Whether you’re paid by someone else, or run a company with many hundreds or thousands of employees, or work for a small organisation, there is a value placed on your position. The organisation places it and so do you and your colleagues – all potentially to varying degrees and in various ways.
From the time we’re young our family and school inculcates us with the idea – correctly – that by going the extra mile, being the best you can be and contributing to a positive environment you add value. On the other hand, intentional or not, are you bringing a negative attitude to work, passing the buck a bit too often and doing the minimum to get by? If so, your value as an employee will be significantly lower. And let’s be honest, we all have bad days. Imagine your bad day – let’s hope there aren’t too many! – being the day before a day off when you’ve worked 10 days in a row, and the day before your annual appraisal after 2 preceding easy weeks. Entirely different kettles of proverbial fish and likely to make you view your own contribution, in the immediate, very differently.
There is a relationship between your value at work and the probability of getting a good appraisal score – and hopefully a pay rise (well you never know, austerity notwithstanding), a promotion, extra perks or a bonus. With all of the benefits associated with higher value, why anyone would choose to lower their value at work is beyond me. Simply put, it is your choice. You are directly responsible for your value, the exchange rate and your happiness at work.
Ask yourself this question and have the courage to give an honest answer: Would you hire you? If words like passionate, excited, motivated and inspired describe you, you probably will get the job – though as I always say to clients, don’t put those on the CV; to the reader who only “knows” you on paper, they’re meaningless. If, however, you are struggling to find the right words that fit or more importantly, if you are saying to yourself, “I would be positive, passionate, motivated and inspired by my work, but…(fill in the blank),” chances are pretty good that the recruiter may not call back or offer a second interview for the position. Excuses will not help boost your value, only action will.
I pondered this for some time and tried to distil my brain dump – not always easy! I came up with a few thoughts that I think might help you determine your value at work (of course you may think there are more or should be less)
Do you contribute to a positive culture or does your attitude at work fan the flame of average? The profitability of the company is dictated by its culture: you might be an individual but as a company, you’re part of a homogenised body. Companies – notably in 2017, tech companies with bowling alleys and trampolines (I exaggerate – I think) by your desk – like Apple and Google have an amazing culture created by the people that work there. Worth a thought – that you, individually and as a homogene, have within you the ability to be better than average. Fancy the earlier-mentioned pay rise? Make sure you prove it to yourself and add to your value.
Do your efforts to constantly better the customer or client experience work or fail? If your efforts aren’t good – it’s not necessarily personal; you may need to be trained though of course you could just be grumpy – it is felt by everyone around you, not just the customers. Everyone you come into contact with is your customer and they all need you to be positive. Your value at work is directly related to the contributions you make.
Can you consider yourself a problem-solver or would you rather keep your head down and hope someone else picks up the issue? You don’t need to be a brain surgeon (“keep your head down” – like it?!) to appreciate that if you contribute to problem resolution or support colleagues in solving problems, you will add value to your role. It’s valuable to be a part of the solution; not valuable (as opposed to invaluable, an interesting linguistic quirk in its own right) to be (part of) the problem.
Do you go the extra mile for your company or do you take shortcuts as you find them? Creating system improvements and working to provide exemplary service are qualified as going the extra mile. However, creating a shortcut that potentially can lead to less than stellar performance will diminish your value. Change for the sake of change will not add to your value.
Does the idea of creating a new and improved system inspire you to look for ways to streamline your work process or would you prefer leaving systems in place? Making simple system improvements or providing suggestions to make a process easier proves you are not just doing your job but actually thinking about the bigger picture. Creative thinking improves your value.
Are you a good listener who knows that he doesn’t know everything but wants to learn from someone wiser and with more experience on the job. Look for a mentor where you work. Knowledge is power and will contribute to your value. And though it may sound daunting, ask your boss for a mentor – the very fact you’ve opened yourself as willing to improve will add value.
When a team is needed to accomplish a task would you describe yourself as a volunteer or just a participant? Teamwork, partnerships and cooperative effort involves building relationships. Great relationships equal better business and teamwork sparks creative thinking. If you find yourself in a position to accomplish a task as a part of a team, try it. And, as above, if you feel you need help, ask your mentor – it reeks of “I want to improve”.
Do projects, phone calls and emails slow you down from doing your job or are they a part of your job? If you feel you live in a vacuum at work then you’ll probably be seen as such. Remember that communication is a part of your job. In order for your company to exist, these relationships are essential to gain trust and add value to your position and your company.
Do you feel passionate about what you’re working on or do you see passion as something for other people: “it’s only my job, when’s Saturday coming?” Actively consider being kinder than you need to be. If you feel even that is too much work then maybe you’re in the wrong place and so haven’t even read this far (hello! I’m here!!). Anyone can be average which will only amount to getting by. Try to look at the bigger picture and consider the contribution you both can make and are making at work.
And if none of this works, let me know and I’ll write you a new CV!!
