Who is a professional? When does a person become a true professional?
Google says a professional is one engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime or a person engaged or qualified in a profession like doctors, lawyers, engineers. etc.
Work one performs for their living with proper licensing, education or practice over a period of time, could be construed as his or her profession for living, one become a true professional in real sense is when he/she is hands on with their job, perform it with passion & dedication, and carry all the responsibilities that their job demands with character and integrity.
What professionalism means to you?
Very easily people say this guy or that girl is very unprofessional in their dressing or behavior etc. & etc., what does that mean? When does a person call himself professionally groomed? Well, there are many more questions like this lingering in everybody’s mind with lots of doubts and confusion.
Professional in my opinion is a person who is knowledgeable in his/her area of work.
Professionalism is not limited to his/her technical skills alone but extends to their soft skills like well-mannered behavior with their colleagues, clients and other stakeholders. He/she values the time and money of every party associated, creating synergy and benefit for all the alliances in the deal. He/she takes responsibility for any downside risks or any failures that this business might pose in the future and does not hesitate to discuss their failures with the concerned parties. Professionalism extends to even to their spiritual wellbeing of being morally/ethically sound when it comes to their business practices.
Taking responsibility
Basically, the one who takes moral responsibilities to stand up for their mistakes best example would be these days automobile manufacturers recall their defective products as soon as it is identified not as aftermath reaction to the fatal accidents, many leaders including Mary Barra first female CEO of big 3 automakers, General Motors in America, who stood against all the odds to correct the system and take punitive actions voluntarily to keep the old age legacy of GM alive in America.
Is professionalism limited to profit making organizations or paid jobs alone? No not necessarily, one can be professional with anyone in their life or in their relationships for that matter be it with family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, relatives, business partners, allies, or as simply as with any acquaintances.
When one person can put himself in another’s shoe & think before he/she acts could be considered as professional behavior, it could be at the time an athlete plays his/her game understanding competitors or opposite players are not their personal enemies but sheer competitors eager to win their game, any volunteers participating in social giving activities not because they get credits at school or recognition at office but they value shouldering community services is a way to uplift human race, etc. such matured behavior with empathy, could make a person a true professional.
Be it a sales person in an organization or a real estate agent, if he/she takes a moral/ethical responsibility of striking a balance, of doing right with their clients as well as with the company that they represent, becomes a true professional in my opinion. They who do justice to their job are real professionals.
Life poses several challenges, temptations and distractions to people, forcing them to become greedy, short sighted and unprofessional, but holding tight to their core values and not getting carried away with all the short-term attractions would certainly prove one to be a great professional. This logic holds good for all — irrespective of a doctor, lawyer, politician, sales person, or a homemaker☺
Your dress, appearance is the least of all to showcase your professionalism. Although it is overrated by many these days, the person deep inside you is what really matters, the person behind personality truly signifies what value you bring to the table.
Acting with good character and with utmost integrity is what proves one to be a great professional, rest everything is like icing on the cake!
Good to have but not must have!!! What is the point if icing is awesome but the cake is stale?
That being said, at prima facie appearance it becomes imperative to have excellent presentation skills, well-groomed physical appearance, well-mannered behavior, fantastic communication skills, healthy lifestyles and hygiene habits etc., are equally important but however it shouldn’t be overvalued than the concept or logic or efficiency or goodness what person brings on the table.
Professional manners and etiquettes could be groomed and taught with constant efforts, training, and awareness, which most of the organisations be it profit or non-profit must focus on, need to develop their employees to bring best quality output which are progressive not just for their organization but for the entire industry, country and to this world as a whole.
A thorough professional could contribute significantly as an individual to any project or to the team he/she would work for, collectively professionalism could add great value to any organization’s human resources through enhancing the quality of their human resources.
Evolution of a professional is an ongoing process, leave alone corporate efforts of training and development sessions, every individual in an organization needs to voluntarily be on the path of self-upgrade, he/she needs to groom themselves, upgrade themselves, constantly evolve to become a better version of themselves.