Its not the job you do; how you do matters

Six years ago in Singapore, I gave a taxi driver a business card to take me to a particular address. At the last point, he circled around the building. His meter read 11 dollars, but he took only 10.

I said, Henry, your meter reads 11$; how come you are taking only 10$?

He said, Sir, I am a taxi driver; I am supposed to be bringing you straight to the destination. Since I did not know the last spot, I had to circle around the building. Had I brought you straight here, the meter would have read 10 dollars.

Why should you be paying for my ignorance?

He said, sir, legally, I can claim 11 dollars, but honestly and ethically, I am entitled to only 10.

He further added that Singapore is a tourist destination, and many people come here for three or four days. After clearing immigration and customs, the first experience is always with the taxi driver, and if that is not good, the balance of three to four days is not pleasant either.

He said, Sir, I am not a taxi driver; I am the Ambassador of Singapore without a diplomatic passport.

In my opinion, he probably did not go to school beyond the 8th grade, but to me, he was a professional. To me, his behaviour reflected pride in performance and character.

That day, I learned that one needs more than just professional qualifications to be a professional.

In one line, be a "professional with a human touch and values" that makes all the difference.

Knowledge, skill, money, and education all come later. First come human values: honesty and integrity.

Professionalism:

It’s NOT the job you DO,

It’s HOW you DO the job.