The influence of David Maister's work on professional firms continues to this day despite the fact that he retired in 2009. While Ron and Ed have some problems with his reliance on efficiency and metrics, his book True Professionalism: The Courage to Care about Your People, Your Clients, and Your Career stands out for its insight into what it really means to be a professional. In this episode, we explore this book and share our thoughts about what Maister did and did not get right.
A bit more about the book
[The Amazon summary] 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. 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.
Below are the show notes. Use them to follow along while listening to the podcast:
To get started today, exactly who is David Maister? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Maister
To Ed, the book “The Brand You 50” is the first ever social media book…before social media was a thing. https://www.amazon.com/Brand-You-Reinventing-Work-Distinction-ebook/dp/B000FC1H1O
“A true professional is a technician who cares.” —David Maister
“I believe that true professionalism means the pursuit of excellence, not just competence.” —David Maister
“Professionals are used to being nagged about their production levels. Yet they are rarely nagged about such areas as level of client service, supervision of junior professionals, or collaboration with each other.” —David Maister
What would you think about a survey similar to David Maister’s work? It would ask you about how much you enjoy the work you do and the clients you work with. Let us know if the results would be interesting to you.
“Many choose a profession. Then a firm. Then finally a role. I believe this is the wrong order.” —David Maister
The onus for your career advancement is on you. Invest in yourself. Sure, your firm should take a responsibility in this but ultimately it is yours.
Here’s a great 2x2 from Maister. Do you have a standardized process or customized process? Do you have a high degree of contact or a low degree of contact with a customer? Maister applies this to the medical industry with great results.
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“Mergers can be successful. It’s just that few of them have been.” —David Maister
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Originally published in 1997, it’s really interesting that the book “True Professionalism” asks this question: Which of these stats do you monitor? Followed by a hint of the subscription pricing model with the answer, “recurring business ratio” https://www.amazon.com/True-Professionalism-Courage-People-Clients/dp/0684840049
DavidMaister.com is still available and active even though he is retired. Ron Baker has four or five significant cites within David’s published posts.
How to Set Fees - https://davidmaister.com/how-to-set-fees/
Value Pricing - https://davidmaister.com/value-pricing/
Firing Unprofitable Clients - https://davidmaister.com/firing-unprofitable-clients/
First Review of “Fat Smoker” - https://davidmaister.com/first-review-of-fat-smoker/
The War For Talent - https://davidmaister.com/the-war-for-talent/
Good to Good - https://davidmaister.com/good-to-good/
Verasage also has quite a few significant references on DavidMaister.com. Here are a few.
Medical Practice as a Professional Service - https://davidmaister.com/medical-practice-as-a-professional-service/
Blawg Review #131 - https://davidmaister.com/blawg-review-131/
Client Focus and the Halo Effect - https://davidmaister.com/client-focus-and-the-halo-effect/
Performance Appraisals - https://davidmaister.com/performance-appraisals/
Why Does Bad Management Thrive So Much? - https://davidmaister.com/why-does-bad-management-thrive-so-much/
Compensation Systems - https://davidmaister.com/compensation-systems/
Bonus Content is Available As Well
Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.
Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits.