Professionalism is an expectation that is non-negotiable in the workplace. Unfortunately, some individuals struggle with the concept, and it becomes visible in their behavior. This includes:

• Arriving late on a regular basis
• Displaying rude behavior to colleagues and customers
• Not making an effort with their attire
• Not being a team player
• Demonstrating less than the ideal commitment to their responsibilities

Do you recognize any of the above? You may know people in your workplace who are guilty of some of those unprofessional traits, or perhaps you are guilty of some of those very same things yourself. By being unprofessional, you will risk losing the respect of those around you, lose respect for yourself, and quite possibly lose your job. There is a lot on the line, whether you consciously or unconsciously exhibit unprofessional behaviors, and your life and the consequences are substantial.

It is essential to give yourself that professional edge. By doing so, you will:

•  Gain respect from the people who work alongside you
• Improve your confidence levels
• Have more self-respect
• Enhance your job satisfaction
• Open yourself up to career opportunities

As you can see, there are advantages to being professional, in whatever career path you have chosen. In some cases, you may have to fake it as if you mean it. However, if you adhere to the following five golden rules of professionalism, you will increase your success factor, something all focused high-achieving women strive to accomplish.

Golden Rule 1: Be an excellent time-keeper

Punctuality is essential in business, and when you don’t exhibit it, you will be viewed as being unprofessional. By arriving at work early, you will have time to prepare yourself for the day, and quite possibly impress your boss with your punctuality. Time management and punctuality extend to other elements of your job. This includes being on time for the meetings and events you need to attend, getting your work done according to the deadlines set by your employer, and avoiding time wasters that are going to derail your schedule.

Golden Rule 2: Dress to impress

If you show up at work or any meeting dressed inappropriately, you aren’t going to impress anybody. What you wear entirely depends on your profession, of course, and your workplace should already have a dress code in place. Even if it doesn’t, you should make the appropriate choice for yourself, especially when the opinion of other people matters. If you are office- based and attend a lot of meetings, it’s likely that you have a suit or two in your closet. If you’re in the nursing profession, a company Blue Sky scrubs is probably on speed dial. People need to know you mean business, so whatever you do wear, dress smartly, maintaining a professional appearance on the outside, no matter how you feel within.

Golden Rule 3: Show good behavior

When working with others, certain behaviors will damage your professional demeanor. This includes engaging in office gossip, bullying those who work alongside you, and being dishonest in your conversations. If you want others to recognize your professionalism, you need to be respectful of everybody, be honest in your attitude, and have boundaries in your relationships with coworkers. In short, treat others how you want to be treated. By being a person of good morals and values, with a fair and respectful attitude to the people around you (even if you don’t like some of them), you will come across as being professional. On the other hand, behave poorly in any way, and you will earn yourself a bad reputation that you may not recover from.

Golden Rule 4: Have a strong work ethic

We don’t all enjoy our jobs, but we still need to work efficiently and effectively. To be professional, you need to know your job inside and out (educating yourself where you need to), work within time frames without procrastinating, and focus on being the best you possibly can be within your job role. You will appear unprofessional if you cut corners, are untimely with deliverables, and only give minimal effort to the tasks that you are responsible for. No matter how professional you appear on the outside, your work ethic will speak volumes.

Golden Rule 5: Be accountable for your mistakes

You aren’t perfect, no one is, and there will be times when you will make mistakes. Rather than covering up your errors or placing the blame on someone else, own up to your failings and show integrity. Yes, you may lose face for a little while, but you will sabotage your efforts at being professional if you are dishonest, and you may never earn your credibility back when your mistakes are ultimately discovered. Personal accountability and professionalism go hand in hand.

Professionalism is about the way you behave and conduct yourself on a daily basis. With strong work ethics, you will stand out to your employers and the people with whom you work. This will earn you both respect and career success, so consider the golden rules of professionalism this article, and make every effort to adhere to them in your workplace.

*article may include affiliate links.