ARTICLE ARCHIVE
Bringing Added Value to Your Organization is a Must For Job Security
by Connie Podesta
"What added value do you bring to your job that directly contributes to the financial stability, success, and growth of your organization? "If your manager invited you into his or her office tomorrow, closed the door, and asked you this question, how would you respond? Would your response effectively persuade management that you are indeed a valuable employee?
Since this is the question being asked in real-life organizations every single day, it's not a hypothetical scenario. However, the problem is that this question is often being asked behind closed doors about an employee rather than to the employee directly. Therefore, your ability to demonstrate through performance and behavior that you are a necessary and vital part of the team can determine the probability of your future employability.
In many of today's organizations, both big and small, the decision-makers are often overwhelmed with demands and work. As a result, they are often not aware of the positive contributions made by individual employees. And unfortunately, it's the negative things that seem to come to the attention of everyone. Therefore, it is up to each employee to take responsibility for documenting and demonstrating the value he or she brings to the job.
The customer ultimately determines the success of every organization and its ability to make or not make a profit. As Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, commented: "There is only one boss-the customer. And he can fire everybody in the organization from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."
This means that every employee-including the mail room clerks, receptionists, clerical staff, accountants, service representatives, maintenance personnel, and everyone else who collects a paycheck-must be 100 percent committed to bringing in new customers and/or keeping the ones they have. Even if you don't have direct customer contact, you can still make the customer your focus on a daily basis by doing your job in a way that will have a positive impact upon those who directly deal with customers.
For example, an assembly line worker helps to produce a quality product that customers will enjoy using again and again. A chef can make or break a restaurant's reputation by the quality of the food he or she prepares. A data analyst's accuracy can completely change the direction of the organization's marketing plan, the focus of its service strategy, and even the nature of its products or services. No matter what your job entails, to stay employable, you must bring added value in the form of profits to your organization by focusing on the documentable impact your job has upon its customers.
Help Your Organization Save Money
An organization can also increase profits by saving money, which is the main reason for all the downsizing, cutbacks, and layoffs that are occurring in industries nationwide. What every employee must understand is that there are only five ways for an organization to save money:
1. Reduce staff
2. Cut benefits
3. Lower wages
4. Decrease the quality of its product or service
5. Increase productivity
Since no employee is usually interested in having any of the first four take place, the most logical way to save money (and make money at the same time) is to increase productivity. In other words, working harder and producing more are the only options that will allow an employee to continue working for the same compensation and benefits in today's marketplace.
Unfortunately, many employees fail to understand this basic and very important concept. The number one complaint employers hear is "You won't believe how hard I work. I work from the moment I come in until the moment I leave. I hardly have time for a break!" The answer to that complaint is "That's why they call it work. If it were fun, no one would have to pay you!" the fact is, everyone is working harder, no matter what industry they are in. But it sure beats lower salaries or fewer benefits. Three people now have to do the job of four. That's the reality.
The problem is that employees often become frustrated by changes in their organizational structure. They are worried about their jobs and their future. They are tired of extra work with fewer people and resources. That is understandable, but they must be careful not to let this affect their job performance. Employees have the right to their feelings and attitudes about the extra demands; however, employers definitely have the right to expect that we give l00% of our efforts during paid work time.
Besides increasing productivity, employees can also help their organization save money by creatively integrating money-saving ideas into their jobs. If you can spot money-wasting activities going on in your department and then come up with a solution to remedy the situation, you'll immediately prove your loyalty and added value to the organization.
Make Yourself Stand Out in a Positive Way
Helping your organization make or save money is only the first step. Next you must make yourself stand out, because adding value to your job will mean more to your employability if some of your organization's decision-makers know who you are and what you do. Your presence must be felt in a positive way and linked to the contributions you personally make to your organization's success.
Unfortunately, many employees do just the opposite. They argue, whine, and complain endlessly about their job, their duties, their customers, their equipment, their co-workers, etc. It's amazing that in a time where literally thousands of people each day are losing their job, how many employees decide this is a good time to attract attention by being negative and uncooperative. And then these are the same employees who are so "surprised" when they lose their job! The reality is that negative attention does not help anyone whose goal is to stay employed. People should associate your name, face, and expertise with positive feelings about your work, your willingness to be part of the team, your commitment to your customers, and the value you bring to the organization.
The questions to ask yourself are: Do your customers, co-workers, and supervisors know who you are? And if they do, would a discussion about you and your work be positive and favorable? Employees who are disliked and/or difficult to deal with will eventually be history (thank goodness). What every employee should keep in mind is that many firings and layoffs occur as a result of conversations among a few people discussing the options and asking themselves, "Which employees are vital and essential to our organization's continued growth?" You definitely want your name to come up in that discussion, as long as it is followed by positive, persuasive comments about the necessity of keeping you on board. What reaction would occur when your name is brought up for discussion on who to retain and who to let go?
However, most employees do their job expecting management to notice and acknowledge the extra work, the additional training, the overtime, the creative ideas, and the special projects. The reality is that this rarely happens, not because management doesn't care, but because they are too busy being accountable for their own jobs.
In every industry there are stories about enthusiastic and intelligent men and women who communicated effectively, exhibited strong leadership skills, embraced change, and worked efficiently yet still found themselves among the ranks of the unemployed. Why? It wasn't because they lacked the technical competence or the interpersonal skills needed to do the job. It was because they simply could not-or did not take advantage of the opportunities to inform and/or persuade those in power that the skills, ideas, and commitment they brought to their job was vital to the continued success and growth of the organization.
What about you? Could you convince your organization that you and your job are essential components that are necessary-even essential-to help it reach its goals? To stay employed, you must think long and hard about what you personally bring to your job and the unique, significant impact you have upon your organization and its customers. Even more important, you must be willing and able to demonstrate this contribution to your senior management in a strong and persuasive way.
How do you persuade them? By convincing them that you positively impact their bottom line profit margin by doing one or both of the following: l) your efforts help your organization MAKE money and/or 2) your efforts help your organization SAVE money. Those employees who cannot prove that they impact either one or both of these areas may find their jobs viewed as unnecessary in the near future. Let's explore each of these areas further:
Help Your Organization Make Money
In our global and highly competitive marketplace, it's not as easy for organizations to make a profit as it was in the past. If an organization is committed to making money by providing top-quality products and services along with extra value to its customers, then to be successful, employees must demonstrate how their jobs contribute to that pursuit.
Let's get to the bottom line. There are only two ways any organization can make money: 1) retain the customers they already have and/or 2) bring in new customers. Therefore, the value you bring to your organization will almost always be directly related to the positive impact you have on doing one or both of these. If you do not have some direct customer contact (either servicing existing customers or involved in a process to attract new customers) or work for or with those who do, there is a high probability that your job will not be perceived as vital in the near future.
To stay in the positive limelight, documentation is the name of the game. Although most employees realize the importance of documenting what their subordinates and customers are doing, they are not so active in documenting their own accomplishments. In the past, they were used to having their managers set job standards and evaluate them once a year during their performance review. It was up to the managers to document the employee's performance. But times have changed, and it's becoming increasingly more common for employees to be asked to convince their organization why they should be kept on payroll. An employee can provide the best answer to this question by documenting added value.
Many employees have a difficult time with such a concept because they were raised with some rather misleading advice from well-meaning adults: "Don't brag. Don't be conceited. No one will like you if you boast or blow your own horn." While it is true that no one likes a braggart or egomaniac, a bit of healthy self-confidence and the ability to "sell oneself" is a necessary part of staying employed. Employees need to be able to say to themselves, "I do some really special things for this organization. I should be recognized as an employee they need to keep because of the added value I bring to my job. It's up to me to let them know how and what I contribute to the ongoing success of this organization."
What kinds of things should you reinforce about your performance? Begin by taking action. Others are noticing how you behave and perform at work every day. Have a positive attitude and soon your energy and enthusiasm will help motivate your colleagues and customers. Make sure you communicate assertively and work cooperatively in team settings. Be flexible and willing to accept change-and even initiate it-when a new idea seems appropriate. Let your employer know that you willing and able to help and, when needed, can be a good leader, teacher, and mentor, but can also follow others and learn from them. Make sure others know you are not afraid of hard work and that you are always thinking of ways to help your organization increase productivity. And don't forget to let others know what you do outside the office to learn more about yourself, your job, your organization, and the future of your business. And most of all, keep your negative thoughts, complaints, and energy to yourself.
Determine Your Added Value Today
The bottom line is that in order to stay employed, your number one priority must be to determine how you bring added value to your organization and then discover ways to share or demonstrate your value with those in charge. Think of the ways you can help your organization make money, how you can help your organization save money, and how you can inform management about your accomplishments and position yourself as a valuable employee who is vital to your organization's long-term success.
Once you determine these factors, you will be able to answer the all-important question that will one day be asked of you: "What added value do you bring to your job that contributes directly to the financial stability, success, and growth of our organization?" When you can successfully respond to that question, your chances of future employability will be very positive.
Connie Podesta, MS, LPC, CSP, is the Director of the Interpersonal Skills Department of Building the Power Practice. She was an educator for 15 years at all levels from junior high to major universities. She has served as Director of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Director of Staff Relations at a large community hospital. Ms. Podesta conducts workshops and training seminars for health care organizations and is a popular speaker at major dental seminars throughout the country. For more information or to schedule a speaking engagement, call 972-596-5501.
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