The idea of ‘professionalism’ and ‘what makes someone a professional’ is already proving to be something of a hot topic this year. You only have to look at some of the recent articles on this blog to see how far reaching this topic is – whether it is looking at professionalism in project work, a professional approach to job seeking or the ongoing evolution of CPD in the workplace, the same themes are cropping up time and again. It was with great interest then that I began reading Susie Kay’s Professionalism – The ABC for Success, to see what viewpoint she has on the current trends.
It is clear from the off that Susie’s approach to writing is to take the reader on a self help journey whereby they will read the book and hopefully come out the other end a little more professional. This is fine in terms of a concept, but very tough to pull off in a truly effective manner, especially considering the book is fairly light on content (85 pages, not including the 6 pages reserved for the readers’ own notes at the back). As you have probably guessed from the title Susie uses an ABC approach to convey her idea of professionalism, the A standing for Attitude, B for Behaviour and C for Character.
To the content, then. In all honesty there is only so much depth an author can go into in 85 pages, and unfortunately on this occasion it really shows. This is a real shame as Susie has a number of interesting themes that she delves into on occasion, the sections on determination and ethics were particular standouts from my perspective and echo a lot of the advice that both me and the other Arras consultants have been sharing as part of our Job Search Support Service sessions. The problem I had is that because so little depth on each topic, the reader has no chance to really understand the topic to any great degree before they are moved on to the next theme.
Other areas of the book also seem painfully obvious. There is a particular section on Self Control where the reader is advised against adopting certain behaviours in the workplace – examples being making derogatory remarks, indulging in gossip or making unpleasant jokes at a colleague’s expense. Instead the advice is to deal with situations rationally and calmly. Sections like this and another advising the reader about the dangers of stealing stationary came across as being a bit lazy unfortunately and all together a little patronizing. By the time I got to the ‘Wisdom of Others’ section at the back including quotes from Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela I’m afraid to say I’d had my fill.
Susie is a senior figure in the project management world and it would have been great and I’m sure very insightful to hear her thoughts on areas such as CPD and Competencies. I should say that she does touch on these areas, but only for a page a piece. I got the impression reading the book that it was trying to compete with other established names in the market such as ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. Unfortunately it lacks both the depth and focus to make a sustained mark on the psyche, and surely that is the entire purpose of this sort of book in the first place.
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