“Let’s just be professional here.”
That’s a phrase some people hide behind. It’s used to avoid the hard work of being at their best as people and teammates.
Have you heard it? On some teams, the words mean:
- Let’s not concern ourselves with the needs and cares of others.
- Let’s just focus on what needs to be done, rather than how we get things done.
This thinking, however, de-activates hearts: the passion and energy the team needs to succeed. It results in professionals bringing out the worst in others.
You’re likely shouting: “That’s not what it means to be a professional!” (I know this, because you subscribe to this blog.) The challenge we face: The people who don’t define professionalism the way you do likely aren’t reading this blog. They’re not reading the books and studying leadership like you are.
So, you can complain about their definition (and them). Or, you can engage them in a discussion that looks like this:
- How do you define the professionalism necessary to succeed as a team today? (Then share your definition, too.)
- What thinking and actions get in the way of us being more professional?
- Rather than using rhetoric, how will we equip ourselves to think and act professionally more consistently?
In our new book, Do Big Things: The Simple Steps Teams Take to Mobilize Hearts and Minds to Make an Epic Impact, we reveal the research which shows that for teams to succeed they must first embody success. Being technically proficient is only a start. To succeed big, to be today’s professional, means you also bring out the best in others.
Are you today’s professional?
