A couple weeks ago I grabbed my iPhone and took a picture. It was from a segment on ESPN on the National Football League (NFL). The two people on the right played professional football. The gentleman in the middle is Mark Schlereth, but his friends call him “Stink.” During his playing career, Schlereth endured 29 surgeries. Twenty of those surgeries were performed on his knees. The man on the right is Tedy Bruschi, who came back to play after having to sit out a year as a result of suffering a paralyzing stroke. Big, strong men who played a violent game. Men who sweat and bled making a living while entertaining others. Men who (legally) assaulted and at times hurt other men playing a children’s’ game, and today make a living talking about that game.
There is something that is “funny” about the picture, in fact almost comical. Something seems to be amiss. Not quite right.
They are wearing suits and ties.
These big, strong men who love and played a violent game and get paid to talk about that game are dressed professionally on a sports television show. Do you really need to wear business attire to talk about sports?
The answer is, of course, NO! However, ESPN’s revenues are growing at 9 percent a year, with a projected $8.2 billion in revenue in 2012, according to research firm SNL Kagan… talking about sports! One of the reasons for the success of the network is they strive for professionalism in all they do, down to the attire of their studio personalities and reporters. Businesses grow when run professionally!
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks requiring specific knowledge and training, and to complete them for a fee. Professionals exude quality in all they do and all they produce. They maintain high standards for conduct, appearance, and production. Professionals treat people with respect. They maintain their personal and professional integrity at all times and expect the same from colleagues and associates.
If a guy called “Stink” can be a pro when reporting upon and analyzing a gladiator sport, so can we. Our business will be the better for it.
Work Hard & Have Fun!™
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