5 Ways to Add Value and Move Ahead Nowby Caren Merrick

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Do you love going to work every day? Do you feel highly engaged and productive? Are you advancing as quickly as you’d like to, earning what you believe you deserve?

I’ve heard from many people who don’t love their job; they feel disconnected with what they do for 8 to 10 hours each day, and to add insult to perceived injury, they also aren’t receiving the level of recognition, rewards and advance-ment they expect.

Does this sound like you? Or, are you relatively happy in your job, but wonder why it is taking so long to advance and get that promotion?

If any of these experiences describe you, you are not alone. About 70% of Americans in a professional job feel the same. They want more engagement, effectiveness, and rewards.

There are many reasons why you and a large number of people want more from work. It may be that you’re underwhelmed by your projects, or the team you are on. Or maybe you don’t see a connection between what you are good at, what you love and what you do.

Whatever the reason, I have found there are a few, seemingly small, but very significant things you can do now that will dramatically improve your satisfaction, empower you to add more value, and as a result will give you more visibility and influence while accelerating your career track.

Read on for these 5 simple, yet powerful, nuggets and put them into practice. You will see results!

Send me an email (comments@YourPocketMentor.com) with your success story or follow-up questions and we will select some to answer on our blog. And check our website regularly for ideas and special offers that will help you thrive in work and life.

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1. Find your purpose – it gives you guidance, motivation, perseverance.

Just what does it mean to find your purpose? Such a large question, but with just a few minutes of thought, you can gain a lot of insight about yourself and your future. And the clarity you get from understanding your purpose is an asset that you bring to your organization – you will be more adept in helping your company understand and stick to its purpose when you begin with your own. This is a win for you and a win for your company.

To start, let’s look at what Purpose is; I like to think of purpose as who you are and what you do. A purpose (as a noun) is defined as: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists; an intended or desired result; end; aim; or goal.

Purpose (as a verb) is defined as: to set as an aim, intention; to intend, design, resolve (to do something).

As you think about your career and life do these words resonate? Do you know the reason why you do the work you do? Do you choose priorities and make decisions based on knowing your purpose? Have you defined an aim, intention, or design for your work and life? These are powerful ideas – and get at the heart of why understanding your purpose is so essential to your well being and success.

Your purpose is powerful and unique to you.

Knowing your purpose and being reminded of it frequently guarantees your work will be more fulfilling, engaging, effective. And, as a bonus, science shows that having a purpose, especially one that goes beyond your own self-interest, is good for your health.

Your purpose will be expressed from your strengths (more on that below), your personality, and the ongoing accumulation of your experience, choices, and wisdom.

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The importance of purpose is evidenced by the countless words that have been written on discovering and achieving one’s purpose. How can you better understand yours? As always the most powerful insights begin with questions. Whether you know your purpose or not, it is always helpful to begin by asking questions. Here are some that have been highly effective for millions of people:

At the end of my life, what do I want to be remembered for? At my funeral, what do I want people to say about me? This is a variation on leadership expert Stephen Covey’s idea “begin with the end in mind.” It is thought-provoking and can lead to answers on what is important and an assessment on whether your choices and priorities reflect what is important to you; for some this may be a wake-up call.

For me, rather than ask how I will be remembered, I focus on the present, and ask, “What do I want my life to count for, now and in the long run?”

In his bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren leads readers to ask three questions:

“Why do I exist?”“Why am I here?”“What is my purpose?”

Steven Pressfield, author of one of the most important books that everyone should read, Do The Work, suggests we ask these questions when determining why we do the work we do:

“What do we do?” “For whom do we do it?”

Leadership expert Michael Hyatt suggests these:

“What am I particularly talented at?”“What meets a significant need in the world?“

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So, answer this for yourself:

What do I want my life to count for?

It’s essential to ask these questions from time to time throughout your life and career because you can’t possibly be successful without knowing where you are going in your life. How you answer these questions gives you your personal roadmap, this year, and for years to come. Take a few moments now to imagine what you’d like your life to be like in 6 months, 2, 5, and 10 years from now.

Companies and nonprofits create “mission statements” all the time to ensure they are heading in the right direction. You should have one, too (or maybe you will call it something else – your life goal or vision statement).

Whether you have done this previously or not, now is a good time to think about it. It doesn’t matter what you call it as long as you have a few sentences in mind that capture your talents, interests, and core values.

To spur your thinking, here are some examples:

“To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.”

Denise MorrisonCEO of Campbell Soup Company

“To have fun in my journey through life and learn from my mistakes.”

Sir Richard BransonFounder of the Virgin Group

“To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.”

Oprah WinfreyFounder of the Oprah Winfrey Network

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You don’t need to go on a retreat or close yourself off from the world to write your purpose statement. That might be useful, but you may find that unnecessary because a lot of the answers are already within you. No need to over-engineer it – if you do there is the potential you will give in to perfectionism, and not craft one at all.

Just keep it simple and don’t underestimate how much your day will be trans-formed if you just stop and think about something like this for even five minutes.

My purpose statement reads like this:

“To use my experiences as a serial entrepreneur to help people from all walks of life to unleash and achieve their potential.”

I will continue to refine this for the rest of my life. It certainly has changed as I grew through my experiences, especially after I got married and had children of my own – our sons are my top priority in terms of how my purpose is fulfilled.

You can use a purpose statement to help you focus every day and to encourage yourself in and through the inevitable challenges you will encounter.

What do you want your life to count for?

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2. Know your strengths – you are more valuable than you think.

Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? When we operate from our strengths we have the joy that comes from doing the work we were born to do! If you are like the 70% of Americans who say they are not engaged or fulfilled at work, you may not be making the highest and best use of your talents, skills, and knowledge. If you are not operating from your strengths, you will not experience the satisfaction or realize the rewards you are capable of receiving from your work.

You will gain more confidence, become more valuable, and experi-ence greater satisfaction and rewards by knowing and cultivating your strengths.

What are Strengths?

Three essential components about you comprise your strengths: your talents, skills, and knowledge. Knowing and building on your top 5 strengths is one of the most important keys to achieving success.

The Gallup Organization has surveyed 10 million participants from all over the globe and in every type of business. Through their research, they have identified patterns and have been able to identify and define 34 key strengths that people possess.

Each person has a unique combination of their five key strengths. When people understand and cultivate their strengths, research shows they are more en-gaged, perform better, and stay longer at their organizations. They also advance further, faster, and enjoy tangible rewards.

It is easier than you think to know and cultivate your strengths! Because of the depth and longevity of the research, Gallup has been able to develop a stream-lined approach. All you need is 20 minutes and $10 to take the assessment and receive a detailed report about YOU.

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By taking the 20-minute Strengthsfinder assessment online, you will receive a report with a lengthy description of the top five strengths that make you stand out. You will also receive Ideas for Action, with 10 excellent ideas on how to appreciate, maximize, and take steps today that will dramatically increase your engagement and satisfaction in your work. By virtue of these two pieces of Strengthsfinder, you will immediately have a greater appreciation for how valu-able you are, and as a result, gain more confidence and clarity. I have found the Strengthsfinder assessment transformational. It has brought greater clarity to the value I bring to the work I do.

Another benefit for you is that in addition to gaining insights and action items, you will improve the vocabulary you use when you think about and articulate the value you offer in your work and life. Knowing your strengths will also give you greater insight into the people, challenges, and opportunities surrounding you every day.

For example, you may find that some of the idiosyncrasies that annoy you in others actually represent their Strengths; theirs are different than yours. By knowing your strengths better, you will gain insight to better identify the key at-tributes of others – a critical workplace asset that can change how you interact with everyone.

Taking this assessment will help you understand how valuable you really are. Most people find that some of the attributes identified were traits they had previ-ously undervalued in themselves. These are often the traits that are powerful and unique, and that come quite naturally to you.

As Donald O. Clifton, the late professor and creator of Strengthsfinder said:

“You are not powerless, even in a job where you are not satisfied. Today, make the investment in understanding and leading with your strengths. Each person’s greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strength.”

Knowing your unique capabilities will transform how you perceive yourself and others. You may choose to bring the results of the Strengthsfinder assessment to your organization, your project team, or your management.

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Strengthsfinder can also show you how to approach projects, how to choose projects in the first place, and even how to choose reporting relationships when that is a possibility.

Once you have the descriptions on how you stand out, and the Ideas for Action, refer to them often – they will give you greater clarity and confidence each time you do. What could be better than that?!

Here is the website: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com

At whatever pace you proceed, this can be a time of epiphany and discovery. Your purpose and your strengths will intersect for greater joy and effectiveness. Blending the two has a ripple effect so far reaching you cannot even fully comprehend it right now.

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3. Practice gratitude; it’s essential, and easy. Start with: Who do I need to thank this week?Every week people within and outside your organization have added some value to your experience. They may have given you a great tip about something, provided an introduction or referral, or made an extra effort that made a lot of people’s lives easier, even if their contribution went unnoticed by the powers that be.

Writing thank you notes to those individuals is a gift that will impact them and can pay large dividends to your own sense of gratitude which, in turn, fosters greater fulfillment in your work. And thanking people is the essential ingredient in building trust and bonds that are the foundation of business and life.

With our demanding schedules, many of us don’t think we have time to write thank you notes, or we don’t exactly know what to say or how to do it. Relax – it is easier than you think. First, just be yourself and know that you can be brief – really, any small act of gratitude is appreciated immensely.

To find the time to write, look for those inescapable downtime moments. For example, do you find yourself on conference calls waiting for all the participants to arrive? Those few moments are an ideal time to grab a note card and jot a few lines or send an email. An email works well, but nothing works better than a personal note card. I try to resort to an email only when I can’t find someone’s mailing address after some digging. Note cards in the mail are treasured.

Whatever the format, the note need not be more than a few lines – simply thank someone for their action, i.e., “Thank you for arranging that call, or for your constant cheerful disposition, or for the referral – it meant the world to me,” or, “it made my day,” or, “it opened new opportunities…” Then sign your name. Voila, you have built a stronger bond. Of course, you can write a longer note, if you have the time and motivation!

Thank you notes have an outsized impact for the effort. Think about it; don’t you love getting a thank you note? When that pile of mail is dumped on your desk,

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and there is an envelope with your name in personal handwriting – doesn’t that make you feel special? Maybe someone has paid attention to the pen they used or the stamp they chose. All these details seem small, but they convey a huge, positive imprint on those who receive them.

Thank you notes always matter. Thank you notes give you a chance to acknowl-edge achievements and encourage and affirm others. And know this – thank you notes can and should be written to people up and down the career ladder, to peers, someone more senior than, or more junior to you. Everyone likes to be acknowledged and a thank you note can deepen the goodwill that is the life-blood of all relationships.

Ask yourself: Who do I need to thank today?

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4. Add value if you expect value.Let this be your mindset – in the immediate everyday tasks – but more impor-tantly, as a goal you aim to live up to every day. You should expect a lot from yourself AND the company where you spend so much of your time working.

For now, begin with what YOU can do to add value, especially if you are expect-ing a lot of value from your company or organization. There are opportunities every day to add value. These often overlooked opportunities represent the “low hanging” fruit that offer the possibility of immediate rewards and which can add up and propel you forward in every way you can imagine.

For example, when you decide to make it your goal to add more value you will find yourself being more intentional (which means resisting being a passive by-stander). You will step out to find opportunities to contribute. This will also cause you to gain more skills – and to realize the satisfaction and intrinsic rewards that come from gaining and mastering skills. These new and developing skills make you more marketable for your next promotion or job, and often net you more influence and rewards much sooner.

Where is the low hanging fruit in your company? If you haven’t thought of it already, here is one to consider: how about all those meetings you and your team attend (or endure?)?

You know it – most of us believe there are far too many time-wasting, unproduc-tive, pointless meetings.

I have a highly talented friend who was recruited to work in the White House some time ago, and he boldly (and perhaps wisely – this is the Federal govern-ment, after all) said he would accept only if he didn’t have to attend meetings! Imagine that! He was hired, was highly effective, and attended only those few mission critical meetings that were essential to fulfilling his job. Most of us can’t name those terms when we are hired, or have the freedom to avoid meetings we deem nonessential.

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Yet, we can learn to maximize the meetings we do attend. Whether you are lead-ing the meeting, or “just” a participant, there are things you can do now that will enhance the effectiveness and productivity of the meeting. We call this:

Leading a Meeting (Even If You are Not the Leader)

Why are meetings considered the bane of professionals’ existence? Perhaps it’s because there are so many unnecessary meetings, or ones that are not well run?

There is another way to look at meetings: Each meeting is a potentially rewarding opportunity to not only get things done more efficiently, but also to build stronger relationships. You and your attitude about a meeting can make a huge impact on your day, your teammates, your company, your career, and your future.

If you have been invited to a meeting, even if you are not the leader, you are sup-posed to contribute constructively. There is always a way to diplomatically make the meeting more worthwhile for everyone. Use your time in meetings to show your intelligence and ingenuity and to build a stronger platform for yourself and your career. Give more than is asked of you, be prepared and speak up.

According to Jo Miller, CEO and author,

“Speaking up and contributing in meetings can be your best oppor-tunity to shift others’ perception of you: from tactician to strategist, from task achiever to change-agent, and from doer to leader. With your teammates, management, and occasionally, key senior leaders in the room, meetings are a tailor-made platform for you to shape how others in your organization perceive you.”

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Try these action steps today:

• Ask good questions. In advance of every meeting, spend even 2 minutes looking at the agenda and ask yourself what you don’t know. Is there information from this meeting that will help you do your job better? Jot down a few ideas. As the meeting gets underway, keep jotting what you don’t know or under- stand. Asking open ended questions that don’t grandstand (which wastes peoples’ time and is all too obvious) can cause some gems to emerge from a meeting.

• If you are uncertain about the objectives of a meeting, or the results of the meeting at its conclusion, ask for them. You could say, “I want to ensure we’re clear on our top three objectives for our meeting,” at the outset. Yes, it can take a bit of courage, but everyone in the room will be grateful for the focus, whether they say so or not. This can be done for any meeting of any size, via any medium whether in person, via video conference, or by phone. Your attitude and focus will have a positive ripple effect.

• Ensure you or someone does a re-cap at the end of your meeting – who is going to do what by when. If no one is taking notes, ask someone, or take them yourself. Notes can be as brief as a one liner on agreements made in the meeting that should be sent out to all afterward.

People complain about not getting a promotion, or not being asked to lead an initiative, but it may be your performance in the routine things such as meetings that demonstrates to management how you think – or that you are willing to think!

Try these ideas this week; you will see the benefits in how you think about your work, how you do it, and in the response your receive from those around you.

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5. Setback? Challenge? Crisis? Find the opportunity and growth – it’s there.Every successful person you admire has failed, made stupid mistakes, and let fear, uncertainty, or doubt impede their progress at various points in their careers and lives. When (not if) this happens to you, you can cultivate the skills that will help you find the opportunity for resolution, growth, and even rewards from the experience.

Challenges and setbacks are often intensified because we blame ourselves for experiencing them in the first place.

That vision we have, the excitement that we have for our future, the deep satis-faction we have from operating within our strengths, motivates and propels us.

Setbacks can be shocking interruptions because we forget how inevitable they are.

We’re upset when setbacks and challenges occur. Many of us feel terrible that we are experiencing them – and we react with anger, guilt, frustration.

It’s fine and healthy to experience these emotions, but quickly let them go so you can focus on resolutions and solutions. There are a few constructive things to do to set your attention and intentions toward solutions and resolution.

Marcus Aurelius, one of the Five Good Emperors of Rome, faced more challenges, conflicts, politics, dangers, campaigns, budget administrations, executive responsibilities, and intrigue than you or I will ever experience – yet he said this:

“The first thing is to keep an untroubled spirit, the second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.”

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You can gain a sense of calm by knowing things for what they are. The first step is to ask a few questions:

• What is the real problem?

• What is really going on here?

• What are my team, or I, NOT doing; what have we, or I missed?

• Where is my opportunity to learn something?

• Who do I trust to seek advice?

• Do I need a team of people to solve this, and if so, who?

• How can I use this to help others?

• How can I use this to help myself?

The last one may seem counter-intuitive, but as you may have noticed at times in your life, when a problem occurs, a benefit often seems to pop up right along-side it! You can probably think of a few times where this has already happened. In fact it is always helpful to recall how your most serious challenges in the past have worked out. As you recall these, survey them for themes and answers.

Next, make a plan – gather facts and data, identify who you can trust, and proceed in the direction your “calm, untroubled mind” has spoken to you. Whatever your challenge, you will be well served to form a plan of action around these ideas.

Remember, you don’t have to solve the problem today or all at once – chances are the challenge took time to develop, and the solution will too.

Your attitude, perspective, actions, and tone will impact the outcome. So do what the most successful people that you admire have done and be constructive! You can turn a setback into future possibilities for yourself and others.

Read on for Jon Gordon’s Positive Pledge – Jon is a leadership expert who helps professional sports teams achieve their potential. The Pledge has inspired

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me many times in the past few years after I discovered it. Now, when I face a challenge, I often re-read it, and it immediately changes my focus. It reminds me that my attitude will guide me to better actions, and better outcomes (below is an excerpt of Jon’s Pledge):

• I vow to stay positive in the face of negativity.

• When I feel fear I will choose faith.

• When I experience a challenge, I will look for opportunity to learn and grow.

• When I experience a set-back, I will be resilient.

• When I meet failure, I will fail forward towards future success.

• I believe I’m here for a reason and my purpose is greater than my challenges.

• With vision, hope, and faith, I will never give up and will always move forward towards my destiny.

I hope you have found these 5 Ways to Add Value and Move Ahead Now valuable.

What do you think? What happened when you “did the work”?

Let us know at comments@YourPocketMentor.com and we may feature your comments or questions on upcoming blog posts and podcasts.

Remember, you know more than you think and you can contribute more than you know, and right now you can thrive in your work and life.

Warmly,