Be a High Value Employee By Doing These 5 Things Consistently
These days, everyone wants to become an entrepreneur.
Today’s digital creator economy almost demands that you go online, create something, make a ton of money, and travel the world while reaping the fruits of your digital success.
Sounds great right?
Except, the actual journey of entrepreneurship isn’t so rosy. It requires a lot of brainstorming, trial-and-error, and, therefore, a lot of your time.
I’m not against entrepreneurship. In fact, I think it’s great if you have a clear idea of what you want to do.
But, for the rest of us, there is an alternative journey which can be just as lucrative in every way.
It’s called “Being a High-Value Employee”
This means you can get all the benefits of working for yourself (flexibility, work-life balance, enough money left over to invest, and enough time to yourself) while also having the benefits of being an employee (job security, stability, resources, social connections, etc).
So, how do you get there? Here are 5 things you should do consistently:
1. Embrace Knowledge
Whichever industry you are in, knowledge is power. The more know-how you possess, the more valuable you become. I don’t mean just being knowledgeable about things for the job that you do, but also being knowledgeable about the industry that you work within.
For example, if you are a programmer, of course you need to know how to program. But if you are programming software for a financial services provider, then learn the ins and outs of that industry. This will make you infinitely more valuable as you will be in a position to understand the client’s needs a lot better and to also make better technical decisions based on this knowledge.
If you work in marketing, then find out how you can supercharge your efforts by learning technologies that can enable you to be more effective and innovative.
By embracing knowledge, you become an innovator instead of just an executor
2. Be Reliable
This doesn’t get mentioned enough but if you always meet expectations, then your co-workers will label you as reliable. This is a valuable trait to have, as you will be seen as someone who can be trusted to get things done. Once you build trust in the eyes of others, you can also leverage this trust by, perhaps, asking for more flexibility in return.
Do not over-promise and never under-deliver.
As long as you prove to be consistently reliable, your employer will be only too glad to grant you flexibility and the right work-life balance that you need.
By being reliable, you become more trustworthy and therefore highly valuable.
3. Communicate Like a Pro
Working in the corporate world inevitably means you are required to collaborate in some way in order to progress your work. This might involve meetings with clients or stake holders, colleagues, or your boss.
Whatever the setting is, you need to be able to communicate professionally and unambiguously. Clear communication positively impacts everyone around you and this goes a long way in boosting your value as an employee.
Good communication also helps you discover whether a colleague needs help on something. You can then offer to help. Also, don’t be shy of asking for help when you need to. This ensures a smoothly functioning team that doesn’t lose sight of the end-goal.
If there is one thing that anyone will remember about you long after you have retired, it will be the way you behaved with people
4. Solve Problems
Any job can be seen as a way to solve a problem.
For example, don’t think of programming as just a “technical” job. It is not just about writing code. It is about solving a problem for the client. The code is just a means to an end — a way to implement a solution to a problem.
Any job can be thought of in this way. Once you understand this, your job becomes more fun and fulfilling.
If you consistently adopt a problem-solving mindset, you will even be able to identify potential problems even before the client does and this will turn you into a high-value employee.
Your job is only a means to solving a problem. Being a problem-solver, therefore, makes you highly valuable
5. Adapt Like a Chameleon
Everything changes — include the place where you work and the industry you work in.
Therefore, you have no choice but to adapt.
We are in the midst of a technology boom. The emergence of AI services like ChatGPT are having an impact on almost every industry.
That aside, other changes such as managerial changes, corporate takeovers, legislative changes, and changes in consumer demand inevitably happen over the course of your career.
This means you need to make sure you are ahead of the curve or at least not behind it. Make sure you gain knowledge of current trends in your industry by reading relevant blogs and publications, listening to podcasts, or gaining new skills through courses or certifications.
Never assume that things will always be as they are.
Do what you do well, but always be ready for changes.
6. (Bonus Tip): Exceed Expectations
If you want to accelerate your growth as a High-Value Employee, here is a bonus tip - Exceed Expectations.
Do more than what is asked of you. Whenever you can.
I don’t mean you should work extra hours. I mean you should try and deliver something that adds extra value whenever you have some time to spare.
For example, if you are asked to deliver a presentation on the benefits of your product to businesses, then maybe also create a template for similar future presentations and make it accessible so that it can be re-used by others.
If you are asked to implement a new software feature, then write clear documentation for it as well, and maybe create a framework for implementing a similar feature in the future.
Over-deliver whenever you can, and your value as an employee will sky-rocket.
If you haven’t already noticed, perhaps I should mention that all the above behaviours will also contribute to your success as an entrepreneur, should you ever decide to go down that route!
