Unprofessional? Here are the behaviors that send the opposite,
more positive message.
(A quick note before we get
started. I wrote the following in response to reader feedback to another column: 10 Bad Habits That Make You Look Really Unprofessional.
This post is the counterpoint to that one.)
Here's
a story from about 15 years ago. I was traveling from Seattle to Yakima for
work, flying in a tiny commercial turboprop. There were only 10 or 12
passengers, and the cockpit was separated by a curtain rather than a door. We
flew through the Cascade mountains in really rough weather, and the captain --
a pilot in his early 20s -- pulled the curtain aside.
"The
tower is saying it's our choice to continue to Yakima or turn around," he
yelled over the din of the engines, "But I think we're gonna give it a
try."
What’s wrong with this picture, right? "I think" and "Give it a try"
are pretty much the last things you want to hear a commercial airline pilot
say, especially in a bad storm. My fellow passengers nearly revolted. The pilot
quickly changed course (both literally and figuratively), and we flew back to
Seattle.
I've told that story a few times over the years, usually for
laughs. But remember: It wasn't the storm or the tiny plane or the air traffic
control's apparent laissez-fair attitude that freaked us passengers out. It's
that the pilot's attitude made him seemtotally unprofessional --
and we all lost confidence in him.
Here are a few of the attributes you can demonstrate to make
yourself seem more professional. I’m not saying they’re easy, but they are
pretty simple. (Keep in mind, nobody demonstrates them all constantly. You’re only human. Just
try to be the best human you can.)
1. Confidence
This was the biggest problem with the pilot's performance that
day. Confidence without the ability to back it up is useless, but if you’re
truly competent, own it.
2. Candor
Truly
professional people are forthright. They assess the situation, calculate the
risks, and offer a truthful opinion.
3. Self-awareness
This
is a part of displaying confidence -- knowing who you are and where you fit in
the world, and owning your strengths and weaknesses. If you do that, you can
work to buttress the things you don't do as well.
4. Strategic thinking
One
of the basic tenets of success is to start with the end in mind. Truly
professional people identify their goals, then work backward to achieve them.
5. Anticipation
Be like Radar O'Reilly. Wait, you
probably don't get that reference, because most people reading this probably
weren't watching the television show M*A*S*H in
the 1980s. (See? Self-awareness.) No problem. Just know that focusing on
others' needs to the point that you can anticipate their challenges and
solutions breeds confidence.
6. Caring
Related
to anticipation: You can't truly help others if you can't bother to learn about
their goals and fears.
7. Realism
"Promise
me the world," the song goes. That may be a way to get the boy or girl of
your dreams to pay attention, but it does nothing to make you look
professional. Instead, promise the most you can, consistent with your ability
to deliver.
8. Follow-through
See
what I mean? These attributes are simple but not necessarily easy. Say you'll
do something, then do it.
9. Enthusiasm
This one is inspired by reader comments, when I said Pollyannaishness was unprofessional. Smart enthusiasm,
on the other hand, is a very positive quality. Colin Powell put it best: Perpetual
optimism is a force multiplier.
10. Diligence
This
is related to follow-through, but it's not exactly the same thing. Be
persistent, demonstrate worth ethic, and "check small things."
(That’s another Powellism, come to think of it.)
11. Performance
Nothing
says "professional" like accomplishments, especially repeated
accomplishments over time.
12. Discretion
Caring
and self-awareness, combined with good communications ability, leads to
prudence and the ability to be candid without giving offense.
13. Curiosity
No
professional is ever finished learning. ‘Nuff said.
14. Risk-taking
I
hesitated to put this on here, out of fear of giving the wrong impression.
Risk-taking doesn't mean being risky in the negative sense. Instead it’s about
the realization that all courses of action involve some risk, and balancing
that realization against the paralyzation of inaction.
15. Humor
You
don’t need to be hilarious, but you need a sense of humor; it demonstrates
perspective.
16. Fitness
This
is unfortunate but true. If someone looks as if he or she doesn’t care about
their health, it’s a lot harder to project professionalism -- and with it, the
notion that they care about other things.
17. Authenticity
It’s
good entrepreneurial advice to “fake it till you make it,” but your performance
needs to be grounded in truth. Otherwise, no matter your skills, your deficits,
your interests -- or frankly, even the things you aren’t interested in --
people can tell.
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