The Two Way Street series to this point has all been directed at a leadership and organizational level thus far.  Well, sorry team members (…employees), these components are far less indispensable than you are at this point. But we are going to build you up so that is not the reality forever.

Leadership has either put in the hours, built up the business, or both.  This is why it is harder to fire people in leadership positions.  The organization is how everyone is getting together in the first place.  No organization, nobody work (…says Tarzan). Now the goal here is to make it where you are moving up the corporate ladder not just in on paper, but truly show your vital worth.  Worth alone is great, but there are a lot of smart people out in the workforce today. So never begin to think that your worth can’t be replaced, but when I say vital worth, that’s something entirely different.  This is when the business would be impacted by your departure.

To break it down further, people in middle management, like yours truly, are the best place to look to distinguish between “worth” versus “vital worth.”  Middle management is where processes reside.  Basically, stuff moves from starting point to end point and is supposedly better when it gets to the other side of the process.  Middle management is the folks that can see where lapses occur, successes are seen, and the business is run.  Now, middle management shan’t get cocky because most of these processes are already created, reviewed, and approved by the time you get there.  You are simply running them.  It does not take a tremendous amount of skill to operate in these parameters, more so experience and some capability.  This is where the unengaged live in professional purgatory (maybe blissfully) and the disengaged should be filtered out if not sooner. What does this all mean?

Individuals in these middle management roles provide worth for sure. Operating processes efficiently adds to the bottom line. The people in these roles have worth.  But how vital are they? There will be staff below them that are developing. If they bring in only a little creativity after obtaining the necessary experience, they can become more valueable replacements for their former direct reports in no time.  This is an example of vital worth that can be applied to middle management and across all roles in all companies.  For-profit, not-for-profit, or government work, vital worth is always pivotal.

I see a couple components to vital worth.  To put them in two nice, clean buckets, they are differentiation and “show and tell.”  Step back and think after you read, and you can really apply these two principles to all companies in the marketplace.  What makes you better? How do people know about it?

Differentiation

The term alone is no different when put in the context of individuals or businesses.  How are you different? (Ah…so simple…) There are plenty of ways to be that cream that everyone keeps saying rises to the top.  This is where the deep innovative thought of engagement comes into play.  Narrow in on your skills at what you are both passionate about and in which you have strong ability.  These are the sweet spots that the adage of “skill meets will” becomes a true story and no longer a fairy tale.

Just like startups trying to meet the needs inside of market gaps, find where your organization lacks the skills you have.  Nothing shows off how engaged you are than walking into the head hauncho’s office and saying, “Bruh, I can do this really cool thing. I can do it better than anyone inside these four walls.  I can fit it inside of my job description. And it’s going to help us grow (aka pay you!).” Filling these holes will begin your differentiation.

The differentiation I have tried to establish is using my extroverted personality and joy of working directly with people combined with my desire to work in sales/marketing to bring new business to my public accounting firm.  Business development is regularly reserved for the partners/members of public accounting firms so they can keep all the money in the historical “eat what you kill” dynamic of the profession.  I believe it’s also so old white guys can complain how young people lack the skills necessary to thrive in the current environment (….Take it Ice Man …).  But, I have now shown a small track record to be able to start new relationships and cultivate them into new annual revenue to exceed my annual salary.  This has led to more opportunities  to build experience in advisory/consulting engagements and stay on top of our industry’s trends and happenings while attending conferences.  Further, I always have the constant goal of maintaining strong proficiency in our core audit business. All of these components combined are what build my desired differentiation.  New business development, wide engagement experience, and constantly build my technical skills.

The task for you is to find the market gap of your organization’s business that you can fill effectively.  This will be your differentiation that will lead to vital worth. Even the proposal of introducing your hidden skill set to the business with the idea of making it better will prove you are engaged in your work and the company.

Show and Tell

This is pretty simple.  People need to know about your exploits. Show and tell is really just marketing you, but that’s way too boring to say in a blog post. If no one knows that you’re doing awesome stuff then how do you expect anyone to realize that you’re making these bottom line contributions, or even engaged in the work?

Periodic and annual evaluations, one-on-one meetings, and all the other chances you can think of without being the weird annoying guy talking about your self are the opportunities to tell your message.  If the contributions you are providing are truly adding value and are vital, your need to show and tell to leadership will be very low.  They will know and the rewards will come.  Every year I update my personal records for the annual revenue that came in the prior year and the expected revenue for the following year.  This document is one of the central tools I have when I go to an annual evaluation or meeting with a Member.  I normally tread lightly and it is a use-only-as-needed tool.  But I am prepared.  If you begin to show and tell to a point you feel exhausted or unheard, it’s a symptom of one of two problems.  Either the culture in your organization is not strong and the top does not listen to the people doing the producing, or what you are doing is not that valuable to a point of vital worth.  Whether answer (A) or (B), that is a call you will have to make and make correctly (Sorry, can’t do everything).

There is one last show and tell point I want to make before signing off.  This is really important for people early in their careers, in new positions, or new jobs.  Showing how hard you are working while you are in a learning phase will show the folks upstairs that you are really engaged and still searching for your differentiation.  There is not much out there that will discount strong work ethic.  If you are putting in the extra hours, picking up the extra assignment when you do not need too, or even just asking for the extra assignment, then you are on your way. This proves you have the will and you want the skill. But, as expected, you are just in a phase that you can’t skip of gaining experience and technical knowledge.  So while the 40 hour work weeks with flexible schedules are great putting in some extra time will endear you to the bosses.  This is something that has always got results and always will.

Look for how you can develop your vital worth.  Show the people eating a perfectly seared cut of filet mignon and washing it down with a balanced glass of aromatic cabernet sauvignon on a pressed white table cloth that you are engaged and the spoils will come your way.

This concludes the first extended series of blogs I have done and the three parts will likely be referenced into the future because I believe them to be essential to all people and organizations.  I hope you have enjoyed reading them.  They were challenging but exciting to write. I was able to explore some ideas that I think can only be expressed through writing.  So thank you and I look forward to a future extended series.