ISBN: 1-887570-05-5
72 pages softbound
5” x 7¼”

$9.95
See volume discount
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Professionalism Is for Everyone — Five Keys to Being a True Professional

By James R. Ball

Professionalism Is for Everyone is a short, easy-to-read, motivating book that
inspires professionalism and professional behavior.

Professionalism Is for Everyone presents Five Keys to Being a True Professional plus many examples and supporting concepts. Specific tips and techniques are provided in the form of bulleted lists of suggested Dos and Don'ts.

The Five Keys in the book are core principles for being a professional, doing your best, and striving for excellence. These Five Keys will help you be successful at whatever it is you do at work, at home, and in life. As one reader put it:

"This book teaches lifetime skills everyone should know and apply. I sure wish someone had put this little book in my hands when I was just starting out."

The book describes in everyday language what it means to be a professional and why
being a professional is the best choice to make for lifetime success and happiness. The book:

• Inspires you to take pride in yourself and your work
• Motivates you to raise your standards, values, and expectations
• Explains what it means to be a professional
• Teaches why being a professional is important for personal growth and success
• Shows you what to do and not do to behave in a professional manner
• Promotes respect, loyalty, teamwork, discipline, integrity, and trust
• Provides a reference guide and simple framework for teaching others what professionalism means and addressing behaviors or attitudes that may not be professional

Pick up tips for polishing professionalism and get ideas for how to polish your personal excellence. Learn how to inspire professionalism in others and give them the tools and information they need to grow and advance in their careers.

See the video about inspiring professionalism in your organization.

See below for Organizations Using the book, Book at a Glance, What's In It for Your Organization?, 3 Reasons to Give Employees this Book, Benefits for Individuals, Benefits for Organizations, About the Author, Stand Tall Free Video, Free Executive Report, Order Online, Educational Discounts, Shipping Information.

"Professionalism really is for everyone."

Organizations Using Professionalism Is for Everyone

Hundreds of organizations have provided Professionalism Is for Everyone to their managers, associates, and students. Some examples of these are AIG, American Cancer Society, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Comcast, Financial Women International , Gettysburg College, Hospital Corporation of America, Lab One, Logan County School District, Lone Star College, Marriott, McDonald’s, Midland Technical College, Miller Poultry, Mitchell Wiggins LLP, Moss Adams LLP, Palmetto Health, Penn State University, Rivermont Schools, Ronald Blue & Co., Schneck Medical Center, Schwan’s Foods, SECU Credit Union , Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Southbridge Savings Bank , Subaru of Indiana, Suburban Bank & Trust Company, Univ. of Central Florida, Univ. of Kansas School of Medicine, University of Texas, Univ. of Toledo, College of Medicine, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, Virginia College, Vista Care, Virginia Society of CPAs, Wells Fargo Bank, and YMCA.

To see a listing of even more users, click here.

To learn how The Eye Center of Southern Indiana used the book to inspire and polish professionalism see this PDF Article.

In addition to volume book buyers, many organizations have had us provide seminars and keynotes on this book or they have purchased our Teach-It-Yourself tools for their Learning Leaders to provided these programs and presentations themselves.

We provide an Illustrative Listing of Organizations Using Professionalism Is for Everyone for your consideration. This listing groups organizations by industries such as: Medicine, Education, Financial Services, and Hospitality.

Here is the Book at a Glance

• Short, simple, and easy to read and apply, 72 pages
  
  
• Inspires professionalism, excellence, and being the best
  
  
• Explains what it means to be a professional
  
  
• Describes the benefits of being a professional and behaving in a professional manner
  
  
• Presents a framework of Five Keys to Being a True Professional
  
  
• These Five Keys cover 30 concepts such as Respect, Being Responsible and Accountable, Projecting a Professional Image, and Doing What Is Right
  
  
• Includes bulleted lists of suggested Dos and Don'ts describing what professionals do and do not do
  
  
• Provides a Ten Rules of Professionalism summary
  
  
• In use at hundreds of premier organizations; thousands of individual users have benefited
  

Professionalism Is for Everyone covers much more than ethics and appearance; it also addresses accountability, being responsible, having a positive work ethic, civility, manners, pressing for excellence, respect, developing skills and expertise, and other attributes of professionalism.

Publishing Information

• Professionalism Is for Everyone: Five Keys to Being a True Professional
• ISBN: 1-877570-05-5; 74 pages  5" by 7¼" softbound
• Written by James R. Ball, president of The Goals Institute
• Published by The Goals Institute, revised and updated 2007

Keep It Simple for Success® books - K.I.S.S. Books

This book is one of the books in our Keep It Simple for Success® series. These books are short, effective tools that provide excellent content and plenty of useful tips and ideas in the forms of specific Dos and Don'ts that people can quickly understand and put to work right away.

"Everyone admires a professional at work."

What's In It for You and Your Organization?

Professionalism Is for Everyone contains a universal message that applies to everyone and every organization.

For Individuals: Read this book when you want to:

• Have pride in yourself and confidence in your abilities
• Be excellent, do your best, and be your best
• Achieve your full potential
• Excel and be respected by others
• Maximize your abilities, opportunities, and results

For Leaders and Managers: Give this book to your associates and team members when you want to:

• Nurture a culture of professionalism and excellence
• Create and promote an environment of respect and trust
• Inspire positive values, moral conduct, and ethical behavior
• Stamp out mediocrity
• Inspire pride, excellence, and professional behavior throughout your organization.

"When you choose to be professional, you are leaving mediocrity and apathy behind. You are embarking on a lifelong journey of continual growth and the pursuit of excellence."

3 Reasons to Give Your Employees this Book

If you are in a leadership role, we recommend that you provide a copy of Professionalism Is for Everyone to every single individual in your organization. We believe this is a smart choice for several reasons.

First, if you want your associates to behave professionally and aspire to excellence, you must tell them what you mean and what this requires. You cannot assume that people know what you are thinking. By providing Professionalism Is for Everyone to each of your associates, you will provide them the framework and guidance they need to get started on the proper professional approach in their careers and stay there. The Dos and Don’ts in the book will be good reminders and provide excellent tips for what they can and should be doing to be a professional.

Second, people are busy and they do not focus on important matters unless something attracts and holds their attention and they are encouraged to take action. By providing Professionalism Is for Everyone to each of your associates, you will be sending them a positive message that gets their attention. When you send a letter with the book and provide programs to review and discuss its content, you will encourage your associates to read the principles and apply them.

Third, in addition to learning what to do initially, people need reminders and ongoing guidance to stay on track. By providing Professionalism Is for Everyone to each of your associates, you will be providing them a simple guide that they periodically can refer to for guidance, reinforcement, and discussion with others.

"Don’t tolerate mediocrity."

Benefits for Individuals

People will seek you out to work for their organizations. They will want you to be on their teams. Your co-workers will respect you.

By adopting a professional approach as described in Professionalism Is for Everyone, you will increase your pride and belief in yourself and your abilities.

Just beginning: If you are just beginning or are early on in your career, Professionalism Is for Everyone will help you understand the benefits of being a professional and adopting a professional approach. Professionalism Is for Everyone also will provide you with plenty of tips and a Five-Key framework for learning what you must do to be a professional and act professionally.

Experienced: For experienced individuals, Professionalism Is for Everyone is a good refresher with many insights and examples. You can review this book for reminders of what you already know but may have forgotten. You can also use this book to stimulate your thinking for new ideas and techniques. Everyone can identify areas where he or she can polish their professionalism.

Coaching: Great for coaching and mentoring others using the framework in the book.

"Professionals lead the quest for excellence. They raise the bar on performance and quality. They set the pace and standards that others follow."

Benefits for Organizations

Professionalism Is for Everyone offers many benefits for every type of organization, big or small.

Our primary premise is that people are not born as professionals, rather the principles and practices of professionalism can and must be taught and learned.

Moreover, when individuals learn what it means to be professional and are motivated to think and act professionally, they become more valuable as employees, co-workers, and leaders in their organizations.

Professionalism is the invisible, and underlying foundation supporting all great organizations. Professionalism Is for Everyone will help your organization:

• Establish and nurture a culture of professionalism and excellence
  
  
• Inspire positive values, moral conduct, and ethical behavior
  
  
• Stamp out mediocrity and instill pride in personal excellence
  
  
• Enhance the image, brand, and reputation of the organization
  
  
• Polish standards for dress, appearance, and manners
  
  
• Inspire respect and professional behavior
  
  
• Establish a joyful, caring, and respectful environment
  
  
• Develop people in a positive, energetic, and engaged manner
  
  
• Increase productivity, performance, and results
  
  
• Improve the quality of products and services provided
  
  
• Reinforce trust and respect among leaders and associates
  
  
• Improve teamwork and instill cooperation
  
  
• Encourage adopting desirable values
  
  
• Inspire excellence and attention to quality details
  
  
• Boost confidence and pride
  
  
• Improve accountability and reliability of associates
  
  
• Make it easier to attract, recruit, and retain top quality associates
  
  
• Engage and inspire employees and eliminate employee apathy
  
  
• Reduce turnover and disciplinary problems
  
  
• Eliminate the need for micro management and reduce the need for follow-ups
  
  
• Reduce stress and anxiety of associates
  
  
• Improve job and work satisfaction
  
  
• Improve the happiness, joy, and quality of life of associates

"One of my personal values is excellence. I strive to be excellent in my work and life. I wrote Professionalism Is for Everyone to inspire others to choose excellence as a guiding core value in their lives, too.

About the Author

James R. Ball, Jim to everyone, is president and CEO of The Goals Institute. Jim co-founded The Goals Institute to help businesses and organizations achieve their potential through goal achievement.

Jim previously was co-founder and CEO of a venture capital firm and before that he was a Managing Partner at Arthur Andersen. Jim has been an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University and he has provided keynotes and executive seminars for hundreds of organizations.

The Goals Institute has many clients in many industries. See the About Us section of the web site of The Goals Institute for an illustrative listing of clients and for comments from clients on programs provided. Jim is the author or co-author of the books below. For more information on these books, please visit our Bookstore.

Books in the Keep It Simple for Success® series with Jennifer Kuchta:

• Professionalism Is for Everyone
• ABCs for Life
• It’s About TIME!
• The Anacondas in Life
• World-Class Customer Service.

Other books:

• GOALS: Wisdom, Insights, and Strategies
• Soar . . . If You Dare
• DNA Leadership through Goal-Driven Management
• The Entrepreneur’s Tool Kit
• 10 Best Tips for Closing the Sale
• 10 Best Tips for Getting a Job (scheduled for 2Q 2009)
  

Jim previously was co-founder and CEO of Venture America, a venture capital firm that helped launch and develop twenty companies, including The Discovery Channel.

Before that, he was a managing partner at Arthur Andersen in charge of an office that served rapid growth technology companies. Jim also was in charge of the training and professional development programs for Andersen's staff associates and managers in the Washington, DC area.

Jim has been an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University where he co-founded GMU’s Entrepreneurial Institute, Inc. Jim has a degree in accounting and is a member of many professional organizations.

Stand Tall Video Clip - Free!

View this short Flash video clip to learn How to Nurture Professionalism In Your Organization in 3 Steps. This is a video portrayal of the Executive Report below.

Executive Report - Free!

Executive Report: 3 Steps for Inspiring Professionalism in Your Organization.

Order online here.

Extra Discounts for Education and Charities Purchasing in Volume

We offer additional discounts for schools, colleges, and charitable organizations that are purchasing 100 or more books. Please email or call us at the number at the bottom of this page for a 100+ book price quote for schools, colleges, and charities.

Just $3 for Shipping and Delivery: To simplify things, for shipments inside the Continental U.S. we charge a flat $3 shipping charge for each order to one location, no matter how many books you buy. If you are outside the Continental U.S. we will email you a quote for the shipping cost before we ship your order.

We ship orders by US Postal Service and FedEx Ground from Virginia. Orders usually are shipped the next business day after the order is placed. Orders to Western states take several days transit time. If you want overnight, special delivery, or need your order by a specific date, please email or call us to discuss shipping options.