Professional work behaviour

Various activating methods are available to support the development of operating methods. If necessary, the working community’s operating methods can also be built with the help of an external facilitator.

People generally want positivity, openness, appreciation and respect. Often, wishes can be left unclear if they are not explained concretely. Therefore, it is good to think about what kinds of operating methods and behaviours each desired thing or activity consists of and how it shows. How do we act and behave when there is more openness in the work community, for example?

Agreed operating methods are often forgotten. To prevent this from happening, it is not enough just to come up with the operating methods; they must also be genuinely implemented by trying out and practising what has been agreed. For example, if the operating methods include ten items, a theme week can be decided for each item, in which case special attention will be paid to the item in question. It is also possible to assess together how one of the operating methods could be better taken into account, for example, in a work meeting. At the end of the meeting, there could be a round of discussions about how the operating method in question was implemented in the meeting in question. Particular attention should be paid to positive progress.

Once the work community has jointly defined what is meant by professional work behaviour, it can be required of all members of the work community. If the characteristics of professional work behaviour have not been defined, it is more difficult to intervene in deviations from them. How can you know that you have crossed the line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour if it has not been defined? Once professional work behaviour has been highlighted in discussions and defined in writing, it can also be highlighted in the orientation.

Professional work behaviour helps to prevent inappropriate treatment. You can read examples of the characteristics of professional work behaviour on page 6 of the Preventing and dealing with inappropriate treatment at the workplace publication.

Järvinen (2018, 28–31) describes the areas of professional behaviour as follows, for instance:

conducting one’s work responsibly and following ethical guidelines
asking for support and helping others
development and active monitoring of one’s own field
positive attitude towards change
work- and solution-oriented handling of problem situations
emotional awareness and regulating one’s own actions
stress management and life management
openness, mutual trust and respecting and making use of diversity
regular assessment and updating of operations, if necessary.

Read more in the book Pekka Järvinen (2018) Ammatillinen työkäyttäytyminen

We make interpretations in every interaction situation, both consciously and subconsciously. That’s why, especially when you’re talking about important things, it can be a good idea to check whether the other person understood what you said. You can do this by asking them to repeat what you said or to explain it in their own words.

If we are unsure whether we have understood something correctly, we can also repeat what we have heard ourselves. When repeating, you should remain as neutral as possible and focus on what you are saying.

If you have misheard or misunderstood the matter yourself, this gives the other person the opportunity to correct the misunderstanding.

Sometimes people are stuck in their own point of view. We can also be quick to make negative interpretations of the situation, especially if we are busy, tired or stressed. These things can lead to deeper disagreements, making it difficult to notice or accept another person’s views or wishes.

A conscious change of perspective facilitates the constructive inspection of disagreements. First, reflect on what you think about the point of disagreement that has emerged and what has affected your view or opinion. Also consider your own feelings related to the matter. Embrace your emotions, including negative ones, as they will tell you what you need.

After this, consider other possible perspectives. What might the other person want, think, feel and need? What could be their perception of the situation? How have they reacted to the situation? What might have influenced their way of acting or reacting? An example: What do they think is important, or what needs might they have in relation to the matter? Always try to consider the original, good intent.

Reflecting on the matter from the other person’s perspective can calm down the situation and your own interpretations, as it is likely to increase understanding of the other person’s actions and reactions. When you are more calm, it is easier to listen and discuss constructively.

Emotions play a role

Disagreements generate emotions and reactions. Uncontrolled reactions and emotions make it difficult to resolve disagreements, and even a small matter can develop into a big conflict.

Everyone has a dispute with someone at some point in their life. The underlying reason is usually that our wishes or needs have not been sufficiently fulfilled in some context; for example, we may not have been heard or the service we have received may not have met our wishes. In these cases, we can react with strong emotions. Uncontrolled emotional reactions can trigger counter-reactions, i.e. attacks can lead to counter-attacks. If the attention on both sides focuses on emotional reactions, it becomes increasingly difficult to deal with the actual matter at hand.

When feelings get heated, it can be good to distance yourself and let the situation calm down. After calming down, it is easier to talk about the matter, and it also has a positive effect on finding solutions. You should also try to recognise when you can or can’t do something about a matter. You can use the Circles of Influence as an aid, if necessary.

Professional work behaviour involves distinguishing between experiencing emotions and expressing them. Even if something frustrates or annoys us, it does not give us justification to act inappropriately towards others.

The handling of a matter often becomes more difficult when you experience strong negative emotions; for example, if you fear that bringing up the matter will make the situation worse. It is not possible to determine in advance what will happen when handling a matter. The uncontrollability of the situation can be frightening. Fear awakens subconscious defences that are, at least to some extent, harmful.

The awakening of these defences in situations perceived as difficult can manifest itself in different ways:

We try to use humour to lighten the mood in distressing or frightening situations. Please note that the use of humour requires situational awareness and cultural sensitivity, and humour should not be used to dismiss inappropriate behaviour.
A problem can be blocked out, pushed aside for a while, but its existence is not fully denied.
The existence of a situation or matter can also be denied altogether. The actual problem is not tackled; only surface-level solutions are made.
One of the members of the work community is blamed for the current bad situation or mistakes even if they have nothing to do with the matter. The scapegoat may also be blamed for any work-related problems.
One’s own feelings or characteristics are reflected on another person, for example, feelings of irritation caused by frustration.
A thing or person is seen only as either good or bad.
The emotional reaction is transferred, for example, shouting at person A despite being irritated by person B.
The significance of the matter is understated, or the negative aspects of the matter are emphasised.

Emotions can help you recognise and understand where your limits are and when they have been crossed. The following examples may indicate that your limits have been crossed:

You are upset.
You are constantly irritated or angry.
You feel like you have to “walk on eggshells”.
You notice repeatedly that you are doing something that you would not really want to do.
You avoid someone.
You feel that you have been deceived; for example, your trust has been taken advantage of.
Something constantly spins around in your mind.
You have an unpleasant feeling in your body.
When someone requests something from you, the requests feel more like demands or even orders.

Behaviour regulation

Uncontrolled emotional reactions in interaction situations typically make you more reserved, even fearful. A person who controls their emotions can identify their own needs behind the emotions. They can slow down their own reactions, for example, by waiting until the next day before answering an e-mail that they found frustrating. This helps with understanding the matter more broadly and alleviates the initial reactions on an emotional level.

Good behaviour also includes situational awareness – understanding the overall picture of the factors influencing the situation in question and acting appropriately based on it. You don’t always have time for a long talk. You must be able to choose the right way to express the matter and find a common language and a suitable scope for presenting the matter. When it comes to interaction, the time available must be shared equally among everyone. It is also necessary to understand what information is relevant for the matter at hand.

It is not necessary or worthwhile to consider all the nuances of an interaction, and it can sometimes be wiser to ignore the other person’s snarky remarks or reactions. There must be a certain degree of flexibility in the work to withstand different views, and no one can always look at things only from their own perspective. It is good to remember that we don’t go to work to insult others, but we aren’t there to get insulted either.

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