For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name,
Grantland Rice, 1880-1954
He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the Game.”
Professionalism is defined by Merriam-Webster as:
professionalism noun
pro·fes·sion·al·ism | \ prə-ˈfesh-nə-ˌli-zəm , -ˈfe-shə-nə-ˌli-\
Definition of professionalism
1 : the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person
2 : the following of a profession (such as athletics) for gain or livelihood
(Merriam-Webster)
Professionalism is an important aspect in today’s corporate environment. But it is also the most misused and abused word. In corporate communication particularly, one needs to be aware of strict protocols, especially when addressing clients and your colleagues regardless of their position or rank. We have to be aware of our tone, as well as biases, always remembering to be politically correct at all times. Because in the business environment, every correspondence could be a potential lawsuit. And any lawsuit is not good for any business.
For me, professionalism can be described by the following three words: accountability, responsibility and commitment.
Accountability. For every correspondence that we send, we are accountable to its content. For example, every word in the correspondence could have legal repercussions, every grammatical error could lead to voiding a contract. We cannot use as an excuse that MS Word failed its spelling or grammar check. As my professor in Communications said, MS Word isn’t just that reliable in terms of grammar check. We are accountable; therefore, it is then our responsibility to make sure that the correspondences we send be as neutral and as formal as possible. As long as we are committed to delivering the best possible service to the company we work for, it isn’t that hard to accept accountability and responsibility in all our actions. With the right ethics, one can achieve professionalism that a corporate environment requires.
In my previous work experience, it is highly recommended that all communications be reviewed by a colleague. I used to ask my HR manager or even my regional director to read my email drafts first before I send them out. Most of the time, I am guilty of some grammatical errors. This has been my perennial problem, coming from a country whose official language is not english. But I am confident that with every practice, I will come closer to that perfection in professionalism. I alone am accountable for my actions. I take full responsibility for every word that comes out of my pen or mouth. And I am committed to achieving that perfection. That is my ethics.
References:
Image retreived from: https://www.finsia.com/images/default-source/infinance-images/20171103-infinance/the-key-to-quality-and-efficiency-is-professionalism—infinance—members-corner—finsia.png?sfvrsn=36329993_4
Grantland Rice. (n.d.). In New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Grantland_Rice
Professionalism. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Retrieved from:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professionalism
Fragments of my Imagination 
