Unprofessional behaviors | Norman Marks on Governance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit

I am often annoyed by behavior that some might find acceptable or even normal, but that I see as unprofessional.

I consider myself a professional, treat others as such (OK, sometimes – too often – I fail) and with respect (even if they don’t deserve it by their actions), and expect to be treated the same way.

These are just some of the behaviors I consider unprofessional:

• Failing to answer emails, text messages, or phone calls within a reasonable time. Worse is when they aren’t answered at all! It’s not as if I am a salesperson spamming them. For example, recently I was invited to speak at an international conference. I asked for my expenses to be paid in addition to a small fee. The person said they would check and then went silent, ignoring follow-up emails.
• Failing to join a scheduled meeting without warning. Stuff happens, and we can be delayed or even prevented from attending at all. But a quick email or text saying that is professional, and silence until after the meeting has concluded is not. They are wasting my time and it only takes a moment to message me.
• Being consistently late to scheduled meetings. That shows a lack of respect.
• Making a commitment (of pretty much any kind) and then failing to follow…