The word 'professionalism' means two things for me - delivering what we promise and keeping our personal biases aside.
Delivering what we promise
We need not be an expert. We might not even be the best in the field. But if we say we're going to deliver a certain product or service at a certain time and certain date, then we have to do it. That's delivering what we promise. Sometimes we may not be able deliver due to uncontrollable circumstances. In this case, proper communication about the delay is important. At times we might end up making errors. Accepting our mistakes and making improvements makes a big difference. When we take responsibility and deliver what we have promised we'll deliver, we're being a professional.
Keeping our personal biases aside
A person who is very good at his work may not get along well when it comes to personal relationships. We might have to work with someone with whom we have had some personal conflicts in the past. Sometimes ego clash may come in between work. But keeping all of this aside, work has to be aimed towards achieving a specific result or common goal. When a manager does a performance appraisal, he needs to look at the work and not his personal relationship with his sub-ordinate. If we are able to have an objective look at a person's work by keeping all the personal affairs aside, we're being a professional.
If we deliver what we promise but are involved in personal bias with our team members at work, then we're not professional. Similarly we may be very fair and just but if we fail to deliver what we promise then we're not being a professional either. Only the right blend of delivering promises and being fair produces the delightful taste of 'professionalism'.
