True professionalism : the courage to care about your people, your clients, and your career

David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism? Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals—to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. His answer is clear: It is believing passionately in what you do, never compromising your standards and values, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career. In clear and compelling terms, Maister shows that this approach is not only ethical but also conducive to commercial success. Professional Firms Are Forever Trying To Get Their People To Act Like Professionals - To Do The Right Things. Though Their Various Incentives May Create Employee Compliance, These Don't Often Encourage Excellence. Taking Issue With Such Methods, David Maister, The World's Premier Consultant To Professional Service Firms, Vigorously Challenges Professionals To Examine This Essential, Yet Under-addressed Question: What Is True Professionalism? Essentially, Maister Argues. It Is A Personal Commitment To Self-betterment And A Professional Dedication To Provide The Best And Most Efficient Service To Clients. In Clear, Pragmatic Terms, He Convincingly Advocates The Power Of Principles--the Most Effective Tools Management Can Use To Inspire Excellence In Individual Performance. His Core Principles Spring From Good, Sound Logic: Believe Passionately In What You Do, Never Compromise Your Standards And Values, And Care About Your Clients. Do. All Of These Because They Are The Ethical Things To Do And Because They Are The Primary Road To Commercial Success. In This Candid Treasury Of Practical Wisdom, Maister Expounds Some Eternal Truths About The Individual Professional, The Firm, And The Client. He Explains How To Achieve True Professionalism At Both The Micro And Macro Levels By Answering Many Key But Tough Questions, Including These: How Do You Develop A Personal Career Strategy? How Does A Firm Track The. Profitability Of Individual Assignments? Can And Should You Guarantee Your Client's Satisfaction? Looking First At The Individual, Maister Dares Those Good Corporate Citizens Who Do Their Duty To Discover What They Truly Love To Do, And Then To Align Their Real-world Actions With Their True Values - And He Tells Them Why A Continual Investment Must Be Made In Getting Better. Turning To The Firm, He Focuses On What He Calls Its Instability And Offers Advice On How To. Invest In Skill-building. He Explains Why Extra Time Invested In Supervising Reaps Large Financial Benefits, And Why Excellence In Client Satisfaction Should Be An Enforced Standard. A Brief Example Of The Clear Thinking And Sound Advice To Be Found In This Handbook: Stress On Maximizing Billable Hours May Seem Profitable, But Instead It Encourages Employees To Be Inefficient, It Loses The Customer's Trust And Confidence, And Eventually It Hurts The Firm's Reputation And. Profit Margin. The Bottom Line, According To The Author? Act Like A True Professional And The Money Will Follow. Introduction: The Power Of Principles -- (mostly) About You -- Real Professionalism: What Is Professionalism, And How Do You Manage In Order To Breed It? -- Are You Having Fun Yet?: What Is The Role Of Excitement And Enthusiasm In Professional Success? -- No Regrets: How Do You Develop A Personal Career Strategy? -- Dynamos, Cruisers, And Losers: How Do You Keep Your Career In High Gear? How Do You Tell If It Is? -- It's About Time: What Are The Key Business Processes Of A Professional Practice, And How Do You Manage Your Investments In These Areas? -- Are You Willing To Be Managed?: How Can Management In A Professional Environment Be Reconciled With The Need For Autonomy? -- Why Should I Follow You?: What Are The Key Attributes Of A Manager Of Professionals? -- (mostly) About Your Firm -- Values In Action: How Vigorously Do You Enforce Your Values? Do Your People Think You Live Up To Them? -- The Value Of Intolerance: What Should A Firm Be Intolerant About? How Do You Ensure That You Do Not Slip Into Tolerating Ok Performance? -- A Time For Healing: How Do You Create A Sense Of Teamwork? -- How Firms (should) Add Value: How Do You Ensure That There Is Value In The Institution, Not Just In The Individuals Who Work There? -- Success Through Skill-building: How Do You Invest In And Manage Rapid Skill-growth? -- What Kind Of Provider Are You?: What Are The Key Skills Of Different Types Of Providers, And What Are The Differences Between Them? -- Managing Your Client's Projects: How Do You Track The Profitability Of Individual Assignments? David H. Maister. Includes Index. "Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals - to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. Taking issue with such methods, David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism? Essentially, Maister argues, it is a personal commitment to self-betterment and a professional dedication to provide the best and most efficient service to clients. In clear, pragmatic terms, he convincingly advocates the "power of principles" - the most effective tools management can use to inspire excellence in individual performance. His core principles spring from good, sound logic: Believe passionately in what you do, never compromise your standards and values, and care about your clients. Do all of these because they are the ethical things to do and because they are the primary road to commercial success.". "In this candid treasury of practical wisdom, Maister expounds some eternal truths about the individual professional, the firm, and the client. He explains how to achieve true professionalism at both the micro and macro levels by answering many key but tough questions, including these: How do you develop a personal career strategy? How does a firm track the profitability of individual assignments? Can and should you guarantee your client's satisfaction? Looking first at the individual, Maister dares those good corporate citizens who "do their duty" to discover what they truly love to do, and then to align their real-world actions with their true values - and he tells them why a continual investment must be made in getting better. Turning to the firm, he focuses on what he calls its "instability" and offers advice on how to invest in skill-building. He explains why extra time invested in supervising reaps large financial benefits, and why excellence in client satisfaction should be an enforced standard. A brief example of the clear thinking and sound advice to be found in this handbook: Stress on maximizing billable hours may seem profitable, but instead it encourages employees to be inefficient, it loses the customer's trust and confidence, and eventually it hurts the firm's reputation and profit margin." "The bottom line, according to the author? Act like a true professional and the money will follow."--BOOK JACKET. Contents Acknowledgements Introduction: The Power of Principles Part One: (Mostly) About You 1. Real Professionalism 2. Are You Having Fun Yet? 3. No Regrets 4. Dynanmos, Cruisers, and Losers 5. It's About Time 6. Are You Willing to Be Managed? 7. Why Should I Follow You? Part Two: (Mostly) About Your Firm 8. Values in Action 9. The Value of Intolerance 10. A Time for Healing 11. How Firms (Should) Add Value 12. Success Through Skill-Building 13. What Kind of Provider Are You? 14. Managing Your Client's Projects 15. Why Merge? 16. The Adaptive Firm Part Three: (Mostly) About Your Clients 17. How Real Professionals Develop Business 18. Finding Out What Clients Want 19. Why Cross-Selling Hasn't Worked 20. Measuring Your Marketing Success 21. Satisfaction Guaranteed Index