About 'Professional Credibility'

Are you familiar with “Professional Credibility”? Do you really know what is it and why it is important? Read on, specially if you are a finance or accounting professional:

"A reputation that an individual builds up over time based on factors such as knowledge, trust, integrity, and the consistent behaviours and actions that reinforce these."

This definition is good because it emphasises the role of time. It does take time to build your professional credibility, but there are ways that you can accelerate the process. Read on…

1.??????Business acumen – Do you focus on understanding the scope of business issues and how they affect the organisation holistically? Do you make sense out of complexity and uncertainty? Do you consider the implications of risk in decision making on the stakeholders? Business Acumen is indeed a skill that is learnt over time, helps you to make informed decisions, and hence supports value creation in your organisation.

2.??????Professional scepticism – You have this quality if you don't just believe what people say, and that you are always looking for evidence to support or refute the point. Ask yourself if your colleagues (or clients) believe that an idea, a proposal, or a set of numbers is better for having passed the test of your sceptical questioning? Because that’s when you are much more likely to gain that ‘credibility’. ?So, this term is surely not just a jargon from statutory audit procedures.

3.??????Ethics and professionalism – As an accountant, you must have studied ‘Ethics’ in academics. So, take it as a reminder that your ‘professional credibility’ is also closely related to the expectations that people have of you, as a professional expert who behaves in accordance with ethical principles.

4.??????Authoritative voice – Do you notice that in some team, some colleagues get to be taken seriously every time they open their mouths while others don't? The concept of developing an ‘authoritative voice’ is vital in terms of being seen as a trusted advisor in your organisation. There are several techniques to develop an authoritative voice such as build on your strengths (if you like research, develop sharp insights and share with your team when there is an opportunity), be more involved (grab that opportunity, volunteer willingly), manage your workload, communicate proactively, build a network of close relationships and there are many more ways you can decide intuitively based on your specific situation.

By improving your ‘credibility’, you will be giving yourself the best chance of being considered for new opportunities and responsibilities.

Whether your career goal is to become partner or CFO, to be the technical lead in an area or run your own practice, professional advancement is as much to do with professional credibility as it is with technical excellence. This is rarely acknowledged but is true in both practice and business.

Research actually shows that the accountants who reach those high positions are not the most technically gifted. Yes, they have to be highly competent, but they need a whole range of other professional skills – including ‘professional credibility’.

Feel free to share your views in the comments. After all, it is also an opportunity to earn 'credibility' via LinkedIn (pun intended) !