Sure you have heard the phrase, “you can add value to whatever you are doing” and make it better than it really is. Adding value includes paying peculiar attention to you, yes you! You can raise your level of knowledge and education. Central to this should be the question: What form of knowledge would have the most impact on my advancement? Having a professional qualification, undergoing some form of training or even reading articles on marketing and sales, customer service and entrepreneurship or investing could do this for you. How about mastering a skill? How many skills do you have? A new language, new technology or even a different approach to doing something you have been doing before. Master a skill and turn it into a business. There are people who are making money from way out things like playing video games on line, imitating politicians and popular personalities at entertainment shows or even playing billiards, chess and tennis. The main approach here is to find out what you have a flair for, see how you can be paid for it and work hard at improving yourself.
Don’t wait to be promoted before you expand your horizon. Engage in activity that gets you advanced.
If you are employed at a job, you can make smart moves on the job. Your strategy for advancement could be soft skills rather than technical ability. Volunteer to lead projects, practice public speaking and deep negotiation in your work environment. These abilities get a worker noticed. One basic rule that underlies soft skills is doing more than you are required to in the work environment. It sounds frantic, you are already putting in your utmost and here we are saying do more. Well the basic philosophy is if there is an opening for advancement, the role normally goes to a person who can wear different hats and engage in the tougher tasks than the rest of the team. Is that person you? Multi-national enterprises often seek leaders among people who can do more in the organisation, that is people who do not mind taking on the extra task here or there and also people who can work in different departments, play different roles for the organisation. The tendency is for them to have a bird’s eye view of the organisation and understand the big picture better. Develop an incredible work ethic. It will earn you respect among your bosses and colleagues alike.
If you find yourself in a dead end job, that is a job where there are no prospects of promotion, don’t despair. First of all, you need to resolve to do your best! Never think that because they do not pay so much and there appears to be no future on the job “therefore, I’m going to do as little as I can.” That is wrong. Do your very best; be a hard worker; arrive early, stay as long as you are supposed to and even longer. Be known as one of the best at what you are doing. Then, plan your exit. Make what is known as lateral moves that could lead to upward movement. While you’re exiting the company try to leave on good note. You might need a reference or you may have to return to the company for help in the future. If your leaving was sour, it would be difficult for you to ask for help.
Transform your work mode. Engage in daily absorption goals; examine leadership trends and workplace dynamics. Get to understand your workplace more, even if you are planning an exit. Find ways to help your boss to achieve his goals. You can specifically ask your immediate boss if there are anything he needs help with. Think about how you can make the organisation to be more profitable. Also, help save money. Saving money is major obligation in major organisations today. There are attempts to cut waste to the barest minimum and see how technology and personnel can undergo plural tasks that would save the organisation money.
Don’t wait to be promoted before you expand your horizon. Engage in activity that gets you advanced. Display curiosity about job functions and activities that go on around you in the office. Show that you care.
There is new behaviour you can embrace: Work on your career as well as in your career! Especially if you are a self-employed entreprenuer or workman, go where what you do has more value. Some people may have to travel to environments where their skills are more appreciated and accepted. Don’t think that the world will always beat a pathway to your door step because of how exceptional you are. Sometimes you have to go out and look for where you can use your skills and abilities. You can position or reposition yourself as an expert. Combine knowledge with personality and publicity. Know your trade as much as possible and work on your individual nuances, especially when you appear in public. Public speaking and the media can help you recreate yourself and your skills as a product that can be sold to the public on a global scale. During recessions and progressions top experts stand out and they weather the storm when it comes. If you can be skillful and have a work based reputation that is strong enough, when your sector comes up for discussion, could your name be on the lips of people?
You can’t be alone in your bid for advancement. You need to be connected.
Amplify your effectiveness by using your networks, bureaus and association groups. You can’t be alone in your bid for advancement. You need to be connected. Networking is important for advancement. Who do you know? Who can link you up? Who can recommend you? Your successes or otherwise get talked about in your sector of operations. Try hard to make sure that the talk is good concerning you. If you can work hard at all these, it lightens your marketing efforts. You find that the business comes to you, instead of you seeking out the business yourself.
Make sure your promise of value to be delivered is communicated to and acknowledged by the customers as well as colleagues who work with you. They all ought to know what they will benefit from your presence on the job. Even though we have been talking about adding value at an individual level, this mindset which leads to a person taking action can apply to an entire organisation, or parts of an establishment it begins with thoughts and ends up with activity that can revolutionise operations and transform the fortunes of an organisation. The basic approach is never to relent. Keep thinking and acting on adding value. This is basic. Think about this and act on it.
*Ogundadegbe is a renowned management consultant. He trains managers and executives in the arts of Customer Service, Human Resources Management and Management strategy ([email protected]
