This is the second part of the adding values series and this part focuses on adding value in an organization. We live in an ever-changing world. Job security is no longer guaranteed. However, one constant thing in the workplace is the fact that whenever companies lay off staff, they always keep their best employees. There are several steps you can take to make yourself an invaluable team-player in any organization.
- Take Responsibility: Most people do not want the responsibility, but they want to take credit. Always do more than you are paid for by your organization.
- Become an Ambassador: You want to become the person who embodies the company principles. Don’t worry about the lazy bones, they will call you the ‘pet of the boss’ and all kinds of names. Hold yourself to a high standard. You will find yourself rising ahead of the pack while they keep calling you names. Become a promoter of the best practices and values in everything you do.
- Learn from the competition: Research what your competitors are doing. If you are in a business that is in an old industry, look up ideas from older companies that failed and see how you can tweak their ideas to create a new one for your organization. Remember that most new ideas are an upgrade on previous ideas. The cell phone is an upgrade on the telephone. Personalize these ideas and create a better version. It is not the same as stealing intellectual property. What we are talking about here, is creating a whole new process or product. It makes you the “idea’s guy or lady” within the organization.
Remember the most important thing for a company is its bottom line. Here are 5 quick ways to add to your company’s bottom.
- Save them money. Look for loopholes through which money is being lost. Back this up with tangibles that you can prove to management. For example, if you can prove that going paperless or changing a partnership with a vendor will save money, you become someone management wants to hear from more. They will want to hear other ideas you might have.
- You want to make money for your company. Seek out new ways to attract customers. As a former Radio Presenter, I understood this well. The company’s survival was based on our output. My job and that of my colleagues was to produce the best quality programs on the radio which would attract the biggest advertisers in town. Our job was to design radio shows with the ‘wow’ effect. This principle applies in every business.
- Save time: Research shows than less than 50percent of any workforce are actually engaged. There is a low level of productivity in a lot of workplaces and most people mistake activity for productivity. You call meetings and they go off tangent for several hours. No planning, poor agenda, etc. What if you are the person to bring order to your workplace? People will love and respect you for it. Time managers are valuable to all organizations.
- Fix a problem: Instead of being one of those who complain about everything, find solutions to the things people complain about. Ask yourself ‘what do we complain about most’ and rally support to get it fixed. People notice those who get things done. (Critics are applauded in the moment, fixers are remembered forever- V.S). Most of us lie to ourselves that management has not done anything so we cannot or they won’t listen to us, but the truth is, the people upstairs are just like us. Sometimes they miss out of ideas because they don’t know it all.
- Prevent Crisis: Coaches study their opponents and predict their most likely play. That is the type of individual you want to become. You have to see what others cannot see. This usually involves reading wide and thinking deeply. Critical thinking is a skill. You can work on yourself till you get to that point where you can spot things and defects in thinking which others cannot. It also means the company has to be important to you, because you have to spend some quality time thinking about the problem before possible answers can form in your head.