What does professional mean to you in the context of the new business paradigm that we are committed to bringing forth?
What is the distinction between professional and amateur? Where do you see your business on the amateur to professional continuum? Is moving along that continuum something you desire? Or are these outdated labels that no longer have validity? What would you replace them with, if anything?
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Business Coaching
Great question Nicole. I think these labels speak to the trust and execution of their skill set.
Professional is:
- completing agreed upon work within the timeline
- being transparent and honest in information exchanges
- owning up to shortcomings and working to improve them
- thinking about improving the business / client not just the paycheck
- taking your ego out of the situation to let the best idea move forward (even if not yours)
- acknowledging that there is always more to learn
Professional is not:
- a suit and tie
- some arbitrary number of years of experience (10, 20, etc.)
- an office full of cubicles
- putting the paycheck before client needs
- agreeing with everyone
Amateur is:
- not being prepared
- not knowing your personal limits
- underestimating time and effort
- not being timely with responses to clients / customers
- being passive / aggressive
- not delivering quality work
- missing deadlines (with no explanation and being defensive)
- over-promising work (especially if you don't understand it or have skills to complete it)
Amateur is not:
- a lack of experience (they have only been doing this for a year or less)
- a person of a certain age (usually seen as anyone under 25 or 30)
- a small office / home office
These are my thoughts. What do you think about the above?
