The quotes below
are from the book
unless noted

ISBN:
1-887570-05-5

Professionalism Is for Everyone
Five Keys to Being a True Professional

Professionalism Is for Everyone is a short, easy-to-read book. It 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 presents the core principles for being a professional, doing your best, and being as successful as you can be 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 presents a framework of Five Keys to Being a True Professional along with insights, tips, and examples. Simple explanations and illustrations help people understand quickly so they can immediately apply what they learn. Key points and reminders are highlighted in bulleted lists of suggested Dos and Don'ts.

Professionalism Is for Everyone inspires individuals to excellence, high values, and professional behavior. The book helps organizations teach and communicate the standards and foundation principles for what it means to be a professional and act professionally.

Professionalism Is for Everyone, written by Jim Ball, president and CEO of The Goals Institute is our most popular book. We have sold tens of thousands of copies of this book and we continue to reprint it several times a year.

We revised this book in 2007 to include more information and tips we had previously offered only in our seminars. Still short and simple, the book now has more on the benefits of being a professional and on the topics of dress, image, and respect.

Learn about our programs on this book.

"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.

Stand Tall Video Clip

View this short Flash video clip to learn How to Nurture Professionalism In Your Organization in 3 Steps.

Stand Tall Free Booklet

Download this free booklet in PDF format to learn How to Nurture Professionalism In Your Organization in 3 Steps.

Overview of Professionalism Is for Everyone

Here is a summary of the book and its purpose. See later below for more details and links to even more information.

• Short, simple, and easy to read and apply
  
  
• 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
  

Covers much more than ethics and appearance; 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

• ISBN: 1-877570-05-5; 80 pages  5" by 7" softbound
• Written by James R. Ball, president of The Goals Institute
• Published by The Goals Institute, revised and updated 2007

Want More Information about Professionalism?
Follow these Links for More About:

Visit our summary professionalism matters locator page for the tools, resources, and other items we have regarding Professionalism on our website.

Keep It Simple for Success (KISS books)

Professionalism Is for Everyone is part of our Keep It Simple for Success® Series of books. To see other titles click here.

"Professionalism really
is for everyone."

Examples of Organizations Using
Professionalism Is for Everyone

Hundreds of organizations have provided Professionalism Is for Everyone to their managers, associates, and students. Many of these organizations also have had us provide seminars and keynotes on this book or they have purchased our tools for Learning Leaders and provided these programs and presentations themselves.

VIEW a list of organizations using Professionalism Is for Everyone

The listing above groups organizations by industries such as: Healthcare, Education, Financial Services, and Hospitality.

A user tells us about Professionalism Is for Everyone:

"This book contains all the things I always wanted my people to know, but were never written down anywhere before."

— John Nicholas, manager
Tower Club of Club Corporation of America

"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."

Direct 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

"Do and say what you
believe is the right
thing to do and say.""

Benefits for Leaders
in Organizations

Table of Contents
of Professionalism Is for Everyone

Below is a summary of the contents of Professionalism Is for Everyone. Concepts, principles, and examples are discussed and presented under the individual sections. In addition, bulleted lists of Dos and Don'ts are included at the end of each topic.

Being a Professional and Professionalism Is for Everyone

• Describes what it means to be a professional
• Explains how professionalism applies to everyone
• Outlines the benefits of being a professional and introduces the PRO model

The Five Keys
Summary of each of the Five Keys to Being a True Professional

1. Character
   The Professional Choice, Integrity, Trust, Being Responsible, Projecting a Professional Image and more...
   
   
2. Attitude
   The Professional Approach, Seeking Responsibility, Being a Team Player and more...
   
   
3. Excellence
   Pressing for Excellence, Continual Improvement and more...
   
   
4. Competency
   Expertise, Performance, Personal Effectiveness and more...
   
   
5. Conduct
   Professional Maturity, Manners Matter, Loyalty, Respect
   and more...

Ten Rules of Professionalism

"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."

Smart Choice for Leaders, Managers, Human Resource Professionals, and Business Owners

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 accept less of
yourself than your
standards require."

FREE Extras, Articles, and Leader-Reader Program

Are You a Professional? -- Quick Test

Take our Quick Test and see how you score on our professionalism scale. A fun way to stimulate thinking and review reminders about what it means to be a professional.

Download a PDF of this Quick Test.

Bookmark with each book

Each book comes with a "Stand Tall" bookmark that serves as a reminder of the concepts in the book.

Stand Tall Video Clip

Stand Tall Booklet

Download this free booklet in PDF format to learn How to Nurture Professionalism In Your Organization in 3 Steps.

Articles on Professionalism

Go to the Goal Mind section of our web site for articles on professionalism and other articles that may be of interest. Here are some examples of the types of articles in that section.

• "How to get people to be more accountable, responsible, and professional."
  
  
• "On time and professional."
  
  
• "Example of a true professional jumping into action."

Seminars and Keynotes Available

The Goals Institute provides keynote presentations and half-day and full-day seminars on the Five Keys to Being a True Professional framework and concepts in Professionalism Is for Everyone.

We would be happy to discuss program options with you.

More Information on Keynotes and Seminars

We have many clients
using our Teach-It-Yourself Tools. Some examples are AIG, American Cancer,
Blue Cross Blue Shield, Comcast, HCA.
Moss Adams, Schneck
Medical Center, and
Verizon Wireless.

Teach-It-Yourself Resources Available

In addition to providing seminars on Professionalism Is for Everyone, The Goals Institute offers Teach-It-Yourself resources and support for organizations that want to deliver a presentation on professionalism or provide our seminar program themselves using their own Learning Leaders and facilitators.

Short presentations: The resources availabe for making short 30 to 90 minute presentations include a complete script, suggested timetable, Power Point®, discussion question, and other tools.

Seminars: The resources available for providing a half-or full-day seminar include a Facilitator's Guide for use in teaching Professionalism Is for Everyone, Participant Guides and a copy of the book for participants, Power Point® slides, and many other teaching aids and tools.

Our kits contain everything you need to provide this program in your organization at affordable prices. We even provide telephone consultation to help get you started. You do not have to attend one of our seminars to be able to teach the seminar to others; our materials are that complete. There is no required instructor certification.

More Information about our Teach-It-Yourself Resources

"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.

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.

In the Keep It Simple for Success® series, Jim is the author of Professionalism Is for Everyone and ABCs for Life and he is co-author with Jennifer Kuchta of It’s About TIME!, The Anacondas in Life and World-Class Customer Service.

Jim also is the author of Soar . . . If You Dare, DNA Leadership through Goal-Driven Management, and The Entrepreneur’s Tool Kit.

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 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 the American Institute of CPAs and the Virginia Society of CPAs.

Posters - Five Keys to Being a True Professional

In addition to the book below, we offer posters that summarize the Five Keys to Being a True Professional. There is a brief explanation of the content of each key along with an Icon and a description of the Icon for each key. These Icons make the keys easy to remember and teach to others. View a PDF of the poster.

Posters are 11" x 14" and come in two versions:

Buy - Heavy card stock for $9.95 each

Buy - Framed in a black metal frame for $24.95 each

Professionalism Is for Everyone
Online Book Ordering Information and Volume Discounts

To order the book online, click the appropriate 'buy button' below. To order by phone, please call us at 703-264-2000.

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If you are considering an order of 500 or more copies, please call or email us for an additional volume discount price.

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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, FedEx Ground, and by UPS 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.