A terrific book that can offer you insight and advice no matter where you are in your career. Maister examines professionalism from the individual, organization, and client's perspective. Maister asserts "professionalism is: believing passionately in what you do, never compromising your standards and values, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career."

Maister encourages the reader to consider the 'radical' idea that work should be enjoyable and that if it is, then success will come from doing it well.

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Product Description

Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals -- to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism? His answer is clear: It is believing passionately in what you do, never compromising your standards and values, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career. In clear and compelling terms, Maister shows that this approach is not only ethical but also conducive to commercial success.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67076 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780684840048
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
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

Review
Tom Watson Vice Chairman, Omnicom Group, Inc. Maister?s ideas are applicable in a wide range of professional businesses and are equally valid for small firms or large. This book speaks to the professional in all of us. -- Review

Review
Thomas J. TierneyWorldwide Managing Director, Bain & CompanyInsightful, entertaining and useful! Maister's work bridges the gap between theory and practice; grounded in conceptual bedrock, it offers practical 'Monday morning' advice for anyone involved in managing a professional service firm.

John HarveyChairman, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, AustraliaDavid Maister is the guru of professional services. A routine reading of Maister?s lessons is good religion for all practice managers.

James M. KouzesCoauthor of The Leadership Challenge and CredibilityTrue Professionalism is pure gold. You?ll be able to mine this rich vein for your entire career and always discover another nugget.

Adrian MartinManaging Partner, BDO Stoy Hayward UKMaister is not for the fainthearted. If you are not prepared to ask the tough questions about your business, don?t open this book!?

Tom WatsonVice Chairman, Omnicom Group, Inc.Maister?s ideas are applicable in a wide range of professional businesses and are equally valid for small firms or large. This book speaks to the professional in all of us.

Martin SorrellChairman, WPP Group plcProvocative, controversial and stimulating, Maister challenges traditional thinking and provides new insights on a wide range of important issues.

A. W. (Pete) Smith, Jr.President & CEO, Watson Wyatt WorldwideDavid Maister has a keen awareness of what creates success in professional service firms and a clear way of communicating ideas that truly make a difference.

John M. Westcott, Jr.Assistant Managing Partner, Hale & Dorr, BostonMaister in print, like Maister in person, is animated, entertaining and insightful. He always leaves the reader with food for further thought.

Robert M. HellerKramer, Levin, Naftalis & FrankelDavid Maister is a walking oxymoron, a practical visionary whose thoughtful analysis of the professional service firm is must-reading for anyone trying to lead, manage or survive in one. If you need help getting your prima donnas to sing like a chorus, read this book -- better yet, ask them to.

Fergus RyanManaging Partner, Arthur Andersen, AustraliaDavid Maister?s knowledge of professional services is second to none.

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Customer Reviews

Should be required reading in law firms
"True Professionalism" expresses Maister's core message: do work
you love with people you like and everything else will come
with ease. Few of the lawyers I coach have heard this message
before. If they'd read Maister they'd realize that business
development isn't about selling, with all of its worst connotations -- it's about helping people you respect and whose problems are meaningful to you.
Maister encourages the reader to consider the "radical" idea that work should be enjoyable and that if it is, then success will come from doing it well and with sincere caring. I agree with him and enjoy being reminded each time I re-read this wonderful book.

Insightful & simple - but too hard to use.
You're a consultant, lawyer, accountant or some other professional in a practice which needs to sell to survive.

This book gives good, simple, guidelines to succeed. Follow them and you'll do well.

Don't worry that your competition will do the same because many of the recommendations will get lost in the "Too Hard" basket. For example, Maister's treatment of unchargeable time is simple and cuts right to the chase: how is non-chargeable time measured? What is the RoI of this time? Is there a schedule or a programme for what is essential investment in the future?

The logic is impeccable, but it will lead to little action precisely because unchargeable time by definition doesn't contribute to the bottom line immediately.

It is a book which seeks out many of the sloppy, unimaginative practices prevalent in professional firms and provides practical remedies. It is a book that will be much recommended but too hard to use, and the reason why is best illustrated by Maister's recommendation on guarantees:

"Guarantee your work to the complete satisfaction of the client. If the client is not completely satisfied, accept that portion of the fee that reflects the client's level of satisfaction".

This stuff is just too scary. To trust clients and staff that much is asking a lot. To force a firm to live up to its marketing claims is, for most, a risk not worth taking.

Essentials Needed To Become a Successful Leader
David Maister does a great job of explaining the fundamentals essential to anyone that has a job or is looking for a job in consulting. Splitting the book into three sections made it flow well and easy to follow and comprehend. Furthermore, Maister really focuses on the things that you should look for within yourself as well as the firm and clients. He makes you think about what one should really focus on in your career and the benefits you can receive from your job. This book also guides an employee in explaining situations that will probably occur at some point in their working career. David Maister gives you the tools that you need to be successful; all the person has to do is apply it to their everyday life.

The principles that Maister discussed in his book showed me that there is a balance between the client, the firm, and yourself. This balance is important because it dictates how successful you will become. It is also important to value your client as well as engage with them so that you really know who the client is and what their needs and wants are. Even though you must achieve your goals, you should help others to do the same by establishing a relationship, which in turn will make the working environment healthy and successful.

There is so much information you take a way from this book that will help you in your career as well as your life. I advise everyone to buy this book, because it is very beneficial to the success of anyone's career. Through the use of catchy phrases and clear, practical explanations, I feel that anyone can read this book and take something from it to apply to their career.