How To Think and Act Like a PRO

By Mark Fulton

For athletes who aspire to fame and fortune, the first step toward realizing their dream is “turning pro.” Reaching the professional ranks in their sport puts athletes in a position to display their skills for adoring fans, command salaries that make the rest of us salivate and rake in even more money hawking everything from sneakers to hamburgers.

Oh, did I mention the chance they get to serve as a role model for young people? Well, let’s leave that alone.

Being a pro at some sport may be only a pipe dream for those of us whose greatest athletic achievement was making par at the pitch ’n’ putt. However, you can be a “PRO” (Proficient, Responsible, Outstanding) player in your chosen career by training yourself to think and act like a winner.

Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player ever to lace up a hightop. What made him so special? Most sports buffs agree that it was his combination of skills. He could dribble, shoot, rebound and put moves on opposing players that made them wish they were selling brewskies in the nosebleed section. Raw athletic talent? You bet.

But Jordan’s prowess on the court was also the product of relentless practice and a pursuit of excellence that led him to heights (figuratively and literally) that few others have achieved. He was proficient at every aspect of basketball because he chose to be.

Proficiency in your career is determined by the effort you put into learning, developing and refining the skills that will take you to the top of your profession. What are some things you can do to whip your career into shape?

Perhaps a seminar or a business book will help you pump up your performance. Maybe rubbing elbows with fellow players by joining a professional association will give you new insights on the game. Reading trade publications faithfully will keep you current on industry developments. Remember, if raw talent were enough to succeed, Michael Jordan would be swatting home runs for the Chicago White Sox.

A clutch player is someone who can get a hit, sink a free throw, catch a bomb or execute some other crucial feat when the game is riding on his or her performance. Pick your team sport and you can probably think of a great moment when one player was responsible for making the difference between winning and losing. At a turning point in the game, that player did what had to be done.

Are you responsible for making good things happen at your company? Do you take responsibility for acting when someone has to do something to please a client, solve a problem or close a deal? Can you be counted on when an ethical dilemma requires an immediate response? When good judgment, an impartial opinion or a compassionate perspective are vital to the success of a project, do you step up to the plate and smack a homer?

Corporate America is crying out for responsible, reliable people who can be trusted to run with the ball when others would rather sit on the sidelines. The risk of striking out, missing the basket or dropping the ball is real. But the rewards of taking your best shot when no one else will are even greater.

What makes a champion? Consistent peak performance is certainly part of it. So is making the great play when the chips are down.

But a true champion possesses a third quality that sets him or her apart from the rest. There is an inner quality to Michael Jordan, Cal Ripkin, John Elway and other athletes who have earned a place among our cultural heroes. They are outstanding because they exhibit an attitude that inspires others to try a little harder, to give a little more than what is required, to put the interests of the team ahead of personal glory.

Do you stand out among your colleagues because your attitude makes them want to be like you? By making it a habit to encourage and compliment your teammates and serving as a model of positive work habits, you can boost the effectiveness of your team and set a standard that will challenge everyone in your organization to excel.

Being a PRO player at work isn’t easy. It takes discipline, character and a willingness to sacrifice personal recognition for the success of the team.

Nevertheless, there is a payoff for the PRO. You may never make the cover of Sports Illustrated, but your teammates will consider you an MVC — Most Valuable Colleague. And the next time you’re up for a promotion and you yell, “Show me the money!” — they just might.

© Copyright 1999 Mark S. Fulton