Take These Steps to Look More Professional at Work

by PMP CERTIFIED

It’s an unfortunate correlation that in some people’s eyes you can’t be successful unless you act successful. But what can you do to act more professional at work?
Obviously there is no shortage of suggestions on this topic. Many a tree has been felled to print countless books dealing with this kind of advice. Fortunately no tree has been hurt in our look at the topic.

Your career could be hurt, though, if you don’t adapt some of the pearls of wisdom via Bill Murphy’s article at Inc.com on the “17 Habits That Make You Look More Professional.” Murphy, executive editor of TheMid.com, says he was inspired to write the column because of an unprofessional airline pilot who used alarming language to indicate a weather problem was forcing the plane to turn back.

As mentioned, Murphy came up with 17 tips. (Below we discuss his 10 tips for looking unprofessional.) We’re not going to recount each and every one because that wouldn’t make us look professional. Instead, we’re going to highlight some of the more interesting ones to help you look more professional at work.

Confidence: We agree with Murphy that confidence is the most important image to project at work. Indecision just makes you look unprofessional, especially in front of clients. As Murphy observes, “Confidence without the ability to back it up is useless, but if you’re truly competent, own it.”

Self-Awareness: We like to call this being comfortable in your own skin. Murphy says, “This is a part of displaying confidence — knowing who you are and where you fit in the world, and owning your strengths and weaknesses.”

Anticipation: The best chess players think many moves ahead. So should you in the workplace. Anticipate what your boss’s or client’s needs are going to be – sometimes before they even know they have the need. As Murphy points out, “Just know that focusing on others’ needs to the point that you can anticipate their challenges and solutions breeds confidence.”

Performance: This should really be Murphy’s top tip but it’s possible he thinks performance is more easily achieved as you build your other skills first. He says, “Nothing says ‘professional’ like accomplishments, especially repeated accomplishments over time.”

Curiosity: Murphy says this demonstrates that you should never finish learning throughout your career. That’s also going to place you firmly in the millennial mindset (even if you are a Gen X’er or baby boomer). They expect their employer to provide lots of training for them. Be proactive (see anticipation above) and suggest educational opportunities to your employee. They know they need to provide more education but may not have the time to find the right opportunities.

Humor: This is one of Murphy’s strongest pieces of advice on his list. Why so? A sense of humor demonstrates you react well to pressure. You are seen as stronger if you can laugh something off. But, don’t be the office clown. As Murphy says, “You don’t need to be hilarious, but you need a sense of humor; it demonstrates perspective.”
Murphy wrote this article for Inc.com in response to another he had written entitled, “10 Bad Habits That Make You Look Unprofessional.” It was inspired, in part, by someone he met at a networking event who injected unnecessary profanity when first meeting Murphy. He said the man was largely ignored by him and others because of it.
Here are some of his bad habits.

Lazy Profanity: As Murphy explains, he’s not a prude. He says, “If someone uses the F-word as an all-purpose adjective, it makes you wonder whether they’re equally uncreative and slothful in everything they do.”

Lateness: This is something that drives me crazy both as an editor and writer. I hate it when articles are submitted late to me and I mentally give myself 20 lashes whenever I’m late. “I’ve learned that being on time is a matter of respect. Show up when you say you will, and you send a message that you’re professional enough to care,” Murphy writes.

Overpromising: As Murphy recalls, “A really brilliant salesperson once told me her art of selling was about ‘making the maximum promise you can, consistent with your ability to deliver.’” Push the envelope but don’t break it. Clients love unrealistic deadlines but hate when you miss them. (See lateness above.)
What tips would you add to these thoughts?