How do you ensure your contributions are valued? When you are part of a large organization its easy to feel like your contributions are not seen for what you believe they are worth. I recently had a conversation with a co-worker where I expressed my earnest belief, in all its simplicity, that to ensure your contributions are valued — make them CLEAR and IMPACTFUL!
Whatever your business, there are some core competencies associated with your position. As an officer of Marines, the title I held many years ago, I remember it being stressed that everyone had a role to play in the success of the team. Not everyone can be the lead infantryman gaining valuable ground on the field of battle and there isn’t an infantryman worth his salt who doesn’t understand the value of the supporting elements in him achieving his mission.
So, embrace the core elements of your position. At the end of the day, you were hired to fill a gap and your productivity should contribute to the bottom line of your organization. If you are a salesman, your value to the firm is determined by how many sales you’ve achieved. If you’re a writer; you must write. If you’re a litigator; you must successfully litigate cases for your clients. If you’re a fighter; you must win matches. Sometimes we get hung up on the work around the core competencies. This isn’t to say it’s not part of the mix, just not the most important aspect of what you are expected to accomplish.
When you sit down for a periodic assessment of your abilities, be sure your accomplishments are clearly evident. Spend a majority of your time concentrating on your core competencies and your contributions become irrefutable. Make yourself an important part of any team and make your contributions clear and impactful.