Written by Dan Harris

Professionalism Matters, the title of Dr. Cheryl Whiting’s excellent book, is very apt for today’s business world and life in general. Professionalism is a much admired and valued attribute, not only because it signifies so many positive attributes of performance and behaviour, but also because it plays a significant part in defining one’s personal brand, or what used to be called in bygone days, reputation. Achieving and maintaining a high level of professionalism has an intrinsic value like a golden coat of armour protecting you as you advance through your career. However, the consequences of losing the shine of this highly valuable attribute are dire and always make for a sad and unfortunate tale. Professionalism Matters helps build that armour and keep that shine every step of the way.

I’ve been interested in this book since its beginning and have discussed it on many occasions with Cheryl. It’s been a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree exercise in the good, the bad and the ugly of professional life and increased my appreciation of the value that professionalism provides to the individual and his or her colleagues. Cheryl’s decades of professional experience, writing, research and lecturing on the subject have come to fruition in this book, and we are fortunate that she has covered it so competently and comprehensively. If you want to build a promising future for yourself and the organisations you work for, internalise and practice what this book preaches. Cheryl’s writing is also accessible, so you can easily understand and implement her message. In a sense, she engenders the inner voice of the professional, providing insight and knowledge to build your skillset, slalom past obstacles and be the consummate professional you want to be.

From a macro perspective, faith in professions and institutions has been rocked over the decades by scandals and the decline of standards. Examples of institutional malpractice and corrupt behaviour of the police, government officials, religious organisations, corporations, and an inexhaustible list of other professions seem to be increasing at an increasing rate. One would not be remiss for thinking that we’re fulfilling Nietzsche’s theory of ‘will to power’ where arguably professional ethics and standards are merely superficial concepts and our more basic instincts prevail. Hopefully, a book like Professionalism Matters will help lead us to more exemplary behaviour and performance from both individuals and institutions.

The perception of diminishing professional standards may be a grumpy malcontent point of view but it is a challenge facing both business and society, nonetheless. How individuals perform their jobs and organisations conduct themselves are a greater concern than ever before. Professionalism, for instance, is a significant factor when analysing a nation’s productivity and for good reason. Productivity is a key indicator of the strength and health of an economy, and elements of professionalism like values, attitudes, work environment, working practices, and well-being play an important role. Productivity in the UK since the turn of the century has been struggling relative to other industrialised countries. After a series of major events like Brexit, government instability, the COVID pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, the UK is desperate to improve its middle-ranking level of productivity and competitive position among the leading economies. The teachings provided in Professionalism Matters are, therefore, vitally important to helping improve the productivity and performance of the UK and any nation’s economy. 

Having worked at various levels of corporate life in the USA and Europe for some of the biggest names in high technology, government and finance, I’ve seen great examples of consummate professionalism as well as dreadful behaviour and performance. It’s a daily challenge to maintain and develop your professional skillset, especially in organisations whose values aren’t rock solid. In those circumstances, it’s difficult to maintain let alone grow that skillset when some of your colleagues don’t adhere to the same high standards. What really matters, however, is not the profession but the values and attitudes each individual holds regardless of job title. This is brought to light throughout Professionalism Matters and will help anyone in any profession achieve high standards and capture the intrinsic value of being a true professional.

There’s also something special about seeking a higher level of professionalism nowadays. It’s basic economics that when a precious commodity is scarce, its value usually goes up. Given diminishing standards and values, being recognised as a person with high professional standards will make you a valuable asset, a provider of high customer satisfaction and enable you to differentiate yourself in a competitive workforce, as promoted throughout this must-read book. 

Even if you are a good, positive, hard-working individual, challenges in working life are ever present and that’s why Professionalism Matters is so valuable. Read it, enjoy it, and keep it close to hand throughout your career.

Dan Harris – Vice President, Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce is a Podcast Host, ‘Over Here, Over There’, and Director, HymnSheet Ltd.

© Dan Harris – May 2023, Professionalism Matters, Tantamount August 2023

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.