Professional behavior in the workplace is inevitably necessary. Here are 5 things to watch out for and do if you want to keep a professional attitude and be very productive. (Also Read: The 8 Best Public Speaking Tips Ever)
Professional Behavior in the Workplace
Why is being on time so important to you?
One of the most important aspects of maintaining professional behavior in the workplace is arriving on time. This means different things for different jobs, but generally speaking, you should aim to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early to work each day. If you have a meeting or an appointment, aim to arrive even earlier so that you can get situated and be prepared before the meeting starts.
If you find that you’re frequently running late, it’s important to take a step back and figure out what the root of the problem is. Are you having trouble getting up in the morning? Make sure you’re going to bed at a reasonable hour so that you can get enough sleep. Do you spend too much time on your commute? See if there’s a way you can leave earlier or take a different route. Once you identify the problem, it will be easier to find a solution.
Running late every once in a while is inevitable, but if you’re constantly scrambling to make it to work on time, it will reflect poorly on your professionalism. Put yourself in your boss’s shoes: Would you want someone who is regularly late and disorganized working for you? Take the steps necessary to ensure that punctuality is one of your strengths.
If you find that you’re frequently running late, it’s important to take a step back and figure out what the root of the problem is. Are you having trouble getting up in the morning? Make sure you’re going to bed at a reasonable hour so that you can get enough sleep. Do you spend too much time on your commute? See if there’s a way you can leave earlier or take a different route. Once you identify the problem, it will be easier to find a solution.
Running late every once in a while is inevitable, but if you’re constantly scrambling to make it to work on time, it will reflect poorly on your professionalism. Put yourself in your boss’s shoes: Would you want someone who is regularly late and disorganized working for you? Take the steps necessary to ensure that punctuality is one of your strengths.
Why Being respectful is important?
If you want to be successful in the workplace, it is important to maintain professional behavior at all times. This means being respectful of your co-workers, your boss, and your company’s policies.
Respect is one of the most important values in the workplace. If you respect your coworkers, they will respect you. Respect also includes being polite and treating people with courtesy.
It is also important to be respectful of your boss. You should listen to their instructions and follow their guidance. If you have a disagreement with your boss, you should discuss it respectfully.
Finally, you should always respect your company’s policies. If you don’t agree with a policy, don’t break it. Instead, talk to your boss or HR department about changing the policy.
Respect is one of the most important values in the workplace. If you respect your coworkers, they will respect you. Respect also includes being polite and treating people with courtesy.
It is also important to be respectful of your boss. You should listen to their instructions and follow their guidance. If you have a disagreement with your boss, you should discuss it respectfully.
Finally, you should always respect your company’s policies. If you don’t agree with a policy, don’t break it. Instead, talk to your boss or HR department about changing the policy.
Why is it important to active listening?
Active listening is a key skill for maintaining professional behavior in the workplace. When you are actively listening, you are fully present and focused on the person speaking, giving them your undivided attention. This shows that you respect them and are interested in what they have to say.
It can be difficult to maintain active listening during long meetings or when you’re dealing with a difficult issue, but it’s important to try.
Some tips for active listening include:
Maintain an open body posture and maintain eye contact.
Refrain from interrupting or finishing the other person’s sentences.
Repeat back what you heard to ensure understanding.
Ask clarifying questions if needed.
If you try to actively listen, you can improve your communication, solve problems, and get along better with your coworkers.
It can be difficult to maintain active listening during long meetings or when you’re dealing with a difficult issue, but it’s important to try.
Some tips for active listening include:
Maintain an open body posture and maintain eye contact.
Refrain from interrupting or finishing the other person’s sentences.
Repeat back what you heard to ensure understanding.
Ask clarifying questions if needed.
If you try to actively listen, you can improve your communication, solve problems, and get along better with your coworkers.
How do I give feedback to my staff?
Giving and receiving feedback is a key part of maintaining professional behavior in the workplace. However, giving feedback can sometimes be difficult, especially if it is negative. It is important to remember that feedback, both positive and negative, should be given in a professional manner.
In order to give feedback in a positive manner, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, be specific with your feedback. Vague comments will not be as helpful as specific ones.
Second, use “I” statements when giving feedback. For example, instead of saying, “You need to work on your attitude,” try, “I feel like you could work on showing more enthusiasm in your work.”
Third, avoid using “you” statements altogether. These can come across as accusatory and make the person receiving the feedback feel defensive.
It is also important to remember that feedback should be given in a timely manner. If you wait too long to give feedback, it will be less effective.
Finally, when giving feedback, always try to offer solutions or suggestions for improvement along with the criticism. This shows that you are invested in helping the person receiving the feedback improve their professional behavior.
In order to give feedback in a positive manner, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, be specific with your feedback. Vague comments will not be as helpful as specific ones.
Second, use “I” statements when giving feedback. For example, instead of saying, “You need to work on your attitude,” try, “I feel like you could work on showing more enthusiasm in your work.”
Third, avoid using “you” statements altogether. These can come across as accusatory and make the person receiving the feedback feel defensive.
It is also important to remember that feedback should be given in a timely manner. If you wait too long to give feedback, it will be less effective.
Finally, when giving feedback, always try to offer solutions or suggestions for improvement along with the criticism. This shows that you are invested in helping the person receiving the feedback improve their professional behavior.
Why being professional on social media is important?
In today’s workplace, it’s more important than ever to maintain professional behavior. With so much of our work is done electronically, it’s easy for our personal lives to spill over into our professional ones. But there are some simple things you can do to make sure you’re maintaining a professional demeanor both online and off.
Here are a few tips for keeping your electronic behavior in check:
Be mindful of what you share online. Just because you wouldn’t say something in a meeting doesn’t mean it’s OK to share it on social media or in an email. If you wouldn’t want your boss or coworkers to see it, don’t post it.
Think before you hit send. Once something is sent, you can’t take it back. So if you’re unsure about whether something is appropriate to share, err on the side of caution and don’t send it.
Keep your personal and professional accounts separate. If you wouldn’t want your employer to see what’s on your personal account, then don’t link it to your professional one. And be careful about friending or following co-workers on personal accounts—what you post there could still come back to haunt you at work.
Don’t use work devices for personal use. Your work laptop, phone, and tablet are for work-related activities only. Using them for personal tasks puts your employer at risk and creates a conflict of interest between your job and your personal life. (Also Read: 7 Leadership Lessons from Barack Obama)
Here are a few tips for keeping your electronic behavior in check:
Be mindful of what you share online. Just because you wouldn’t say something in a meeting doesn’t mean it’s OK to share it on social media or in an email. If you wouldn’t want your boss or coworkers to see it, don’t post it.
Think before you hit send. Once something is sent, you can’t take it back. So if you’re unsure about whether something is appropriate to share, err on the side of caution and don’t send it.
Keep your personal and professional accounts separate. If you wouldn’t want your employer to see what’s on your personal account, then don’t link it to your professional one. And be careful about friending or following co-workers on personal accounts—what you post there could still come back to haunt you at work.
Don’t use work devices for personal use. Your work laptop, phone, and tablet are for work-related activities only. Using them for personal tasks puts your employer at risk and creates a conflict of interest between your job and your personal life. (Also Read: 7 Leadership Lessons from Barack Obama)
