UNIT I STUDY GUIDE
Professional Demeanor
and Time Management
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Explain factors that influence work performance development.
1.1 Explain specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound (SMART) goal setting and how it
can be used to strengthen goals.
1.2 Explain personal financial management and why it is important to professional success.
1.3 Identify one’s learning style and how it impacts communication and professionalism.
Course/Unit
Learning Outcomes
1.1
1.2
1.3
Learning Activity
Unit Lesson
Chapter 1
Unit I Assessment
Unit Lesson
Chapter 2
Unit I Assessment
Unit Lesson
Chapter 1
Unit I Assessment
Required Unit Resources
Chapter 1: Attitude, Goal Setting, and Life Management
Chapter 2: Personal Financial Management
Unit Lesson
The purpose of this course is to prepare you for the workplace, so we will address several concepts related to
establishing and maintaining a professional character. Several of the concepts in this course can be applied
to both personal and professional lives, and we encourage you to be thinking about how the concepts apply to
both situations. Self-reflection techniques are a wonderful way to learn, and they have been successful for
many students and professionals.
As you progress through this course, be sure to enjoy it and have fun with the course material. This course
focuses on you and how you can improve your current level of skills. Even if you already feel you present
yourself professionally, this course will likely give you new insights and tips. Have fun with the course as you
identify ways to become a better professional than you were yesterday.
Attitude, Goal Setting, and Life Management
Imagine that you are starting a new job. You have just graduated with your degree and are excited for this
new opportunity. Your new supervisor mentioned that she values professionalism. But, what is
professionalism, and what does it look like on a daily basis?
The textbook defines professionalism as behaviors and actions within the workplace that have positive
influences on the organization (Anderson & Bolt, 2016). There are numerous factors that contribute to one’s
behaviors and attitude. The challenge is working together toward a comprehensive, energetic environment
where individuals determine ways to manage an array of obstacles such as a variety of personalities and
BUS 2303, Professionalism in the Workplace
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different values, attitudes, and beliefs. Such obstacles are all influenced by theUNIT
conflict
or crisisGUIDE
at hand. An
x STUDY
understanding of your personality can be beneficial in life management as wellTitle
as in setting specific,
attainable goals that can assist in reaching your fullest potential.
Attitude
As your first day progresses, you begin to look around your new professional environment and take note of
the attitudes around you. During lunch, you meet Derrick, who has a positive attitude toward the organization.
He shares several uplifting stories of helping customers and how that brings him joy. This is very exciting to
you because you want to like this new job. How does attitude impact your professionalism?
According to Anderson and Bolt (2016), attitude is an intense feeling you have about people, things, and
situations. Both our personal values and past experiences can affect our attitude. The Business Dictionary
defines attitude as a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea,
object, person, or
situation (Attitude, n.d.).
Attitude influences an
individual's choice of
action and responses to
challenges, incentives,
and rewards (together
called stimuli).
The four major
components of attitude
are affective, cognitive,
conative, and evaluative,
as outlined in the image
to the right (Attitude, n.d.).
These components
Four components of attitude
influence the way we feel
(Adapted from Attitude, n.d.).
about certain aspects of
our lives. Think about something you feel strongly about; why do you feel this way? What has influenced your
attitude?
Attitude affects performance: Imagine now that you are a part of a task force at your place of employment,
and your team is working to implement a new process change. Most of your team members are happy about
the change and the opportunity to work as a team, but there are two individuals who do not share your
enthusiasm. They are bitter about the extra work and complain constantly. This negativity begins to spread,
and, soon, the entire team is uneasy, and the project suffers as a result. An individual’s performance
significantly influences a group’s performance, and a group’s performance, in turn, affects an organization’s
performance. Remember, your attitude affects not only your performance, but also those around you
(Anderson & Bolt, 2016).
BUS 2303, Professionalism in the Workplace
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Importance and Influences of Personal Goal Setting
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Anderson and Bolt (2016) ask you to think of a goal as an achievement at
the top of a ladder. Each step you take up the ladder brings you one step
closer to your desired outcome. Setting goals helps your plans feel more
meaningful and real (Anderson & Bolt, 2016). They motivate you to
continue working to improve yourself and help to achieve your wants in life
(Anderson & Bolt, 2016). To accomplish your goals, however, you need to
know how to set them. You cannot simply say "I want" and expect it to
happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of
what you want to achieve and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it.
In between, there are some very well-defined steps that transcend the
specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate
goals that you can accomplish which are listed below (Mindtools.com, n.d.).
Ladder of Goals
(Adapted from Anderson & Bolt, 2016)
1. Set Goals that Motivate You
When it comes to setting goals, identify goals that motivate and inspire you to achieve your end result. It can
take some reflection in order to find your true motivation. For example, what is truly motivating you to return to
school and complete your degree? Are you wanting a promotion or a new career, or are you trying to set a
positive example for your children? The value of setting goals is all about motivation. Keep in mind that if
there is no value in your goal, then, more than likely, you will not achieve that goal.
2. Set SMART Goals
When identifying your goals, use the SMART acronym:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound (Mindtools.com, n.d.).
Following the SMART model will help you to create goals that are achievable
and focused. A goal such as, “I want to be healthier” could be difficult to
achieve because it lacks specifics, and “healthy” could be challenging to
measure. However, revising the goal to, “I want to run a 5K race in October
within 30 minutes,” will give you a stronger focus. Additionally, you will be
more likely to follow through.
SMART goals
(Destina156, n.d.)
3. Set Goals in Writing
When you write your goals down, they became tangible and real to you. You can always go back and review
your goals and your progress. Many individuals tend to forget things unless they are written down. When
writing your goals, it is a good idea to use action words (Mindtools.com, n.d.). For example, will is an action
word that tells you that you will finish this class. Hope in not an action word as hope is not a course of action.
4. Make an Action Plan
After you have your goals written down, you need to put these goals into action. In many cases, goals fail due
to the lack of planning. So, this is where you want to write out your plan with individualized steps. This will
allow you to cross them off when completed. With an action plan, you can judge your progress toward your
ultimate goal. For example, if your goal is to save $500 by the end of the year, you may want to create shortterm installment goals.
5. Stick With It
Now that you have your action plan, you have to stick with it. This, of course, can be easier said than done
because many of us do not have much spare time. Some find it helpful to create reminders on their calendars
BUS 2303, Professionalism in the Workplace
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or phones. There are even apps that will text you tips. If you experience a setback,
can help
you regain
UNIT this
x STUDY
GUIDE
your motivation.
Title
Personal Financial Management
Personal financial management occurs when we, as individuals, manage our income against our various
expenses such as the mortgage, car loans, or daycare costs (Anderson & Bolt, 2016). An individual’s finances
can affect every aspect of life. Managing your finances is a means of control, and losing control of your
finances leads to debt as well as battling with those who attempt to collect the debt. Using key skills to
effectively manage your finances is one way you can work toward a financially secure future. For example, if
you were deployed with the military, and your finances were not in order, you will return home with debt, and
that causes problems with focusing on the job at hand. Individuals without a personal financial plan usually
have little control over spending and a lot of stress caused by financial crisis.
Every individual needs to earn money in order to pay basic expenses, but the exact way a person spends can
say something about his or her character (Anderson & Bolt, 2016). For example, it could be difficult to trust
someone who spends his or her paycheck on frivolous items and fails to pay bills on time.
Personality and Styles
Students learn in multiple ways. Along the same thought process, professionals work by using different styles.
The concept of learning styles (or working styles) is important to understand and appreciate. Neil Fleming’s
VARK model was designed to assist in a deeper understanding of what is labeled as individual learning
preferences (Cherry, 2019). The VARK model identifies four preferences: visual learning, auditory learning,
read/write learning, and kinesthetic learning.
The four types of learning preferences
(Adapted from Cherry, 2019)
With these learning and working styles in mind, we can begin to recognize how they impact a professional’s
personality. For instance, have you ever explained something to someone, and later, he or she asks for you
to send an email about it? Or, perhaps he or she seems much more interested in the available literature. The
odds are that your colleague prefers to absorb information by reading it. At first, it might seem like your
colleague is not interested in speaking with you; however, it is more likely that your colleague’s working-style
(learning-style) preference is to read about it. This is just one example of how preferences and personalities
can have an impact on working relationships and how we interpret what actually occurs.
Due to such differing personalities and styles, it is important to keep an open mind while communicating with
others in a workplace. Their styles might not match yours, and that is completely acceptable. In fact, it is
probably advantageous to work with colleagues who possess different styles. You might be able to think
about something that your colleague has not, and vice versa.
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Conclusion
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Professionalism in the workplace is something that is overlooked in many ways. In this unit, we discussed
attitude, goal setting, life management, and the importance and influences of personal goal setting, personal
financial management, and personality and styles. Understanding these topics and applying them in the
workplace will help you become a productive team player. When you wake up in the morning and look in the
mirror, ask yourself what part of your plan you are going to accomplish today. With a strong attitude you will
be able to accomplish what you set out to do.
References
Anderson, L. E., & Bolt, S. B. (2016). Professionalism: Skills for workplace success (4th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
Attitude. (n.d.). In Business Dictionary.com. Retrieved from
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/attitude.html
Cherry, K. (2019, July 23). Overview of VARK learning styles: Which learning style do you have? Retrieved
from https://www.verywellmind.com/vark-learning-styles-2795156
Destina156. (n.d.). ID 66010310 [Graphic]. Retrieved from https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-smartgoals-blackboard-written-chalk-vertical-image66010310
Mindtools. (n.d.). Golden rules to goal setting: Five rules to set yourself up for success. Retrieved from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm
Suggested Unit Resources
In order to access the following resources, click the links below.
The below video provides tips for personal demeanor as well as behaviors to avoid.
Cambridge Educational (Producer). (2012). Profession image: Professional demeanor (Segment 3 of 7)
[Video file]. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl
aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=47513&loid=149248
The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films
on Demand database.
The below video discusses realistic goal setting and career planning.
San Mateo County Community College District (Producer). (2004). Objectives and goal setting (Segment 4 of
9) [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl
aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=34514&loid=22441
The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films
on Demand database.
BUS 2303, Professionalism in the Workplace
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Learning Activities (Nongraded)
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.
Activity 1:
Consider completing the Mindtools steps to formulating goals for your personal or professional life. Post your
goals and plans someplace visible to remind yourself of your objectives.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Set Goals that Motivate You
Set SMART Goals
Set Goals in Writing
Make an Action Plan
Stick With It
Activity 2:
Create a personal budget for yourself or your family. Identify your earnings, and list your expenses. Consider
reviewing your credit card/debit card statements and categorizing your spending. Do you notice any areas
where you could cut back? Do you feel financially secure, or are you feeling stress?
BUS 2303, Professionalism in the Workplace
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