Military: Employment and Professionalism

Professionalism and what does it mean to you? Professionalism is the essential trait in both society and business. Such quality drives a person appearance, personal and professional interaction in which provides individuals with what we call a first and foremost impression. Professionalism is a key factor and a very important role in how an individual is perceived by co-worker, employer and/or casual contacts. The way in which we present oneself has a major impact in just a matter of minutes and also forms opinion. In order for success to be present one must display supreme professionalism in all aspects of not just their life but also their work. In regards to military professionalism, an individual must have extreme levels of commitment, discipline as well as skill. Commitment, discipline and skill are all attributes of military professionalism. The negligence of any of these key factors we then lose all of what it means and takes to be a military professional. In order to do my job correctly, efficiently, and tactfully I must show complete professionalism in all areas of my life. By doing this I will no dubitably succeed in all areas.

To be professional in my job, communication, experience alongside with ethic are the main key components. Through experice time is saved in a “what to do “situation. Communication is a quality that one must do effectively and at any given point in time. A code of ethics is also a main component to what being a professional is and showing professionalism in the workforce. We define ethic by “know the difference between right and wrong and also good from bad”. The way I have always seen professionalism defined is to lead by example and to always give my 110% percent in all that I do and say no matter whom is watching me. Whether a private is watching how I do something or handle a situation or a commander. Being a professional in the US ARMY is a standard in which we should all go by. Being a professional means that one has specialized knowledge skill and complete full understanding. To acquire this knowledge and skill takes experience and or education and heart. In order to train soldiers and grow them into great leaders every single day in the Army there must be a measure of military professionalism. Just as General of the Army Omar N Bradley stated “The American soldier is a proud one and he demands professionalism and competence in his leaders, and in battle he wants to know his job is being done right with no unnecessary causalities. The American soldier expects his sergeant to be able to teach him how to do his job, and he expects even more from his officers.

“On a day to day basis I must ask myself, am I holding myself and those I am responsible for at the utmost highest of standards? To portray this type of professionalism the quality of my work and personal conduct must say who I am and all that I stand for. Pride. Without ethical behavior there is no professionalism in the workplace. Honor, dignity and respect are all factors that come into play as a professional. An individual must have confidence in themselves to show what it is to be a professional. Someone that is not confident in what they do or who they are tend to come across as not very knowledgeable in their skill or trade. Some other parts of showing professionalism is reliability. Can people rely on you? Be punctual as a professional, respect the time for yourself as well as for others. Professionalism is more than just being the part of a professional team its actually doing the part. Integrity is a must have when it pertains to professionalism. If you have integrity you will stand out amongst the crowd and make a difference.

The most important quality associated with any person working in the business world is professionalism. The first in becoming a professional is to understand what Professionalism is and its characteristics. “Professionalism isn’t just a set of appearances — neatness, good grooming, “shop talk” and the like. Nor is it just technical skill; many technically skilled people are not really professional. Professionalism is, rather, a set of internalized character strengths and values directed toward high quality service to others through one’s work.” Professionalism describes a certain type of behavior in the workplace, based on our values and understanding of our professional roles, demonstrated in our behavior. Professionalism is a passion for personal responsibility, devotion to a life of service, commitment to a mission, and openness to new ideas and alternatives. Successful professionals have respect for themselves and their profession. They have the interest in serving the needs of others and have good team work abilities. Professionalism leads to logical and completely unbiased decision-making, making it the basis of a good work environment.

Professionalism at work is completely devoid of politics, positive politics or mind games. Its root lies in those who do their work with quality and quantity in mind. To personify professionalism adhere to your commitments with your reporting heads and colleagues. Living up to your commitments every single time is a mark of a true professional. Realize the sensitivity of the work that comes over to you and make sure not to misuse it in any way. This will make you a trustworthy professional. Valuing the time and effort spent by others is never taken for granted by a thorough professional. Conducting yourself well in office, following a certain set of work principles and setting an example for others will make you a good role model. Laying high standards for your work performance from time to time and always doing your best in all that you do, speaks volumes about your professionalism at work. Professionalism is very important in the work force because it ensure good performance by all. If everyone is professional, everyone will do the best they can at their job.

Professionalism at work is required to ensure a good team spirit. If people work professionally, they will know how to value their organizational goals, along with their personal ones. Professionalism is required to keep all the employees motivated. Happy employees are positive brand ambassadors for the organization. Keeping the employees motivated, is important to maintain a good reputation of the office. It is important to ensure justice to everyone’s efforts. In a professional environment, a person’s quality of work is taken into consideration along with the quantity of their work. This phenomenon does justice and appreciates the efforts of the employees. Professionalism at work helps in maintaining the right amount of communication at the workplace. It also ensures that those who need to be heard, are heard. Professionalism is the axis around which any organization revolves. Without this axis, the organization will be lost in the galaxy of politics, mind games and blame games.

To inoculate professionalism at work keep a uniform environment for communication. If you wish to refer to each other with formality (that is with the surname, or using “sir” and “ma’am”), then let that be constant for all, in the workplace. If you want a friendlier environment, then let everyone refer to all with the first name. Whatever you choose, it has to be constant and uniform for all. It is important that all employees are aware of the professional environment at work. While their personal issues will be considered by the management when required, they need to abstain from discussing it during office hours. This keeps the office environment free from empathy related biases about productivity. Employees should be told off from the concept of competition bashing. Often in the heat of the moment, employees go about bashing their competition’s reputation.

This would include complaining to the management about certain aspects about them, or spreading rumors via the grapevine. This should be avoided at all times. If anyone is found indulging in such activities, strict action should be taken at the earliest. Punctuality is very important. If the office has fixed working hours, it should be abided by all the employees. In case there is a deviation by any employee, either they should inform beforehand, cover up for the work in the near future, or complete their day’s target in a short span of time. Professional dress code should be maintained. Luring a senior by wearing provocative clothes has been a tried and tested method. If one wishes to avoid the use of such tactics at the workplace, and avoid the possibility of fraternizing within the workplace, it is important that everyone dresses in a certain manner, which is acceptable by all in the management. These training tips are to show how to keep the environment professional, yet flexible. A professional environment does not necessarily have to be a restricting one.

Being professional means fulfilling responsibilities and taking heat. Any employee, no matter what the job, has a contractual obligation to the employer to fulfill the requirements of his or her job description while giving the employer’s interests high priority. Beyond that, working professionally generally means holding to more formal standards of performance and ethics than you might in your personal life. Conform to professional and/or industry standards in doing your job. Do it skillfully and well. Don’t pursue personal agendas at the company’s expense. Work hard; play fair. Represent your employer, your fellow workers, and yourself with dignity. Give the client and employer more than their money’s worth. Responsibility and integrity. This is where you must take care of yourself and present yourself in order to gain others’ trust and respect. All professionals need to take responsibility for themselves and their work. They need to consider consequences and the impact on others. Honesty is crucial – avoid even the smallest of lies at all costs.

If you commit to something, then follow through with it. If you are delayed, let the other person know as soon as possible. Always be respectful about competing businesses/people – point out your benefits rather than their faults. Be prepared before meetings and when presenting reports and the like. Ensure you have made yourself clear to avoid any miscommunication. Avoid conflicts of interest. Be impartial – keep personal bias and intolerances out of the business world. Be reliable and dependable… Take appropriate actions, rather than trying to hurt someone or their business when you feel wronged. Ensure you present yourself pleasantly with good hygiene and appropriate dress codes. Pay for services and products promptly, whatever the cost to yourself.

Demonstrate self-control and avoid public arguments and disagreements. Commitment to quality and to continuous improvement and personal development. A professional always aims to give the best they can. Whether it is putting together a product that will last and be safe to use or providing a service of value, you need to do give the customer more than they expect. Never give out work you are not proud to have your name on and always do your best work, and the results will reflect these attitudes. A professional can see beyond him or herself and is willing to share. Some ways to give to others in a professional capacity are as follows: being professional is about seeing beyond the immediate needs and planning for the future. By thinking about the long term perceptions of you and your business, rather than achieving quick wins, you are likely to behave.