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Guidelines for Professionalism
By Dr. Carol Fleming

When you're ready to step out in front of the pack, some practical 'know-how' or savvy is exactly what you want. This is practical information about managing your career and being shrewd about your choices and conduct. These are those famous "little things that mean so much" and may well determine if the management sees you as a responsible and 'promotable' person.

1. Own Your Job

Take your job very seriously, as if you were in business for yourself. Personal pride in a job - any job - will be evident. As they say in the theater world, "There are no small parts, only small players". You will want to be punctual, have a clean work space and handle your work without complaint.

Don't just do the job as a solo performance. All the people and processes that are related to your work are opportunities for you to expand your awareness and usefulness. Areas of interface are areas for new learning. This expands your "turf" and tells the world that you are serious about your job.

2. Join the Team

Make the effort to be familiar with the business culture and history where you are employed: the important people, the times of disaster or triumph, the pending decisions, the mission statement, etc.

You will get farther, faster, if you consider yourself part of a group with a common goal, not just one little person doing a particular job. Team feeling leads to cooperation and a collegial atmosphere. Make the effort to establish and maintain good communication with the people around you, because this will keep you in the loop of information flow. You want that.

Do your share (at least) of the miner chores that occur in any job: Did you take the last cup of coffee? Make the next pot. Use the last paper clip? Get another box. Make a bit of a mess with office supplies, merchandise, etc.? Clean up after yourself.

When it's time to kick off the United Way effort, or to collect for a birthday present, or to contribute to the office potluck, by all means be sure and participate. Be sure to show up at official functions and try to make as many contacts as you can.

3. Leave your Personal Life at Home

When you're on the job, show that you identify with the demands and issues of your organization. You are serious about this and keep your conversations within the boundaries of the business as much as possible. This demonstrates to people your commitment to the business world and to your employer.

You'll want to cultivate some privacy about your own domestic issues. Be very selective about what you reveal to co-workers. Some people tend to build friendships through shared personal difficulties. But, you do not want to be perceived as a person who doesn't have your life under control. And don't forget that conversations are easily overheard in elevators, cubicles and lunchrooms. Keep your personal revelations generally positive.

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4. Keep Your Cool

How you handle anger is, perhaps, the most telling indication of your maturity. This includes anger directed at you as well as your own emotional reactions. The display of anger is the most upsetting behavior there is and it constitutes an emergency in human relations. The workplace is absolutely no place for anger, so skills for dealing with it in a calming and constructive manner are valuable.

Children have emotional license and quickly reveal how they really feel. You, on the other hand, want to present a consistent emotional tone. Extreme fluctuations of any kind are perceived as unprofessional or immature. Dramatics, hysterics, loud or wild laughter, and yes, tears, are not appropriate in the workplace.

5. Look the Part

Observe the personal appearance of your co-workers and supervisors and determine the 'dress code' in your workplace. You not only want to fit in, you want your appearance to reflect well on your employer. This does not mean that you give up all personal style. It does mean that you demonstrate a willingness to blend with the group.

Appearance is much more than wearing a well fitting suit. Be alert for details. Is long flyaway hair appropriate? Are other women wearing high heels with sling backs? Do men keep their shoes shined? Are people manicured? Is your briefcase or purse in good taste and condition? You will notice that really well put together people have a continuity of style and grooming (even on 'Casual Day!).

6. Be a Positive Force

Criticizing and complaining are the worst things you can do. Contrary to your motivation, it simply makes you look bad. We need very little help in detecting faults in conditions and in each other. What we do need is support of individuals and solutions to problems. Be a solver rather than a complainer.

Try to be for things (rather than against something). It puts you in a positive light and protects you from being perceived as critical.

Are you approachable? You want to be easy to access so that people won't leave you out of the loop of information and friendliness. Check yourself for the following behavior:

make eye contact
smile and acknowledge people when you first see them
when people talk to you, look at them and genuinely give them your attention
respond to people with a nod, an answer, a confirmation, whatever is appropriate
ask your supervisor if your English is clear enough. Sometimes people are not approached when people have trouble understanding their speech

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7. Mind your Old-fashioned Manners

Nothing is more quickly noted and appreciated than courtesy. Learn the standards of good manners appropriate to your setting and practice them with everybody, not just the people you're trying to impress. Make this a part of your own personal integrity.

Be reminded that you should always use the formal mode of greeting until told to do otherwise. The client is "Mrs. Brown" until she says, "Just call me Grace!".

Appreciation is in short supply; don't add to the deficit. Say your 'thank yous' with sincerity if you want people to continue to do nice things for you.

Get comfortable with introductions and know how to do it properly. People can really get offended when this social gesture is ignored. Don't be shy about introducing yourself; not only that - don't be shy about reintroducing yourself. All of us forget names.

If you can get yourself someone in a mentor role, you might give them permission to point out any of the 'little things' in your behavior that might get in your way to the top.

8. Develop you Communication Skills

If people ask you to repeat frequently, or if there are just too many misunderstandings from your interactions, this is pretty clear feedback that your speech may not be clear enough for professional standards. Get an objective evaluation and do the work that will make you a clear communicator.

People are incredibly skilled in reading your attitude. If you have resentments, or if you have respect, be assured that it will be communicated and received and reacted to, by other people.

Prepare yourself for effective presentations. It wouldn't hurt to join Toastmasters International, for example, to start learning the basics of speaking in public. These skills will be extremely valuable to you if you want promotion. You'll learn how to handle stage fright, how to project your presence, how to command an audience Your self confidence will sky rocket. If you can manage to get yourself a personal communication coach, you'll improve even faster.

There is an art to voice-mail. Make it your ambition to reduce "phone tag" by getting in the habit of leaving clear and well thought out messages so that the person can respond to your message, not just return your call.

Conversational skills will bring you into comfortable contact with new customers, leads, jobs and friends and you will be grateful for this fluency for the rest of your life.

Dr. Fleming's audio series, The Serious Business of Small Talk contains all the instruction you may need to become fluent and easily dealing with new contacts. Comfortable small talk develops new business relationships, and it also makes you more at ease at the water cooler, at office parties and when it's up to you to 'melt the social ice' in any social situation. Small talk is one of the most subtle and under- appreciated social skills. All prominent people are very good at it.

Written communication can (and will) be scrutinized, so don't let your guard down when writing memos, signing documents and leaving e-mail messages. This may be the only contact people have with you. A misspelled name, a scrawl, the evident lack of care will lose you credibility and respect. Clarity and accuracy are especially important when dealing with official documents, but everybody appreciates a written message that is easy to read, gets to the point and doesn't distract attention with errors.

9. What would you add here?

Contact us today to discuss how our workshops, coaching and training products can improve your Personal Professionalism and Communication Impact.

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