Professionalism

How to use this reference. This is a plain-language glossary of ideas that come up at work and in everyday social life. You do not have to read it all at once.

Each card gives you What it is (the real definition) and a Simple meaning (a plain, everyday way to remember it).
A few cards have a Try it line — pause and name a real time you saw that concept happen. That is how a word becomes yours.
Yellow Clarify boxes add a small tip. There are no right or wrong answers here — this is a reference, not a test.

Part 1 — How Brains & Behavior Work

CONCEPT 1

What it is: Doing a good job and being respectful. It is about your actions, not just your clothes.

Simple meaning

Acting in a way that makes people trust you.

CONCEPT 2

Neurodiversity

What it is: The idea that all brains are wired differently.

Simple meaning

Having a brain that works in its own unique way, like a different computer system.

CONCEPT 3

Masking

What it is: Trying to act like a "typical" person so you can fit in.

Simple meaning

Wearing a "social mask" so people don't see the real you. It is very tiring!

Clarify — Masking is real work, even though no one can see it. If you feel worn out after being social, that is not a weakness — you have been carrying an invisible load. Rest is fair.

CONCEPT 4

B = ƒ(P, E)

What it is: Behavior = Function of (Person + Environment).

Simple meaning

How you act depends on who you are and where you are.

Try it: name a place where you act differently than you do at home. What changes?

Part 2 — Space & Boundaries

CONCEPT 5

Boundaries

What it is: The "invisible lines" around a person that you should not cross.

Simple meaning

A person's "No" zone.

CONCEPT 6

Proximity

What it is: How close you are to someone physically.

Simple meaning

Your distance from another person.

CONCEPT 7

The "Scoot" Test

What it is: Watching if someone moves away when you get close.

Simple meaning

If someone moves their chair or bag away, they are saying "you are too close."

Clarify — The scoot is not an insult. It is quiet information. When you notice it, give a little space and keep talking — you just read the room correctly.

Try it: name a time you noticed someone give a "scoot" signal — or a time you gave one.

Part 3 — Understanding Other People

CONCEPT 8

Perspective-Taking

What it is: Trying to see the world from another person's point of view.

Simple meaning

Imagining you are wearing someone else's glasses to see what they see.

CONCEPT 9

Empathy

What it is: Feeling the same thing someone else is feeling.

Simple meaning

If your friend is sad, you feel sad too.

Try it: name a time you felt what someone else was feeling. What told you how they felt?

CONCEPT 10

Invisible Shield

What it is: A problem or illness someone has that you cannot see (like Crohn's Disease or past trauma).

Simple meaning

A hidden reason why someone might need space or get stressed easily.

Clarify — You cannot see everyone's shield, and you do not need to know it. The kind move is simply to give people room without demanding an explanation.

Part 4 — Privacy & Trust

CONCEPT 11

Oversharing

What it is: Telling too much personal information to a stranger.

Simple meaning

Giving the "keys to your house" to someone you just met.

Try it: name one thing that is fine to tell a new coworker, and one thing that is better kept private.

CONCEPT 12

Gossip

What it is: Talking about someone's private business when they aren't there.

Simple meaning

Using someone else's secrets to try and look cool or important.

CONCEPT 13

The Vault

What it is: A place in your mind for "Inner Circle" secrets.

Simple meaning

Keeping private things safe so only trusted friends can hear them.

Part 5 — Reading Social Signals

CONCEPT 14

The "One-Ask" Rule

What it is: Only asking for a phone number or a date one time.

Simple meaning

If they say "I'm busy" or "No," you stop asking and move on.

CONCEPT 15

Persistence

What it is: Trying over and over again to get what you want.

Simple meaning

Not taking "No" for an answer. (In college and at work, being too persistent can get you in trouble.)

Clarify — Persistence is great for a goal (finishing a project, learning a skill). It is not for a person who already said no. Know which one you are dealing with.

CONCEPT 16

Graceful Exit

What it is: Leaving a conversation politely when it is over.

Simple meaning

Ending on a friendly note — "It was good talking to you, I've got to get going" — instead of just walking off.

Part 6 — Honesty & Growth

CONCEPT 17

Radical Honesty

What it is: Telling the whole truth to yourself and others.

Simple meaning

Not hiding your mistakes or wearing a "mask."

CONCEPT 18

Accountability

What it is: Taking responsibility for what you do.

Simple meaning

Saying "I did that" and trying to fix it if it was a mistake.

Try it: name a time you owned a mistake. What happened after you did?

CONCEPT 19

Resentment

What it is: Feeling angry at someone because you think they treated you unfairly.

Simple meaning

Holding onto a "grudge" or an old angry feeling.

💡 How to Get the Most From These Concepts

One at a time. Pick a single concept for the week and watch for it in real life. Twenty ideas learned slowly beat twenty skimmed once.
Give it your own example. A concept sticks when you can say "that happened to me when…" — use the Try it lines for that.
Use them as words, not rules. These are tools for talking about yourself and others clearly — "I need to set a boundary," "I read the scoot test." Naming a thing makes it easier to handle.

FOR MENTOR USE — STUDY THIS TOGETHER

Mentor Guide

How to use this glossary with your student

1. What this reference builds

It gives the student a shared vocabulary for workplace success and self-advocacy — plain-language names for ideas like boundaries, masking, empathy, and accountability. When a person can name a social situation, they can think about it and talk about it instead of just reacting to it. The goal is fluent, everyday use of these words, not memorizing definitions.

2. How to use it — one concept at a time

Do not read the whole sheet in one sitting. Pick one concept per session and stay with it.
Read the "What it is" together, then the "Simple meaning," then trade real examples — yours and theirs.
Where there is a Try it line, let the student answer out loud first; writing it down second removes the blank-page freeze.

3. Supporting the student

Lead with your own example first ("Here's a time I overshared…") so the student sees it is safe and normal.
Keep it non-judgmental — especially for Masking, Invisible Shield, and Resentment, which touch on feelings. Listen more than you correct.
Let the student rephrase a concept in their own words. Their version is the one that will stick.

4. Connecting to on-the-job situations

Tie each concept to a concrete workplace moment: Proximity and the Scoot Test for standing too close to a coworker; the One-Ask Rule for asking someone out at work; Accountability for owning a dropped task.
Rehearse a real scenario the student is facing — a break-room chat, a mistake to report, a boundary to set with a chatty colleague.
After a shift or class, review one moment together: "Which concept showed up today?"

5. Revisiting as needed

These concepts are meant to be returned to, not finished. Come back to a card whenever a related situation comes up in real life.
Notice growth by comparing to the student's own earlier handling of a situation, never to anyone else's.
When a concept is truly owned, the student will start using the word on their own — that is your signal to move to the next one.