Qualities of a Good Professional

What makes a good professional?

Despite the obvious differences among the various professions, it is possible to identify certain characteristics and qualities that are generally shared by all those who are highly respected within their profession and whom we would recognize as “good professionals.” We can call the whole set of these qualities professionalism.

Mastery of the knowledge, expertise and skills that are used in a given profession–technical competence–is absolutely essential for professionalism. 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. They are traits of character and they shape a person’s life at its most basic level and determine to a very large extent how that person will succeed or fail in most areas of his life: marriage, family, profession, etc. These traits of characters are virtues and vices; they are relatively fixed habits and dispositions that are developed over the course of one’s life. To be a good professional, then, a person needs to acquire both the technical expertise required by his field as well as a good number of virtues.

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

Technical Expertise

A good professional is technically competent. He has normally received a systematic, formal training in his field. This usually takes the form of a multi-year program at the undergraduate or graduate level as in engineering or medical school. It continues during the first years of professional life when he works closely with older more experienced professionals as happens in residencies or in acquiring one’s professional licenses or certifications.
A good professional seeks to continue learning while practicing the profession by doing the necessary research to handle new situations and problems as they arise. He tries to follow advances in the field. Over time he greatly expands his theoretical and experiential knowledge of the field. He never stops learning.
A good professional seeks advice as needed from other professionals both in his field and in other fields (especially early on). He is interested in learning from anyone who can help him to expand his knowledge of his field. He does not act when he knows that he lacks some needed expertise, but either gains the expertise or brings in another person who has it.
A good professional gives advice only when he thinks he is qualified to do so. And even when he is qualified, he will not give his professional opinion without having first obtained and studied all the relevant information (even when asked informally). When he realizes that he is not qualified to handle a matter, a good professional recommends that the person (client, customer, etc.) find another professional who is qualified..
A good professional teaches younger members of the profession. He wants to pass on the knowledge and experience he has gained over the course of his own professional life.

Orientation Toward Service

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 (clients, patients, students, customers, etc.). While it is through his profession that he earns his living and gains the respect of others, he does not let excessive desire for profit (greed) or for esteem (vanity) lead him to act in a way that would not be for the true good of the client.
A good professional tries to meet the needs of the client (vs. his own or his firm’s goals). He tries to understand those needs thoroughly and takes the time necessary to do so. If he cannot meet the person’s needs, he tells him this.
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. He does not gossip or backbite, including about other professionals in the field.

Integrity

A good professional is fair in dealing with others and honors his commitments even when it might seem contrary to his own advantage. 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.

Mode of Working

A good professional focuses on the task that needs to be done at that time. He is capable of the sustained, concentrated effort that is needed, especially for larger tasks. He usually focuses his attention on one thing at a time and tries to finish it before moving on to another task. He works with order, doing what needs to be done in order to meet deadlines and commitments to colleagues, clients, customers, other professionals with whom he is cooperating, etc. In this the professional exhibits temperance (ability to keep focus and resist distractions) and fortitude (ability to persist in the face of obstacles and difficulties).
A good professional’s work is well finished, and he does not usually give out work that contains many unfinished details. He will spend the necessary time and effort to review his work before sending it to others to make sure that it is correct and that all the details are properly completed.
A good professional works well with others. He listens; he is open to and respects ideas other than his own. He is able to adjust his own work in order to coordinate it with the work of others. He communicates with others so that they have the information they need to do their work when they need it.

Advancing One's Profession

A good professional wants his profession to provide a real service to others, he tries to innovate within the profession so that the profession improves its service or provides that service more efficiently.
A good professional will collaborate with others in the profession when necessary (showing professional courtesy) and generally avoids publicly criticizing others in the profession.
A good professional wants ethical norms to be lived in his profession and will work to ensure that they are.
A good professional takes an interest in the professional community (all those who exercise the profession). He tries to promote solidarity among those practicing the profession and will seek to be involved in professional societies to the extent he can. He wants to help younger members of the profession develop within the profession.

Ethics

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). If he thinks that the codes of ethics governing his profession are not consistent with larger ethical principles, he works to have the code changed.
A good professional tries to obey the civil law, including regulations that that apply to his particular profession (building codes, safety requirements, etc.)
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.

Integration of Professional and Personal Life

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) due to excessive dedication to professional activity. He does this in terms of time spent on his work as well as his use of physical and mental energy, reserving energy for the other aspects of his life.
A good professional avoids commitments that will not allow him to fulfill other basic commitments in his life. When he is faced with a possible professional commitment (especially a large commitment) he thinks about what impact it will have on the rest of his life and on other persons in his life before making the commitment.