5 Ways

to Add Value
and Move
Ahead Now
by Caren Merrick

Do you love going to work every day? Do you feel

highly engaged and productive? Are you advancing
as quickly as youd like to, earning what you believe
you deserve?
Ive heard from many people who dont love their job; they feel disconnected
with what they do for 8 to 10 hours each day, and to add insult to perceived
injury, they also arent receiving the level of recognition, rewards and advancement they expect.
Does this sound like you? Or, are you relatively happy in your job, but wonder
why it is taking so long to advance and get that promotion?
If any of these experiences describe you, you are not alone. About 70% of
Americans in a professional job feel the same. They want more engagement,
effectiveness, and rewards.
There are many reasons why you and a large number of people want more
from work. It may be that youre underwhelmed by your projects, or the team
you are on. Or maybe you dont see a connection between what you are good
at, what you love and what you do.
Whatever the reason, I have found there are a few, seemingly small, but very
significant things you can do now that will dramatically improve your satisfaction,
empower you to add more value, and as a result will give you more visibility and
influence while accelerating your career track.
Read on for these 5 simple, yet powerful, nuggets and put them into practice.
You will see results!
Send me an email (comments@YourPocketMentor.com) with your success
story or follow-up questions and we will select some to answer on our blog. And
check our website regularly for ideas and special offers that will help you thrive
in work and life.

1. Find your purpose it gives you

guidance, motivation, perseverance.
Just what does it mean to find your purpose? Such a large question, but with
just a few minutes of thought, you can gain a lot of insight about yourself and
your future. And the clarity you get from understanding your purpose is an asset
that you bring to your organization you will be more adept in helping your
company understand and stick to its purpose when you begin with your own.
This is a win for you and a win for your company.
To start, lets look at what Purpose is; I like to think of purpose as who you are
and what you do. A purpose (as a noun) is defined as: the reason for which
something is done or created or for which something exists; an intended or
desired result; end; aim; or goal.

Purpose (as a verb) is defined as: to set as an aim, intention;

to intend, design, resolve (to do something).
As you think about your career and life do these words resonate? Do you know
the reason why you do the work you do? Do you choose priorities and make
decisions based on knowing your purpose? Have you defined an aim, intention,
or design for your work and life? These are powerful ideas and get at the
heart of why understanding your purpose is so essential to your well being
and success.
Your purpose is powerful and unique to you.
Knowing your purpose and being reminded of it frequently guarantees your
work will be more fulfilling, engaging, effective. And, as a bonus, science shows
that having a purpose, especially one that goes beyond your own self-interest,
is good for your health.
Your purpose will be expressed from your strengths (more on that below),
your personality, and the ongoing accumulation of your experience, choices,
and wisdom.

The importance of purpose is evidenced by the countless words that have

been written on discovering and achieving ones purpose. How can you better
understand yours? As always the most powerful insights begin with questions.
Whether you know your purpose or not, it is always helpful to begin by asking
questions. Here are some that have been highly effective for millions of people:
At the end of my life, what do I want to be remembered for? At my funeral,
what do I want people to say about me? This is a variation on leadership expert
Stephen Coveys idea begin with the end in mind. It is thought-provoking
and can lead to answers on what is important and an assessment on whether
your choices and priorities reflect what is important to you; for some this may
be a wake-up call.
For me, rather than ask how I will be remembered, I focus on the present,
and ask, What do I want my life to count for, now and in the long run?
In his bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren leads
readers to ask three questions:

Why do I exist?
Why am I here?
What is my purpose?
Steven Pressfield, author of one of the most important books that everyone
should read, Do The Work, suggests we ask these questions when determining
why we do the work we do:

What do we do?
For whom do we do it?
Leadership expert Michael Hyatt suggests these:

What am I particularly talented at?

What meets a significant need in the world?

So, answer this for yourself:

What do I want my life to count for?

Its essential to ask these questions from time to time throughout your life and
career because you cant possibly be successful without knowing where you
are going in your life. How you answer these questions gives you your personal
roadmap, this year, and for years to come. Take a few moments now to imagine
what youd like your life to be like in 6 months, 2, 5, and 10 years from now.
Companies and nonprofits create mission statements all the time to ensure
they are heading in the right direction. You should have one, too (or maybe you
will call it something else your life goal or vision statement).
Whether you have done this previously or not, now is a good time to think about
it. It doesnt matter what you call it as long as you have a few sentences in mind
that capture your talents, interests, and core values.
To spur your thinking, here are some examples:

To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles

to make a significant difference.
Denise Morrison
CEO of Campbell Soup Company

To have fun in my journey through life and learn from

my mistakes.
Sir Richard Branson
Founder of the Virgin Group

To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be

more than they thought they could be.
Oprah Winfrey
Founder of the Oprah Winfrey Network

You dont need to go on a retreat or close yourself off from the world to write your
purpose statement. That might be useful, but you may find that unnecessary
because a lot of the answers are already within you. No need to over-engineer it
if you do there is the potential you will give in to perfectionism, and not craft one
at all.
Just keep it simple and dont underestimate how much your day will be transformed if you just stop and think about something like this for even five minutes.
My purpose statement reads like this:

To use my experiences as a serial entrepreneur to help people

from all walks of life to unleash and achieve their potential.
I will continue to refine this for the rest of my life. It certainly has changed as I
grew through my experiences, especially after I got married and had children of
my own our sons are my top priority in terms of how my purpose is fulfilled.
You can use a purpose statement to help you focus every day and to encourage
yourself in and through the inevitable challenges you will encounter.
What do you want your life to count for?

2. Know your strengths you are more

valuable than you think.
Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? When we
operate from our strengths we have the joy that comes from doing the work we
were born to do! If you are like the 70% of Americans who say they are not
engaged or fulfilled at work, you may not be making the highest and best use
of your talents, skills, and knowledge. If you are not operating from your
strengths, you will not experience the satisfaction or realize the rewards you are
capable of receiving from your work.

You will gain more confidence, become more valuable, and experience greater satisfaction and rewards by knowing and cultivating
your strengths.
What are Strengths?
Three essential components about you comprise your strengths: your talents,
skills, and knowledge. Knowing and building on your top 5 strengths is one
of the most important keys to achieving success.
The Gallup Organization has surveyed 10 million participants from all over
the globe and in every type of business. Through their research, they have
identified patterns and have been able to identify and define 34 key strengths
that people possess.
Each person has a unique combination of their five key strengths. When people
understand and cultivate their strengths, research shows they are more engaged, perform better, and stay longer at their organizations. They also advance
further, faster, and enjoy tangible rewards.
It is easier than you think to know and cultivate your strengths! Because of the
depth and longevity of the research, Gallup has been able to develop a streamlined approach. All you need is 20 minutes and $10 to take the assessment and
receive a detailed report about YOU.

By taking the 20-minute Strengthsfinder assessment online, you will receive a

report with a lengthy description of the top five strengths that make you stand
out. You will also receive Ideas for Action, with 10 excellent ideas on how to
appreciate, maximize, and take steps today that will dramatically increase your
engagement and satisfaction in your work. By virtue of these two pieces of
Strengthsfinder, you will immediately have a greater appreciation for how valuable you are, and as a result, gain more confidence and clarity. I have found the
Strengthsfinder assessment transformational. It has brought greater clarity
to the value I bring to the work I do.
Another benefit for you is that in addition to gaining insights and action items,
you will improve the vocabulary you use when you think about and articulate the
value you offer in your work and life. Knowing your strengths will also give you
greater insight into the people, challenges, and opportunities surrounding you
every day.
For example, you may find that some of the idiosyncrasies that annoy you in
others actually represent their Strengths; theirs are different than yours. By
knowing your strengths better, you will gain insight to better identify the key attributes of others a critical workplace asset that can change how you interact
with everyone.
Taking this assessment will help you understand how valuable you really are.
Most people find that some of the attributes identified were traits they had previously undervalued in themselves. These are often the traits that are powerful and
unique, and that come quite naturally to you.
As Donald O. Clifton, the late professor and creator of Strengthsfinder said:

You are not powerless, even in a job where you are not satisfied.
Today, make the investment in understanding and leading with your
strengths. Each persons greatest room for growth is in the areas
of his or her greatest strength.
Knowing your unique capabilities will transform how you perceive yourself and
others. You may choose to bring the results of the Strengthsfinder assessment
to your organization, your project team, or your management.

Strengthsfinder can also show you how to approach projects, how to choose
projects in the first place, and even how to choose reporting relationships when
that is a possibility.
Once you have the descriptions on how you stand out, and the Ideas for Action,
refer to them often they will give you greater clarity and confidence each time
you do. What could be better than that?!
Here is the website: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com
At whatever pace you proceed, this can be a time of epiphany and discovery.
Your purpose and your strengths will intersect for greater joy and effectiveness.
Blending the two has a ripple effect so far reaching you cannot even fully
comprehend it right now.

3. Practice gratitude; its essential,

and easy. Start with: Who do I need to
thank this week?
Every week people within and outside your organization have added some
value to your experience. They may have given you a great tip about something,
provided an introduction or referral, or made an extra effort that made a lot of
peoples lives easier, even if their contribution went unnoticed by the powers
that be.
Writing thank you notes to those individuals is a gift that will impact them and
can pay large dividends to your own sense of gratitude which, in turn, fosters
greater fulfillment in your work. And thanking people is the essential ingredient
in building trust and bonds that are the foundation of business and life.
With our demanding schedules, many of us dont think we have time to write
thank you notes, or we dont exactly know what to say or how to do it. Relax it
is easier than you think. First, just be yourself and know that you can be brief
really, any small act of gratitude is appreciated immensely.
To find the time to write, look for those inescapable downtime moments. For
example, do you find yourself on conference calls waiting for all the participants
to arrive? Those few moments are an ideal time to grab a note card and jot a
few lines or send an email. An email works well, but nothing works better than
a personal note card. I try to resort to an email only when I cant find someones
mailing address after some digging. Note cards in the mail are treasured.
Whatever the format, the note need not be more than a few lines simply thank
someone for their action, i.e., Thank you for arranging that call, or for your
constant cheerful disposition, or for the referral it meant the world to me, or,
it made my day, or, it opened new opportunities Then sign your name.
Voila, you have built a stronger bond. Of course, you can write a longer note,
if you have the time and motivation!
Thank you notes have an outsized impact for the effort. Think about it; dont you
love getting a thank you note? When that pile of mail is dumped on your desk,

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and there is an envelope with your name in personal handwriting doesnt that
make you feel special? Maybe someone has paid attention to the pen they used
or the stamp they chose. All these details seem small, but they convey a huge,
positive imprint on those who receive them.
Thank you notes always matter. Thank you notes give you a chance to acknowledge achievements and encourage and affirm others. And know this thank you
notes can and should be written to people up and down the career ladder,
to peers, someone more senior than, or more junior to you. Everyone likes to be
acknowledged and a thank you note can deepen the goodwill that is the lifeblood of all relationships.
Ask yourself: Who do I need to thank today?

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4. Add value if you expect value.

Let this be your mindset in the immediate everyday tasks but more importantly, as a goal you aim to live up to every day. You should expect a lot from
yourself AND the company where you spend so much of your time working.
For now, begin with what YOU can do to add value, especially if you are expecting a lot of value from your company or organization. There are opportunities
every day to add value. These often overlooked opportunities represent the low
hanging fruit that offer the possibility of immediate rewards and which can add
up and propel you forward in every way you can imagine.
For example, when you decide to make it your goal to add more value you will
find yourself being more intentional (which means resisting being a passive bystander). You will step out to find opportunities to contribute. This will also cause
you to gain more skills and to realize the satisfaction and intrinsic rewards that
come from gaining and mastering skills. These new and developing skills make
you more marketable for your next promotion or job, and often net you more
influence and rewards much sooner.
Where is the low hanging fruit in your company? If you havent thought of it
already, here is one to consider: how about all those meetings you and your team
attend (or endure?)?
You know it most of us believe there are far too many time-wasting, unproductive, pointless meetings.
I have a highly talented friend who was recruited to work in the White House
some time ago, and he boldly (and perhaps wisely this is the Federal government, after all) said he would accept only if he didnt have to attend meetings!
Imagine that! He was hired, was highly effective, and attended only those few
mission critical meetings that were essential to fulfilling his job. Most of us cant
name those terms when we are hired, or have the freedom to avoid meetings
we deem nonessential.

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Yet, we can learn to maximize the meetings we do attend. Whether you are leading the meeting, or just a participant, there are things you can do now that will
enhance the effectiveness and productivity of the meeting. We call this:

Leading a Meeting (Even If You are Not the Leader)

Why are meetings considered the bane of professionals existence? Perhaps
its because there are so many unnecessary meetings, or ones that are not
well run?
There is another way to look at meetings: Each meeting is a potentially rewarding
opportunity to not only get things done more efficiently, but also to build stronger
relationships. You and your attitude about a meeting can make a huge impact
on your day, your teammates, your company, your career, and your future.
If you have been invited to a meeting, even if you are not the leader, you are supposed to contribute constructively. There is always a way to diplomatically make
the meeting more worthwhile for everyone. Use your time in meetings to show
your intelligence and ingenuity and to build a stronger platform for yourself and
your career. Give more than is asked of you, be prepared and speak up.
According to Jo Miller, CEO and author,

Speaking up and contributing in meetings can be your best opportunity to shift others perception of you: from tactician to strategist,
from task achiever to change-agent, and from doer to leader. With
your teammates, management, and occasionally, key senior leaders
in the room, meetings are a tailor-made platform for you to shape
how others in your organization perceive you.

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Try these action steps today:

Ask good questions. In advance of every meeting, spend even 2 minutes

looking at the agenda and ask yourself what you dont know. Is there information
from this meeting that will help you do your job better? Jot down a few ideas.
As the meeting gets underway, keep jotting what you dont know or under-
stand. Asking open ended questions that dont grandstand (which wastes
peoples time and is all too obvious) can cause some gems to emerge from
a meeting.

If you are uncertain about the objectives of a meeting, or the

results of the meeting at its conclusion, ask for them. You could
say, I want to ensure were clear on our top three objectives for our meeting,
at the outset. Yes, it can take a bit of courage, but everyone in the room will
be grateful for the focus, whether they say so or not. This can be done for any
meeting of any size, via any medium whether in person, via video conference,
or by phone. Your attitude and focus will have a positive ripple effect.
Ensure you or someone does a re-cap at the end of your
meeting who is going to do what by when. If no one is taking notes,
ask someone, or take them yourself. Notes can be as brief as a one liner on
agreements made in the meeting that should be sent out to all afterward.
People complain about not getting a promotion, or not being asked to lead an
initiative, but it may be your performance in the routine things such as meetings
that demonstrates to management how you think or that you are willing
to think!
Try these ideas this week; you will see the benefits in how you think about your
work, how you do it, and in the response your receive from those around you.

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5. Setback? Challenge? Crisis? Find

the opportunity and growth its there.
Every successful person you admire has failed, made stupid mistakes, and
let fear, uncertainty, or doubt impede their progress at various points in their
careers and lives. When (not if) this happens to you, you can cultivate the skills
that will help you find the opportunity for resolution, growth, and even rewards
from the experience.
Challenges and setbacks are often intensified because we blame ourselves for
experiencing them in the first place.
That vision we have, the excitement that we have for our future, the deep satisfaction we have from operating within our strengths, motivates and propels us.
Setbacks can be shocking interruptions because we forget how inevitable
they are.
Were upset when setbacks and challenges occur. Many of us feel terrible that
we are experiencing them and we react with anger, guilt, frustration.
Its fine and healthy to experience these emotions, but quickly let them go so
you can focus on resolutions and solutions. There are a few constructive things
to do to set your attention and intentions toward solutions and resolution.
Marcus Aurelius, one of the Five Good Emperors of Rome, faced more
challenges, conflicts, politics, dangers, campaigns, budget administrations,
executive responsibilities, and intrigue than you or I will ever experience
yet he said this:

The first thing is to keep an untroubled spirit, the second is to look

things in the face and know them for what they are.

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You can gain a sense of calm by knowing things for what they are. The first step
is to ask a few questions:
What is the real problem?
What is really going on here?
What are my team, or I, NOT doing; what have we, or I missed?
Where is my opportunity to learn something?
Who do I trust to seek advice?
Do I need a team of people to solve this, and if so, who?
How can I use this to help others?
How can I use this to help myself?
The last one may seem counter-intuitive, but as you may have noticed at times
in your life, when a problem occurs, a benefit often seems to pop up right alongside it! You can probably think of a few times where this has already happened.
In fact it is always helpful to recall how your most serious challenges in the past
have worked out. As you recall these, survey them for themes and answers.
Next, make a plan gather facts and data, identify who you can trust, and proceed
in the direction your calm, untroubled mind has spoken to you. Whatever your
challenge, you will be well served to form a plan of action around these ideas.
Remember, you dont have to solve the problem today or all at once chances
are the challenge took time to develop, and the solution will too.
Your attitude, perspective, actions, and tone will impact the outcome. So do
what the most successful people that you admire have done and be constructive!
You can turn a setback into future possibilities for yourself and others.
Read on for Jon Gordons Positive Pledge Jon is a leadership expert who
helps professional sports teams achieve their potential. The Pledge has inspired

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me many times in the past few years after I discovered it. Now, when I face a
challenge, I often re-read it, and it immediately changes my focus. It reminds me
that my attitude will guide me to better actions, and better outcomes (below is
an excerpt of Jons Pledge):
I vow to stay positive in the face of negativity.
When I feel fear I will choose faith.
When I experience a challenge, I will look for opportunity

to learn and grow.

When I experience a set-back, I will be resilient.
When I meet failure, I will fail forward towards future success.
I believe Im here for a reason and my purpose is greater than

my challenges.
With vision, hope, and faith, I will never give up and will always

move forward towards my destiny.

I hope you have found these 5 Ways to Add Value and Move Ahead Now
valuable.
What do you think? What happened when you did the work?
Let us know at comments@YourPocketMentor.com and we may feature your
comments or questions on upcoming blog posts and podcasts.
Remember, you know more than you think and you can contribute more than
you know, and right now you can thrive in your work and life.
Warmly,

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