04.08.14 The 10th Key for Adding Value as an Employee
10. Be a Problem-Solver
Naaman’s slave girl is an amazing example of an effective problem-solver. As you may recall, despite the commander’s glowing military prowess, his leprosy poised a problem, and from the look of things, there was no solution on the horizon. Writers report how sufferers of leprosy were considered ‘dead’ by society, to the extent that relatives would be allowed to claim the sick person's inheritance. Therefore, if left unchecked, the disease was bound to commit the commander to a life of segregation and ostracisation, a thing which must have bothered King Ben-Hadad considering that Naaman was one of the best in the Syrian military. It was under such debilitating circumstances that the slave girl thought of a way out, proposing a solution that redeemed her boss from a situation of ‘living death' as some used to call it.
A value-adding employee must be able to solve problems effectively, since challenges will crop up in your workspace, from time to time. The good news is, God is ready to guide you on that journey if you let Him, as Proverbs 3:5-6 promises. That scripture reads (NLT): 5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
In order to add visible value, begin by identifying and defining your entity's pressing problems, especially those within your field or area of expertise. Next, identify the root causes of that problem. Develop and execute an action plan that focuses on alleviating the root causes rather than just the symptoms, so as to effectuate sustainable improvement. Explore different effective and efficient solutions for handling various problems.
Implement the solutions that you have come up with, in addition to monitoring, evaluating and reviewing progress from time to time. What lessons can be distilled from your problem handling process? Adjust as and when necessary in line with the satisfaction of stakeholders.