Monday, October 26, 2009

Guest Blogger on Professionalism

This month, I asked Robin Guidera to be our guest blogger. Here are some of her thoughts on our guiding principle, Professionalism. Thank you, Robin!

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently. – Warren Buffet

Looks like we’ve come full circle. Last October, VP Hawk asked each of us “Are You A Professional?” As October’s guiding principal for this month, each one of us would like to answer, “Of course I am.” As I look around, and recall some of the hard times we’ve all been faced with this past year, I can only hope that my attitude and character were in check. Was yours? After all, professionalism isn’t always about the clothes you wear or the car you drive, but how you do what you do!

The essence of professionalism is the attitude which someone brings to their job. The title or type of job is not an issue since an unethical physician is less of a professional than a gardener who repairs a sprinkler he broke while mowing the lawn rather than leave it, blaming it on excessive water pressure.

Professionalism and character go hand in hand. A professional does their part in seeing to it that a task is accomplished, sometimes ignoring the clock. They contribute to an uplifting tone in the workplace promoting integrity, minimizing gossip and staying focused. They respect those placed in authority over them and more importantly, those they direct. Ultimately their focus is less on themselves and more on how they affect those around them.

I’ve learned a lot from the people I work with since I am surrounded by such professionals. I hope everyone is (and feels) as fortunate as I.