Posted by Dave Lorenzo - Business Coach

Everybody has problems, and everybody loves people who help them solve their problems. A great way to show your enthusiasm, positive attitude, and commitment to value creation is to be proactive. Here are some ideas on how to take a more active approach toward your career:

Chat. When you go to work in the morning, say good morning to people. Ask how they’re doing. Check in with them on work issues, and let them know you’re there to help. The people who are going places make themselves seen and heard, professionally and personally. Communicate openness and approachability by making conversation with your business partners throughout the day. When they need a little help, they’ll come to you, and you’ll have another chance to create and demonstrate value.

Question. People like to talk about themselves, and they like to feel that someone understands them. Ask your coworkers how they’re doing. The accountant might rant for ten minutes about time sheet errors, but in the end, she’ll feel better for having gotten some sympathy, and you will hopefully have bonded over the frustration. You never know how information that you wouldn’t normally get might help you in your work and open doors for you.

Help. When you notice a colleague is stressed out and frazzled, ask if you can do anything to help. If he says no, at least you’ve shown that you care and you’re willing to help. If he says yes, you get an opportunity to demonstrate value by helping solve the problem. Either way, you’re a good guy, and you’re building your personal brand of value creation.

Suggest. If you notice a problem, offer your ideas on how to improve the situation. Oftentimes, everyone knows about a problem but ignores it because they don’t have time or think it’s too much trouble to address. Put an idea for resolution out there, and jump on implementing the change.

Involve yourself. Instead of hiding in your office when things come up, jump in and show your willingness to work on correcting situations gone wrong. The more visible you are to your business partners, the more they will come to know and trust you. That paves the way for future opportunities for you.

Adapt. Don’t let yourself be limited by your job description. Be open to solving any kind of problem that comes your way, no matter how far beyond your scope you might think it is. You might not be 100% sure, but it never hurts to try.

Filed under: Value Creation
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