
Being unprofessional serves in the least interest of the individual as well as the company. The undesired effects of unprofessionalism have been covered in the following article.
Professionalism means having the right kind of attitude and is much discussed in context with the workplace. So at the onset of the article, let us discuss this broad and important term – professionalism. What does it actually mean when we hear someone say ‘he or she is a thorough professional’. Professionalism encompasses everything from the right kind of attitude to being perfect in secondary things like dressing style, grooming and behavior.
Every organization looks for employees with a proper attitude because they bring in with them a positive spirit and also are an asset to the organization. On the other hand, unprofessional employees are more or less a kind of burden on the organization. Unprofessionalism affects the progress of both, the individual and the organization. The various effects of it are put together in the coming paragraphs.
The Effects of Unprofessionalism
Unprofessionalism revealingly affects the work of the individual. Consider the example of an employee who wastes time chit chatting with other workers and creates a nuisance at the work place. This is a supreme example of unprofessional attitude that is attributed to many employees of a unit. It affects the work of all the workers as it disturbs the peace at work.
Not following the expected company timings and guidelines is also a sign of lack of professionalism. Relating to work it can be anything like not being sincere and committed towards work and the duties assigned. More of unprofessional signs have been discussed at the end of the article.
In a gist, any organization will not tolerate this attitude in its employees for long and it will increase the chances of the employee getting fired from work. Being unprofessional also hampers the mindset of the individuals. Consistently being pulled up for bad behavior is not good for the confidence of the individual. This behavior thus serves in the least interest of the growth of the employee and so employees should try to cultivate discipline and organization in their work life.
It was mentioned in the earlier paragraph that employees who lack organization skills and the right attitude are a burden to the organization. If a majority of the employees are not behaving in the desired way, it does harm to the progress and image of their company. Unprofessional employees contribute less and this indirectly does harm to the profit earning capacity of the company. There will be goodwill about the organization if all the employees in it are disciplined and equally contributing. Thus you see, this behavior is of no use to the organization as well as to the individual.
Signs of Unprofessionalism
Professionalism is something we learn as we move forward in our career. Most obviously freshmen find it difficult to develop the right attitude. We have discussed below some of the common signs that are associated with unprofessional behavior.
- Employees not following discipline during the working hours is one of the common signs of unprofessionalism. This includes spending hours talking on a cell phone or near the water cooler with colleagues, and gossiping about others in the workplace.
- Not working hard to achieve the set targets is also an example of unprofessional conduct. This often is an outcome of the first sign.
- Disturbing other workers, indulging in backbiting about others, doing harm to the work of others, and unnecessarily troubling someone in the office also accounts for lack of a professional attitude.
- Rude behavior with clients or coworkers, losing one’s temper easily and unwillingness to work in a team also are indicators of lack of professionalism at the workplace.
- Discussing too much about the personal life with colleagues during the working hours is also not expected from the employees. This can also account for spreading negativity in the work environment.
No organization would want to cater to unprofessional employees. It is the responsibility of the employee to understand and do justice to the work expected from him. A professional employee is valued by any organization and is well rewarded for his work.