Is your significance being drowned out?

Have you ever wondered if you are being noticed and appreciated at work? Are you by chance struggling with your unique role and contribution? At first glance these two questions may seem disconnected but there is really only 6 degrees of separation between the two. If you are clear on your unique role and contribution then whether anyone acknowledges it or not, you are still confident of bringing value to the table.

Much of the jealousy that goes on at work stems from a persons inability to see their unique value. I was recently working with a V.P. who was threatening to leave her employer of 15 years because there was now someone much younger “gunning for her job.” Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s not. But, one thing is for sure, time and energy spent on speculation is counterproductive.

Here are some tips for shoring up your unique value that will make replacing you next to impossible.

1. Teach and train someone else to do your job. How dumb is that, right? I mentioned this in a radio interview recently and caller told me that was the dumbest thing anyone could ever do if they were really interested in keeping their job. The fact is so few people live this way. Your training someone to do your job demonstrates the single greatest characteristic any leader could possess, the ability to duplicate yourself in the life of someone else. That’s a unique and significant contribution that will never leave you short on opportunity.
2. Demonstrate your desire for personal growth. Enlist a mentor. Hire a life-coach. Build a reading list based on what your leadership perceives as important. Ask for constructive criticism. In looking for a way that differentiates you from most, realize your greatest ability just might be your teach-ability. I once had a team member who was indignant about me asking them to invest in themselves by paying for a book out of their own pocket. Show me someone not willing to invest in themselves and I will show you a person who contributes very little.
3. Take a risk. Don’t assume you are playing it safe by staying under the radar of being noticed. Even under the radar you are vulnerable to friendly fire (gossip, jealousy, envy, etc.). Write a one-pager and engage others in conversation about it. Whether its better customer care, employee engagement, new business leads, process improvement. Even if your ideas are never used or appreciated, you are setting yourself apart from most others.

Take a moment and pick out even one suggestion to start on today. Write it down… enlist someone you trust to hold you accountable to follow through. Get started now and make your unique voice heard.

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