The Professional Mindset

Inspired by “The Power Of Professionalism” by Bill Wiersma

by Jennifer Fruin WCUI 2013

We as society don’t often seize the “dare to be great” moment. The moment that separates the “boys from the men”, the chance to challenge the norm, to go against the grain to prove there is more than one answer or path. We complain of this monotonous, uninventive routine where one person or group of people separate us into groups of white and blue collars. They decide who is a professional, and who is not. They decide who makes millions and who makes minimum wage. All the while, we are never stepping up and out of the box, not only to help ourselves, but others as well. At least that is what I used to think. Cecil Castle once said, “Professionalism is a frame of mind, not a paycheck.” This means that anyone could potentially be a professional. I never gave myself a chance at a self-label of “professional”. I figured some higher up in Regis (or even higher up than that) had already decided I was a guppy instead of a shark (or a whale, or some other big fish in the small pond I found myself swimming in). I was only doing the job I was hired to do; wash, cut, style, repeat. I was not a maintenance person, nor a janitor. I was neither a manager, nor a receptionist. I definitely was not a therapist, and I sure didn’t feel the fulfillment. I felt as though I was just clocking in and cutting hair and when the day was over, this complacent role dragged on. I let it seep into my personal life and I did not notice a problem until I read “The Power of Professionalism”. It made me realize that this “menial” job I attached to the word “stylist” meant more than just being a service provider. Cover to cover, the book spoke to me. Page after page, vital information was written on how to improve every aspect of life. I made myself a cheat sheet, to show me what I learned in each chapter, and how I would apply it to my own life. The rest of this paper is what I came up with.

Mindset 2: Professionals Realize (and Act Like) They’re Part of Something Bigger Than Themselves

Mindset Two really was great for me to see, and I figured this is where I needed to start my changes. This mindset explains that professionals “Commit to the success of the firm, organization, or client, realize that success transcends their own parochial interests and collaborate as an effective team member.” Although I could see the bigger picture, albeit sometimes different than the one actually painted, something was off. I was identifying areas where others were lacking, and I’d put my extra effort in. To me, it didn’t matter who did the work, as long as it was done. However, I was failing. I was so eager to pick up another task and make sure not only that it was done, but done right. I was being taken advantage of because other people around me knew I’d do the task they didn’t feel was important enough for them to do. In all reality, every task, every assignment, every decision is important. While I thought helping out was being an effective team member, the fact that others were not participating meant I was a team of one, unless I could get the others on board.

So there I was, back at square one, and I asked myself, “What can I do to get us all working together, and broadening the scope of our professionalism?” We were all there together for work, but we weren’t working together. At one point, another stylist actually posted a note that read: “I am not your mother, clean up your own damn mess.” Well wait a minute, what if that stylist was exceptionally busy and needed a hand to catch up? I took down the note.

The next shop meeting started out like any other, where no one vocalized their opinions. They were just anxiously staring at the clock waiting to be dismissed. I then took the opportunity to bring up the note and explained that while the mess was not the other stylist’s, I was sure that the mess maker would have appreciated the extra hand. I explained further that, “maybe the clients would be more appreciative of our team work as well.” Having kids at home, I understand after a long day, it’s exhausting to come home and clean up another mess, but as an adult and role model, I want to teach my children the right thing to do in that situation. The same applies to work. If one stylist would step up to help another stylist, or another customer, we would be part of something bigger. We would be enhancing someone else’s experience, by putting their needs and comfort above our own. Once the morale and support was lifted in the shop, other things started to change as well.

Mindset 4: Professionals Have Personal Standards That Often Transcend Organizational Ones

Mindset Four refers to the core values of the individual. A person who follows Mindset Four does what is right, over what is fast. They avoid the needless drama, leaving “high school” behavior behind, and they stay focused. This mindset was easy to read, but difficult to implement.

The hard part about being a stylist is typically the drama and gossip. Stylists tend to bash other stylist’s work and they share private information about their clients. They sometimes even spend the whole appointment talking about the woes of their own lives. I’ll admit I have been guilty of this in the past to some degree as well. The best solution I found to that problem is having a list of things to talk about and I repeat these “scripted” conversations to every client. I make notes on their client cards of what we discussed in the appointment, so when they return, we can pick up on a topic that they are comfortable with. In my personal life, I have simply eliminated the people who aren’t propelling me forward. The only way to become enlightened by this mindset is to diminish the back scatter, those who only bring bad news, and the general “ugly” of negativity. In turn, this brings the focus back to what is important.

Growing up, my mother (and grandmother) did a few things that were annoying at the time, but are appreciated now. She instilled some knowledge-based core values, like an extensive vocabulary and the desire for as much education as I am privy to. She also told me at the “end of the day”; my word is all I have. My honesty, integrity and commitment to improve my quality of life, are the things that will take me places. They will help me to earn the trust of my clients.

The next step was to uphold the letter of the law. I wanted to show that I was dependable to my clients, my staff, and my family. If that meant staying a few minutes late to help a coworker finish cleaning up the shop, or taking a few extra minutes to help with the kids’ homework, that’s what I did. Not only did that keep the morning chaos at work to a minimum, it also showed my kids that whatever they were doing was important to me.

Mindset 7: Professionals Aspire to Reveal Value in Others

The true professional has a bias for results, is part of something bigger, is always prepared, has core values, delivers on their commitments, and doesn’t seek immediate gratification. All of these things are encompassed by the most important mindset. This mindset aspires to lift others up, appreciate what other professionals contribute, and places trust with those who need it.

I have always been a person who needs control. I used to get anxious if I was watching someone complete a task I assigned. I wasn’t open enough to trust them to do the task the right way (my way). I was only concerned about my opinion and my needs. Some people in my circle have said I deserve to be selfish after the things I have been through. Being selfish however, is not only exhausting, it is not me. Some people might think because I like things done my way, I’m being selfish. In all reality, I have been tad “tight-leashed” when I find successful routes. I am becoming a person who puts people first, while showing them (not expecting) how I understand, retain, or complete things. This has made me a little more relaxed when I see people struggling “their way” because I feel comfortable enough to demonstrate other options. “Peter pays for Paul”, in that we only succeed as a team if we are truly all succeeding.

This mindset went in and diminished my secret stash of anxiety, distrust, and negativity. It gave me the comfort I so desperately sought out, and helped me to lend my trust to the other employees (trusting they would perform salon duties to the best of their abilities) and helped me to place trust in my family. While in my head, no one was a better professional than I, and no one was a more suited mother than I, I learned to trust those around me. I felt the weight of a thousand commitments fall off my shoulders.

Today my world is different. I’m listening to my clients like they require me to. I am spending quality time with my kids. I’ve released the anger I was holding on to when I moved to Phoenix. I have completely changed my idea of how things are supposed to be.

What makes me a professional? I’ll do the bottom work, I make sure my coworkers are set and I will make sure my clients are comfortable. If they need anything, I’ll take care of it (within normal limits, allowing others to shine as well). My demeanor has become more successful, thus I am more successful. My clients are happier, my family is happier I am happier. While following Mindset Seven to bring out the value of others, when it is combined with Mindsets Two and Four, a group succession is more than possible, it is guaranteed.

The Power of Professionalism to me, was more than a book teaching me how to act professional. This book showed me how to be a better me. It showed me how to succeed in any given area. It proved to me that I am not professional because of my clothes, or my job title. According to the book, I’m a professional because I’m caring and understanding, I’m a problem solver not a problem maker. I can ease my clients and will go the extra mile to make them happy and my kids as well. Bill Wiersma really broke the mold, when he wrote this book and I plan to continue to implement it in every aspect of life. Julius Irving said it best, “Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.”

Your Organization—Is Your Experience There Helping You Become A Better Person?

As part of a recent consulting engagement, I had the privilege to interview a number of employees from one of the world’s best managed companies.  The company—both what they did and how they did it—was really impressive.  They pushed their people—but not in a manipulative or punitive way.  Employees had near-complete autonomy.  The level of responsibility within the employee ranks was off-the-charts.

The intent of the interviews was to find out what the ‘employee experience’ was like.  Virtually every employee said they ‘couldn’t go back’ to the types of jobs they once held before coming to their current employer.  Despite the high expectations, morale was especially high.  The way the company managed was not only admirable; it was a model to emulate.

For context, the company wasn’t solving world hunger.  In fact, the company’s agriculturally-based products were arguably commodity-like.  Nonetheless, employees found their work especially meaningful.  Almost to a person (and regardless of where they served in the organization) each employee’s level of engagement was high—really high.

At the close of our session one of the more seasoned (yet reserved) employees quietly approached me on his way out of the conference room.  He looked me straight in the eye, and said, “you know, I’m a better person for having worked here”.  This gentleman had privately put a bow on the gift (think: feedback) that had been revealed through our ‘public’ employee meeting.  With that, he went back to work.  I was struck, not only by what he said, but by how he said it.

I thought to myself, ‘isn’t that the ultimate for employees…to feel that their work experience has made (or is making) them a better person?’  What a powerful indicator in assessing (among other things) organizational health.  And if the company needed further validation that it was on the right track this gentleman gave it to them in spades.

Fast forward to last week…I received an email from a client; a tell-it-like-it-is, seasoned company president who has been integrating professional values into his organization for some time. (BTW: he was unaware of the experience I just shared.)  After sharing some company updates and some personal niceties, he closed his note with, “…since reading your book and trying to live what it says has made me a much better person as well as an [much better] employer. Thank you.”

This president knows all-too-well that living up to professional ideals isn’t always a bed of roses. Yet he does what needs doing.  Because of it he grows and becomes a better person as a result.

Personally, this is especially rewarding.  Organizationally, it helps validate our approach.  We’re on the right track. Onward!

Southern Gentleman ‘Gifts’ Engineering Graduates

“Be on chapter two when everyone else is on chapter one.” That was the career advice Russ (an assumed name) got in his late-twenties as an up-and-coming engineer. By all accounts the advice served him well. Russ went on serve in several executive leadership positions in a prominent U.S. based manufacturing entity.

Today Russ is enjoying a well-deserved retirement.  Yet he’s committed to giving back.  He has established a number of engineering scholarships at his alma mater—a prestigious public university in the South. Russ provides each graduate with what we’ll call an ‘educational care package’.  The package contains an impressive leadership pamphlet—assembled wisdom from a lifetime of Russ’s collection of favorite business articles along with some of his own writings.  He also includes a number of classic business books.  This package goes to graduates of the very same engineering program Russ graduated from nearly fifty years earlier.  It’s a classy gesture from a classy guy.

He wants the newly-minted graduate to succeed and seeks to instill a love of learning within them.  He knows how easy it is for a young graduate to think they’ve ‘got it all figured out’ upon receiving their degree—especially when that degree comes from such a prestigious school.  Yet Russ is also convinced that many of the potential pitfalls faced by many graduates can be mitigated by them ‘showing up’ as a professional would.

So imagine how pleased I was when Russ contacted me about adding The Power of Professionalism to the elite list of business books he provides to graduates.  I was so honored.  Turns out, the graduates will receive their ‘educational care package’ tonight at a university-sponsored banquet.

The Power of Professionalism is a book that many have become passionate about.  Russ is one of those.  And whether you ‘gift’ the book to two people (a common occurrence) or nearly a hundred (an uncommon occurrence)…you do it because you believe it’s a ‘difference-maker’.   And you do it because you ‘aspire to reveal value in others’ (mind-set #7).  It’s just one of the ways this fine southern gentleman gives back.

 

 

Professionalism To The Rescue

Customers were frustrated by ‘it’, employees were embarrassed by ‘it’, the owners were uncomfortable by ‘it’. What, you ask, is ‘it’?

‘It’ was an archaic (think: 19th century) tracking system for repairs of customers’ mission-critical equipment.  This value-added service has been provided by a well-respected Walnut Creek, CA based company for years.  Trouble is, few people now were seeing the repair service as ‘value added’.  The company did a great job fixing the equipment; it was the process that was the problem.  It certainly was a good thing that the repair service wasn’t ‘core’ to the business.

Consider these ‘equipment repair’ experiences:

***A customer calls in to ask for an estimate (time and money) of getting their equipment repaired.

***A customer asks their representative for a status report on their equipment repair order.

***Employees (of all stripes) would ask the foreman of the repair facility for workload reports and backlog estimates.

In each and every case (regardless of who was asking) people consistently got untimely and inaccurate information from well-intended, but less-than-confident, employees. “Amateur hour” was how one person described it.   It was no wonder that representatives from the company cringed when having to give their customers updates on their repairs.

I first met the owner about six months ago after an address I had given on professional values to business leaders.  My core message that evening:  make professional values your north arrow.  After the address the owner reached out to thank me, indicating that the message had really resonated with him. My address had reinforced something in him that he had always believed….but he had never been taught before that evening.

Little did I know how much the message had resonated with him until I reconnected with him weeks later.  Since our first encounter, he had committed to making every aspect of his business as professional as possible.  He had made a laundry list of things he wanted to change: first and foremost was that antiquated tracking system for equipment repairs.

He smiled as he recounted with me how much fun it had been for him creating the new tracking system.  As a professional, he noted, the new tracking system was something that he always knew he should do. Having made the commitment to himself to center his company around professional values proved to be impetus he needed to get started right away.

Almost from the onset of implementing the new tracking system the company gained 30% additional business in equipment repairs.  And that 30% increase has held steady over these many months.  In other words, it wasn’t a fluke.  Interestingly, the owner says that handling 30% more volume with the new system ‘feels like’ their previous volume with the old system.  In other words, the greater work load hasn’t been a problem at all—even though it’s 30% higher than before. For the benefit of those who desire quantification, that’s a 30% increase in productivity!

His employees love the new system as it really helps their ability to satisfy customers.  And it avoids them looking stupid and feeling embarrassed as they had before with the old system.  It’s proven to be a winner in every way.  The owner can’t wait to make even more changes!  Said another way, he can’t wait to make his operation that much more professional.

Professional upgrades can take a lot of forms—this one happened to involve a system.   All this owner needed was to be reminded that he was a professional and how important that was for his company.  The experience has reignited his commitment to the high standards (e.g. mind-set # 4) he’s always believed in.  His business, his employees and his customers have all benefited.  I can’t wait to see what he’ll undertake next.

 

Mind-Sets Trump Skill-Sets–Exhibit ‘A’–Gabby The Bartender

As people get a deeper understanding (and appreciation) of the mind-sets, they inevitably start to see things differently.  Robert Cloutier of San Diego is one such person.  Here’s a note Robert sent to me last week and encouraged me to share:

“I ran into a busy brewery last night (Valentine’s Day) at 9:45 PM and sat at the bar for roughly thirty minutes.  I had one cocktail while I waited for a to-go order.  Luckily, the Lakers versus Clippers game was on the television in front of me, so I got to watch the continued changing of the guard in Los Angeles regarding which basketball team is relevant (look no further than Dwight Howard’s lack of professionalism when searching for reasons for the Lakers broken culture).”

“Once I sat down, the bartender immediately greeted me.  She asked my name and introduced herself as Gabby.  Then, she pointed to the other two bartenders at the other end of the bar and told me their names as well.”

“As I was looking over the menu Gabby offered suggestions and was especially helpful.  I told her I was ready to order, but I actually wasn’t.  As I sat there and stalled, she smiled and told me that she was there all night and that there was no rush.  After I finally decided, she advised me on how to take advantage of the happy hour prices and save a little money.”

“I finally ordered and set my sights back on the basketball game.  However, I couldn’t help but notice that Gabby treated everyone in the same polite manner.  I noticed that Gabby used other patron names in addressing them and treated her coworkers warmly.  In the busy bar atmosphere, there were a few times when she reluctantly had to shout to the other end of the bar for communication.  Even then, she started every sentence with ‘please’ and ended every sentence with a ‘thank you’.”

“She checked on me a few times and each time addressed me by my name.    Once my food came, Gabby came out from behind the bar and put my items in the to-go bag, rather than just handing them to me.  Before she put my food in the bag, she opened up each of the boxes to show me what I had ordered.”

“To say it was busy that night would be a large understatement.  It is one of the few open places on Valentine’s Day in a city of close to 200,000 people—it was a mob scene.  As I watched Gabby move with efficiency and grace, I thought, “there is a total professional.”  As far as mindsets, I saw all of them and was reminded again of what continues to build momentum in my brain—when the mindsets are present, ANY technical competence can be learned.  In other words, I will take Gabby with her professional mindsets and train her from scratch in regards to technical competence over some other person with high technical competence without the professional mindsets.  I was truly inspired watching Gabby behind the bar.  She’s one of the few that really ‘get it’.”

Gabby was obviously amazing…to the degree that Robert (a super busy guy) felt compelled to write about it. The story is especially rich.  What do you take from it?

Grandpa’s Well Intended Faux Pas—The Doing/Being Transposition—Part One

It’s a holiday scene seemingly as old as time, family gatherings with relatives traveling great distances to be with their loved ones. Grandparents (especially) can’t wait to get reacquainted with their young  grandchildren.  At some point, one of the grandparents (often the grandfather) asks their young grandchild, ‘so what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Teacher, firefighter, musician, forest ranger, nurse, ball player, lawyer are just a few of the responses that the youngster might give.  The grandparent, no doubt, is pleased—sensing their grandchild has given this important question some thought.  Of course, this is all in spite of their young age and the likelihood that they’ll incessantly change their mind.

Yet, the grandparent has unknowingly perpetuated a misconception on the part of the grandchild. The problem started with the question the grandparent asked. Notice that the youngster actually answered a different question than the one posed by the grandparent.

The question the youngster answered was “what do you want to do when you grow up?” In other words, the youngster likely told their grandparent what interested them and how they envisioned earning a living (e.g. firefighter, teacher, forest ranger, etc) pursuing that interest.

The grandparent didn’t catch (or didn’t appreciate) the subtle, but important, distinction between being and doing— let alone point it out to the youngster.  How one earns a living is one thing, but it isn’t who they are—it doesn’t reveal what kind of person they are. Young people would be well served to understand that distinction.

Unfortunately, the experience with the grandparent subtly reinforces to the grandchild that what they do for a living largely defines who they are.  Of course, grandparents have a lot of company when it comes to this phenomenon….it’s no wonder, with all the emphasis on ‘career-mania’ in this country.

The fact that the youngster didn’t ‘get it’ is understandable, predictable really—given their young age.

All together now (in unison)—“what we do for a living, doesn’t define who we are.”  ‘Doing’ and ‘being’ are different!

For all the sacrifice parents (and some grandparents) make to ensure a first-rate education for their children; for all the blood-sweat-and–tears on the part of the diligent student; for all the prestige society puts in performing certain types of work…being is equally important (if not more so) than doing.   

Part two, which will be posted in a little over two weeks, will illustrate how one Southern California school has brought this important point to life.

Credibility Provides The Foundation For Change

Success sometimes extracts a price.  It had for a senior executive I was working with recently.

His problem—among other things—was time. Like most of us, he didn’t have enough of it.  He was the first one at the office in the morning, and the last one out in the evening. As a result, time with his young family suffered. The situation was becoming unacceptable.

In discussing the situation with him it became apparent that he was especially generous in making himself available to his staff (think: open door policy). Naturally, he was trying to do the right thing.        

The staff was appreciative and regularly sought out the executive.  His open door policy, however well-intended, had the unintended consequence of negatively impacting his personal life.  For the staff it had the unintended consequence of making them a bit too dependent on their boss.         

 I suggested (with one big caveat) the executive try limiting his availability to the staff.  In other words, create some dedicated time for himself wherein he could invest time on several longer-term initiatives that had been neglected. He’d be creating some pre-determined ‘quiet time’ when his staff knew not to interrupt him.  This would turn out to be quite a significant change as the open door policy had been something the staff had become quite accustomed to and really enjoyed.      

The tactic surrounding ‘quiet time’ was pretty straight-forward —it wasn’t rocket science and it normally works well.   To me, the most important aspect as to whether this was going to work was whether the executive had credibility with the staff? That was the big caveat.  If the executive had credibility, then I was confident the ‘quiet time’ change would work.  If he didn’t, I’d withdraw the suggestion.        

I became confident that the executive had already built the necessary credibility to pull this off.   And despite the change being somewhat unpopular, the staff supported it. 

The thing that made this work was the credibility the executive had built with the staff.  They trusted him.  They were confident that, as a professional, he had the organization’s best interests at heart.   

Whether it’s a smaller change like ‘quiet time’ or a major initiative like a productivity enhancement, they’re both highly dependent on the credibility of the leader advancing the change.  If the leader doesn’t have credibility, the odds are long against the ‘change’ effort succeeding.        

Turns out, the executive loves the new arrangement.  The staff is very accepting of it—more so than was originally anticipated.  It’s working.  Early on, it has proven to really improve the executive’s quality of life.

Lest you think the main point of this post is about the tactical suggestion I made around ‘quiet time’…it isn’t.  Tactical suggestions are easy.  The hard part is earning the credibility that, when combined with some common-sense tactic, makes the whole thing work. Hats off to this fine executive who had earned his people’s trust and had the courage of his convictions to act.  Bravo!         

Not Now

I recently suggested to a colleague that we begin work on a new initiative we had considered undertaking.   His two word response—‘not now’—-was emphatic.

He wasn’t initiating a power struggle.

He wasn’t dismissing the suggestion out-of-hand.

He wasn’t being belligerent.

He was exercising great judgment.  Turns out, he was right.  The timing for the new initiative wasn’t right—we already had plenty on our plate.

It is great working with people you trust.  Judgment is one leg of trust’s three-legged stool (character and competence being the other two).   See page 80 in The Power of Professionalism for an extensive discussion on this subject.

With heaping ‘to-do’ lists, with demands brought on by the incessant speed-of-change,  with ambiguity being the norm—judgement has never been so critical.  It’s great to work with people who have it.

Debra…Big-Time Difference-Maker

Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown of Slidell, Louisiana shares this instructive experience.

“Years ago while in a previous position, I traveled a lot and would leave my home around 6:00 AM.  There was a fast food restaurant between my home and the exit on the interstate where I would stop for a cup of coffee.  It wasn’t a big sale—less than a dollar.  This fast food restaurant was—believe it or not—special.”

“Normally, I would stop at the microphone at the menu sign and wait for the expected raspy, non-engaged voice asking me if I wanted the latest value meal.  That wasn’t the case at this place. Instead I heard the most pleasant voice say, “Good morning, this is Debra, how may I help you?” “

“Seriously?  Someone at a fast food restaurant who actually wanted to help me…and wasn’t interested in pushing their latest meal deal?   I was impressed.  Yet, it got even better.”

“As I sat at the window waiting for my cup of coffee, Debra appeared.  She had my coffee.  I gave her a $5.00 bill.  Her attention to detail and professionalism blew me away.  She placed her hand beneath my outstretched hand, placed the bills in the palm of my hand first and then added the changed on top of the bills which allowed me to close my hand without the possibility of dropping the change all over the parking lot.  Now I was even more impressed.”

“Then she handed me the cup of coffee and asked if I wanted cream and sugar for the coffee.”

“”Thank you for stopping by, have a very nice day.”  I told her thank you and to also have a nice day and left for my trip and left her a tip.  Tipping a fast food employee is unheard of, but I was thrilled to do it….as that brief exchange with Debra set an amazing tone for the rest of my day.”

“Every time I left on a trip I made a point to stop at THAT restaurant.  Every time the experience with Debra was the same.  It got to the point I stopped not for the coffee but rather to hear Debra’s voice and her good wishes.  I wrote a note to management and complimented them AND Debra on how she conducted herself and how professional she was.”

“Now for the rest of the story.  This experience was over 20 years ago–and I still tell that story to this day. It was about two weeks after I wrote the thank you note that I stopped by as usual for coffee.    When I pulled up to the window, this time was different.  Debra took my hand but not to put change in it.  She said, “I know it was you who wrote the note to my manager.  Because of the note, I got a raise and wanted to thank you.”

As Jim noted, he ended up going to that restaurant because of Debra.  She made the kind of difference that resulted in drawing people back to her (and the restaurant) over and over.  Imagine how many others like Jim she influenced.

Whether Debra ‘showed up’ as a professional because of her upbringing or because of the restaurant’s management—we’ll never know.  We do know that Debra’s capabilities were recognized by management and she was ultimately promoted.  Unfortunately for Jim the promotion meant that she no longer worked the window.  The service, Jim later observed, was never the same.

Debra was exceptional.  She stood out. She showed up as a professional would—yes, even at a fast food joint.  So impressed, Jim wrote a thank you note.  Nobody does that.

Every organization seeking competitive advantage should be scouring the countryside high and low, day and night for more Debra’s.  Now would be a good time to start.

 

 

This Place Is A Joke

One of the helpful by-products of people reading The Power of Professionalism is raising their hopes and expectations for their own organization in becoming more professional. They raise the bar, I don’t. But when things fall short, don’t be surprised when people express disappointment—or worse.

Case in point: the title of this blog comes from the subject line of an e-mail someone recently sent me. Here’s a partial list of some of things people have shared with me — experiences that they not only find unprofessional, but truly disturbing.

A.   A supervisor asked one of their employees to upload the supervisor’s resume to a competitor’s website for potential employment purposes.

B.    A busy-body assistant spills the beans on someone’s salary—which is higher than most other employees. Worse yet, the employee was new to the organization. So right out of the gate the new employee is ostracized– creating animosity across the entire organization.

C.   The organization’s value of meritocracy is compromised when a vice president promotes his best friend—someone whose performance (let alone capabilities) were hardly worthy of promotion. The promotion is viewed as a blatant act of cronyism on the part of the vice president.

You, no doubt, have your own examples. Let’s face it, no organization is perfect. Yet most people (top performers especially) expect their organization to strive in adhering to professional ideals.

It isn’t criminal for people NOT to take pride in their organization. But feeling your organization is a joke is sad…really sad. Each of the individuals who shared their experiences with me was (at some level) was thinking of leaving. These are precisely the types of people that organizations can least afford to lose. And even if they don’t leave, their disgust leaves a wake of cynicism in its place.

It’s a price that few organizations can afford….no joke!

Next week, the other side of the story…