Professionalism in the Banking Sector

What makes a good professional?

Definition of professionalism: The conduct, aims & qualities that characterize or mark a professional.

The skill, good judgment & polite behaviour that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.

“Professionalism is also about the qualities and behaviours you exhibit, and the manner in which you conduct yourself during your business affairs.”

“True professionals possess a number of important characteristics that can apply to virtually any type of business.”

Professional attitude:

Punctual- respects the valuable times of others.
Follows superior instructions.
Ready to work

The following of a profession for gain or live hood.

Key Points:

Specialized knowledge.
Honesty & integrity.
Self-regulation.

The 10 Characterize of professionalism

Being a professional in your chosen field means much more than just holding a college degree and donning a business suit. The way in which you conduct yourself is also a key component of your success. Here are 10 characteristics true professionals possess in the workplace (not in any order of importance).

True professionals possess a number of important characteristics that can apply to virtually any type of business.

Appearance– “A professional is neat in appearance. Be sure to meet or even exceed the requirements of your company’s dress code, and pay special attention to your appearance when meeting with prospects or clients, and take your cue from the way they dress.”
Demeanor- Be polite and well-spoken whether you’re interacting with customers, superiors or co-workers.
Reliability- “As a professional, you will be counted on to find a way to get the job done. Responding to people promptly and following through on promises in a timely manner is also important, as this demonstrates reliability. It’s about meeting expectations, which requires effective communication skills. Never assume. Clarify everything, especially when things change, to make sure you are always on the same page as your customer.”
Competence –Professionals strive to become experts in their field, which sets them apart from the rest of the pack. This can mean continuing your education by taking courses, attending seminars and attaining any related professional designations.
Ethics:

must adhere to shiet code of ethics
Even your company or industry doesn’t have a written code.
Ethical behaviours.

Phone Etiquette-

Important component for professional behavior.
Your tone should be polite.
Identifying yourself by your full name, company & title when you place a call.
4 to dominate the cont…..
Listen instantly to the other party.

Maintaining your poise:

“A professional must maintain his poise even when facing a difficult situation. When you are challenged or questioned you need to be able to state your case in a calm and structured manner and keep it factual, clean and to the point. There is nothing like losing your cool or airing personal emotional baggage in a tense situation to destroy your integrity, credibility and reputation.”

Written correspondence:

During written or email correspondence, keep your letters brief and to the point. Your tone should be polite and formal without being “stuffy.” Remember that your written correspondence is a paper trail and record of your transactions with your clients, so take care of what you say and how you say it. Make sure you have a professional signature and email address.

Organizational Skills :

A professional can find what is needed with little or no effort. Keep your area neat and organized for easy execution of tasks. Keep an updated appointment book. Carry only the necessary contents for the day in your briefcase. Clutter in your workspace creates clutter in your mind.

Accountability:

Take responsibility for your actions.
Own your mistake, work to resolve it, and fix it as soon as possible. Even better: Learn from your mistakes. Lead by this example to create trust.
Don’t try to place the blame on a colleague.

Be All that You Can Be :

If you’re lacking any of these professional characteristics, or have let some slide, take the initiative to improve yourself. Put your best foot forward and you’ll go far.

What makes a good professional?

A good professional can do the job and he can do it well. Nevertheless, technical expertise is not enough. Qualities like honesty, punctuality, a spirit of service, the ability to meet deadlines and many others are also essential. Without them, a professional, no matter how talented, will find it difficult to work with others, and in the end, his technical skills will be largely wasted. These qualities are qualities of the person and tend to display themselves in all aspects of the person’s life, not just in professional activities.

In what follows we describe a number of the key qualities that characterize a good professional.

1. Technical Expertise: A good professional is technically competent. He has normally received systematic, formal training in his field.

2. Orientation toward Service:

a)A good professional understands that the technical expertise he has acquired is meant to be used for the good of those who come to him for assistance

i) Clients,

ii) Patients,

iii) Students,

iv) Customers, etc.).

b) A good professional tries to meet the needs of the client (vs. his own or his firm’s goals).

c) A good professional treats clients, colleagues and staff considerately. He is polite and considerate in his dealings with them. He is punctual and meets deadlines. He is able to work with others and is flexible in accommodating to their needs.

3. Integrity:

A good professional is fair in dealing with others and honors his commitments, He does not lie or cheat. He performs the work to which he committed or, if he cannot, makes this known to the client, customer, patient, etc. Integrity requires the virtue of justice.

4. Mode of Working-a) A good professional focuses on the task that needs to be done at that time.

b) A good professional’s work is well finished, and he does not usually give out work that contains many unfinished details.

c) A good professional works well with others.

5. Advancing One’s Profession-

a) A good professional wants his profession to provide a real service to others.

b) A good professional will collaborate with others in the profession when necessary (showing professional courtesy) and generally avoids publicly criticizing others in the profession.

c) A good professional wants ethical norms to be lived in his profession and will work to ensure that they are.

d) A good professional takes an interest in the professional community (all those who exercise the profession).

6. Ethics:

a) A good professional tries to act ethically in all his work and in all his dealings with others. He feels responsible for knowing and observing the ethical norms that are particular to his profession (e.g. codes of ethics).

b) A good professional tries to obey the civil law, including regulations that that apply to his particular profession (building codes, safety requirements, etc.).

c) A good professional does not cooperate with others who seek to act in an unethical way or seek to break the law. If necessary, he takes measures to prevent or stop the unethical behavior.

7. Integration of Professional and Personal Life:

a) A good professional understands that his professional work is a part of his life and not the whole of his life. He does not neglect other aspects of his life (e.g., family, culture, religion).

b) A good professional avoids commitments that will not allow him to fulfil other basic commitments in his life.

Professionalism in the Banking Sector