Professional Development
Thoughts about professional development have been a surprise by product over the Christmas period as I’ve found myself watching more TV than usual.
Although some of it has been crap, there have been some inspiring moments that have given me food for thought and made me aware of some things that all professional people have in common.
A case in point being the documentary “This Is It” about the rehearsals for Michael Jackson’s never seen performance that was never to be due to his untimely death.
Unlikely Source For Thoughts About P. D.
What this made me think about was the term consummate professional which could certainly be applied to the late MJ and his team. Watching the way MJ revealed his vision to his team of stage crew, musicians, lighting, stage and wardrobe designers was awe inspiring.
He led everyone step by step (literally for the dancers) through what he wanted with the help of trusted his producers, taking however much time it took to get it exactly right – no shortcuts. Anyone interested in professional development can learn from this.
Despite the obviously freakish side of things in MJ’s world it was pretty apparent that his talent and charisma coupled with his clear vision was enough to extract every drop of talent and hard work from every single person in the massive team involved in the project. This is the essence of professional development and what separates the amateurs from the pro’s.
Yes MJ no doubt had a limitless budget, access to the best people and probably a complete lack of people saying no, but professionals will always find a way no matter what the budget. It’s definitely easier to find a way round things with a big budget – and certainly a lavish stage show like this one costs a fortune – but seldom impossible without it. Professional development starts from the point of saying yes – we can do this.
Professional Development Principles
Maybe this is an exaggerated version of what most consummate professionals achieve in business – its inflated and larger than life because its entertainment and because it was MJ – but the principles are the same. Attention to detail, a desire to provide massive value and a refusal to settle for second best. Don’t forget that even someone like MJ would have struggled to finance a project if the backers didn’t feel there was money to be made.
Whilst I’m not going to compare Stuart Ross and Jay Kubbasek to MJ (I don’t think either of them can dance!) I can definitely credit them for being as consummately professional in their sphere of activity –as internet entrepreneurs and coaches, and advocates of professional development.
As an affiliate member of their business I get to see the level of professionalism they work to on the regular webinars they host. During these they often reveal months of behind the scenes work, testing and fine tuning the business in an effort to continue offering massive value to their students and affiliates.
Although maybe not as glamorous as an arena scaled live music event, the SFM and DEA is an amazing piece of work built on the same principles of professionalism and professional development as the late and great MJ’s work. Most people have never heard of these guys but when you do it is their passion, professionalism and vision that makes you interested in working with them. See what I mean by having a look at some free videos.
