Everyone wants respect. Our clients want respect, and so do our business associates and fellow networkers. Yet there is a combination of expectations. Everyone wants the same thing, but at the same time, everyone wants different things. Our clients arrive expecting a warm welcome that leaves them feeling happy, safe, and valued. At the same time, they want a personalised service that aligns with their individual needs. They anticipate the personal touch on two levels. First, clients expect to be given respectful attention. They count on being shown courtesy and kindness and envisage that we will treat them equitably and fairly. Second, they hope we will make them feel special by respecting their differences.

It is within us all to act in such ways, but it is not always within us to do it with sincerity. We can all pretend to be friendly and suck up to people to get their business. However, clients will soon see through this pretence; in the longer term, this will not serve us or our business well. The respect we show must be genuine and naturally come from the heart. To be professional, there must be sincerity behind our words and actions and an appreciation of what it is like to stand in our clients’ shoes. This means we must understand the type of service they expect to receive and be ready to deliver it. Clients are confidently reassured when we have a passion for what we do, a strong desire to help, and a genuine interest in them, over and above ourselves or our profits. If clients are to trust us, they must believe we

are acting with feeling. What we express on the outside must match what we feel on the inside if we are to be considered authentic.

We can only give attention and make clients feel special when we genuinely appreciate them for who they are and are concerned with meeting their individual needs. To show respect with sincerity, we must get to know our clients personally. As professionals, we must do this with an open mind and suspend our assumptions about our clients’ expectations. This is important because, to others, the world is not as we see it. It is wrong to assume that our behaviour is universally accepted as the right way to conduct oneself.

Only when we get to know our clients on a much deeper level do we begin to increase our understanding of their situation, feelings, and frame of mind. With this comes insight into their values and the extent to which we have personal or cultural similarities and differences. Consequently, we begin to see our clients as individuals and to acknowledge and accept them as such. The insight we gain increases our ability to understand our clients and recognise their customs and values. This assists in overcoming personal prejudice and biases.

Only when we begin to see things through the eyes of others can we respond with sensitivity and respect and be more aware of what actions are appropriate and those that are likely to offend. The personal discoveries we make through our interactions are significant and serve as an extension of our knowledge and expertise. In seeking to understand, we improve our ability to interact, relate to our clients, and flexibly adapt to their needs. This lessens the chances of any misunderstanding and helps us be more respectful towards our clients, which in turn enhances their respect for us.

Extract from the book Professionalism Matters, Chapter 6– Dignity and Respect. Published by Tantamount. © Dr Cheryl E Whiting, August 2023.

The first rule of professional excellence is that ‘good enough’ is not good enough. When we accept good enough, we impose limitations on ourselves and our expectations. This holds us back, prevents progress, and limits our potential. If we want success and the recognition that comes with it, we must raise the bar, be pioneers and demand more of ourselves. This means setting higher standards and rising to the challenge of doing whatever it takes to make it happen, even when what it takes is complex. If we are to strive for excellence, we need to lead the way by putting ourselves on a very different path from others. When we pursue and model excellence, we become trailblazers. We set the quality and standards for others to follow and raise the bar entirely.

Anyone who has ever attended a business award ceremony knows these are auspicious occasions. Rightly so, because any success brought about by going above and beyond in terms of quality and standards deserves to be recognised and celebrated. However, excellence is not about winning awards. It is about pursuing a higher purpose: that of self-improvement, doing better and being better. Our award winners will have challenged themselves to do just that. It is this which will have led to their success. Having already committed to pursuing excellence within practice, the award is like a cherry on top of the cake. This formal recognition brings the winners a more profound level of satisfaction for something they were already enthusiastic about and dedicated to.

Before anyone gets too disheartened by the absence of a gilt-edged award on the shelf, it is worth remembering that recognition of excellence comes in many ways. The certificates of achievement and accreditation we acquire attest to our compliance with industry and quality standards. The positive online client review, which describes how we delivered as promised, the recommendation that brought us new clients, and the thank you card and gift expressing gratitude for our expertise and efficiency all validate our pursuit of excellence. Any form of recognition and appreciation that recognises quality, innovation, the effectiveness of our commercial endeavours, and service to clients, is worth shouting about, not least because best practice inspires others to follow suit.

Excellence is, however, transient. Past success does not necessarily define future success. As any athlete will tell you, you are only ever as good as your last race. Their dash to the finish line in record time, lengths ahead of their fellow competitors, represents the outcome of months, maybe even years, of arduous training to achieve a much sought-after personal ambition. Throughout this process, they have challenged themselves to be better than they were the day before. It is this which has led them to achieve success. However, to stay on top of the game and keep winning, they must keep training and pushing themselves to be better, fitter, and stronger. Why? Because there are other athletes out there desperate to catch them up and pass them by.

It is the same in business. The glory of any momentous achievement will only ever be short-lived. Unless we aspire and commit to the continual pursuit of excellence, the competition will quickly muscle in to steal our glory and our clients.

Extract from the book Professionalism Matters, Chapter 8 – Professional Excellence. Published by Tantamount. © Dr Cheryl E Whiting, August 2023.