How To Be Valuable In The Workplace and Increase Your Standing

How does one increase her / his value in the workplace? How can you been seen as someone of value? How do you become valuable to your manager? Let’s face it, most people come to work to get the job done. Some do, and others don’t. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. But going above and beyond what one is asked to do is the domain of value added people; the people who are relied upon, get the toughest assignments, get recognized for their efforts and get promoted.

For me, as a leader, these are the people I want to replicate (more on this topic in another post). This is a blog post for you, the person who wants to be seen as reliable and value added, who gets into the secret meetings and is let in on insider information. The person who is taken under a leader’s wing, a person who instantly raises a groups expectations and changes the game.

How can you become more valuable?

Want to become more valuable? Identify problems and fix them; without needing or asking for permission. That’s it. Don’t know what problems to fix? Ask your manager what their 3 biggest priorities are and figure out how you can help them solve those challenges. Do this, and you’ll increase your standing instantly, because you’ll be relied upon.

The people I promote are the ones who take action. It almost seems like they read my mind, but they didn’t; they asked and listened, and took action without being asked. Every leader wants people around them who can take some load off their plate. Direct Managers have information about business challenges, so home in on those and help out.

To greatly increase your value even more, be someone that makes other people’s work easier, someone who steps up and leads when needed, someone who does the job that’s needed, someone who gets things done.


Bottom line: The fastest path to leadership is simple: increase your value by adding value. And once you’re in a position of leadership, eliminate the obstacles for others to do the same.