Irrespective of your position in office, whether you are the owner or an employee, non professionals can mar the very spirit of work. In fact, every office, more or less, has at least one non professional person to account for. Keeping such considerations in mind, let us now discuss some ways of dealing with non professionals.
Show up at the office ahead of others
As the boss, you can apply several techniques to combat non professionals working in your team. Arrive at the office at least half an hour prior to the scheduled arrival. While this may not sound much, yet the exercise can produce amazing results. The gap between your arrival and that of the non professional employees leaves you with enough time to start the computer, fetch some coffee or even finish a hearty breakfast before the lazy crew pours in, discussing movies, nightclub visits, and family chores practically everything but work. By the time you start working, the rowdy bunch fumble for coffee or donuts. The process may not trigger an immediate effect, yet finding the employer getting on with the files and documents before them, will surely prompt the employees to show some professionalism.
Wear formal suits
If the employer appears strict, then the employees are bound to address work with the kind of importance it deserves. Wear a business jacket to work. Irrespective of how casual the work is, do not think twice before donning a suit jacket. Now, it does not matter if you are wearing converse sneakers or jeans underneath, so long as the outward appearance reflects formality. So what does it all boil down to? Well, by sticking to an overt business code you would be giving out clear signals that you mean business. Office for you is nothing but a workplace and you surely donât want to waste valuable time talking rubbish. This, in turn, injects some discipline into the employees. Driven by a strong desire to save their respective jobs, the employees will certainly abide by the rules and regulations.
Keep detailed records of each and every project
Employers apart, even co workers can face problems from a person acting non professionally. Retain accurate records of projects in an effort to deflect colleagues who take credit for all the hard work and ideas, or who submarine assignments by not performing their share of the responsibilities well. Be sure to outline the responsibilities of each and every team member in a small report and get the genesis for the ideas given by you as well as the team member activities documented. When it is about preventing a non professional co worker from taking credit or putting the blame on somebody elseâs shoulders, use the document carrying detailed statements of individual responsibilities and achievements as a shield. If possible get copies of the document circulated among co workers present at the meeting.
Be calm
Try and keep your own attitude as close to the professional level as possible. Be level headed when a non professional colleague interrupts you, gets your thoughts belittled, or tries to engage you in a heated conversation. If you face any or all of the problems listed above on a regular basis, then maintain your cool and stick to calm professionalism. No matter how bad the situation is, never raise the voice or make personal remarks. All your comments should be woven around business matters. If the condition takes a turn for the worse, then breathe deep and remain seated. Your composure is sure to contrast the un professionalism demonstrated by the coworker, thereby giving your position an additional leverage.
Concentrate on your own work
Ignore small annoyances that do no affect you in a big way. If a colleague turns up at the meeting wearing casual clothing or wastes time fiddling around with cell phone, then he/she is the ultimate person to bear the brunt. While the behavior, no doubt, qualifies as unprofessional, yet it does not hamper your ability to perform well at work. The supervisor or boss is always there to set things right. And in all likelihood, they are sure to have noticed the non professional attitude. Speaking to the colleague in question privately indicates that you are less interested in the work assigned to you. Hence, focus on your behavior and donât waste time bothering about others.
Speak to the non professional
If you find yourself in the middle of a racket fueled by non professionals, then try your level best to understand the facts surrounding the situation before showing any reaction. There may be dozens of underlying causes that you cannot grasp immediately. If possible, have an open conversation with the non professional in an effort to understand where the recklessness stems from. For instance, inquire if the person is frustrated with the condition of work in office or whether he is facing problems from other co workers or requires anything to make the work proceed more efficiently. An informal conversation can take you to the very root of the situation.
Do not gossip
Refrain from gossiping about the non professional behavior of your colleagues. It has to be borne in mind that gossiping unnecessarily about something you cannot help is equivalent to un professionalism. If the news of the gossip spreads around, you could be in trouble.
