Becoming a person of value

There was a time when people were paid or rewarded according to the number of hours they’ve rendered in terms of service. In other words, people gave their time, by working using their skills, in exchange for money their employers would pay. This is why you get paid extra when you have to work beyond the required work hours.

This was a time when many felt secure in their jobs. They didn’t worry about factors that are beyond their control dictating their employment status.

But the world has changed. Today we have terms like contractual employment, job layoffs, redundancy and early retirement packages.

Today’s business landscape is filled with many uncertainties, but there are steps employees can take to protect their career and grow it to the next level. The secret is to make yourself so valuable that you become irreplaceable. You need to put yourself in a position that’s so vital, the business can’t continue without you. 

Here are some steps you may want to consider:

1. YOU HAVE TO BE REMARKABLY PRODUCTIVE.

The word remarkable means something or someone so significant and noteworthy, people remark about it or about him. Being productive doesn’t mean just working long hours. It means work that delivers more value than what’s expected. Make sure you and your work can be positively remarked on by others.

2. YOU HAVE TO PURSUE PERSONAL EXCELLENCE.

The only way for you to be remarkably productive is to work harder on yourself than on your job. Before you achieve this, you need to be smarter first. Attend seminars, whether or not they’re company sponsored. Read books. Get a mentor. Add more skills to your current skills set. Invest your time in learning and networking with people. You need to wake up each morning asking yourself, “What should I do to level up?”

3. YOU NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND VISIBLE.

Find ways to make your accomplishments known – don’t wait for performance-appraisal season. Your bosses up the food chain of your organization will not purposefully spend time to see and study you. You need to make yourself visible. Volunteer and participate in your company programs. Write or contribute for your company newsletter. Emcee company events. And always be willing to accept new challenges and assignments, because these are inflection points that could bring you to the next level.

4. YOU NEED TO CHANNEL YOUR FOCUS AND ENERGY ON THE CORE MISSION OF THE BUSINESS.

Business organizations have multiple and diverse functions, but there will always be a central mission or a core purpose that brings in the money and determines whether the business will succeed or fail. You need to know that central function and play a role in it. Identify the skills necessary to do that, and be serious in acquiring those skills.

5. YOU NEED TO BE TRUSTWORTHY ALL THE TIME.

Some people backstab, malign and slander others thinking that this is the best way to get ahead of the pack. Others do things even more serious. They steal databases and sensitive information, and some even steal accounts just to be “successful” in the shortest possible time. This is the best way to fail – big time! John Ruskin said, “The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it but what he becomes by it.” Many people don’t understand this truth, but this is central to achieving success in life.

We need to be so remarkable we become irreplaceable.

Give more than what you’re paid for. Understand that the only currency you have for long-term job security is summarized in two words: “stellar performance.”

Strive for personal excellence. This way, you win all the time.

(Francis Kong will do his highly acclaimed whole-day seminar “Culture of Personal Excellence” on Oct. 17, 2013 at CCF Makati, A-Venue Mall, Makati Avenue. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910, or call 632-6310912 for details.)