http://activerain.com/blogs/livinginrothesay en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/160586/professionalism-what-does-it-mean-why-does-it-matter- <h1>Professionalism - What does it mean? Why does it matter?</h1><div class="profileTextBlock"> <p class="MsoNormal">I believe in professionalism, I am a professional, I act professionally. It all sounds great but what does it REALLY mean!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I first considered the concept over thirty years ago I was studying to become a teacher. My professor posed the question to our class and surprisingly many of my classmates equated professionalism with a higher level of pay or status in the workplace. In time, it became apparent to all but the most intransigent, that what professionalism REALLY meant had more to do with emotional maturity, perseverance, critical awareness, self-improvement and consistent behaviours that support a positive and value-based approach to life and to your chosen career. Another important lesson I learned was the importance of empathy for others, and understanding how the knowledge we acquire in any field must be critically compared to the greater knowledge we acquire as we live and learn. I am a professional, not because I say I am, not because others are not, I am a professional because I continue to learn, I continue to grow and I continue to challenge myself to compare new knowledge to that which I have already acquired, with the goal to understand the perspective of others, to better serve them in my chosen profession.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Knowing people from all walks of life, listening to and understanding their perspectives as an educator for 28 years has prepared me for the critically important responsibility of representing you at each stage in the process of a real estate business: marketing, negotiation and transaction management. I currently belong to a network of individuals, the Saint John Business Club, which meet 3 times a month to network and share business development strategies. I am part of a team at Royal Lepage Atlantic that interacts daily to foster real estate business agreements between an abundance of buyers and sellers. With my extensive communication skills, love of learning, guidance of my mentors and the opportunity to mentor others, including my client base, I nurture my professional career.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I practice professionalism daily and I grow professionally to serve my clients more effectively.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What does professionalism mean to you?</p> </div> Garey Edgar (Royal Lepage Atlantic) Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:43:44 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/160586/professionalism-what-does-it-mean-why-does-it-matter-