What defines the ultimate professional?

I was talking to somebody about the theory that you can double your pay by playing the professional game. What are the things that separate the ultimate professional from some putz sitting in a cube? This is what we came up with so far:

answering the phone � returning calls
good time management - efficient
being on time for meetings
respecting everybody � whether they deserve it or not
dressing at the 80th percentile (this is the one I struggle with)
taking responsibility for things
excellent communication skills
never appearing to be angry or exhausted
understanding the concept of �business needs�

Anybdoy have any ideas on what else to add?

writing a book! hehehhehe

I honestly believe in most large corporations the less you do the more time you have to make yourself look better. That can be talking with big wigs, attending endless meetings, writing lots of emails, making lots of phone calls. Sitting down and solving problems will not get you noticed - at least not in a good way.

how about working on weekends

. Acting with a owner mentality
. Developing people everywhere
. Displays ethical behaviour and integrity.

I agree with Tim's view. I ve seen it happen (albeit unfortunately not in my favour )

Originally posted by Tim LeMaster:
I honestly believe in most large corporations the less you do the more time you have to make yourself look better. That can be talking with big wigs, attending endless meetings, writing lots of emails, making lots of phone calls. Sitting down and solving problems will not get you noticed - at least not in a good way.

How true? The keyword is smart! It is useless slogging without being able to project yourself!

Important thing is to hang around with boss, do less work, but project a busy air and most important talk like you know what you are doing...even if you dont!

Important thing is to hang around with boss, do less work, but project a busy air and most important talk like you know what you are doing...even if you dont!

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

Kind of contradiction , no?

- Pin all your polished "Sun Certified" badges on your shirt
- Make tattoos of those badges on your arms, or other relevant parts of your body

One thing that I have noticed is the late bird gets the hike. Stay late even if you have no business and project to be busy. A person who finishes on time and leaves early should be the one awarded rather than the one who is slow and generally takes more time for a similar task. But does that really happen.

In my experience, it's who you know.

If you know the right person, and stick with them, you won't go far wrong.

dressing at the 80th percentile (this is the one I struggle with)

Paul, I've never heard this phrase before. Would you explain it?
Thanks!

Originally posted by Maureen Augustus:

Paul, I've never heard this phrase before. Would you explain it?
Thanks!

Suppose you work at a shop where ratty t-shirts and jeans are the norm. And the execs wear jeans and a shirt with a collar. In this case, I would probably wear jeans and a shirt with a collar.

In another shop, most of the folks are wearing slighly dressier stuff - no jeans. And the execs often wear ties. I would fall short of wearing a tie.

It's just one of those things where if you play the game, you might be able to get double pay. The trick is: what are the rules? What are the things that make it so that you can get that extra pay.

The keyword is smart!

No the keyword is deceptive or unethical. I'm smart enough to see what people do but would never take credit for others work or pretend I know what I'm talking about.

Important thing is to hang around with boss, do less work, but project a busy air and most important talk like you know what you are doing...even if you dont!

Sure in a large corporation this might (er does unforunately) work. In a small company where it obvious what everyone impact really is, it will get you fired. My goal is to work in a very small company not a large one.

Originally posted by Nick White:
In my experience, it's who you know.

If you know the right person, and stick with them, you won't go far wrong.

Totally agree to this....

In addition to hardworking and doing whatever it takes to produce results, need to know/report to right person. Immediate superiors makes a lot of difference

I know I shouldn't take this thread too seriously, but the unspoken context of the whole thing seems to be that all companies are fundamentally dysfunctional, and have to be manipulated...

Has it gotten so bad that no one can find a well run company?

The root of what I'm looking at has more to do with the state of the employee. There are a lot of people that show up to work, plod along, bitch about stuff in general and go home. They don't give a damn about anything outside of their sphere. And even things within their sphere can be a bit iffy.

Let's take a look at one simple item: showing up to meetings on time. You have something that will take about an hour to work through with the group. So you schedule an hour. But the meeting doesn't start until 20 after because you are waiting for people that are essential to the meeting. A lot of the people didn't come until 10 after because they know that meetings "around here" always start late. So the company is paying for people to sit around and do nothing. And, the material doesn't get properly covered when the next group of folks come in for the meeting room ...

I'm not sure if this is a dysfunctional company, or simply a lack of professionalism of the team.

Some companies are willing to pay more for a certain level of professionalism. Possibly even "most companies". But .... what does "professionalism" mean? There is no doubt that this is some sort of acting the part of "corporate whore." I'm just saying that if I'm gonna give up 40 hours a week, I would like to know what my options are. Take it easy, or play the corportate whore game for double pay. If I play, what are the rules? What are the things that one must do? Are they pretty easy, or will they be .... beyond my comfort zone?

Paul

Sounds like you have worked in the public sector in the UK!!

Your example of meetings.....

Happens where I work - why? because the people who are in charge do nothing about it, it then spreads to all areas of the team, where it really doesn't matter if you turn up on time, wear decent clothes, or indeed, even do a half decent job.

A lack of professionalism like this isn't only a waste of money, but displays a lack of respect to your colleagues and the people you work to serve.

Fact of life - people will often do the least amount they can get away with.

Isn't this similar to XP............

Originally posted by Paul Wheaton:
Anybdoy have any ideas on what else to add?

checking all forums of javaranch except Meaningless Drivel !!
[ October 20, 2006: Message edited by: Rajeev Ravindran ]

Now I get what you're saying Paul, but it still seems to me that that kind of employee will realy only survive in a dysfunctional environment. I've spent time in good companies and in bad, and my experience of the good companies is that if a lazy manages to sneak in, they don't last long. So, short term, these issues seem valid, but my feeling still is that in a good company that kind of behavior won't survive.

Show up to work on time (by 9 am?)

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
Now I get what you're saying Paul, but it still seems to me that that kind of employee will realy only survive in a dysfunctional environment. I've spent time in good companies and in bad, and my experience of the good companies is that if a lazy manages to sneak in, they don't last long. So, short term, these issues seem valid, but my feeling still is that in a good company that kind of behavior won't survive.

So, in a good company, showing up to a meeting on time is a behavior that won't survive?

Originally posted by Marilyn de Queiroz:
Show up to work on time (by 9 am?)

Good one!

And out after 5!

Originally posted by Satou kurinosuke:
- Pin all your polished "Sun Certified" badges on your shirt
- Make tattoos of those badges on your arms, or other relevant parts of your body

other relevant parts of your body
When I read this I pictured two different things (male placement and female placement)

Makes Kiss my "Sun Certified" badge a little sick!

Eric

making at least $100/hr

So, in a good company, showing up to a meeting on time is a behavior that won't survive?

was my post really that confusing?

If so, I'll try again - in my experience, if you're working at a healthy company, people who are consistently late for meetings won't survive.

Instill confidence. ("_______ is handling it, so we're fine.")