Are you a professional or an amateur? Public Relations self-assessment

Public Relations and business consultants must take out time to ask themselves what it really means to be a professional.

Being a professional means consistently achieving high standards, both visibly and behind the scenes, whatever your role. It’s not a trait for only elite athletes or legendary entrepreneurs. It’s a mindset.

The differences between a professional and an amateur is listed below. As a public relations person, check out how you rank.

17 differences between amateurs and professionals

1. Amateurs stop when they achieve something. Professionals understand that the initial achievement is just the beginning.
2. Amateurs have a goal. Professionals have a process.
3. Amateurs think they are good at everything. Professionals understand their circles of competence.
4. Amateurs see feedback and coaching as someone criticizing them as a person. Professionals know they have weak spots and seek out thoughtful criticism.
5. Amateurs give up at the first sign of trouble and assume they’re failures. Professionals see failure as part of the path to growth and mastery.
6. Amateurs don’t have any idea what improves the odds of achieving good outcomes. Professionals do.
7. Amateurs focus on identifying their weaknesses and improving them. Professionals focus on their strengths and on finding people who are strong where they are weak.
8. Amateurs react. Professionals prepare.
9. Amateurs think knowledge is power. Professionals pass on wisdom and advice.
10. Amateurs focus on being right. Professionals focus on getting the best outcome.
11. Amateurs focus on first-level thinking. Professionals focus on second-order thinking. First-level thinking is simplistic and superficial, and just about everyone can do it. Second-level thinking is deep, complex and convoluted. Extraordinary performance comes from seeing things that other people can’t see.
12. Amateurs focus on the short term. Professionals focus on the long term.
13. Amateurs blame others. Professionals accept responsibility.
14. Amateurs go faster. Professionals go further.
15. Amateurs go with the first idea that comes into their head. Professionals realize the first idea is rarely the best idea.
16. Amateurs believe that the world should work the way they want it to. Professionals realize that they have to work with the world as they find it.
17. Amateurs strive to achieve. Professionals strive to improve – The professional understands that an achievement is simply an indication of how much they’ve improved. They are focused on continuous growth and seek to find new ways to improve themselves.

Article Sources:

Farnam Street

Moyo Oshin