What is Professionalism? on LeanPub
In my field of work, information technology, people have been discussing the idea of “professionalism” for as long as I can remember. For various reasons, we have never established the kinds of institutions associated with the recognized professions (law, medicine, accounting, engineering) and we have never established any universally-accepted guidelines for professional behavior, apprenticeship, or ongoing learning. Discussions among practitioners tend to devolve into circular debates about word meanings or personal preferences. In seeking a clear definition, I found myself beginning to elaborate a model of professionalism; one more among the many already existing. I offer it here for your kind consideration.