Values over Value

I feel passionately about this, so forgive me for revisiting a theme I have developed before. For me 'professionalism', broadly construed, is at the very core of what it means to be an engineer. Yes, a commitment to creative engagement with complex problems, to real world outcomes and to a blending of analysis and synthesis (I am conscious that I am not expressing myself clearly) are characteristic of engineering. They are not however, the whole. There is something more, something about the way in which the engagement is undertaken, the personal responsibilities and the path to both self- and collective- improvement that is defining of an engineer. I understand this to be what is meant by professionalism.

I realise (or perhaps 'actualise' is a better word, but again does not contribute to clarity) my professionalism through membership of a profession body, in my case both the BCS and the IET. In other words, I joined to show my professionalism rather than to become a professional.  My membership is about identifying as a professional and associating myself with others who share the same values.

Here we reach the central point: professionalism and professional membership are about values, not about products and services, the current language of professional bodies. Professionalism is not even really about knowledge or standards - they proceed from the values. If we want to succeed in securing increased membership of professional bodies and we want to see an improvement in the broader standards in engineering and particularly in my area, software, then we have to start with values. We have to win the debate about values, or rather we have to both start the debate and then win it. In this sense it is about hearts then minds. Values over value, if you like.

How do we do this? First I think we have to switch the debate from the 'extrinsic' rewards of professionalism and professional membership - employment, magazines, networking opportunities, financial and other services - to the 'intrinsic'  -  knowing that you have done a good job, the sense of having served the community, the moral reward of ethical behaviour  and of adhering to an open code of conduct, and so on. This is principally achieved through two means, education, the way we share values and establish a shared identity, and establishing role models. This implies two tasks. First, ensuring that educators emphasise the core of professionalism - the shared values - rather than the form, that is the accreditation requirements defined in terms of specific modules and grades. Second, getting professional members to act as role models. This entails changing membership from being about receiving services to being an opportunity to serve.

A radical change is needed, we need a transformation in the way we organise ourselves as engineers and in the way we think about our profession.