Become a More Valuable Employee in 2016

If you haven’t already come up with a work-related resolution for 2016, here’s one to consider: Become a more valuable employee. Being more valuable to your company not only helps with job security, it could put you on the path to promotions and raises. It’s a nice position to be in.

But how do you do it? In short, you do it by becoming the “go-to” person. The “go-to” person is knowledgeable, visible, proactive, responsible, and good with people. If you become the “go-to” person, you’ll be infinitely more valuable to your employer. Here’s how.

1. Become an expert in your company’s latest product or service.

What’s your company doing that’s new? Innovative? Unique – something the competition isn’t doing? Find out what’s on the cutting edge for your business and get to know that product or service really well, better than anyone (except perhaps the CEO). Let’s say somebody just finished their 100 day plan, and needs more in depth info on your company’s latest offering. By establishing yourself as the authority on company news, not only will people turn to you for information about it, but you’ll be able to capitalize on that knowledge for the foreseeable future as the new products or services roll out.

2. Budget time for regular learning.

Become even more knowledgeable and extend your learning beyond your company’s latest and greatest product or service. Take time to learn about your company’s other major products and services, as well as your company’s history, the industry as a whole, and the competition.

The key here is consistency. Make it a habit to listen to an industry-related podcast or audiobook on your commute every day, or schedule in 15 minutes at the start of the day to study your company’s online training materials. It really adds up. 

3. Engage in cross-team collaboration.

Collaboration is an essential and inevitable part of business, and collaborating with people you don’t normally work with can be great for you and for the company. If your company uses an LMS, have a look at some quick trainings from other departments to learn about their processes and procedures. Team members can share their unique perspectives with each other and come up with ideas that are only possible through sharing expertise and personal insight.

Not only will you come to understand the company in a deeper way, you’ll also get to know people in other departments, a key aspect of visibility. 

4. Take on leadership roles.

Volunteer to take on leadership roles, especially if you want to move up the ladder. Volunteering shows that you’re proactive, and taking on a project shows that you can handle responsibility and see projects through to the end. It also helps with visibility.

Leadership roles don’t need to be confined to business-only pursuits, either: Consider leading the charge on things like office charity drives, fun runs, and birthday celebrations.

5. Improve your management and people skills.

Improving your management skills and people skills is important if you plan to make your mark in the business world. You’ll want to learn how to motivate people, reward their hard work, and get them excited to do their jobs well. You’ll also need to learn how to handle difficult employees, bolster morale, and be the voice of reason to help resolve conflict.

Your company may offer this type of training, or you can find courses online or read books on management techniques. At the same time, you can be mindful of developing good relationships with the people around you, as that’s what it’s ultimately about.

Resolution: Become Invaluable in 2016

Start by focusing on one of the five steps. Each step will move you closer to being indispensable. By integrating all five of these habits into your routine, you’ll be the “go-to” person in no time!

About the author

Austin Martin is a Marketing Manager at Mindflash. He is committed to Mindflash becoming the industry leader in online training solutions. Austin is a Bay Area native who loves basketball, giant fighting robots, and mac n cheese.

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