By: Drake Jackman

Last year, I had the opportunity to work for Intermountain Homecare and Hospice as a Medical Equipment Expert. I was tasked with going to patients’ homes to deliver and pick up medical supplies such as beds, oxygen machines, and wheelchairs. I once went to pick up the equipment for a hospice patient, which included a bedside commode. I assumed the commode was safe to pick up because there were no signs of use. You can imagine my horror when the commode tipped and spewed a brown substance. After numerous encounters like the one above, I discovered that professionalism is always required to be a valuable employee. While many skills are needed to remain professional, a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey found that many potential hires need more essential interpersonal skills that employers deem valuable [1]. The staggering difference between employers’ needs and potential hires’ proficiency is shown below.

According to the survey, professionalism is the most critical skill employers seek; however, over half of potential hires fell short of employer expectations. This data indicates a lack of soft skills, defined as personal characteristics that allow someone to interact with others among new hires, as well as employers’ importance on soft skills.
Most people will encounter unpleasant and occasionally shocking situations throughout their careers. After many uncomfortable days at work, I learned the importance of professionalism in the workplace. When trying to remain professional, problem-solving and communication are paramount.

Problem-solving is Paramount.

Problem-solving was at the forefront of my day-to-day duties at Intermountain Healthcare. I was working the 24-hour on-call shift, making deliveries, when I received a call at 3:00 a.m. to deliver oxygen to a patient who had just been discharged from the hospital. Unfortunately, my facility ran out of oxygen concentrators. Oxygen is the most common product we deliver and is, of course, vital to human life. With no training for a situation like this, I relied on my prior experience to determine the best course of action. I was able to avoid a potentially fatal situation by remaining calm, identifying the problem, and devising a solution. Employers say one of the most valuable soft skills an employee should have is problem-solving, but nearly half of all potential hires lack the ability [2]. We all encounter complicated or unclear circumstances in our personal or professional lives. The ability to solve problems effectively demonstrates your creativity and critical thinking.

 

How to Approach Problem Solving

When faced with a problem, you need to take specific steps to ensure you come up with a good solution. The Harvard Business Review has five steps to becoming a better problem solver [3]:

1) Define the Problem
2) Generate Solutions
3) Evaluate Solutions
4) Pick a Solution
5) Make a Plan

To find a suitable solution, you must first establish a clear direction by answering the question, “What am I attempting to fix?” Defining the issue makes it easier to recognize potential fixes. Begin with what you know and use your current knowledge to find a solution. A problem, more often than not, necessitates a new way of thinking; otherwise, it would not be a problem. When this happens, you must be able to think outside the box and consider new, potentially unconventional ideas. More ideas will allow you to select the best course of action and plan how to carry it out.

This method helps me decide on the best course of action and speeds up the rate at which I solve problems. Problem-solving is a muscle that can be trained, so practicing regularly will make it second nature. That being said, everyone will have to work with a team in some capacity, which means you must develop good communication skills to convey solutions and ideas effectively.

Communication is Crucial

Communication is critical for being professional because it’s the key to productivity. I learned this when I went to patients to instruct them on medical equipment. I didn’t have a set way to give helpful instructions because every situation was unique. I needed to improve my communication skills if I wanted to succeed. Over time, I discovered intuitive communication worked best when training, and I was able to shorten and simplify my instructions.

Communication skills are essential in all aspects of business, whether you’re writing emails, pitching ideas, or managing employees. Surprisingly, more than half of all potential hires lack advanced written and oral communication skills, but almost all employers look for them [4]. To be a high-value employee, you must communicate as effectively as possible by being concise and clear.

How to Improve Communication

Written communication can either help or hurt a business. When the Harvard Business Review surveyed over 500 businesspeople in 2016, they discovered that it frequently causes more harm than good. The average time spent at work reading is 25.5 hours, with email accounting for one-third of that time [5]. Emails take up so much time because they are “too long, poorly organized, unclear, filled with jargon, and imprecise [6].”

In 2022, recent college graduates rated their communication skills at 80%, while employers rated them at 40% [7]. This shows good communication in the workplace is severely lacking. To get your point across, make it clear and concise. Nobody has the time to look for your brilliant idea; they want you to tell them what it is and why it’s brilliant. You don’t want your boss to have to look for what you’re trying to say to them. To avoid this, you must practice to improve your communication skills. It is a skill that, like problem-solving, can be learned.

Good communication begins with good writing because it demonstrates your ability to articulate your ideas simply and concisely, increasing your credibility. If you know what you are talking about, show your knowledge through the way you write. Good communication shows you respect people’s time because you’ll only have to say something once. Everyone wishes to be professional, but only some are.

During my time at Intermountain Healthcare, I discovered that professionalism comes from caring for and respecting those with whom we work. Fast problem-solving and clear communication are the two most valuable examples of professionalism I have encountered.

I encourage you to choose one skill and focus on improving it this week. For problem-solving, visit this Harvard Business Review article to remind yourself how to implement their five-step strategy. For communication, aim to be more concise and cut out unnecessary information from your emails to reduce reading time. These skills will increase your value as an employee and benefit your professional and personal relationships. Although I hope you won’t have any significant issues, you will have bad days. To get through tough situations, you must remain professional and remember it’s not as bad as spilling a used commode.

Notes

1. “Employers Rate Career Competencies, New Hire Proficiency.” NACE, December 11, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2017. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/employers-rate-career-competencies-new-hire-proficiency/.
2. “Employers Rate Career Competencies, New Hire Proficiency.” NACE, December 11, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2017. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/employers-rate-career-competencies-new-hire-proficiency/.
3. Amico, Laura. “How to Solve Problems.” Harvard Business Review, October 29, 2021. https://hbr.org/2021/10/how-to-solve-problems.
4. “Employers Rate Career Competencies, New Hire Proficiency.” NACE, December 11, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2017. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/employers-rate-career-competencies-new-hire-proficiency/.
5. Bernoff, Josh. “Bad Writing Is Destroying Your Company’s Productivity.” Harvard Business Review, April 3, 2017. https://hbr.org/2016/09/bad-writing-is-destroying-your-companys-productivity.
6. Bernoff, Josh. “Bad Writing Is Destroying Your Company’s Productivity.” Harvard Business Review, April 3, 2017. https://hbr.org/2016/09/bad-writing-is-destroying-your-companys-productivity.
7. “Recruiters and Students Have Differing Perceptions of New Grad Proficiency in Competencies.” NACEweb, Accessed March 9, 2023. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/recruiters-and-students-have-differing-perceptions-of-new-grad-proficiency-in-competencies/.