1. Being "professional" in a work setting means conducting yourself with a level of professionalism and respect for others, following company guidelines and rules, and maintaining a positive work ethic.
2. Some qualities of a professional worker include being punctual, organized, having a positive attitude, dressing appropriately, showing respect to others, being helpful, honest, and responsible, resolving conflicts calmly, taking pride in your work, behaving ethically, being considerate of diverse cultures, being flexible and taking initiative.
3. A healthy lifestyle is important in your professional life because it can help reduce stress, improve mood, and overall well-being. Physical exercise and healthy eating can help you stay focused, energized, and productive at work.
4. Common ethical behaviors that you should follow include honesty, personal integrity, compassion, justice, and avoiding conflicts of interest. You should also respect the privacy of others, engage in legal selling practices, provide honest estimates, avoid misrepresentations, and not engage in deceptive practices.
5. Deceptive practices that you should avoid include identity theft, illegal sales practices, deceptive estimates, misrepresentations, and conflicts between personal and professional interests. These practices can harm your company's reputation and your own professional integrity.
Have you ever heard someone talk about how important it is to be "professional" in a certain setting? Did you understand what they meant? Professionalism in the workplace is defined as your conduct while in a work environment. This is often described as having a good "work ethic". A good work ethic can make a big difference in your work experience and your career success.
Professional Qualities
So what does it mean to be "professional"? Let's take a quick look at some of the qualities that companies want to see in their employees.
Be on time, have regular attendance, and manage your time.
A person who is late for everything is one who does not respect the time of others. If you have a specific time to start work, make sure you are there on time or, better yet, a little early every day. Show up to work consistently and make good use of your time while on the job.
Be organized and keep a clean and safe work environment.
Organization is the key to success in many ways. A worker that is organized can produce results more quickly. If your desk or work area is kept clean and safe, then you are also more likely to work quicker and produce better results.
Have a good attitude
A positive attitude will help you enjoy your work and achieve your goals faster. Your co-workers will want to work with those who have the best attitude and are able to handle problems without getting upset.
Follow the dress code and personal grooming rules
A professional worker keeps their clothes neat and within expected company guidelines. If you are regularly meeting with clients, the way you dress will guide how those clients view your company. Don't wear shorts to a business meeting! If you have a uniform, keep it clean and wear it whenever needed. Also, keep your body clean and neat with regular bathing, deodorant, brushed teeth, and trimmed hair.
Speak appropriately and show respect
The workplace is no place for swearing or off-color jokes. When you are at work, you should avoid foul language, suggestive comments and rude or offensive remarks. Always treat others with respect, just like you respect yourself. Do not gossip about others and be respectful of different cultural beliefs and practices.
Be helpful and give great customer service
A company will always value employees who take an interest in helping fellow workers or customers. If you have the opportunity to help a co-worker, take it! If you need to work with customers, be sure they have a good experience and will want to keep doing business with your company.
Be honest, dependable, and responsible
Did you know that most people respect those who admit mistakes more than those who claim to have never made one? If you make a mistake, own it! A mistake acknowledged and fixed is better than one that is never noted. People want to depend on you to do a job correctly or ensure that a problem is fixed.
Resolve conflicts without losing control
There will be times in your career when you have a difference of opinion with one or more of your co-workers. Learn to handle these problems without saying or doing things that will be regretted later. A calm discussion will give better results than a shouting match.
Take pride in your work
Do your best each day, because the quality of your work reflects directly on you. As you move through your career, try to become an expert in your field. Never stop learning about new techniques and improvements that you could use to help your employer. This will make you a valuable resource in your company.
Behave ethically and follow the rules
Make sure you know and understand the rules in your workplace. When you first start a job you will often be given a list of employee guidelines. Read these and follow them as you move through your career. Make sure every decision you make is guided by both company rules and ethical behavior. If you are asked to keep business information confidential, then don't share it with anyone else inside or outside your company. Sharing confidential information can cause damage to your company and can cause you to lose your job.
Be considerate of diverse cultures
You are likely to work with people from all walks of life. Some may come from cultures or environments that are very different than yours. Don't assume that everyone shares the same religion, politics, social background or economic status. For example, certain holidays that may mean a great deal to you are not the same for others, and others may take time off work to celebrate holidays that are unknown to you. You might also observe different manners of dress, eating habits and religious observances. Be aware that co-workers can still behave ethically and follow all other rules of professional behavior even when they come from diverse cultures.
Be flexible and take initiative
Your day-to-day job duties may change frequently. Employees that can quickly shift from one task to another or juggle multiple things at once can help a company meet their goals and deadlines. If you see an opportunity for improvement, then make that suggestion! Sometimes businesses do things in a slow or expensive way just because nobody has pointed out a faster, cheaper approach.
Healthy Lifestyle
jogging personYour workplace can be a great place to learn and grow as a person. Unfortunately, it can also cause a great deal of stress. In fact, workplace stress is one of the leading causes of health problems in our country. So how can you deal with this stress?
One of the best ways to deal with daily stress is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Physical exercise is a great stress-buster. Exercise can improve your mood and make you feel better. It can also serve as a valuable distraction to your daily worries.
You should also stick to a healthy eating plan. Too often, stressful situations and long work hours will lead us to reach for quick, unhealthy meals. Take time to think about what you are eating and plan ahead for each meal.
Ethics in the Workplace
Your ethical behavior is a very important part of your employment. Your conduct can either help or hurt your company. In fact, ethical behavior is just as important as any other professional quality. When you start a new job, your employer should explain company guidelines and rules. These guidelines should re-enforce the following ethical traits:
Honesty - You should strive to be honest in all your business dealings. This will reflect well on you and your company.
Personal Integrity - A person's integrity is how well they adhere to a personal code of ethics and morals. Good ethical integrity often leads to respect from your co-workers.
Compassion - You should always act with compassion toward others. This includes customers and co-workers.
Justice - A wrong-doing should always be corrected and, if necessary punished.
In addition, there are certain deceptive practices that you should avoid in all business dealings. These include actions like:
Identity Theft - Using another person's identity or information is highly illegal and unethical. You should always respect the privacy of others.
Illegal Sales - If you are required to sell your company's products, be sure to engage in safe, legal selling practices. Do not attempt to sell your products in areas where this is not allowed.
Deceptive estimates - When providing estimates for work to be done by your company, make every attempt to deliver complete, honest estimates. Never hide costs or necessary items from your customer. Your customer will be unhappy with a larger bill at the end of the job, and won't hire you again.
Misrepresentations - Never represent your company or product as more than it is capable of being. Over-selling your products will cause problems for your customers and your company.
Conflicts between personal and professional interests. - You should avoid conflicts of interest in your professional life. Some example conflicts of interest include dating employees who report to you, working part-time for a competitor company, or hiring relatives to positions when others might be better suited.
If your company or boss asks you to break any of these ethical rules, then you may not be working at a company that is looking out for your long-term welfare.
1. What does it mean to be "professional"?
2. What are some of the qualities of a professional worker?
3. How is a healthy lifestyle important in your professional life?
4. What common ethical behaviors should you follow?
5. What are some deceptive practices that you should avoid?
1 answer