Cooperative Extension Support Staff Workshop Professionalism in Today’s Workplace October 2006 Lorie A. Smith, Training and Organizational Development Colorado State University

What is Professionalism?  In small groups….. –Answer these 2 questions: Who do you think of as ‘professional’? What specific behaviors or characteristics create this impression?  Report out…. –What’s THE SINGLE most important behavior or characteristic that creates the impression of being professional?

Professionalism is….  Interpersonal Skills  Competency  Appearance

Appearance and Professionalism  Cultural Icons  Cultural stereotypes and prejudice  Gender differences in evaluation  Mediators of type (yes, competency matters)

Body Language and Communication  Words (7%) Tone (38%) Body language (55%)  4 Categories of body language: –Emblems –Illustrators –Regulators –Tactile  ‘Reading’ body language  Changing your own body language

Top People Skills  Listening to understand  Doing what your mom told you –Common politeness, respect, consideration, truth, keeping promises  Getting others to listen to you –Use positive or motivating messages (WIIFM) –Keep the listener involved by asking questions –Get to the point  Starting with heart – look for the good

What Do You Bring To Work?  The REAL power of positive thinking –Attitude can set you up for success or failure –Attitude can be read by others –Attitude can mitigate skill (+ or -)

Professional Communication  Respectful  Allows others to ‘save face’  Assertive and Considerate – Win/Win  Makes others feel comfortable, safe  Builds a partnership  Authentic

You’re In Charge of You  You cannot control anyone else’s behavior but your own  You are always responsible for your own behavior*  “Jerkness” is in the eye of the beholder– or there’s always another side to the story  Your best efforts will fail… sometimes *unless ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’

Common Mistakes  Being disrespectful  Being disloyal to the absent  Failing to say ‘Thank You’  Failing to say ‘I’m sorry’  Hogging the glory  Using inappropriate humor  Bringing home to work

Confronting Difficult Situations  Do I want or need this relationship?  Is it my intention to be helpful?  Am I willing to be wrong?  Do I have a clear understanding of what I want and don’t want?  Can I live with the worst possible, but realistic, outcome?

Stay in your Circle of Influence

Three Ways People Victimize Themselves  Failing to correct mistakes quickly (apology aversion)  Spending time trying to assign blame and not working on a solution  Allowing the emotionalism of a conflict to chew them up inside

Victim Traps to Avoid  Falling for the ‘eye for an eye’ syndrome  Accepting advice from the wrong sources  Letting your ego stand in your way  Failing to protect your own attitude  Playing into the drama  Exaggerating the risk of confrontation  Refusing to own any part of a problem  Refusing to let small irritations pass

Thanks for all your hard work!