How Do You Define Professionalism? Seeking Advice on Handling Employee Concerns

Understanding Professionalism in the Workplace

One of the employees asked me, "What is professionalism?" He asked because one of his colleagues (possibly a senior, as he did not specify) told him that he cannot survive in any industry with the kind of attitude he has, and that he's not professional. [FYI, this person is very quiet, somewhat reserved, hardworking but not that efficient.]

So, I had to answer him. I told him that a professional is someone who is completely responsible for their work, hardworking, efficient, and knows how to get the job done. Essentially, a professional is accountable for their work and can cooperate with the work environment and colleagues. I advised him not to heed others' opinions unless he genuinely feels that there are areas for improvement. Alternatively, he can seek feedback from honest individuals or seniors.

He responded with an "okay" and left. What concerns me now is whether my approach to the problem was adequate for any employee, and if my definition was accurate. Upon reflection, I realized that if I wasn't sure about what professionalism truly entails, I should have postponed my response to him and provided an answer later.

Seeking Guidance and Mentorship in HR

I am seeking advice from experienced professionals on how they would have handled this situation. I am relatively new to this role and lack immediate guidance. I aspire to develop in HR with proper mentorship. Furthermore, I am curious about the essence of "Being Professional." How can one confidently say, "Yes, that individual is a true professional"?

I appreciate any honest feedback. I take pride in being an Employee Retention Specialist in HR. My goal is to retain existing employees and then focus on recruitment.

Thank you.

I am not commenting on your query, but I do feel you were hasty in your response. You told him that he should not bother about what others may say and should really introspect (my words!), but on the whole, I find that you were genuinely helpful.

To me, a professional is a person who is essentially "competent," "works well with teams," "leads from the front," is "absorbing," "inspiring," and above all "has earned credibility" on the strength of these qualities. "He knows how to strike a balance between emotions and rationality." He is "objective but not unemotional." He is "patient but efficient." He "understands before he acts"! He is "fast but never hasty." "All his actions emanate from thoughts, and therefore all that he does, you will see distinct thought orientation." A professional is concerned with results out of a system and not out of magic or personal charm or charisma!

I know it is difficult to find such a person because we are all human beings!!

I could virtually go on, but for the time being, this should suffice.

Regards,

Samvedan

August 26, 2011

Hi Axita Mehta and Samvedan, Greetings to both of you. To me, it appears that the above two definitions included a bit about managers and leaders. Professionalism is a personality trait like attitude. I don't think it includes teamwork and leadership. I understand professionalism as follows:

Understanding Professionalism

A professional is one who works beyond the touch of human emotions. We call doctors, engineers, etc., professionals. We also call a professional killer. For example, a doctor who is about to conduct major surgery suddenly observes in the operating theater that the patient is just his blood relation; could be his beloved daughter, wife, brother, or any of his blood relations. If the doctor shivers his hands to conduct the operation, he is not said to be a professional. The doctor should see a human body and his relation. Personal emotions should not cloud our ability to do a job or take a crucial decision.

You may remember the golden movie, "Mera Nam Joker," featuring the legend Raj Kapoor. His dream of becoming a joker came true, and he was about to conduct the show. A few minutes before, he is told that his mother is dead. When he was to cry, he has done the job of a joker, making others laugh. That was a masterpiece example of how to be professional. All of us in our workplace need to be professionals. So long as we do our jobs, our personal emotions like anger, envy, vengeance, etc., should not influence our decision-making lest our business will go wrong. This is what I understand by professionalism.

Regards

Dear Friends, as said by Mr. KS Rao, as professionals, we should not give place to our sentiments, anger, envy, vengeance, enmity, or friendship in our work. There must be empathy and not sympathy. Even if we are not available at our seat, the work should still proceed smoothly and systematically. Here, the system should function in place of the individual. That is professionalism.

Dear Axita, By default, you have explained to him what professionalism is. I have already explained this twice in my previous posts. Please refer to the following comments:

- https://www.citehr.com/109509-what-p...tml#post439203
- https://www.citehr.com/324302-what-p...ml#post1478848

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Understanding Professionalism

Interesting discussions are going on here on "PROFESSIONALISM." It's not that easy to define professionalism in simple terms. According to my knowledge, I don't think professionalism has anything to do with educated professionals alone, but it is all about domain experts (tailors, barbers, cooks, goldsmiths, masons, etc.) holding extensive information/knowledge about procedures and processes, who can also be called professionals.

1) I agree with Mr. K.S. Rao; professionalism is a personal trait that defines an individual's ability to carry out a task based on their capabilities while trying to be a perfectionist (to the maximum level), irrespective of the things we do.

2) An ability to understand and interpret things better.

3) A positive mental attitude (positive thinking), high maturity levels, good listening/communication skills, and a lot more are a must for anyone to demonstrate their professionalistic approach; otherwise, they will fail.

4) What I believe is that if we start practicing to be a perfectionist, I am sure one can demonstrate professionalism. For this to happen, we have to concentrate on expressing things precisely (effective communication skills) rather than attempting to impress individuals.

5) Responding instead of reacting.

6) One should have a deep understanding of process & procedures defining systematic procedures.

7) Always doing things at the right time and in the right manner defines the true meaning of doing the right things.

De-motivation in employees is one of the major factors for non-productivity. While giving feedback to employees, we should present negative messages in a positive manner without hurting employees' emotional feelings. Managers should concentrate on learning "how to bring desired changes in their employees" rather than expecting things to happen without investing sincere/honest efforts. Making people understand or conveying the right message is not an easy task unless we understand human/employee psychology (mentality).

Wish you good luck in all your endeavors.

With profound regards,
Mr. Axita Mehta.

Dear Mr. Samvedan,

Thank you so much for your reply. I realized myself that this should not have been the way to respond to the situation. Could you guide me on how I should have reacted or, as Mr. Khadir said, responded to the situation? What would you have done if you were in my place? I would not want to repeat this in the future ever again.

Regards,
[Name Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Thank you for your reply, Mr. Bhasker. Empathizing but not sympathizing would be the right way to include emotions in the definition of professionalism.

Thank you, Sir. That was a nice summary of what a professional is. Responding instead of reacting was the key for me, I guess. However, I would like to ask for clarification on one point. From what I understand, professionalism cannot be a trait like personality. Professionalism has to be developed, unlike the attitude of a person, as Mr. Rao explained. The idea of a perfectionist being professional and a professional being a perfectionist is something I am not entirely convinced about. But you have provided a good idea of what professionals are. Thank you.

Certainly, Pooja. That's what experience is all about. I'm glad we have seniors who guide us through thick and thin. I'm happy that this post was helpful for you as well.

You seem to have taken the matter rather seriously, which in a sense is good for self-improvement. However, taking it too far can be detrimental, as your search for the right answer is indeterminate, and no answer is permanently right or wrong!

However, I will respond in my way and try to help and assist you.

1. Yes, people will ask all kinds of questions. At your stage and age, you are not expected to have perfect answers to any questions of this kind, especially since there are no absolute answers anyway.

2. But, the person who stated that the employee in question is not professional is the only one obliged to explain their statement. Each position, answer, and response has to be read within the context. If we presume that the context, in this case, is "work," then professionalism will be related to knowledge, competence, and attitudes at work. Only those who know the person well enough in the context will be qualified to make a statement in this regard. All others will be expressing individual "opinions"!

3. This person being reserved and quiet suggests that he may be an introvert. If he is also low on self-confidence and self-esteem, then he will remain an easy prey, very vulnerable to even the most irresponsible remarks.

4. Your answer was NOT wrong. It only lacked a few traits like "competence" and "communication."

5. "I told him that you should not listen to others unless you actually feel that you lack here & else you can take feedback from honest people or your seniors, etc." This part of your answer was certainly RIGHT! But remember, opinions and judgments of others are less important than one's own dispassionate, objective assessment, which should be blended with/tempered with the superior's assessment.

6. More important than all these will be interactions with teachers who are "Gurus" or "Mentors." One must not wait for the organization to appoint mentors. One can look around and build a relationship with a good person to act as a mentor.

7. The most important constituents of a "professional" profile are, in my opinion, credibility, competence, willingness to always be accountable for one's actions and decisions, and people skills that enhance collective performance and not dampen it.

8. Replying to anyone "right away" is neither wrong nor right per se. The situation will decide it, and in any case, I do not find that you were wrong in your response.

9. Statements like, "Oh ya! That guy's a complete professional" are essentially off-the-cuff remarks. Do not take them seriously. The qualification and competence of the person who makes this kind of remark are important to be considered in the assessment of such remarks.

10. Assessing people is one of the toughest jobs in life and more so for HR people! We all learn by making mistakes also.

I am saying all this because:

1. Personality is not a constant.

2. No two situations are identical, nor are any two individuals.

3. Behavior is a function of personality and environment.

4. Behavior is mostly unpredictable.

5. There is no permanent success or failure. Relevance to the situation and to the objective is a critical determinant of success.

Sorry if this reply is LONG, but in a manner of speaking, you asked for it anyway!

Keep shooting questions till you are tired; I will not be tired of answering within the limits of competence!

Regards,
Samvedan

Dear Axita Mehta,

With due respect, I endorse and second Mr. Samvedan's post. Below is my clarification to your query. Please interpret it with professional perception skills, unlike normal readers.

"There is a lot of difference between being a HUMAN BEING and being a HUMAN." It means every human being has their own personality (trait), which we develop and fine-tune over time to suit our lifestyle. EXPERIENCE, ENVIRONMENT, and those ASSOCIATED with us play vital roles in this development. During this period, we develop competencies and skills essential for both professional and personal life. However, the most crucial factor is the ATTITUDE associated with our PERSONALITY, which truly defines "what we are." The end result or product should be "being a HUMAN."

When you strive to be a "PERFECTIONIST," you will carefully consider every action, concerned about the outcome. You will keep in mind your ATTITUDE that defines your PERSONALITY, utilize all your competencies and skills demonstrating your TALENT, embodying a TRUE PROFESSIONAL, thus showcasing PROFESSIONALISM. It is a process involving a series of linked activities where one mistake can derail you.

According to Mr. Samvedan, "BEHAVIOR is a function of personality and environment," with BEHAVIOR being a subset of one's ATTITUDE. Our ATTITUDE defines our PERSONALITY, sitting atop everything.

In conclusion, "PROFESSIONALISM is a PROCESS OF AN ACTIVITY(S) WHERE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ARE LINKED, DEFINING AN APPROACH FOR BETTER OR THE BEST OUTPUT."

Therefore, without striving to be a "PERFECTIONIST" or MASTERING IT, it is challenging to demonstrate PROFESSIONALISM in all activities.

ATTITUDE (including BEHAVIOR, defining your PERSONALITY/TRAIT) + MASTERING BEING A PERFECTIONIST (in all endeavors) + COMPETENCIES/SKILLS/TALENTS + EXPERIENCE (regardless of duration but must be knowledgeable) = PROFESSIONALISM

For further clarifications, feel free to reach out. I am willing to convince you until you are satisfied. I can help you demonstrate PROFESSIONALISM in all your activities if you are open to embracing it wholeheartedly and with a talented mind.

Good luck in all your endeavors.

With profound regards,

Axita Mehta

@ Mr. Bhasker - Thank you for your reply, Mr. Bhasker. Empathize but do not sympathize; this is the right way to include emotions in the definition of Professionalism.

@ Mr. Kadir - Thank you, Sir. That was a nice summary of what a professional is. Responding instead of reacting was key for me, I guess.

I would like to clarify one point for me. As I understand it, professionalism cannot be a trait like personality. Professionalism must be developed, as Mr. Rao explained. I am not entirely convinced that being a perfectionist equates to being professional and vice versa.

But you provided a good idea of what professionals are. Thank you.

@ Ms. Pooja - Certainly, Pooja, that's what experience is all about. I am glad we have seniors to guide us through thick and thin. I am happy that this post was helpful for you as well.

Hello KS Rao and all,

I was amazed by your comment, and that would be the greatest comment of all about professionalism. You are absolutely right! That is professionalism. For me, I would say that professionalism is a well-rounded person, a person with wisdom, the way he talked, and the way he acted.

Many of us here claim to be professional, but few are practicing professionalism. Thank you all.