When we hear the word professional, we usually think of people who are trained and qualified to undertake specialized tasks and are paid well to perform them. In the past, the term was generally applied only to doctors, lawyers, clergymen, military officers, and high-ranking executives. Today, it’s attached to all kinds of occupations and positions, from educators to scientists to real estate agents to athletes. But there is a stark difference between a person who is in a professional position and someone who acts professionally. Think of all the professional athletes you have seen acting like spoiled brats. Or professional lawyers who behave like petty thieves. At the same time, think about all the bus drivers, cashiers, and desk clerks who behave like consummate professionals. The point is, professionalism is not about training or job title or pay grade; it is about how you conduct yourself, particularly in the presence of clients, customers, passengers, and patients.
When I speak to audiences on this topic, I always cite the example of waiters and waitresses in Los Angeles restaurants, many of whom are actors or musicians waiting to be discovered. Some of these aspiring performers serve with an air of boredom and resentment, as if they want everyone to know that waiting tables is really beneath them and they’re doing it only until they get their big break. Others treat their jobs with respect. They may secretly wish that the meal they’re serving will be their last, but they take pains not to show it. Instead, they work hard and treat every customer as if he or she is important. And it pays off. Many well-known entertainers got their first big break by delivering outstanding service to a customer who turned out to be a casting director or a studio executive.
True professionals come to work energized by the passion to excel, no matter what level of responsibility they have at the moment. And they know that if you provide excellence in a world where excellence is rare, the chances of being noticed by the right person skyrocket. This is a secret I learned early in my career, and it’s one of the main reasons I got to where I did despite being a college dropout from an Oklahoma farm town. When I had to peel potatoes in the army, for example, I made sure my potatoes had every last piece of skin removed, and I took pride in doing it. I kept that attitude for the rest of my career, and it obviously paid off. Influential people know that the pursuit of excellence is transferable, and if they see you striving for it in one capacity, they know you’ll do it in another.
So whether you’re currently in your dream job or working somewhere less than ideal so you can pay the bills until a better opportunity knocks, start striving for professional excellence right now.
Professionals care about what they do and the impact they have on each and every customer. They bring a positive, can-do spirit to their work, and customers can tell that they genuinely care about giving the best possible service.
Professionals are inspired, and they are inspiring to others. They are solution-driven, attacking challenges with enthusiasm, pride, and dedication, leaving no i un-dotted and no t uncrossed. Professionals are flexible, adaptable, and able to shift gears if life throws them a curveball when they expect a fastball. They are responsible, well prepared, helpful, efficient, trustworthy, highly competent, and always confident. They are ready to do whatever is necessary, regardless of the circumstances or the amount of pressure they’re under. When problems persist, so do they, embodying Thomas Edison’s attitude about perseverance in the face of setbacks: “I have not failed,” the legendary inventor once said. “I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.”
Professionals give their all whether they are tackling a fascinating new challenge or doing something they’ve done a thousand times; whether they are working behind a closed door or are being watched by the CEO. Think of top-notch athletes: the best of them work as hard in practice as they do with a championship on the line.
Professionals show up—on time and ready to go. If a situation demands that they come in early, or stay late, or give up their usual day off—no problem. They are present and accounted for. In their interactions with co-workers, they are upbeat and positive. They don’t indulge in petty gossip; they don’t whine when things don’t go the way they wish them to; they don’t moan about workplace hassles and snafus.
Professionals are self-directed, self-motivated, and self-sufficient, but they also know how to play with others. They partner well and value strong working relationships. They keep their promises, treat their commitments like sacred vows, and are willing to be held accountable.
Although they are highly focused and single-minded in pursuit of results, professionals are not humorless or grim; they take their work seriously, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. While they are proud of their accomplishments, they are not arrogant or self-important.
Perhaps most important, professionals are always in control. They may not always be able to control the world around them, but they are always in control of themselves, and it shows.
When I started out in my career, I didn’t feel like a professional. But as they say in 12-step programs, sometimes you have to fake it till you make it, and that’s exactly what I did: I became a good actor. I learned to look like a professional and behave like a professional. I even learned to speak like one, by improving my vocabulary, training myself to use correct grammar, and dropping bad habits like muttering “ummm” and “you know” and “like.” Professionals pay attention to what comes out of their mouths.
You’ve probably heard the saying “Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the one you want.” I recommend taking this advice even further: Don’t serve as though you have the job you have, serve as though you have the job you want. If you’re in a frontline position, act so professionally that customers will think you’re the manager; if you’re a manager, act so professionally that you’ll be mistaken for the owner or the CEO.
Your customers will respect you for it, your boss will respect you for it, and most important, you’ll respect yourself for it. And at the end of the day, self-respect is what professionalism is all about.