Do you bear the mark of a professional?

My pal Bren (formerly the proprietor of SlackerManager and now the proud pappy of BikeHacks) recently pointed me to an awesome thread on "How to be a True Professional."

The thread starts with a sincere question, "What makes someone in a true professional...?" and the ensuing comments are very wise. I encourage you to go and read them.

If I were to summarize what I've read - and weave in what I've learned on my own -- here are some of the "precepts" that pop out from this long list:

• Be rational: Think before you act.


• Be reasoned: Don't act in anger or vengeance.


• Be pragmatic: Remember that business is about what's best for the business.


• Be human: Remember that numbers don't always tell the whole story.


• Be magnanimous: Give others due credit (and the benefit of the doubt).


• Be tolerant: Remember that others can learn from their mistakes.


• Be humble: Remember that you can learn from your mistakes


• Be accountable: Do what you say, and keep commitments.


• Be respectul: Demonstrate respect and foster dignity for yourself and others.


• Be open-minded: Learn something new every day; and consider the perspectives of others.


• Be steadfast: Don't compromise your principles.

But don't take my word for it - go read the list. Got any to add? Think I'm blowing smoke? Would love to hear more in your comments on this post.

Comments

[Tom Halle]

Great list! Many/most of these go beyond being the mark of a professional to being the mark of a good & decent human being. In a professional context, I'm particularly struck by #3 - "Remember that business is about what's best for the business" - I've always lived by the principle that, as long as I was working on behalf of an employer, their interests take precedence over my own - this is the inviolable bargain that we strike when we agree to work for them.

Microsoft communicates a list of leadership qualities to their own folks that I've also found very helpful and clarifying...

MS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES* Executive Maturity* Confidence* Cross-Boundary Collaboration* Create Business Value* Impact and Influence

...I keep a copy of this taped to my keyboard & refer to it whenever I find myself lost in the weeds. I also keep a fortune cookie fortune I got a few years back - "Let the light of your soul shine for others to benefit" - easy to do on the good days, a little harder on the bad ones :)

[Joseph Bernard]

Some excellent points of view. After over 30 years of being on in the world here are a couple of points that I would encourage everyone to live by:1. Be genuine, be who you are and don't spend much time seeking approval2. Learn to listen inward to what you know is your truth. No one can tell you your truth.3. Become a compassionate listener, this is the kindest gift you can give to others4. Open your heart and give care, compassion and kindness and you will have lots of loving friends and appreciative co-workers5. Open you mind to all kinds of ideas, question everything. A closed mind is a terrible loss to humanity.6. Have fun, enjoy, don't take things too seriously7. Be present, live in the now, the future is always later, the past is already past8. Live by your own rules, don't let others tell you what you sould believe and how you should act

Josephwww.ExploreLifeBlog.comwww.peace-together.com