Adding value to your workplace

Why is it important to add value?

The addition of value to your workplace occurs every time you do even a little more to make contributions that are helpful to your employer, such as increasing sales or growing your clientele. To understand what adding value means, you should look at how it improves your company's business, whether that's delivering better quality products to customers or preparing for specific circumstances.

Deliver at the highest level

A great way to add value to your employer's products or services is to make sure you produce high-quality work. For instance, you might come up with high-quality copy for an advertising client or ensure fewer errors in the equipment you manufacture.

Creating high-quality work requires you to make sure you understand the types of errors you might commonly make in your work and the expectations of your employer and customers. The quality and dedication that you put into your work will be appreciated by most employers and clients, even if it requires more time.

Being the specialist

Your skills as a specialist will allow you to answer questions for colleagues and customers that will add value to their interactions with you. In the end, it reduces the time spent talking to others or researching an issue, so everyone can get their issue resolved faster.
For example, you might go the extra mile in learning new tips to help your callers if you are working in customer service for a telecommunications company.

Asking questions

You can get helpful information from colleagues or customers by asking targeted yet open-ended questions that allow them to express their needs in a way they find comfortable. By asking them questions that aren't too narrow, you're able to discover what matters to them rather than simply directing their responses.

Knowing your industry

Understanding the factors that affect the company you work for can help you improve many aspects of the management of your company. Many successful people do their best to understand the industry they work in. Consider reading industry publications, examining industry websites, networking with industry professionals, or reading books on the topic.

You may, for instance, work in the publishing industry and decide to learn all the aspects of the industry so that you can be a more knowledgeable pro. As a result of your investigation, you discover that your company could save money by switching printers and that exhibiting at a particular industry conference could improve your company's reputation.