The attributes, qualities and characteristics that every social worker must include commitment to self-awareness, positive outlook in life, respect for diversity, creativity, open-mindedness, trust in people, compassion, empathy, flexibility, patience, curiosity, healthy skepticism and openness to life-long learning (Segal, Gerdes & Steiner, 2012, p.25).
A social worker must have the willingness to engage in self-reflection and awareness of their own personal problems and looking for possible solutions to these problems. The social workers are fully aware that their present problems should not interfere with his or her work with other people. Having a positive outlook in life and being able to practice self-determination refers to the ability of the social worker to know what he or she deems best for themselves and for others. At the same time, the social worker should also give the clients that opportunity to make their own decisions and determine their own paths (Segal, et al., 2012, p.25). The social workers should allow their clients to make informed decisions and to trust them that they can make their own decisions for their well-being. Having a strong positive outlook in life is another characteristic that every social worker should possess in order to influence other people to become hopeful that their current situation will soon get better. Having respect for others regardless of race, color, age, gender and social status in life is another trait that the social workers must have. The social workers should also have empathy and compassion towards the struggles of others. It is important to understand the situation of other people by alleviating their sufferings and avoid passing judgment are the qualities of a good social worker (Segal, et al., 2012, p.25).
Based on the attributes, qualities and characteristics provided in the book, I personally believe that a social worker should be patient, flexible, have empathy and compassion towards the difficult situation of the people they meet daily while on duty. I think that having the ability to influence other people to keep a positive outlook in life will help others and inspire them to become better versions of themselves. Part of the job of the social worker is to listen and give advice to others, and respecting the decisions that the client will decide to take. Being able to accept others regardless of their race, gender and social status in life by treating them with dignity and respect is an essential part of social work. Keeping an open mind and being creative during decision-making should be the aim of every social worker. By constantly looking for other alternatives will help the social worker to make the rights decisions and see to it that the action taken will be for the benefit of the majority of people. Being flexible and listening to the comments or suggestions of others will give the social worker a different perspective on how to resolve a problem. The social worker should also encourage the feedback from other in order to know if the approach that was taken was effective. Being patient is an essential quality that a social worker should have because he or she should be able to understand that there are other stubborn people who may not be willing to accept an advice. Finally, I think that the social worker should be able to influence other people to change for the better by practicing healthy skepticism.
References:
Segal, E., Gerdes, K. E. and Steiner, S. (2012). An Introduction to the Profession of Social Work: Becoming a Change Agent, 4th ed. California: Brooks/Cole Cengage.
