By Liz Greene
Not a day goes by that I don’t remind myself how incredibly lucky I am to have a job I love. The company I work for is young, and despite a few hiccups, we’re learning and growing every day. Working for a startup puts me in a slightly unique position — as an individual employee, I have the power to make a huge difference in the success or failure of my company. Obviously, I’m going to do what I can to help us succeed.
If you’re looking for ways to give as much as you get from your job, consider the following tactics.
1. Appreciate Your Clients
We’ve all had those days where we wished clients and customers would just go away and leave us in peace. But, of course, without them, business would grind to a halt and we’d be out of a job. That’s why it should come as no surprise that one of the easiest ways to promote the success of your organization is to be good to your clients.
Clients and customers who have a positive experience are far more likely to continue to do business with your company, recommend it to friends and family, and remain loyal when your competitors lower prices. Every time you have a forward facing interaction, you are being given a chance to make that client feel valued. So, use their name, be sincere, and say thank you. Even these smallest of touches can go a long way in boosting customer loyalty.
2. Go Above and Beyond
When you already have a full work day, it may not be tempting to join the extracurricular activities your company offers. After all, why would you want to add to your already overloaded schedule by taking part in office committees or volunteer work?
However, there are actually a myriad of reasons you should.
Committee work is a great way to show that you both know, and are willing to do, what it takes to get a job done successfully. It allows you to build up knowledge in a number of different areas, making you an important asset to your company as a whole. It also gives you the opportunity to interact with individuals you may not see on a day-to-day basis, and form strong inter-departmental bonds.
Aiding in volunteer efforts enables you to help your organization build ties in the community. The added warm fuzzies don’t hurt either. You’ll feel better about both your company and yourself.
3. Further Your Education
Granted, keeping up with industry news is just another thing to add to your already crowded to-do list, but there are a number of benefits in doing so.
When you know the ins and outs of your industry, you make better decisions. You also develop a keen eye to spot both threats and opportunities early on — giving your company a competitive edge. This allows you help shape your organization’s strategy, and earn the trust and respect of the people around you.
There are many ways you can easily stay up to date on industry news, such as:
- Subscribing to trade journals, magazines, and other publications.
- Attending conferences, industry events, and training sessions.
- Following well-known experts and industry people on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Spending a little time each day to read articles on respected industry blogs.
The more you learn about what you do, the more value you will have not only to your company, but to your customers and clients as well.
4. Spread Positive Word of Mouth
My company loves to give us free schwag — t-shirts, water bottles, sunglasses, etc. While I originally just considered this a nice little perk, I found that wearing branded clothing outside work actually started conversations with strangers wanting to know more about what I did. This gave me the perfect opportunity to spread positive word of mouth, something I had normally only done for businesses I made purchases from.
Word of mouth is a major player in the world of marketing. In fact, 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influence in their purchasing decision. Every time I tell a barista, checker, or inquisitive stranger about my company, I’m increasing the chance of another sale — something you can do just as easily.
5. Care
You don’t have to like your job to do it adequately — but if you want to excel, you better start caring.
We all like to feel as if we’re part of something bigger than ourselves, and caring deeply about the work you do is the best way to cultivate this feeling in your company. Work has meaning when we care, and a caring workforce is likely to be more loyal and engaged at work.
Emotions are contagious. By outwardly showing your love for your job, you can help encourage others in your organization to do the same, transforming your company culture into one of purpose. Don’t just punch the clock — take ownership in what you do, excel at it, and shine. You’ll find your coworkers will start to do the same.
According to Paul McCartney, the love we take is equal to the love we make. I’ve taken this suggestion to heart, and I’ve found that the more I give to my job, the more I get back.
My hope is that all of you are able to do the same.
Liz Greene is a dog loving, beard envying, pop culture geek from the beautiful city of trees, Boise, Idaho. You can catch up with her latest misadventures on Instant Lo or follow her on Twitter @LizVGreene.
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Karen Adamedes is an experienced executive, author and career-tipster. In her most recent book ‘Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home’ Karen shares many of the insights she has gained during a decade of working from home, where she has negotiated multi-million dollar deals, led national teams and delivered major projects. She does admit to sometimes working in her pajamas.
