The Decline of Professionalism
January 6, 2010It appears that professionalism, in many areas, is in retreat. In many instances, I am witnessing employees inappropriately dressed for work, using foul language in addressing colleagues and just not being mindful that they are not on the street corner, but rather at a place of business. The one word that encapsulates what I see is “Embarrassing.” When did so called professionals stop behaving in a professional manner? And better yet, when did the abdication of professional norms become commonplace?
I can recall learning at an early age how to behave in public and that the words you use around your friends are not necessarily the same words you use in school. This isn’t new, since many of us learned the very same lessons.
Most of us interact with many people who exhibit nonprofessional behaviors on a daily basis. More importantly, it appears that as the college degree becomes more ubiquitous, more and more people who lack professional attributes will gain entry into professional settings and further erode professional values. This is primarily due to the fact that many businesses and educational institutions have allowed this to occur.
I firmly believe that the erosion of professionalism etiquette kills morale, decreases productivity and devalues what should be meaningful interactions amongst colleagues.
We need to get back to a point where professionals behave like professionals and not like thugs on a street corner.
Good morning Mr. Shockley,
Reading your blog is right on point. I also so remember as a kid you would acted a totally different way when you were in public. Our parents and the community people would hold you responsible for your behavior and how you dressed. Our new generation has gotten away from the old guard. Changes are good for society but not our valves system that were instilled in us from generation to generation. The old saying used to be “dress for success”. At the end of the day it’s all goes back to the Character of a man or woman. How do you want to be remember by?
Thank you for keeping us thinking and making the world a better place.
Kblack
The decline of professionalism has become a major problem with society. I personally believe that our government was the beginning of this decline with the decline of jobs, rise in medical cost and bogis standards of learning restricting teachers from being true scholars and mentors to or children.
More people in society have to work extra jobs to survive and provide for there families. This takes away from time with children and the proper morales for them to learn. Also, with the policy of teachers only teaching SOL and nothing else deprives our youth from a proper education. In addition, when the government took away the authority for our teacher to paddle and correct students. It enabled them to be effective to some of the trouble students that do not have morales being taught at home.
In summary, for us to be professional and teach our children to be professionals in there life time. We must start thinking and teaching our society and children the proper morales of respecting others and ourselves. Until people decide to make these changes and stop just accepting whatever we will continue to decline as professionals.
Yes, I have also observed a change in the caliber of professionals in the workplace. I believe it is a direct reflection of the changes that have occured in the home. You and many others had the benefit of a mother, grandparent or neighbor who set the standards for how you would behave outside of the house. Unfortunately, the role models at home and even in the media have undergone a transformation. It has not been a positive one. How can the branches grow when the roots are not planted firmly in the ground?
So what do you do? Offer your advice on how to acclamate oneself to professional etiquette upon your colleague’s return from the hour 1/2 lunch break? Nope. I guess offering your time and talents to youth in your church community or school is the best place to start. In addition to setting an example with your own behavior for those sharing the same work environment.
I to believe that professionalism is declining at a time when we need professional people. Right now in this economy we do not need people bringing their personal life into a place of business. I remember when I was going to the doctor at VCU medical center and there was an announcement asking all doctors and nurses to report to the surgery room. It seemed like 10 minutes before I saw about 20 employees going into the surgery room. That is an example of nonprofessionalism. When someone’s life is in danger you do not need to be in the lounge gossiping or eating. Another example happened when I was at the 7-11 on Jefferson Davis. There was a lady talking on her cell phone while taking orders from customers.
When people have a good working business and then they hire a non professional person lots of things can happen to the business such as customer turnover, sales decrease, and possible complaints that would probably get the company or business shut down. I see the professional decline more in local businesses like convenience stores, grocery stores, and gas stations, and sometimes restaurants. I am pretty sure there are more places but those are the only places I have seen non-professionalism. The unprofessionalism had to start somewhere in that person’s life.
In these times we need people with high education and good people skills. People with good people skills are most likely to possess good professionalism. When you’re helping a customer or when a customer is asking for your assistance good people skills are required.