This could be so long story but let’s keep it short; what happened with professionalism? I mean that proud to be a professional in whatever you do for your living. To be the best bus driver, the best taxi driver, the best doctor, the best chef, the best engineer. With that “best” I mean professionals that are really what we think they are. Fulfilling our expectations.

I heard yesterday so strange stories about one company building up their business. I really have difficulties to understand why they are doing so stupid things even that they would have business waiting for them on a silver plate? Only thing they need to do is to act professionally. Which they are not doing, obviously.

But this whole story opened some additional memories to me. Why it is so common to meet unprofessional people in so many places nowadays? Managers, directors, vice presidents in giant corporations or small companies without a clue what they actually should do. Who selected those people to those chairs? Some other unprofessional, I guess. How about taxi driver who cannot find his way to a very well known destination without a GPS navigation system he has in his car? I understand and recognize the benefit of GPS when your customer is asking you to a drive somewhere you don’t go usually but in the hearth of a city? C’mon!

I do go to restaurants around the world and I also know many restaurant owners and chefs. For me chef is a professional who can do outstanding food of great, fresh ingredients. If he or she can do it, then I would call him/her as a professional chef. If they cannot do it, why to bother going to restaurant for a dinner since you can do better by yourself? I don’t think you can call yourself chef if you just put stuff together from half or full ready-made stuff. Yes, there are different business concepts like fine dining or casual dining but if you just take everything from cans and bottles, I would rather call you a planner not a chef. If I give you a live rabbit and you know how to make that perfect dinner, then you are a chef.

I really waited for some slower times in the economy because world seemed to be full of business ventures, restaurants, shops, ad agencies and consulting companies run by people without any real understand of the business. Or the real skills needed. When economy and markets just keep growing, everyone can do the business. When it is getting tougher, you will see who can and who can’t. We are now in recession so I hope to see the new Rise of Professionalism.

Cheers for Pros’ around the World!