“It’s not the job you do, it’s how you do the job.”
-Anonymous
I awoke at 6 A.M. this morning with my newly attached crown suddenly detached, and rattling around in my mouth like a little piece of hard candy. Normally I’d have the self-restraint to wait until a decent hour to call about this, but nerve pain has a way of blowtorching certain social niceties.
I vaguely recalled my dentist encouraging me to contact his colleague who would be standing in for him over this holiday weekend if any problems arose.
So, I called Dr. Howard Gottlieb’s emergency number, expecting to get his answering service. The man himself picked up. Now remember, its Saturday morning, he’s not my dentist, and did I mention that it was 6 A.M. on a holiday weekend? “No problem, I’m on the job. Now let’s get you in and fixed up.”
I wasn’t on pain medication, so I know for sure that he actually said these words.
Honestly, if I listed all the virtues, the good habits, that make the world a better place, professionalism would not be in my top twenty…maybe not even in my top fifty. But it should be. Consider the powerfully positive impact doing your job with a spirit of excellence 40-50 hours a week, fifty some odd weeks a year, can have on the world around you.
Professionalism is not the job you do, it’s how you do the job.
It includes competency, but it’s much more than just competency. One who practices professionalism sees human beings and not just tasks, seizes opportunities to care and not just profit, and attends at least as much to what can’t be tallied on a spread sheet as what can.
That’s why professionalism is a virtue; it makes you a better person, not just a successful person.
So, in due time I arrived at the office and the good doctor was waiting for me. He was pleasant, prompt, and proficient, and in 45 minutes had me on my way. “How much do I owe you” I asked? “Nothing,” he answered. “Dr. Ford would do the same for me if I was on vacation.”
As I left I thanked him once more, and told him how very grateful I was for his professionalism. He smiled and shook his head. “Hey, this is what I do.”
Well, that’s true…and then some!
Question for reflection: How hard do you work at professionalism?
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About Me
- Ross Porter
- Dr. Ross Porter received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his Master of Divinity (Theology) and Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, where he first became interested in the integration of psychology and spirituality. He is a teacher, author, counselor, and consultant, specializing in integrative psychology, virtue ethics and family systems. He has taught at the high school, college, and graduate school levels. Ross is also the Founder and Executive Director of Stillpoint Family Resources, a non-profit organization that offers counseling services to individuals, couples, and families in crisis, with nine different office locations throughout Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties (specific office locations can be found at www.stillpointfamilyresources.org). In 2009, Dr. Porter was named an “Outstanding Angeleno” by the Los Angeles Daily News. Ross and his wife Jennifer have been married for 21 years, and have four beautiful children. John Michael, their son who has Down Syndrome is their first born.
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