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this comment is getting down voted, but I think it's correct. The author later states: > "professionalism means being able to knuckle down and shift your minds

this comment is getting down voted, but I think it's correct. The author later states: > "professionalism means being able to knuckle down and shift your mindset into one focused on working, one aimed at achieving an objective or mission success" Which explicitly removes dealing with "the whole person" from the definition of professionalism. If a co-worker's spouse died last night, the professional thing to do is compartmentalize. This is the opposite of empathy

bumby 5y ago
That was not my experience in the military. Sure, in tough (particularly time sensitive) situations you’re taught to compartmentalize to get the job done. You don’t want someone lost in thought about a cheating spouse when bullets are flying. But in general, people were treated as complex individuals. From the OP: >The military kicks you out or keeps you down, and non-military groups try to help everyone grow while tolerating problems. The military puts a premium on training and accountability. Are you physically unfit? Your fire team or squad leader will take time away from their own family to train you. Have a substance abuse problem? The military will often try multiple times to help you overcome it. If your spouse dies, I can all but guarantee you your military unit will be checking on you regularly and helping to make sure you have the resources to deal with it. I’ve never seen that type of effort in the private sector from the organization level. I wonder if people are confusing a “tough” or “accountable” culture with an uncaring one.
- quirkot 5y ago
  Oops. My brain parsed that last part as an email signature and I didn't read it. I meant to support the claim that the author describes empathy as a negative. I wasn't in a military, but just a "basic training" is far more than I ever got at work, so I've always assumed cultural emphasis on training was much higher in military orgs
- Chan_Yuk_Chi 5y ago
  This is a much more accurate reflection of how the military handles empathy. Empathy is in no means antithetical to professionalism. If anything, empathy is a key trait for effective leadership because it engenders trust between leaders and subordinates. Soldiers are neither robots nor imperial stormtroopers. We don't shun basic expressions of humanity for the sake of it, and certainly not as a general rule. > I wonder if people are confusing a “tough” or “accountable” culture with an uncaring one. And this is EXACTLY what I meant in my article when I said people frequently misunderstand the concept of professionalism.

bumby 5y ago

That was not my experience in the military. Sure, in tough (particularly time sensitive) situations you’re taught to compartmentalize to get the job done. You don’t want someone lost in thought about a cheating spouse when bullets are flying. But in general, people were treated as complex individuals. From the OP: >The military kicks you out or keeps you down, and non-military groups try to help everyone grow while tolerating problems. The military puts a premium on training and accountability. Are you physically unfit? Your fire team or squad leader will take time away from their own family to train you. Have a substance abuse problem? The military will often try multiple times to help you overcome it. If your spouse dies, I can all but guarantee you your military unit will be checking on you regularly and helping to make sure you have the resources to deal with it. I’ve never seen that type of effort in the private sector from the organization level. I wonder if people are confusing a “tough” or “accountable” culture with an uncaring one.

quirkot 5y ago
Oops. My brain parsed that last part as an email signature and I didn't read it. I meant to support the claim that the author describes empathy as a negative. I wasn't in a military, but just a "basic training" is far more than I ever got at work, so I've always assumed cultural emphasis on training was much higher in military orgs
Chan_Yuk_Chi 5y ago
This is a much more accurate reflection of how the military handles empathy. Empathy is in no means antithetical to professionalism. If anything, empathy is a key trait for effective leadership because it engenders trust between leaders and subordinates. Soldiers are neither robots nor imperial stormtroopers. We don't shun basic expressions of humanity for the sake of it, and certainly not as a general rule. > I wonder if people are confusing a “tough” or “accountable” culture with an uncaring one. And this is EXACTLY what I meant in my article when I said people frequently misunderstand the concept of professionalism.