Over the course of our careers, most of us will move through different roles, with each emphasizing a different set of skills. However, across all jobs in all the different industries, one thing will always remain true: that a high degree of professionalism and ethical behavior is required to advance and move ahead in your career.
Professionalism does not mean wearing a suit, leading a team, or obtaining an advanced academic degree, but it entails expressing the values of responsibility, integrity, accountability and excellence, at all times.
It means being able to coordinate tasks and teams smoothly, while always seeking out ways to become more efficient and productive.
It is a combination of different attitudes and qualities that can easily be developed and adopted.
Everyday skills in communication and enthusiasm, teamwork and networking, as well as critical thinking and problem solving, are some of the core elements that give young employees a clear edge over their colleagues (or competitors).
Some key behaviors include:
Being respectful
This entails being mindful of showing up to work or meetings on time, communicating clearly and concisely to any audience or through any medium, avoiding the inevitable workplace gossip or office politics, and giving credit or showing appreciation to colleagues when it is due.
Exceeding expectations
As your experience and expertise grows, employers should see you as becoming a reliable resource for the people you work with.
Likewise, it never hurts to dress professionally and ask questions that might help you perform better or voice opinions that could add value to discussions.
Staying positive
A true professional welcomes opportunities to interact with people, learn new skills, and grow as a person on a daily basis, displaying dedication to their job and enriching their personal value, as well as being able to appreciate challenges or take advantage of opportunities they come across.
Honoring commitments
From basic adherence to company policies and processes, to ensuring that expected outputs are delivered on time and of the highest quality.
Professionals protect the business as if it were their own, and will stay true to their values to guide their constructive and ethical actions.
The Inquirer Academy will be hosting a public workshop entitled “Developing an Attitude of Professionalism: Values and Skills for Success” on June 28. This highly interactive and hands-on program is designed to develop participants from the “inside-out” by establishing and creating a secure inner being, so that the outer projection becomes a natural reflection of his or her personal development, values and attitudes.
The program facilitator, Lia Bernardo, enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences so that others may grow, learn, and create, as she focuses on personal growth, development and empowerment.
She seeks to challenge participants to become confident, professional and motivated individuals.
These outcomes are then reflected in their manner of relating to each other, as well as both internal and external customers.
She is currently working toward her PhD in Psychoneurology and Integrative Health from Beurin University in California.
She has earned certifications as a ThetaHealing, FlorEssence and Millennium Method practitioner, and is an Usui Reiki master teacher and healer.
The course is appropriate for young professionals or anyone seeking to learn about and develop the values of professionalism at work.
Anyone from fresh graduates to senior executives can benefit from re-examining themselves and their characters, further developing their innate emotional quotient and discovering how they can maximize their unique strengths and potentials.
The Inquirer Academy is at 4168 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Ponte St., Makati City.
For more information about this or any future programs, you may email ask@inquireracademy.com, call 8341557 and look for Jaime Leogardo, or visit www.inquireracademy.com.