with patients and other professionals. Low self-esteem can cause a professional to have a lack of confidence, which can contribute to poor work ethic and ultimately premature relationships with the people they communicate with. It is very important that medical professionals maintain a positive attitude and high self-esteem to ensure a healthy work ethic and a successful career.
Communication is one of the biggest factors in professionalism.
Every day there will be some form of communication in the office, whether it is amongst coworkers or between a professional and a patient. Successful communication comes from a professional’s ability to listen actively in order to fully comprehend what others are saying, and their ability to self-express in a professional and well-mannered way. It is vital for professionals to clearly understand what is being said to them, instead of just mindlessly listening to the words. A simple miscommunication can cause serious damage to a patient or their records. Being honest and respectful to those you are communicating with is a good way to show that you have good work ethic, and an easy way to make others feel comfortable when talking to you. Speaking to others in a light and friendly manner can affect the way others approach you and can also shape bad attitudes into better
ones.
Leadership and professional ethics play a major role in professionalism, considering most jobs require professionals to show signs of leadership and portray positive examples of professional ethics. Some of these ethics to be considered include a professional’s ability to work independently for varied amounts of time, pay sharp attention to detail, think critically in tough situations, and a strong sense of good conduct. A professional that shows signs of leadership often are able to motivate a group of individuals and even take control in situations in which a leader is needed to achieve a common goal or task. Professionals can begin the process of becoming a leader when they grow to understand the work ethic of the team and understand what skills are needed to be the leader of that group.
Team-building is an important way to ensure positive attitudes in the work place, and a professional level of comfort between professionals in that work place. Coworkers who share a feeling of community and purpose work better together compared to those who seem to be more isolated with their work and rather closed off to the other workers. When professionals offer and ask for help to and from others it shows interest in team-building and can often lead to others becoming more involved with their coworkers in the work place. Sharing responsibilities, thoughts, and ideas is a good way to ensure team-building and can help improve the level of professionalism.