By Terry Murphy CLP
Manager, human resource development

Conclusion: During the last year I attempted to highlight an important area, professionalism, that I feel needs attention and development from an industry perspective. Many firms are professional, many can improve and many have a long way to go. As an industry, some members sell their services for an undervalued price, while other recognize that public perception determines the value of our products and services. Professionals get top dollar for their products and services.

I have surveyed the industry to determine what you think of professionalism, and whether you understand the components. Here is a quick review of the last 12 issues and the important components that we highlighted as critical for professional to practice:
1. Ethics, professionals are ethical
2. Professionals have a high skill level
3. Professionals understand perception by customers and peers
4. Professionals do strategic and future thinking
5. Exceptional customer service is paramount
6. Professional companies care about safety
7. These companies are constantly learning and developing
8. Environmental stewardship is their business
9. Professionals are leaders
10. Professionals are masters at networking
11. Professional companies are community minded
12. They develop their own professional culture

It is the practising and developing these factors among your employees that results in a professional culture. Professional cultures make money.

I thank you for reading each of the last 12 issues and doing some thinking about professionalism. I hope that you have some your own ideas for improvement. If so, that can result in a more “Professional Culture” and creating ways to make it happen in your firm. This is the last article in this series. My next subject for a series of articles is how incentives can boost profits and productivity.

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Terry Murphy can be reached by e-mail at terry@landscapeontario.com.