By Rae Floresca | Negosentro.com |
It’s not just enough to finish a task just to call it “done.” There’s more to what every employee has to prove to their superiors or most importantly, oneself. One must be able to execute habits to maintain professionalism in the workplace.
Employers look out for subordinates who show the best attitude and composure rather than those who are expressive with their thoughts that affects their performance. This may vary on any position, say for example, a journalist should not personally get involved with his subject, it breaks objectivity of the story and the mission of a journalist is to only show the truth and deliver the news. That is one kind of professionalism, it shows the expected behavior of the person based on his role.
Here are a few habits to keep in mind when you’re in the workplace, best if you carry these qualities outside of your office.
1. Prioritize.
This was mentioned in the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, that is “put first things first”. You should be able to indentify the tasks that should be done first, know what is the most important to the least important. This is a simple way to time management.
2. Dependability.
Have you noticed that when you’re job hunting, one qualification that is always there is “can work with minimum supervision”? This is needed in the workplace, you’re no longer in the four corners of a classroom, it’s the “real world”, try to show as much as possible that your supervisors can trust and count on you even if they are at the next cubicle.
3. Confidence and Candor.
This is a must especially for those who are presenting a project to clients and bosses. Show your abilities with confidence, this will look more convincing to the people you talk to, this leads to trust, they have to believe what you say and do.
4. Understanding.
This is often missed out especially during conversations, even the littlest thing about any topic, Stephen Covey says “Seek first to understand then to be understood”. Also, ever heard of, “Speech is silver, Listening is golden”? Frankly, you should be a good listener, pay attention and understand, this is important in communication.
5. Diligence
No one likes a crappy work done, to be professional is to execute tasks with precision, or rather, accuracy. Some bosses can be less considerate, so hold on to this.
6. Curiosity
Complacency is not valid in a workplace, employees should be open to new processes, learnings and always have the room for improvement. Curiosity can also be a source of new ideas that can be used for your upcoming projects and the like. Being inquisitive is an opportunity to growth.
7. Enthusiasm
Go-getters reflects positivity, they look into the bright side of their work rather than feeling sorry for themselves. Being enthusiastic means you are sincerely game for the daily and future tasks.
There are many other ways to show you look more professional, it can be that you’re physically fit, patient, the list goes on. These qualities are not easy to do on the next day when you go to work, make baby steps, this may be your ladder to promotion.
[Featured Photo via Shutterstock]
