Chapter 99: Dealing with Unprofessional Conduct

Working as a project manager, you will encounter minor to serious unprofessional conduct from time to time. The key here is, to be honest, truthful, and open. Always be honest, truthful and open. Remember the age old saying “Honesty is the Best Policy”?

Trivia:
You might encounter small ethical violations, which might be painful to resolve. However, as a professional, you should choose to address them instead of ignoring them, and you should address them openly, fairly, and in a timely fashion. Openly, however, does not necessarily mean you go to the news media. It means that you talk directly to the appropriate party.

As you already know, we live in a world of duality; good and bad, pleasure and pain, professionalism and unprofessionalism, and so on, all living side by side. However, if you stick to your professionalism, then you do not need to be afraid of a lack of professionalism in others. Do not focus on the person; focus on the conduct and remember that the only weapon you have to defeat a lack of professionalism is professionalism. If you are unprofessional, you cannot defeat a lack of professionalism; you can only promote it. So, when you encounter a lack of professionalism, stay professional, focus on the issue and not on the person, maintain a smile on your face, and deal with the situation honestly, openly, and truthfully.

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