Fundamentals for a Professional Ethos

What does it take to be effective in the workplace?

Recently I reviewed my varied professional roles with this question in mind, and several on-the-job experiences demanded to be considered relevant. I thus became consciously aware of how trial and error througout my career has refined a personal work ethic!

Shared below are my top 5 fundamentals for a professional ethos, along with their underlying key skills.

Human-centric focus — promoting equity & simplicity

Treat your clients, colleagues, counterparts & business partners fairly, as you would wish to be treated. Also give prior thought on how to pare down your interactions with them to clear and essential elements.

Simplicity lightens their load, facilitates their decision-making and makes your mutual interactions more meaningful. Equity builds trust and attracts retention. Practicing both of these principles with others creates mutually attentive and enduring relationships.

Practicing equity and creating simplicity both require due care, so remember to always be thoughful in your personal interactions as practice makes perfect!

Special case: It is said that "the customer is always right," implying that without a satisfied buyer of your products or services your business won't last long. In practice, some customers may not be on the correct side of the comerical equation at times — for example, when they misinterpret terms & conditions, have unrealistic expectations or make unreasonable demands, with which it may not be viable to agree or satify. Even so, and always, at each enconter with such a customer we should maintain mutual dignity while seeking to reach a common understanding.

Key skills: Client experience design, Human-centric focus, Professional networking.

Priority-planning — via assessing risks, rewards & consequences versus effort

In the workplace, we face many challenges and tasks daily:

• where to begin and why there?
• should I pivot and why now?

Some tackle a linear to do list; others pivot towards whatever demands their attention moment-by-moment (e.g., email pings). Some work in chunks of related workflows, avoiding distractions; others work backwards from deadlines.

Yet I find it's always better to confront my working day or workload in game-theory terms:

• should I speed up / attack, or slow down / defend, should I hit a home run or play it safe, etc?
• what are my risks and rewards for each choice, and consequences if not?
• which option represents a fair exchange or gain, of value vs effort?

I notice that when assessing my to-dos in this way a must-do-now priority inevitably pops out!

With experience, some priorities become easier to identify for immediate attention, for example:

• calming an irate yet reasonable customer (client retention to avoid reputational damage);
• new business or cross-selling opportunities (profit/growth is the lifeblood of a business);
• moving from chaos to calm by dispensing with quick/minimum effort tasks first (lessens load/stress, optimises time/energy).

Similarly, some pitfalls become easier to avoid, for example:

• it is better to deliver something adequate punctually, than miss a deadline to present perfection (disappointed expectations destroy trust and respect).

I refer to this principle as 'adaptive time management' (especially applicable in a consulting context); for example: tight deadline — provide the essential 'expected value' that will allow the client to move forward, such as an abbreviated executive summary; relaxed deadline — structure a more comprehensive report/presentation.

Many of the examples set out above derive from relative qualitative assessments on-the-fly (swings in perceived risk or reward). In other cases, the risk/reward components can also be separately and accurately quantified.

Exceptional case: Consider a consistently impossible-to-please client, where much of your time is absorbed in placating that client with more follow-ups, such that less time is left to service other clients, or for new business. In such case you can actually quantify a ‘service cost’ (salaried-time plus value of resources expended, similar to a ‘cost of sale’ calculation) and compare it to revenue generated from that client. You could even factor in an ‘opportunity cost’ component (the value of the next-highest alternative use of your time/resources, such as a more-profitable/less-effort client). When 'cost of service' far exceeds either revenue and/or 'opportunity cost' (say 50% of your time/resources versus 15% of your revenue), then you should prioritise to defining a strategy with management how best to reverse the situation.

Key skills: Adaptive time management, Game theory economics (qualitative and quantitative applications).

Taking prudent decisions — given incomplete data/info/resources

Businesses and lives are built on decisions and by dealing with the cumulative consequences of choices. At times there are incomplete data and information, or insufficient resources with which to make adequate decisions. Such circumstances can incapacitate a person into inaction, which is cancerous in the workplace!

A bad worker blames his tools or lack thereof, whereas a good worker she makes a plan. Be fearless. Be proactive. Be resourceful. Don't be afraid to ask for advice. Use your own resources to make stuff happen. You don't have to make an infallible decision, merely a prudent yet workable one, under the circumstances.

Deciding prudently means to act with common sense while taking proper precautions to protect yourself and the business. Keep probing for more data or resources, while proceeding with your prudent approach. Give to receive, thus shall you prevail.

"Maturity comes when you stop making excuses and start making changes" (attribution unknown).

Key skills:? Resourcefulness & Adaptability, Proactiveness.

Negotiating what you consider is best — subject to the business case consensus

Businesses are similar to people, organisms that ebb and flow to evolve. Employees are like body cells, competing for nutrients (recognition, opportunities) to operate optimally, or experiencing dis-ease. Sometimes there are hard conversations to be had between such competing forces in a business.

In such cases I seek to do what's right and proper for the wellbeing of the whole, as much as possible. That is, I strive to motivate my ideas whenever possible, but also recognise that there are organs and colleagues who serve more critical functions than I do, whereupon I conform (barring unethical or illegal actions).

As an example, one time a director and I argued in committee over inclusion of a new product feature, which was eventually vetoed. The next day, I prepped the team for the upcoming product rollout without hesitation; some who'd heard about the "fight" were surprised. I?explained sincerely that, even though decisions had been taken above my pay grade, my role was to execute consensus strategy.

I see this as a win-win attitude. Being an authetic part of supporting consensus means you also share in its eventual success. Alternatively, if expected outcomes do not occur, the lesson is learned and another opportunity appears for you to step up and innovate.

Key skills: Consensus making, Responsive leadership, Win-win negotiations.

Strategic big-picture thinking — via contextual interpretation of data

On a walk-about we can appreciate a breathtaking landscape, or get tangled in chaotic underbush in the woods. Similarly at work, typically hyper-detailed or toxic* personalities, may distract or corral you into defending a side vista:– when/why was such decision taken? why has it taken so long to get to this point? are there hidden costs? etc. (*Toxic personas seek to sabotage or derail the progress of others.)

Relevant questions and details raised at the apropriate moment by collaborative colleagues are important (for example, during a planning phase or a debrief meeting). The same questions raised by provocateurs take on a different tone and are less useful. Therefore, contexts and intents make all the difference to the correct interpretation of what matters most in the moment!

Do not allow others' emotional triggers or demands for non-contextual details direct, or bully you, away from consensus goals. Encourage buy-in of the big-picture strategy all are working towards by presenting essential factual elements in context. Defuse discontentment by assuring that contextual details are being worked on diligently, and provide progress updates. Assert that each context is a puzzle piece of the big-picture that all will eventually appreciate with corporate pride.

Key skills: Big-picture thinking, Contextual understanding, Confidence & self-assertion.

Conclusion - reflect and power flex

I suspect many among us have principles and techniques that we unconsciously practice to be more effective at work.

Becoming aware of, and applying such an ethos more consciously, will ensure a praxis that consistently improves until it becomes a natural way of being!

Thereby you add value, not only to an enterprise, but more so to yourself.

Key skills: Self awareness, Critical reasoning, Systematic praxis

What are your fundamentals for maintaining a professional ethos?

Image generated by @xAI Grok2beta, on 2024-1011.

Vers?o portuguesa deste artigo disponível | This article is also available in Portuguese: ?https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/fundamentos-para-uma-deontologia-profissional-americo-ramos-ui2yf