I spoke to someone recently about what it means to be professional and they indicated that they were getting quite sick of hearing the term “professional.” It got me thinking and I have to say that the word is thrown around entirely too much. What exactly does it mean to be or act professional?

I could list out 100 different things that I would consider to be professional but instead I would like to focus on the thought process behind professionalism. Let’s look at ourselves for a moment. Should we model ourselves after what we think is professional all the time or should we be looking at how the pros act? Depending on your experience, I would say it’s a combination of both. When leading a group of people it is essential to define what you think is professional. It doesn’t mean you need to spout your concocted definition to your band mates, but it does mean that you need to clearly outline your expectations. What do you need from them in order to present a top-notch product?

While I’m keeping this post short, we will dive much deeper into this topic at a later time. This is just a teaser to get the wheels spinning! I will leave you with the same question I started with . . . what is professional?

I would love to see your answers in the comments below!