Not long ago, I overheard a comment that caught my attention.
“Professional people can work with anyone.”
And my first reaction was um…no, they can’t. But frankly, I was up against a deadline and wasn’t able to engage in this debate. So I left it alone. Then as the days passed, it kept bothering me. Because it’s not about whether a professional person can or can’t work with anyone. It’s about their willingness to do so and whether or not they should have to.
Making the statement that professional people can work with anyone is really unfair. It puts a level of expectation on them that shouldn’t exist. Like it’s a requirement for them to work with just anyone. But there are plenty of examples to the contrary:
Professional people will not and shouldn’t have to work with unethical or immoral people. As a result, professional people should not be subjected to a standard of “you’re not professional if you can’t work with anyone”.
In addition, professional people are only going to tolerate unprofessionalism and negativity for so long. They might work with it for awhile. They might even try to change it. But if that’s unsuccessful…they will move on. What you’ll have left is a bunch of people who are fine with unprofessional, unethical, immoral and negative behavior. Good luck with that.
The minute you make the assumption that professional people can work with anyone, you let the rest of the bunch off the hook. So, anyone who is unprofessional, unethical, immoral or negative can continue to be that way and the expectation will be that the professionals will happily work right alongside.
Truth is, professional people don’t want to work with just anyone. They want to work with other professional people. And they will seek out opportunities to do so. Perhaps more importantly, a professional will make every effort to avoid those who are not.
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Lexy Martin says
OK…you finally convinced me to follow and read you! I think there’s also something about following tweets. To be honest, the HRBartender name had always turned me off, but actually taking the time to read one of your blogs has me now convinced. Once I’m sure Twitter is safe again….
Sharlyn Lauby says
Welcome and thanks for the comment Lexy. Look forward to more conversations…
working girl says
So true: they probably can but they won’t if they don’t have to.
Lexy – Twitter is supposedly safe again.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment, Working Girl. Very true indeed.
Jennifer V. Miller says
Sharlyn,
Let’s get a list going– what do you believe constitutes “professional” behavior…or is that forthcoming in a blog post?
I’d offer:
-Avoiding gossip
-Maintaining confidences
-No whining
-Listening to alternative viewpoints
-Continuous learning
-Humility
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi Jennifer. It’s a good point. What is professional behavior?
Overall, I think we can tie it back to transparency – a lot of the same elements. Love to see what everyone has to say…I would add some clarification to the list you’ve started:
Avoiding malicious gossip (some rumors might be actually be OK)
Maintaining confidences, as appropriate (there are certain cases when you have to break a confidence – especially when illegal activity is involved)
And I would add ethics. Almost every profession has an ethical standard (SHRM does). It’s important to uphold it.
Lisa Rosendahl says
When someone is not professional (for the backwards take), I see them . .. wow, I am repeating your list above . . . talking about others, not keeping their word, making unethical decisions, immoral behavior . . . it’s a good list. My mind goes to specific bahaviors like using info they gain – as part of their position/role – for personal gain; using position for bullying, intimidating, coercing others; questionable off duty conduct; not standing up for beliefs or decisions; passing the blame.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment Lisa. Agreed – the way a person uses the information entrusted to them can send a message about professionalism.
And, you know I’m fanatical about accountability. 😉
Jennifer V. Miller says
Hmmm….interesting. I took “ethical behavior” as a given. Although this has caused me to re-think the list:
Can someone be ethical and unprofessional at the same time? I think the answer is yes. I’ve observed many business people who operated well within societal ethical norms, yet still displayed unprofessional behavior. For example it’s not unethical to show up to a business meeting dressed in a disheveled manner, but it is (IMHO) unprofessional.
Sharlyn Lauby says
I’d love to take ethical behavior as a given but sadly, it’s not.
And you can flip your example as well. How many people can dress up in a suit and look professional, but not operate in an ethical manner? We’ve seen a few of those in the media.
Carole Campbell says
So true to form, i work with some of the most childish (so called professional people) i have come across for some time.