the value of professionalism

Sorry, I think you're giving a level 0 professional too much credit. Level zero doesn't show up for meetings unless someone else comes to get them and escorts them all the way to the meeting. Then half the time they leave before the meeting is over and file a complaint with human resources because they feel they were treated disrespectfully. I know a few prime examples. Unless you have room in your scale for negative levels, which would make sense as those people whose actions drag other people's professionalism down.

Kyrt Ryder wrote:Regarding the unfortunate reality of working with less than top tier professionals, project budgets and taxes, are escrow services a way around having excess income?

That is an EXCELLENT idea that I had not thought of before!

Another thing is that if somebody is currently getting the pay level of the level 3 professional, but their behavior is that of  a level 7 professional, then there is a lot of other work to be done to get to the point of getting the pay that goes with being a level 7 professional.

I mention this because there are some people that subscribe to the strategy of "if you pay me more, then I will behave like a professional."  --- I think those folks might already be getting paid too much.

I just stumbled on this thread.  I would like to add a couple of observations.   I was sitting in a small town(pop less than 1000) cafe in MN a few decades back when a couple of teachers began to talk more loudly to one another about how they could do better if only they could  get paid more. A crusty old farmer  turned to them and commented, " You mean you are not doing your best already?"

I find professionalism to be a dangerous weapon.   I am talking about the word not the concept.  I find that too often it means, "Please change your behavior and act (behave, dress, talk) like I want you to.