Betty White’s career spanned nearly eighty years. She had to learn a lot of lines, which is a lot of work. I admire this quote from here about being prepared. Even if you can be extemporaneous, it doesn’t mean you do not have to do the work. The best performers – in Hollywood or in the corporate world – are the ones who are prepared. They know their stuff, they have done the work and they know what comes next. These are the professionals people want to work with any chance they get.
We’ve all been in the room when someone thinks they can wing it, and they fail miserably. Everyone knows they are not prepared and it shows. Everyone also knows how angry it makes them feel…because they did the work and came prepared. THAT person wasted everyone’s time. Bad move! When opportunity comes again, people will not choose THAT person as they proved they do not want to do the work. It only takes on time to phone it in and from that point forward you are trying to build back trust, which is hard to do.
Learn your lines and come prepared…great advice. Next time you think of procrastinating, phoning it in or giving less than what is expected, think of Betty White. She was in her nineties still learning lines and being prepared. THAT is a professional, and that is why everyone wanted to work with her.
Be professional, do the work, be prepared!
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