The Marks of Professionalism -Part 4: Commitment to Excellence

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

What are those qualities that clearly make one individual appear professional when compared to his or her peers? We began three blog posts ago with a discussion of the quality of “compassion.” Two blog posts ago, I discussed the quality of a strong sense of “justice.” Last blog post I shared some thoughts on the subject of “common sense.” This time I want to suggest that among those key items which point to professionalism is an overwhelming “commitment to excellence.”

Excellence has been a very popular topic for motivational speakers and writers during the last four decades or so. Countless books, newspaper articles, magazine features, and many, many speeches have been made about the quality of a “commitment to excellence.” Even the military has taken up the theme with the snappy jingle that accompanies an action-packed video extolling the virtue of a soldier’s career: “Be all that you can be, in the Aaaaarrrrr-meeeeee.” And yet, everywhere we go, we bump straight up against a host of people who, day in and day out, perform at some level below a standard of excellence. Here's a couple of examples.

Back when I traveled regularly, I had an experience when it took me four phone calls, speaking each time to a different travel consultant, to try to get the large national travel agency to process my ticket as a full-coach fare. Because I am a Delta Airlines “Million Miler,” having such a ticket would allow me to upgrade my lengthy flight to first class. I finally got the ticket in the mail and, you guessed it, one segment of the ticket is not coded as a “Y.” I wanted to scream, but then thought better of it.

I eat far too many meals at McDonald’s, purposefully choosing smiling Ronald over the people who want me to “have it your way.” My standard drive-thru order is a double cheeseburger with extra cheese, extra onions, no pickle, no katchup, no mustard, and a large diet coke.

“Would you like fries with that?” the voice on the speaker inquires.

“Are they free?” I have learned to ask.

“No, of course not!” is the startled reply.

“Then I guess I’ll just stick with what I ordered,” I respond.

After I pick up my food and drive to a parking spot, what do you suppose I find in the bag when I open it? Well it varies, but only about one-half of the time do I get a double cheeseburger with extra cheese, extra onions, no katchup, no mustard, and no pickle. One time when I was traveling by air, I even watched a grill person in the Cincinnati Airport McDonald’s announce my order correctly, as he lays the wrapped burger on the stainless steel burger trough, repeated by the order taker as she slides the burger into the bag, only to discover no extra cheese and no onions whatsoever, when I sit down to eat the burger. And, of course, I don’t just sit down to eat, I sit down to eat with great anticipation.

Somewhere in this chain of events—from order taker to grill person to shift supervisor to store manager—someone, or maybe several “someones,” does not have a “commitment to excellence.”

Is it so very different in whatever field of endeavor in which you work? Let’s say, for example, that some poor soul calls and says he or she needs the product or service that you provide. Does a mechanism in your company or organization kick in to assure that all along the chain of events—from the moment of this initial call until the product or service is delivered and fully accepted—every person who becomes involved with providing the product or service has a “commitment to excellence”?

Now I’m certainly not just talking about lip service to some pie-in-the-sky vision of “excellence.” Practically everyone I know gives lip service to the importance of a “commitment to excellence.” No, I’m talking about a group of “can do” people deciding it is worth their while to provide a product or service using quality materials in a quality manner, and to do it right the first time.

Customers truly do want the best product or service delivery possible. Even if they are operating with budget restrictions, they still expect that whatever they buy will be provided properly with care and attention to detail.

In my chosen field of fire protection, a “commitment to excellence” impacts significantly on the false alarm problem that has given fire and burglary alarm systems such bad names. If we are committed to providing the best fire alarm system we can, and are further committed to maintaining that system in top condition throughout its useful life, then by our “commitment to excellence” we have taken an important step in the process of eliminating false alarms.

So, how does one internalize this particular mark of a professional? The “commitment to excellence” seems to come, either as a result of several very painful lessons where a failure to perform in an excellent manner resulted in a disaster, or it comes from a personal value you possess that purposefully determines where others err, you will not.

Whichever force motivates us, I would encourage us to actively seek to cultivate a commitment to excellence. Somehow I can’t help but think that such an attitude will reap many, many rewards, especially if we are individuals who have made a commitment to follow the Great King Jesus.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism -Part 3: Common Sense

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

What are those qualities that clearly make one individual appear professional when compared to his or her peers?

I began two blog posts ago with a discussion of the quality of “compassion” as one of the marks of a professional. Last post, we discussed the quality of a strong sense of “justice.” This time I want to suggest that among those key items which point to an individual’s professionalism is an obvious application of “common sense.”

“Now wait just a minute,” I hear you respond. “How can common sense be a mark of a professional? You either have common sense or you don’t.”

I think I know what you’re trying to say. Please let me offer this illustration:

You remind me of the time nearly 58 years ago when, on a very, very rainy night, Fire Chief Bob Gilmore and l were standing at the front of the fire house looking out through the windows in the overhead door. Somehow the conversation turned to a discussion of the neighbors. The Chief remarked that the son of one particular neighbor was so stupid he didn’t know enough to come in out of the rain. As if to magically verify that point, around the corner of the house next door came the son in question, strolling slowly past our vantage point, clearly oblivious to the drenching downpour.

My good friend and fellow seminar leader, Wayne Moore, often remarks to seminar audiences that the reason why so much “common sense” is available is that so little of it is used. Whether this is true or not, if you think you’ve known a true professional who did not exhibit a clear ability to apply “common sense” to the problems of every day life, I would beg to differ with you.

Trying to find a definition for “common sense” is not really such an easy task. The dictionary is only marginally helpful. Asking various people as to how they would define the term “common sense” yields no clearer a result. I did recently stumble onto a definition, however, that I believe truly captures the essence of this elusive, yet critical, quality of professionalism. The source of this definition was a letter of recommendation written by my niece Tara’s summer employer:

As part of her college intern program, Tara had worked for the New York State Department of Mental Health. In writing a letter back to the professor overseeing the internship program, the supervisor for whom Tara worked offered a glowing recommendation. One of the statements he made was that Tara continually showed good common sense. And then, he went on to explain that encountering various situations requiring a decision, or some direct action, Tara always seemed to carefully consider the consequences before making a decision, or taking action.

WOW! What a terrific description of “common sense”: considering the consequences of a decision, or of a direct action, before making that decision or taking that action. In other words, before I step out onto the limb of a tree, I will think about whether that limb will be able to hold my weight.

In more appropriate terms, before I select a particular piece of new equipment, or choose a person to work on my team, I will consider whether that new equipment or individual is suitable for the task ahead. Before I decide to cut this corner or that one—in either developing a process, creating a procedure, instituting a new program, making a change to existing operations, or choosing a particular course of action—I will consider the consequences.

I can think of a host of circumstances where I have wondered why a particular individual made a decision, or took some action, without seeming to have possessed a sensitivity to what might result from the decision or action. If you spend just a moment, I’m sure you can come up with a number of examples from your own particular career environment, where you have observed people making decisions without considering the consequences. As you review each example in your mind, think of all the chaos that needlessly resulted from such an unconsidered decision.

The fact is that if every one of us aspired to being able to consistently apply “common sense” to solving the problems we face daily in our work environment—or perhaps more importantly in our personal lives—we would go a long way toward raising the overall level of professionalism in our chosen industry.

How about it? Are you willing to join me in considering the consequences BEFORE we make decisions or take action?

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism -Part 2: Justice

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

As I began this series of blog posts yesterday, I posed this question:

What are those qualities that clearly make one individual appear professional when compared to his or her peers?

In the last blog post, I began with a discussion of the quality of “compassion” as one of the marks of a professional. This time I want to suggest that among those key items which point to professionalism is “a strong sense of justice.”

Lest there be some confusion on this point, let me hasten to explain that by the phrase “a strong sense of justice,” I am referring to a quality that is somewhat different than a sense of fairness or fair play. While I agree that fairness is an admirable quality of a professional, by the phrase “a strong sense of justice,” I am referring to an attitude that “right” must always be vindicated and “wrong” must always be punished.

Do you remember an event in New York City, many years ago, when a young lady by the name of Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in the entrance to her apartment building. This horrific event took place in the plain view of her neighbors. They heard her screams for help. Some of them even saw the man who stalked and killed her. When asked why they had stood by and done nothing, several of her neighbors replied: “We didn’t want to get involved.”

“We didn’t want to get involved?” What? I cannot help but reflect on that answer in light of what Cain said to God during their conversation recorded in the first book of the Bible, Genesis 4:9.

God said to Cain:

“Where is your brother, Abel?”

Cain replied:

“Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Ironically, as you no doubt may recall, Cain, in a fit of jealousy, had already killed his brother.

Getting involved. A person with a strong sense of justice simply cannot help getting involved. He or she is forced to take some action whenever a situation arises where “wrong” seems to be on the verge of triumphing. Please let me offer this illustration:

During one lunch many years ago, as my good friend Jerry Polisky and I sat in the McDonald’s parking lot, we saw two young people hanging around a USA Today newspaper box across the street.

“Look at those two,” Jerry remarked. “What do you suppose they’re up to?”

“Probably waiting to panhandle,” I replied with my usual cynical distrust.

“Hey, look,” he said. “They’re stealing from the box.” And sure enough, with a very smug look on her face, the girl turned and handed the boy a fistful of coins. In a flash he put them in his jacket pocket and the two double-timed it down the street.

I honked the horn. Jerry opened his door and yelled at them.

“Wait a minute,” Jerry exclaimed. “Look at this guy.”

A tall man in a long cashmere coat had suddenly jumped out of a car across the way and was running after the errant pair. They spotted him and started to run. His long stride was just too much for them. He grabbed them. They struggled. A shower of coins hit the pavement. The boy and girl looked for just a second or two at the spilled coins and then tore off down the sidewalk.

“Cashmere coat” bent over and painstakingly retrieved every single nickel, dime, and quarter. He walked back to the paper box and for several minutes stood there depositing every coin back in the box. He brushed his hands together when he finished and strode back to his car.

Now I don’t know anything about this noontime hero. But, I would guess that if we were to examine his life closely, we would find that he carries the marks of a professional. You see, in those few moments of action and reaction, he displayed a strong sense of justice. He was going to do his part to make certain that “right” prevailed and “wrong” was punished.

For example, in the fire protection, fire alarm, and burglary alarm industries—where I have spent the better part of my career—how many individuals, when they prepare a set of specifications, ask for exactly what is needed to provide proper and adequate protection—no more and no less? When other individuals, as Authorities Having Jurisdiction, review a set of drawings, how often do they resolve to make certain every detail is properly covered, without adding some particular pet item that is a “nice to have” rather than a “need to have?”

No matter what our chosen field of endeavor, a strong sense of justice can be a valued guideline, as we deal with customers and with our peers. It is a quality worth cultivating in all our lives. Just one more of those qualities that mark a professional.

Admittedly, there are times when those who do have this quality come across as too harsh or too demanding. When that happens, perhaps it would be wise for those of us who are still cultivating that quality to try to understand the force that motivates such behavior.

A strong sense of justice helps give those who bear the marks of a professional a mindset that they are, indeed, their brothers’ keepers. And frankly, that is a mindset to be admired—especially for followers of the Great King Jesus.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Marks of Professionalism -Part 1: Compassion

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

—Colossians 3:23-24

I recnetly heard two colleagues make these statements:

“Say what you want about women in the fire protection field, but she’s a real professional!“

“You may not agree with him very often, and you may not like the way he looks, but that man is a true professional.”

I agree with these individuals, whose conversation I overheard at a recent meeting of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. The two people they were talking about do, indeed, carry the marks of professionalism.

What are those marks? What are the qualities that make us “feel good” about the competency of one working in our chosen field of endeavor—whatever that particular field might be? I think I have a few clues. In the next few blog posts, I want to share these with you, because I’m pretty certain that you and I should be aspiring in these directions on a regular basis.

Compassion. I’ve chosen one of the seemingly warm, fuzzy qualities as the first. I guess I’ve done that because the popular media has lately been pushing a mindset of “tough negotiation and strident political discourse.” In reading certain literature, or social media posts, or listenting to certain broadcasts, or podcasts, I don’t find any room for “compassion,” and I know that “compassion” is a critical seasoning in the recipe of life. Please let me illustrate my point:

Have I ever told you that I really liked my dentist back in Connecticut where I used to live? In fact, I really like him. And, not only did I like him, he’s a real professional. He carries the marks of a professional. Among many important qualities, he has compassion.

Cartoonists depict dentists as persons recruited from a sadistic subculture that lurks around the biology laboratories at colleges and universities. The expression “It’s like pulling teeth” came about for a reason, as anyone who has had a tooth pulled knows first hand.

And yet, there are ways of pulling teeth that are somehow more compassionate than others. Case in point. My dentist, John Rosenlieb, DMD, many years ago undertook to remove one of my upper teeth.

Instead of taking a 42-inch long needle on the end of a Novocain syringe, John carefully used a topical anesthetic to numb the outer tissue in my mouth. Then, ever so gently, he inserted a normal-sized needle into the tissue and began to push in the deadening fluid.

From past experience, I braced myself for a mouth-wrenching shock, as the entire upper portion of my face was blasted by this devil-potion. But, alas, John only gently squirted a little bit of the Novocain into my mouth, waited for the tissue to become partly numb, and then pushed in some more. It probably took him the better part of five or six minutes to accomplish the task of numbing the tissue deeply enough to be able to extract the errant tooth.

What was the difference between John and others who had clanked around inside the Wilson mouth? John did what needed to be done, but he did it with compassion.

Certainly, his time was valuable. Just as valuable as any dentist’s. He had every reason, from a coldly economic viewpoint, to rush through the procedure with dispatch and let the pain simply be accepted as a part of the procedure. But, he didn’t do that. He took the time he needed to treat me with compassion.

Later on in the procedure there was a moment where a nerve ending turned just a shade raw and an involuntary tear slid out of the corner of my eye. “It’s OK, Big D,” John said softly, “we’re almost done.” That’s compassion. And, compassion is one of the marks of a true professional.

• Equipped with knowledge and the wisdom to apply that knowedge.
  
  
• Gifted in communicating with patients, so that they actually understand the treatment that is necessary to restore them to a proper level of dental health.
  
  
• The presence to command respect without having to say anything.
  
  
• A strong sense of ethics in handling the business side of dentistry and in working with his assitant, Linda Petersen (who is also a professional).
  
  
• Honesty in dealing with diagnosis and with any negatives involved in treatment.
  
  

All of these qualities are certainly a part of John Rosenlieb, DMD. And, he has compassion.

I liked my dentist from Connecticut. I liked him a lot! He carries the marks of a professional.

In your industry, and in mine, as we strive to produce a product, or provide a service, that has significant value to our customers or constituents, may it be said of you and me:

“There’s a professional!”

I don’t know how all this strikes you, but I’m going to start being more compassionate. As a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, when I deal with a contractor who obviously hasn’t done his or her homework. Or, when someone on a Technical Committee takes a position that I believe is intolerable. Or, when one of my employees disappoints me over some truly trivial issue. I’m going to season my response with compassion. I know it will make me a better person. How about you?

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Giving Cheerfully

 

Each one should give what that one has decided to give …

—from 2 Corinthians 9:7

At this time of year, in many Protestant churches in the United States, the governing board seeks to carefully plan a budget for the coming year. In order to have some idea of the financial commitment that members and friends of the church intend to make during the year ahead, some churches use a system of pledging.

It is understood that no one will pursue you if you are unable to give your pledged amount. It is a decision between you and God. In fact, in order to make certain that members and friends of the church understand this is a commitment between the individual and God, most churches include the following phrase on their Pledge Cards:

“As God provides and enables me, I promise to give …”

Your particular church may not use the Pledge System. In fact, you may have some sound theological reasons for not doing so. But, the church where I worship, an Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), does use the Pledge System because it has worked well for us for many years.

The Pledge Card is usually accompanied by a letter. Nine years ago, as one of the three Ruling Elders and as the elected President of the church, it fell to me to write the annual Stewardship Letter. Here’s what I wrote:

To our Members and Friends:

In the fall of each year, the Session of Redeemer Presbyterian Church must look back at what we have accomplished as a church and also look forward to the coming year in order to set a course toward those things we hope to accomplish. A part of this process involves reviewing our Budget for 2017 and formulating a Budget for 2018.

We depend on the generosity of those of you who continue to support the mission and endeavors of Redeemer. It is important that you know how much we appreciate your faithfulness in supporting our ministry. For a church of our size, we have an enviable record of sacrificial giving on the part of our members and friends.

Because of your generosity and faithfulness, we have not only maintained our current local programs, we have also had the opportunity to contribute significantly to local, national, and global mission projects, such as the Erie City Mission, and the work in Fintonia, Sierra Leone, to name just two. In addition, we have continued to have a vital partnership with the Coalition for Christian Outreach and its ministries to college campuses, including at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Looking ahead to 2018, we anticipate calling a full-time pastor. This is a real act of faith on our part because our current level of giving, while significant and generous, cannot by itself support a full-time pastor. We are trusting that God will use the person we call to expand our ministry and grow our numbers of committed believers.

In sincere humility, we ask that you examine your planned giving for 2018 and consider if you might increase your giving to help us expand our work in the Erie community. If you are not yet tithing 10% of your gross income, we ask you to prayerfully consider doing so. If you are already giving your tithe and beyond, we ask you to consider whether you might give even more generously.

Enclosed with this letter, you will find a Pledge Card for 2018. We respectfully ask you to fill out this card and return it to church on Sunday, November 19, 2017. If you will not be able to attend that Sunday, please give your Pledge Card to our Treasurer.

Let me close by once again thanking you for your past generosity and also to thank you, in advance, for your continued faithfulness in giving to the work of God in Erie through Redeemer Presbyterian Church. You are a vital part of our ministry. Your gifts, and even more so, your time and talent, are all used by God in a significant way.

Whether your church uses the Pledge System or not, it still depends on the loving, faithful gifts of God’s people in order to do the ministry for which God has called it in your community. It is instructive to read what the Apostle Paul wrote about this subject, found in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

Each man (or woman) should give what he (or she) has decided in his (or her) heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Think about it. God gave His one and only Son, Jesus, to die in our place and pay the penalty for our sins. Can we out-give God? No! But, if we accept the fact that all that we are and all that we have has come to us as a precious gift from God, then we should willingly give to His church—the one we attend and that ministers to us—a reasonable portion of what He has given us. Many believe that 10% of one’s gross income is a good starting place. Some can give much more. Others, due to individual circumstances, may have to give less.

The new iPhone costs around $1,400. When faced with such an expenditure, I believe Christians should ask themselves whether they really need to spend that much money on something that, if they looked around, they could find another model at a greatly reduced price. Yes, there may be someone who actually needs that new iPhone for business. That’s a different story. But, to spend large amounts of money for things that have little or no eternal value should at the very least cause us to pause and consider if our money could be better used by the church.

Okay. That’s my Stewardship Blog Post for this year. As we begin another day, let’s remember that God does indeed love a cheerful giver. And, perhaps this year we will determine to be such a one.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Reason to Fear

 

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper …

—from Hebrews 13:6

If we enter a very dark and foreboding place, one that might normally scare us, but find ourselves protected by armed guards, we will likely not hesitate to move forward. The difference comes with an awareness of the protection that surrounds us.

One of the safest places, quite oddly enough, is inside one of the casinos that seem to have popped up everywhere these days. Make no mistake, I am totally against gambling. I believe it has significantly ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. But, having inspected casinos in my role as a fire protection engineer, I understand how truly effective the video surveillance in such places provides heightened security.

In fact, in one casino I inspected, over 1,100 video cameras watched the premises. In addition, an armed guard could reach the location of a fire alarm signal or security alarm signal anywhere in the large, sprawling complex within 15 seconds of the sounding of the alarm. That’s extraordinarily fast. It gives a guest confidence to know that the watchful eye of the video surveillance, and prompt response of armed guards, will keep guests safe.

Even better than such security measures is the watchful eye of our God and His willingness to spring into action to help us. The writer to the Hebrew Christians sums up this matter in the words found in Hebrews 13:6:

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

No matter what evil intent someone may have for one of God’s dearly loved children, such evil simply cannot stand in the presence of God’s holiness. He will come to our aid and to fight against any evil that may wish to destroy us.

As we begin another new day, let’s remember that God is our helper and our strength. He stands ready to give us exactly the help we need whenever we need it.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

One With Jesus

 

If we have been united with him in his death …

—from Romans 6:5-6

Have you ever worked closely with someone in such harmony that together you could accomplish a great deal more than you could have ever accomplished alone? We talk about a man and woman becoming one flesh in marriage. That kind of oneness is critically important for creating solid family life. But, as most married people can testify, in even the very best marriage the two partners retain much of their personalities and preferences. As a result, most marriages, while highly effective, are not really totally harmonious. There is a lot of compromise necessary to maintain harmony.

But sometimes, in working relationships where the wide range of dynamics present in a marriage do not interfere, two colleagues can form a relationship that is so much in synchronization that their work output is almost unbelievable. In our relationship with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a very unique union that mirrors a marriage, but retains the synchronization of those unique working relationships that can accomplish so much. Notice what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 6:5-6:

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…

The bonding we have with Jesus is an amazing component of the Christian life. As we begin another new day, we need to pause for a moment and consider how magnificent this gift from God is in our lives. We are joined inseparably with our Savior, Lord, and King. And, that is simply wonderful.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}