I was facilitating a financial fitness class recently when the issue of growing in one’s career came up. I put the question to the class and the best response I heard was to become a unique contributor. We explored the various ways anyone can become a unique contributor in their workplace, and the class generally agreed on the following themes:
The first thing to do is to acquire as much knowledge as possible. The best way to acquire knowledge is to set aside an hour a day to intentionally study and master your craft. The best hour is typically early in the morning. This may mean adjusting your schedule to arrive at work an hour earlier and then use this time to study with few distractions. The study should be conducted in three broad areas: your core profession, the industry you are in, and general business knowledge. I demonstrated to the class that if they did this, they would quickly become among the most knowledgeable people at work. I also challenged the class to read at least one good book a month. Within five years, they would have read 60 good books, which would place them among the top 1% of readers across the world.
The next step in becoming a unique contributor is to acquire the relevant skills in your trade. There are two ways to do this: acquire a professional qualification in your field and acquire relevant experience. There are several professional qualifications to choose from in any field. Choose one that is internationally accredited. For instance, accountants can choose ACCA, CFA, CIMA, etc. There are several ways to acquire experience, but they all involve a willingness to take on additional tasks and learn on the job.
With the right knowledge and skills, we can then begin solving problems in the workplace. Every boss has difficult problems that assault them at work. These bosses are always on the lookout for employees who are willing to handle some of this stress on their behalf. The trick is to become the employee who is called upon and burdened with difficult problems. So don’t get annoyed if you are always being picked on to solve issues at work. This is a very good sign that your bosses have confidence in you and that you will be promoted sooner or later.
We also need to figure out how to create more value at work. Creating value involves finding avenues to improve the bottom line, increase revenues, reduce costs, and create efficiencies. So, simply use your new-found knowledge and skills to suggest and create improvements at work. Now, you have to master the courage to speak up, lobby for your ideas, and be willing to put in extra work to lead and implement these ideas. Most bosses love employees who help them improve things. Just make sure you give the boss enough credit for the idea so they don’t become insecure.
Finally, you really have to work hard. The workplace is intensely competitive, and you simply have to outwork your peers to get ahead of them. So be willing to put in some extra hours every day but also simply become more productive and deliver a larger volume of work in the same amount of time. The employee who solves more problems and creates more value in the workplace has a great chance to grow faster at work.
The class eventually agreed that this is the path to becoming a unique contributor at work: Acquire knowledge and skills, solve problems, create value, and work hard. These principles apply even in entrepreneurship and other social enterprises. And the beauty is that applying these principles will inevitably lead to career growth, either in your current organization or outside it.
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