Some one who knows and writes more about managing Professional Service firms than anyone else is David Maister.
In his book, True Professionalism, he defines a professional as having the following characteristics
- Studied a body of knowledge
- Member of a professional body and bound by professional rules
- Takes pride in their work- a commitment to quality
- Reaches out for responsibility
- Anticipates and takes initiative
- Does whatever it takes to get the job done
- Gets involved and does not stick to the assigned role
- Always looking for ways to make it easier for those they serve
- Eager to learn as much as they can about the client
- Really listens to the needs of those they serve
- Learns to think like and understand those who serve
- A team player
- Can be trusted with confidences
- Honest, trustworthy, loyal and ethical
- Open to constructive criticism on how to improve
- Only acts in the client’s best interests
How do you measure up against these characteristics? What changes do you need to bring about to make yourself more professional in all that you do?
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This is the 170 th of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success