The Professional: Defining the New Standard of Excellence at Work

by Subroto Bagchi

Overview

A manifesto on what it takes to be a true professional in the modern world.

By common definition, a professional is anyone who possesses the skills and knowledge necessary for a career-whether as a surgeon, a software engineer, or a plumber. But according to Subroto Bagchi, our increasingly global marketplace demands more. In a world where the foolish, selfish, and unethical decisions of a few have affected the lives of millions, The Professional urges readers to act responsibly and reexamine "business as usual".

By exploring a variety of professional dilemmas across many industries, Bagchi defines the qualities of true professionals and the attributes that separate them from the merely competent. These include:

*Suffer no false attractions: It's always tempting to take the path of least resistance, but true professionals can separate the genuine from the phony. *Know when to say no: True professionals are not afraid to say no to things that are not worth their time, their energy, or their creativity. *Take the long view: True professionals understand that every action, decision, and relationship, no matter how small, can have a lasting impact.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101516270
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/30/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	312 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Subroto Bagchi is cofounder and chairman of Mindtree Ltd, a global IT solutions company. He is India's bestselling author of business books, with titles like The High-Performance Entrepreneur, Go Kiss the World, The Professional, and The Professional Companion to his credit. He has also written a business book for young adults, MBA AT 16. His books have been translated into Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Korean, and Chinese. He lives in Bangalore.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 Integrity

1 Burial of the Dead 11

2 The Day Justice Was Murdered 16

3 Integrity Is Personal 21

4 Doctor, Heal Thyself 27

5 The Many Shades of Gray 31

6 Firing the Star Salesperson 35

Part 2 Self-awareness

7 Where Competence Ends 41

8 Knowing Who You Are 43

9 Being Authentic 45

10 Being Comfortable 47

11 Seeking Help 49

12 Not Suffering False Comparisons 51

13 Having a Reasonable View of the Future 53

14 Looking Beyond Money 55

15 Being Deeply Self-observant 57

16 Reining in Reactions 59

17 Welcoming Feedback 61

18 Not Suffering False Attractions 63

19 Never Lose Touch with Your Work 65

20 Being Proactive 67

21 Taking Charge 70

22 Courtesy and Humility 74

23 The Big Picture 77

Part 3 Professional Qualities

24 Of Time, Body and Soul 81

25 Doing More by Doing Less 84

26 The To-do List 86

27 Saying No 88

28 Quit Whining 90

29 A Long View of Time 93

30 Mavens, Connectors and Evangelists 96

31 White Space 98

32 Creating Reuse 100

33 What Is Your Touch Time? 102

34 When Paths Diverge 106

Part 4 Managing Volume

35 The Power of Vision 111

36 Affective Regard 116

37 Commitment to Commitment 123

38 Be Prepared 126

39 Ask Pertinent Questions 129

40 Intent Listening 135

41 Human Beings First and Foremost 137

42 The Rewards of Transparency 141

43 The Responsibility of Dissent 143

Part 5 Managing Complexity

44 Three Disasters, Three Great Professionals 151

45 Logic or Emotion? 155

46 Multiple Intelligences 160

47 Three Levels of Knowledge 165

48 The Five Minds of the Future 169

49 Critical Questioning 173

50 Dealing with Personal Pain 179

Part 6 New World Imperatives

51 Rainmaking 185

52 Inclusion and Gender 192

53 Cross-Cultural Sensitivity 196

54 Governance 202

55 Intellectual Property 205

56 Sustainability 208

Part 7 The Professional's Professional

57 A Yen for Professionalism 215

58 The Unprofessional 219

59 Return of the Dead 226

60 Platform and Purpose 228

Acknowledgments 237

Editorial Reviews

In an era marked by corporate greed, job insecurity, and cultural confusion in global markets, what does it mean to be a professional? In spare, elegant essays, Bagchi (The High Performance Entrepreneur), vice chairman and cofounder of a global information technology powerhouse, MindTree Ltd., waxes on the baseline qualities that distinguish exceptional leaders and workers: the ability to work unsupervised, to certify the completion of a task, and to act with integrity at all times. Beyond these fundamentals are a long term, global view, and an ability to deal effectively with complexity and change. Concepts come to life through examples of real people at all levels in real companies across the globe: he illustrates how to balance private and professional lives with the story of how the former chairwoman of Thermax publicly handled the series of personal tragedies she was facing. He explores how individuals handle job changes and examines the futility of whining, acknowledging that while we may have very genuine problems at work, "when you whine about your workplace troubles, chances are two kinds of people listen: those who don't care and those who are happy that you are in trouble." An unexpectedly humorous and poignant primer to professional etiquette and purpose. (July)

Publishers Weekly