At some point in your life, you may have cringed at someone’s action. And when you see the long lists of unprofessional behaviour, you cannot help but feel a bit uneasy. Dressing inappropriately, showing favouritism, gossiping, and chronic lateness are all universal examples of unprofessionalism.
Twenty-seven-year-old Drucella Joseph is studying Human Resource Management at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Antigua. She recognised that though thriving in some domains, professionalism remains elusive in many places of employment.
Drucella described professionalism as “the way in which people carry themselves, how they treat other persons and their attitude towards life”. She reminded us that “no matter how many skills or education a person has, their attitude is what really leaves a mark”.
Let’s start with the importance of attire. Drucella is a firm believer in first impressions and she’s of the view that you should dress for the job you want and don’t forget to dress for the job you now have.
As fashion designer Oscar de la Renta once said, “Being well dressed hasn’t much to do with having good clothes. It’s a question of good balance and good common sense.”
And please note that you don’t have to be rich and appear sexy to look great. Certified Career Development Facilitator Dawn Rosenberg McKay suggested several things you should never wear in the workplace. Among them, plunging necklines, sheer fabrics, miniskirts, and dirty clothes, and unbuttoned shirts that reveal your chest hair.
The churches too are crying out. Inappropriate attire pervades all denominations. But what may seem obvious to some, may not be to others.
That’s why the role of parents remain critical in character development. One consulting firm stated, “Professionalism is a reflection of your character, your values, your effectiveness, and your competency.” So be careful how you dress for that job interview and the examples you model for youngsters.
Recognising the need for more professional development activities and programmes, Drucella said she and her team members at the National Youth Parliament Association will be targeting youngsters in the All Saints East and St Luke constituency to help them develop a professional attitude.
They’ll first start with the schools in the area and then expand to Barbuda. For the unemployed youth, they will assist them in developing their resumes and other work-related documents.
As many people strive for professionalism, some people are struggling with punctuality. Chronic lateness is a major problem for many individuals, especially those who like to procrastinate.
It is understandable that there will be times when you just cannot make it on time, but when it becomes habit, you should be worried. Chronic lateness may have serious social and economic implications and may also cost you your job.
Professionalism is a skill that one must continuously work on and it does not embrace discriminatory behaviours like nepotism and favouritism. Researcher Tarik Abdulkreem Alwerthan investigated favouritism from a psychological lens and concluded that both favouritism and nepotism are “forms of discrimination and sources of corruption”.
What’s the difference between the two concepts?
Nepotism is favouritism based on kinship while favouritism is the practice of generally favouring one person over the other. So, nepotism is a narrower form of favouritism. When you prefer to hire your relative with no experience than the better qualified and most suitable candidate, you display nepotism.
Writer Regina Morris explained that an example is “praising one person’s work and overlooking their flaws while inflating the flaws and ignoring the quality of another’s work”.
While some see no harm in such unethical practices, content writer and digital marketer Mrinmoy Rabha declared that nepotism “is one of the most destructive forms of an act that can ruin a workplace culture and create unwanted chaos”. He added that it not only promotes partiality and lowers the morale of talented people, but also stunts the formation of genuine relationships, motivation of high performers, and organisational collaboration. It increases employee turnover and creates a feeling of entitlement too.
Now let’s briefly examine gossiping which has gotten a bad rap over the years. Researchers Eshin Jolly and Luke Chang argued that gossip “enables social connection and helps people learn indirectly about the world based on other people’s experiences”.
Despite its perceived benefits, gossiping creates unhealthy work environments and undermines productivity.
Let’s always strive to exemplify the pillars of professionalism: Knowledge, ethics and professional judgment.