4 Keys to Add Value to Your Role

I wrote a paper in 2011 called “Dynamic Value – The Art and Science of Providing Added Value”, whereby I explain that in today’s business, competing on price and service offerings isn't enough. Customers expect more for the same dollar spent. Organizations are constantly challenged to offer more, spend less, and maintain – if not increase – its quality outputs. Likewise, employees must perform more than the basic expectations of their role.

Here are some hard truths to consider:

• Employees are company resources
• Your skills and knowledge are company assets
• Your role consumes company resources

These are true regardless of the role or position, and regardless of the company. However, there is another, more positive way of seeing this too:

• Employees are valuable company resources
• Your skills and knowledge are valuable company assets
• Your role consumes valuable company resources

Knowing where the value actually lies, it becomes easier to see where to add the value from a company's perspective. This can be expressed in the simple equation Knowing Value = Adding Value. As an employee, Knowing Value = Adding Value can help you connect the dots between you and how you contribute to the company’s bottom line. Knowing what the company values, and where that value is enables you to act on that knowledge. If you can’t connect the dots, no one else will either. You need to map it out.

If there is a secret to succeeding at work, it is to make sure your work is highly valued. Here are four key elements that increase your value:

1. Understand the business strategy. What does the business need? And what does the business think is important to get done right now? That stuff = “the value”.
   
   
2. Change how you work. Make sure the work you do is impacting those things. It’s easy to lose sight of the company’s vision and mission when in the midst of daily tasks and routines.
   
   
3. Get recognized for it by connecting the dots for people. You have the responsibility to show how your work is impacting what the business cares about. You need to show how you are adding value. Don’t wait for others to figure it out or to discover how valuable you are. This isn’t about blowing your own horn – it’s about creating awareness to those who need to know.
   
   
4. Impact Profit. One way to specifically add value is to make the business more efficient or productive. That way you impact the bottom line. Profit is always something that is important to the business!

One of the best ways to ensure you are on track with adding value to your role is to incorporate these four keys into your performance review. By highlighting the facts and the results of connecting the dots between what the company values and what you deliver towards profitability, you show your own value.

Question: What are some other keys that help add value to your role?