Amateurs vs. Professionals

1. Confidence: This comprises about 10% of total engagement. The ability to believe in yourself and do what you do well.

2. Integrity: This comprises about 15% of total engagement. This is about showing respect, being a team player and constantly learning.

3. Pride: This comprises about 30% of total engagement. This is about being an ambassador for the company you work for (and family), making great first impressions, being empowered and showing respect.

4. Passion: This comprises about 40% of total engagement and is the most difficult of all to possess. This is about showing genuine appreciation for everything you do and those around you. When one has passion, you know it from their smile, their actions, the way they communicate and live their daily life. These four tenants are part of our TNG credo and every TNG talent carries their credo card with them at all times. I got this idea from The Ritz Carlton who originated the credo card. We’ve been doing this for more than five years. These values are what set apart amateurs from professionals. Pro’s must be fully engaged at all times to be their best. Constant learning, training, practice, competition and winning are part of their daily lives. You witness this in every profession (that’s why it’s called profession) such as sports, Texas Hold ‘Em, cooking (Chefs are the new big thing),  finance, and being a business owner. It’s not easy being a fully engaged professional. That’s why some are better than others. You also have to have a natural talents. But in virtually every instance, pro’s always beat amateurs. Amateurs may possess confidence and integrity, but they have yet to acquire pride and passion. Amateurs show their full colors when they compete with professionals. It isn’t pretty. That’s one reason why college football teams don’t play against NFL teams even in pre-season. It’s a totally different playing field. Gallup has taught me many things over the years and the one lesson I always keep in the back of my mind is about passion. I’m passionate about the business and that’s why I’m not selling out. Our team is passionate about the business. Those in our industry that are passionate understand our purpose and mission. Please visit gallup.com to learn more about engagement. In the meantime, let’s move forward doing the best that we can. Happy Thursday!