What is Professionalism

The word Professionalism is associated with professional in terms of exhibiting an outcome a particular profession demands. A person can be associated with any profession but he would not be termed as professional till the time he demonstrate the standards of highest degree that a particular profession require. Knowledge, exhibition, demonstration of professional capabilities and the experience which people derive from such professionals gets reflected in form of professionalism. You remove the word professionalism and what you have is an experience that in no way reflected the intricacies associated with any profession.

Every profession has its standard and the people who comply with such standards are called professionals. It is the display of professional capabilities that constitute professionalism and give true meaning to a particular profession. Search on internet and you would find different meaning for the same word. Some people would club it with their conduct while there is other who would end up defining the qualities. Each is true in its own sense but what they miss is an Experience. The Experience that one get when one deal with professional vis-à-vis normal person. It is in this Experience lies the true essence of Professionalism.

Let’s look at more deeply and see what exactly professionalism is and how it provides an experience of its own.

A patient goes to a doctor

1) Doctor without hearing anything asks the patient to get admitted in his hospital

2) He talks of everything but ailment

3) He does 10 different tests and keeps the patient clueless

4) He is non-approachable and always busy in one thing or other

5) He charges hefty fees and put huge medical charges

6) He does cures the patient but the satisfaction was missing

Now this unhappy patient experiences the same problems again. Instead of his previous doctor he goes to a new, well known, and renowned doctor.

1) Doctor genuinely hear the problems faced by the patient

2) He ask the patient to get admitted so that he can keep him under his supervision

3) He starts the medication and in each step briefs the patient about the situation

4) He is available at any time and takes proper interest in the patient

5) When the patient gets cured the doctor charges him right amount justifying each part involved in treatment

6) While leaving the doctor gives his number to the patient and ask him to call in case of any associated problem.

You would find the difference in approach taken by two doctors.

1) The way they diagnose

2) The way they listen

3) The way they treat

4) The way charge etc. etc.

The difference in approach reflect in form of experience and it is this experience that separate the professionals from the novices and provides true meaning to the word professionalism.

The second Doctor demonstrated the professionalism to the truest of its form.

1) We all expect the doctors to cure

2) Doctor does their job and cures us

3) In end we are left with nothing but an experience.

Each profession demands the capabilities of highest standards. There are only few who gets worthy of it. And it is these few worthy that are called professionals and they demonstrates Professionalism in real sense. The second doctor demonstrated professionalism not only by curing patient but also making sure that the patient derives value from the single penny that gets invested by him.

Some of the basic qualities which you see in professionals and that show up in the form of professionalism are

1) Nothing concern to them expect their work

2) They don’t get involved in anything except what is expected out of them.

3) They provide work of high quality

4) They provide value

5) They respect time and deadlines

6) In the end they deliver what is expected out of them

In the whole process they not only get the work done but do it with high level of satisfaction.

The reason you respect people of certain profession is only because of their demonstration of Professionalism. Remove professionalism and all you are left with is nothing but a normal experience that you can get from anywhere.

Professional’s rock and they rock only because of their demonstration of professionalism.

Many companies hire professionals but what they fail to see is weather professionalism gets demonstrated by them or not. You may be good at your job and can have the best of knowledge but if you don’t provide the experience that is expected out of you then the knowledge holds no meaning. Professionalism is a thin line of rocking experience that separate men from boys. And when it rocks……..it just rocks.

Picture Credit- Georgio_