Beyond command of the subject, three things give a professional away: they speak in probabilities, they can hear an opponent, and they put the work above personal likes.
How do you tell a professional from an amateur?
Beyond the obvious command of the subject, I personally look at a few more things:
1. A professional speaks in probabilities. You rarely hear them say “100%, this is absolutely certain, I’m rock-solid right” and expressions like that.
They’ve done a lot of things in their life and have been wrong sometimes. So they say: “with a high degree of probability, with a low degree of probability.”
Absolute, blind certainty is typical of people who don’t have much experience and practice.
2. A professional can hear and understand the point of view of someone they can’t stand in terms of values and beliefs.
They know how to separate their own feelings and emotions about a question from what they’re hearing from their opponent.
Say someone is a fierce opponent of a certain party (or politician) and finds themselves face to face with a fierce supporter of that political force.
When a person can separate their feelings and emotions, they can calmly listen to a view they disagree with. They may even pick out the 5-10% of reasonable arguments, even if they don’t support the other 90-95%.
3. A professional can put the interests of the work above their own.
It shows in the fact that they can work with people they find unpleasant. As long as they’re working towards a shared goal together, personal feelings towards the other person stay secondary.
What matters is getting the job done and the interests of the work as a whole.
Less professional people divide the world into “us” and “them” based on personal preferences, rather than on what the work requires.
What characteristics would you add to this list? Who do you consider a professional? What qualities do those people have?
It is rarely a lack of knowledge
Income runs into thinking and habits, not information. In a session we work out what is actually holding you back and what to do about it in the coming weeks.
Talk through your situation
