Professionals and Professionalism

Rev_Rick · 06-09-2007, 01:17 AM

Professionals and Professionalism

With the extending boundaries in the way all business is conducted today, it is important that everyone involved is fully aware that business must be conducted in a professional way. Often the question is asked: â€™what is the difference between a good and a great employeeâ€™? Managers, who are happy with the professional performance of their employees, well tell you that their employees are great because they:

take pride in their work, and show a personal commitment to quality;
reach out for responsibility;
do whatever it takes to get the job done;
really listen to the needs of those they serve;
are honest, trustworthy, and loyal; and
are open to constructive critique on how to improve,

All of this can be summarized in one phrase: â€˜Great employees Care!â€™

How many of so-called professionals are prepared to be held accountable for behaving according to the standards set by the above list? Part of the problem is what people believe professionalism to be. Real professionalism has little, if anything, to do with which business one is in, what role within that business one performs, or how many degrees one has. Rather, it implies a pride in work, a commitment to quality, a dedication to the interests of the client, and a sincere desire to help. However traditional definitions of professionalism are filled with references to status, educational attainment, â€˜nobleâ€™ callings, and things like the right of practitioners to autonomy â€“ the privilege of practicing free of direction. All of these definitions are self-interested.

Real professionalism is about attitudes and perhaps character. Being a professional is neither about money nor about professional fulfillment. Both of these are unqualified dedication to excellence in serving clients and their needs. As Dale Carnegie wrote many years ago: â€œYouâ€™ll have more fun and success helping other people achieve their goals than you will trying to reach your own goalsâ€. Perhaps its time for our schools and professional firms alike to stop teaching students that they are to strive to be the best and the brightest, the special elite in the noblest profession, whatever that profession happens to be. Maybe schools should find ways to teach more about what it is to serve a client, and about how to work with people, period.

Finally there are two questions that everyone needs to think about:

First: Do people consider me a professional?

Second: Do I deal with those I serve in a professional manner, in encouraging my peers to commit to professionalism?

Rev. Rick Hill Jr, D.Div.

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