Redefining Professionalism: It's About Time

A vintage alarm clock.

​Those of us who dedicate our energy to the act of care in all of our forms understand the role of time. Central to "professionalism" exists our interaction with time. We spend time, waste time, earn time off, because time is money. But is it. How exactly? Work pauses when a student sits across from you, crying.  A patient. Client. In the course of our work, time required to care too often goes unrecognized. Yet, this same care outlined and demanded by mission statements and President's speeches call us to care. But workloads ignore this crucial element of time. Care requires time, and we must re-examine time beyond immediate financial gain: its true value.​
And what does patience and urgency look like in rooms where decisions are made on behalf of others? Introducing urgency causes us to oversimplify and ignore the valid role of emotions. Those who slow down process to inject emotions are labeled, you guessed it, "unprofessional". The real definition of an emotional reaction is "rational". Complex questions require time. What is the harm in slowing down especially when spaces of advocacy?
When someone hears, "You're late," those two words literally change a person. We don't stop to help a person in need when, if given time, our nature prevails and help is offered. So we ask you, what would happen if you slowed down? Comment below: "Where in your life do you need to slow down?" Exhale and imagine you have all the time you need. Because you do.

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