True Professionalism

Maister sets out to help professionals align their real-world actions with their true (espoused) values. His frame of reference throughout the book is the professional firm–law firms and others in the service sector. He tells us that successful firms are clearly differentiated by a strict adherence to values and professionalism and that doing the right thing is good business. Professionalism is not a set of competencies but predominantly an attitude; a real professional is a technician who cares. To emphasize the importance of true values in our chaotic marketplace, we learn that the noble path does win, but only if we are prepared to make the investment to act professionally over a long period of time. This is a challenge in today’s short-term view of most aspects of business activity. The book addresses the individual professional’s values, the firm’s responsibilities in the realm of values, and how a firm should deal with its client base in terms of quality and excellence. In addition, the author offers a thought-provoking suggestion for guaranteeing satisfaction. Mary Whaley

James P. Saviano President, CSC Consulting Maister has a remarkable ability to cut to the quick and challenge executives to take on the burden of leadership by offering practical advice on how to connect business behavior to principles and values. — Review