Leadership

Professional behavior in the

workplace.

Name: NASTEHO ROBLEH OKIEH

Registration Number: 21000000
Term 1 – Class
Submitted to: Dr Mustapha
 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to our doctor Mustapha who
gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic of
professional behavior in the workplace, which also helped me in doing a lot of
Research and I came to know about so many new things I am really thankful to
them. Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a
lot in finalizing this project within the limited time frame.

2
 Summary of the research

In this report, I will talk about professionalism which is the conduct, behavior, and
attitude of someone in a work or business environment.
Professionalism leads to workplace success, a strong professional reputation and a high
level of work ethic and excellence.

3
 OUTLINE

Table of content
Introduction..................................................................................................5
I. What is professional behavior in the workplace?...................................6
II. What are rules of professional behavior in workplace?.........................6
1. Arrive on time.......................................................................................6
2. Communicate respectfully....................................................................7
3. Be honest...............................................................................................7
4. Have a positive attitude.........................................................................7
5. Take responsibility................................................................................7
6. Help others............................................................................................7
7. Act ethically..........................................................................................8
8. Be reliable.............................................................................................8
III. The Benefits of Professional Behavior in workplace...........................8
IV. The consequences that may occur because of not implementing the
professional behavior in workplace.............................................................9
1. How can behavior affect workplace performance?..............................9
2. What is inappropriate behavior?...........................................................9
Conclusion.................................................................................................10
References..................................................................................................10

4
 Introduction
Professional behavior is an area of medical education that has long been of concern to medical
educator. Professional behavior is one of the domains of the professionalism and it’s a behavior
reflection of professionalism. How you behave at work can affect everything, from your
relationships with coworkers to finding new opportunities for advancement. Your behavior can
bolster your professional reputation and boost your career almost as much as your skills and
experience do. But despite its perceived importance, until recently it has not been actively
taught or reliably assessed. The purposes of this writing are:
1) To provide appropriate definition of professional behavior.
2) To identify characteristics of professional behavior.
3) To identify valid and reliable assessment tools to assess professional behavior.

5
 I. What is professional behavior in the workplace?

Professional behavior in the workplace is a combination of attitude, appearance and manners. It

includes the way you speak, look, act and make decisions. The main principles of professional
work behavior include:

 Treating your managers, colleagues, and clients with respect

 Projecting a positive attitude
 Being polite
 Showing good judgment
 Being ethical
 Dressing appropriately

Employees who show professionalism at work are often productive, motivated and perform at a
high level. Colleagues and clients enjoy working with them, and they might transition into
leadership roles. Some companies have codes of professional conduct that include rules about
dress and behavior to help guide employees.

II. What are rules of professional behavior in workplace?

If you want to improve your performance at work and your chances of career success, consider
these professional behaviors that make good impressions on coworkers and employers:

1. Arrive on time

Punctuality shows your coworkers that you are reliable, care about your work and value their
time. Take steps to ensure you’re on time for work each day, such as setting alarms, and use
calendar reminders to keep on track for meetings and conferences. Aim to arrive a few minutes
early, so if you do encounter traffic during your commute or need to answer an urgent email
before a meeting, you can stay on schedule.

Also, make sure you follow your company's break schedule. If employees receive an hour for
lunch and 15 minutes for breaks, return to work within those limits.

6
 2. Communicate respectfully

When you are at work, use clean language, even during casual conversations and emails. Avoid
gossiping, talking about sensitive subjects and sharing overly personal information with
coworkers. If you do need to confide in a colleague, do it in a private space where customers or
managers cannot hear you.

During meetings and discussions, speak clearly and courteously so people can understand you.
Listen to your colleagues when they share ideas and acknowledge the things they say even if
you disagree. Your tone and language are equally important when communicating through
email. Keep emails professional because they become long-term records of conversations.

3. Be honest

Integrity in the workplace can lead to positive relationships. Coworkers who trust each other are
often productive and work well as a team. Be honest if you need personal time off from work or
an extra day to complete a project. Keep company and client information confidential. If you
see dishonest behavior elsewhere in the workplace, report it to your manager.

4. Have a positive attitude

People enjoy working with colleagues who are upbeat and optimistic. If you show up to work
motivated and with a good attitude, your colleagues might be likely to display similar
behaviors, which can improve overall office morale. If you encounter challenges at work, try to
solve them rather than complaining about them. Give your colleagues positive feedback and
encouragement on projects. Compliment the people around you on their personal and
professional achievements.

5. Take responsibility

Respected professionals set examples by taking responsibility for their actions. If you make a
mistake, always admit to it and then take steps to correct it or prevent it from happening again.
Avoid blaming others, even if they contributed to an issue. Managers appreciate employees who
acknowledge failed ideas, missed deadlines or wrong decisions, apologize and try to resolve
them. If you realize you need help completing a project or making a big decision, ask for it.

7
 6. Help others

Offer to help your colleagues when they appear overwhelmed by tasks or are trying to solve
challenging issues. Ask if they want your opinion about an idea or your help completing a
project and respect their response. When you support your colleagues and work together as a
team, you can elevate the entire department. Managers also notice employees who are
supportive team members and might consider them for leadership roles.

7. Act ethically

Workplace ethics involve choosing between right and wrong and maintaining strong morals.
Act ethically by:

 Understanding and following company rules and policies

 Reporting violations, questionable behavior, safety concerns or suspicious actions
 Removing personal bias and judgment from your decisions and interactions
 Being accountable and taking responsibility for your actions
 Asking for help in difficult situations

When you act ethically, you are more likely to make good decisions that benefit your entire
team.

8. Be reliable

Show your colleagues and manager that they can rely on you to meet deadlines, do quality work
and show up to meetings on time. When someone asks you to complete a task, commit to doing
it well and finishing it on time. Prepare for meetings by reviewing agendas and bringing notes
and discussion points. If your manager knows they can depend on you to do high-quality,
timely work, they might give you more responsibilities and independence.

8
III. The Benefits of Professional Behavior in workplace

Professionalism is a measure of how well you carry yourself at work, how you treat coworkers
and how you handle stressful situations. Because of this, it's easy to see why professionalism is
so important in the workplace, both in the work you do and the way you behave. Being
professional helps you to achieve high-quality results, while impressing and inspiring others
and feeling good about yourself. Here are some reasons why professionalism is important.

 Professionalism helps you get the job

 Professionalism helps you get recognized
 It Shows you're dependable
 You'll earn more respect
 You'll be more approachable

IV. The consequences that may occur because of not implementing the
professional behavior in workplace.

However, employees displaying inappropriate behavior can affect the workplace negatively. If
employers fail to address and correct bad workplace behavior, negative consequences such as
poor morale, employee stress, damage to reputation etc.

1. How can behavior affect workplace performance?

The behavior of people in the workplace directly and indirectly affects:

 the physical and mental health of workers (reactions of individuals will vary), including
supervisors and managers
 the safety of individuals and groups, and ultimately the safety culture of the operation
 work productivity and costs
9
  reputation of the organization.

2. What is inappropriate behavior?

While it is expected that everyone in the workplace will behave in a professional manner and
treat each other with dignity and respect, it does not always happen.

Examples of inappropriate behavior in the workplace include:

 harassment - offensive, belittling or threatening behavior that is unsolicited, and may be
repeated
 bullying - repeated abusive and offensive behavior, which in some circumstances may
involve inappropriate physical behavior
 aggression and violence.

These behaviors may be targeted at one person or a group.

Conclusion

The proposed definition of professional behavior is the appropriateness of somebody’s action or

reaction either intentionally or unintentionally towards the changes of the environment or
condition or situation that reflect on qualities that are connected to his or her responsibilities.
Professional behavior reflects professionalism. The elements of professionalism and
characteristics of professional behavior are connected and correlated with each other.

10
References

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/professional-behavior-workplace

https://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Safety/What-is-inappropriate-workplace-5052.aspx

https://www.google.com/search?
q=The+consequences+that+may+occur+as+a+result+of+not+implementing+the+professional+beha
vior+in+workplace&rlz=1C1YTUH_en-
GBSA987SA987&oq=The+consequences+that+may+occur+as+a+result+of+not+implementing+the
+professional+behavior+in+workplace&aqs=chrome.0.69i59.1118j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/workplace-health-and-safety/addressing-inappropriate-
work-behavior-and-preventing-them/194847

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/impact-inappropriate-conduct-workplace-36418.html

11