04.08.11 The 7th Key for Adding Value as an Employee

7. Be a Star Performer

Working in a foreign country is not always a smooth sail since some citizens may have been eyeing the same job, a fact that I was well-aware of. Why was it Joy who had been hired and not anyone else? Having been head-hunted to establish a commercial department from scratch, I had to rationalise my being there. Therefore, to silence naysayers, I deliberately set out to perform beyond the expectations of my employer and other stakeholders. And, it was not long before my smart and hard labour yielded fruit. By the end of year one, passenger traffic had gone up by 140% and kept escalating thereafter as reported by our statistician. That was how I got branded as a star performer.

I would like to infer that for Naaman and his wife to have believed the slave girl's advice to the point of asking the king for permission to travel to Israel (2 Kings 5:4-5) and investing in a long trip, the girl must have been a star performer in her own way.

A value-adding employee performs beyond the norm and shuns mediocrity. She intentionally makes sure that the standard of her work shine before employers and other stakeholders. See what Matthew 5:16 says (EXB): … let your light shine before others [for people to see], so that they will see ·the good things you do [your good deeds/works] and will ·praise [glorify; give honor to] your Father in heaven.

Therefore, always aim to deliver above the expectations outlined in your job description, responsibilities or tasks and activities delegated to you.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

Value-addition includes meeting your deadlines since your delays could affect other processes hence diluting the value of the finished product or service. Adding value covers exploring new ground as well. Therefore, be ready to put in extra time rather than the conventional eight hours per working day.

Identify ‘what you are best at’. What are your strengths and how do they align with the value that your organisation wants to see? What weaknesses prevent you from performing your job responsibilities and how do you plan to address them?

Always present high-quality work by paying attention to detail, for example proofreading.

Make sure that you have a clear understanding of your key performance indicators and reports, as they spell the value that your employer needs from you and how your value-addition will be assessed at the end of the day. Keep a finger on your performance by monitoring yourself day-in, day-out. For instance, to what extent is your work enhancing productivity, efficiency, revenue inflows, cost savings, customer satisfaction scores, employee morale and engagement or achievements of project goals? What perception do your supervisors have about the services you offer and your overall work performance?