Healthy Work Environments Require Professionalism
A professional work environment is a workplace full of competent, respectful, mature and accountable employees working toward a common goal. It’s the kind of workplace where an employee would feel proud to take their children or in order to expose their children to role model coworkers. Regardless of what a professional does for a living a professional expects a healthy work environment. They respect and maintain professional boundaries, don’t swear, gossip, bully, lie, cheat, steal, lose their tempers – they leave the drama at home and they dress appropriately for work.
In other words, they look, act, and sound like professionals.
Professionals:
- Understand satisfying customer needs is the cornerstone of a successful business. Without the customer, there is no professional! And you may not view those you work with as your customers, but through the necessity of workplace interactions, they are.
- Make “expertise” their specialty. Become an expert in the skills and tools necessary to do your job. Always perform to the best of your abilities and keep your knowledge up to date. Professionals know their trade.
- Aren’t bound by a time clock. They appropriately manage their time and work habits, they don’t abuse privileges, if they take time for personal needs, they give it back.
- “Engage the brain” before speaking. Should you say what you are about to say? Can you do what you are about to say? If you really shouldn’t or you can’t it is best to not speak.
- Communicate effectively. Effective communication is the professional’s responsibility. Whether verbal or written, professionals communicate clearly, concisely, thoroughly and accurately.
- Appreciate and support those they work with. Practice good manners, be honest and fair in your dealings with others. Obey the law. These are basic values all professionals should follow. Professionals adhere to high values and principles.
- Respect and acknowledge their peers. Professionals are humble and generous in their praise of others.
- Find ways to thank others for their help. Professionals thank others in a meaningful way.
- Professionals are pleasant during trying times.
Don’t feel bad if you find you need some work in one or more areas, just recognize and begin!
— Debbie Olinyk, WJS, Chief of Human Resources