How to Be the Most Valuable Employee

Most people spend a substantial amount of time getting ready for work. It’s important to look professional for the job that you do. However, how we prepare ourselves internally has a lot more to do with our success than how we look on the outside.

Going to work can be a battleground. Things come flying at you at hundred miles an hour. Starting from the traffic to dealing with a difficult boss, employee, or a demanding customer, it can easily sap your energy quickly. Let’s discuss seven traits of a valuable employee.

Be at peace. When you’re at peace, you are in control. The more you can handle a stressful situation in a calm manner, the less frustrated you’ll be. Don’t be surprised at the unexpected demands and behaviors of people. Part of that is what you’re getting paid to handle. When you stay calm, cool, and collected, people respect you and you become more valuable. Inner peace produces outer success.

Attitude is everything. Your attitude reveals your character and it determines your altitude. Attitude is simply confronting a tense situation in a relaxed, easy-going manner. Unfair things will happen. You have to choose your attitude from the moment you get up or else the world outside will set it for you. Employers are dying to find people with good attitudes. You can be the most valuable employee in the company simply by having a can-do attitude. 

Be positive. This one quality will separate you from 90% of the people in your organization. People are so quick to tune in to the negative. Anyone can report a problem. You’re hired to solve problems. Bosses want to hear how it can be done. The bigger problems you solve, the better compensation you’ll receive. No matter what’s thrown at you, your first response should be, “Yes. We’ll get it done.” Don’t worry about the details; it’ll all fall into place.

Delay response. Not all matters require immediate response. Especially, when you’re dealing with a critical email, customer, or employee, it will be to your benefit if you delay your response. When you face a problem, put it on the shelf. I’m not saying ignore the problem but don’t rush into action. Life has an amazing way of working itself out. Sometimes the best action is no action.

Have integrity. Why and how you do something is as important as what you do. In life, always promise less and deliver more. Do what is right even when it’s hurting your bottom line. A true test of integrity is to think, “What will I do if I was on the receiving end of my action?”

 

Celebrate someone. The world is full of selfish and ambitious people who want to step on others to get to the top. A better way to get to the top is to serve others. When we appreciate, recognize, and celebrate the achievements of others, not only will they rise higher but you will go to the top with them. Be genuinely happy for your co-worker’s success. What you send out always comes back.

Don’t panic; pray. There will be the unexpected and the inevitable. There will be things beyond your control. What you cannot change, pray that God will. When you pray, you have power (from on high). Build a reputation of being a prayer person at work and you’ll be amazed at the respect you earn! Unlike popular belief, don’t separate your faith and work life. We’re all called to be light in the world. Your witness for the Lord is vital to win the lost.

Be a balanced person at work. Don’t let others run over you, but don’t be a slacker either. Showing up is half the job done. Whatever you do, do it with all your might and enthusiasm. When you do a hard task with a good attitude, you’ll accomplish your goal faster. Honor God in the marketplace and He will honor you. You’re the only witness some people will ever see. Instead of complaining, learn to enjoy work. It will benefit everybody around. I’m praying for you and your success.

“Do everything without complaining and arguing” (Philippians 2:14 NLT).

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Increase by Association

We can only go so far in life by ourselves. Show me your friends and I’ll tell you how far you’re going to go. People we hang around with have the power to bring life or death into our lives.

C. S. Lewis said, “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” When we select our friends wisely, we’ll see a speedy growth in ourselves, our family, business and career. When we keep to ourselves or keep bad company it will hinder our growth and progress. People we spend time with have a great influence in our lives. It’s ok to help others who are negative, struggling, and making wrong choices but if they become our only friends then we’re going to stifle our own growth.

In the Bible, there are many examples of people who rose to the top due to the company they kept. We don’t have to have a “better than you” attitude but we must chose friends who will challenge us to go up higher.

Being a minister, I have to relate to different types of people. I take pride in making friends with those who are not “all together.” I love people who are falling short of the mark. Jesus was a friend of the sinners and I want to be like Him. I’m friend to all but I chose my inner circle very carefully. I know from past mistakes that having the wrong friend or no friend will steer me in the wrong direction. Jesus was available to all but He gave Himself to the twelve disciples and even a smaller group of people were His inner circle.

One of the advantages of having wise people for our friend is they open new doors for us. When we establish a mutual relationship, we can refer our friends to each other. This is why it is vitally important to build long-term relationships. If we’re calling on people only when we need something from them then our relationship is shallow and you can’t expect too much from it. But when we seriously invest our time, efforts and energy to enrich the life of the other person, we too will be blessed by God and our associates.

The Bible gives clear instructions on not to make close friends with angry, negative and lazy people. Friendship with a gossiper may be tempting but one day they’ll gossip about you. The Bible says, “Evil company corrupts good manners.” Choose your friends wisely.

When I look for a close friend, I pay attention to how they talk, how they spend their time and their love for the things of God. If their talk is constantly negative I wait for them. If they’re sour and critical, I avoid them from getting too close. I stay away from those who are lazy and time-wasters. I minister to all types of people but I don’t bring them home with me.

Another thing I’ve learnt in life is to have varieties of friends. I have friends who give me sound financial advice. I have others who teach me about relationships. Yet there are others who bring spiritual input into my life and my least favorites are those who are reminding me to exercise! ;) Seriously, if you want a balanced life, you have to have variation of friendships. When we have input into our lives by wise people, we’ll increase by association.

One of the best friends and associates we all can have is to have God on our side. When God is on our side and we’re on His, we can do anything. Don’t put God in the back seat and expect to have a smooth ride. You’ve heard people say, “Let God be your co-pilot.” I’m challenging us put God on the driver’s seat so that He can lead us to our destiny in victory. I guarantee you’ll increase by association when you have God on your side. Let’s choose your friends wisely.

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble” (Proverbs 13:20 NLT).

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Do the Small Things Well

We all are attracted to big things. We like the feeling of achieving great things and making a big impact. However, most of life’s success is in doing the small things well.

Doing the small things might not get us as much attention or recognition but when we do the small things right, we create a miracle for ourselves. Dale Carnegie said, "Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves."

That is so true! When we do the small things right, we’re setting ourselves up for big victories. It is a test of our character. Our character is like the root of a tree. The deeper the roots go the strong the tree becomes. Small things can mean, not to get offended so easily. It may be paying more attention to our diet. It can also mean forgiving someone or making a phone call to stay in touch with your elderly parents. When we diligently make those sales calls we’ll see the harvest coming in. Being kind to your spouse and patient with your children may seem like a small thing but it’ll make your family prosper. Friend, when God prompts you to do a small thing - obey quickly. Every time you obey God, there will be a reward waiting for you.

Once, Jesus met with a man born blind. When people asked Him whose fault it was Jesus said, “This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in Him.” Then He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva and proceeded to put it on the man’s eyes. Jesus instructed the blind man to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash off the mud. It was a small thing but the blind man obeyed and he was healed! What if the blind man had said, “No, Jesus! This is too simple. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll pass.” It was the man’s obedience in a small thing that healed him.

I wonder how many problems we face today will disappear if we only obey to do the small things God is telling us to do. I used to be a hot-tempered driver. I had a lot of insecurity and agitation going on in my heart. One day the Holy Spirit spoke to me saying, “How long are you going to allow strangers in traffic to spoil your day?” At first I didn’t like hearing that. But I developed a personal growth plan to overcome. It took me almost six months to get over that one small thing. Now I say, “I love traffic!” I have peace like never before. It makes me more productive every day. Here’s the key. When we obey God in small things, God will make us ruler over much.

When you’re tempted to live a low life, dish out insult for insult - don’t give in. When you’re tempted to argue over a small thing, don’t fall in that trap. When you’re tempted to hold a grudge, remember that you too need forgiveness every day. When you’re worried about what other people think; think again. Your future is not in their hands but in God’s. You may say, “Sandy, why can they live this way and not me?” Here’s why. They’re not going where you’re going. You’re called to do great things in life. If we become obedient to God in the small things, He will promote us in big ways we’ve never dreamed of.

Friend, today I’m asking you to do the small things well. Pay attention to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit in you. The more you do the small things right, the higher you’re going to rise in life. Remember, God has a reward for every obedience. He will never take anything away from you without giving you something better. Do the small things well and you’ll see your life flourish like never before.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT).              

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Dress for Success

A lot of books have been written about dressing for success. Our appearance makes people decide how they’re going to treat us. How we dress has an impact on how successful we’re going to be.

We have to pay attention to what we wear. However, today we’ll discuss dressing for success with our inner attitudes. In order to help us remember this lesson we’re going to discuss the acronym D-R-E-S-S.

Have Determination. Everybody wants to be successful but very few people have determination. It is not enough to have a wish-bone but we must have a backbone in our pursuit of happiness. If we give up easily then our strength is too small. In order to be successful, we have to have bulldog tenacity. Once you get hold of the vision, you must hang tight to it. Anyone can start but only those are rewarded who finish the race. If we want to have success, we have to be determined.

Take some Risk. Insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Don’t just stay with what’s comfortable. Good is the worst enemy of the best! Stretch yourself to the new level. Take some risk. Don’t do anything foolish. Process it with your spouse and people who have your best interest at heart. Faith is all about taking risk and trusting in God’s ability to deliver. Everyone paints picture of Peter drowning in the water but he is the only man in history who walked on the water with Jesus! Make those cold calls. Do your due diligence. Take corresponding actions. Develop a communication system to be in touch with your patrons. Invest in educating yourself. Associate with the wise. A ship is safe in the dock but its greatest potential is unleashed when it sails in the vast ocean. You too will fly high in life if you step out of your comfort zone and take some risk.

No more Excuses. The Bible says, “The lazy person claims, "There's a lion on the road! Yes, I'm sure there's a lion out there" (Proverbs 26:13 NLT)! Yes, there will be challenges on your way to success but God has equipped you to overcome them. Quit saying, “This is too hard. It is not working!” Your life will follow your mouth. Get in the game. Have a “can do” attitude. “I've lived long life, Cadmos, but the glory and the memory of men will always belong to the ones who follow their great visions.” – Old Ptolemy speaking of Alexander the Great.

Be Sympathetic. In the run chase to success many people trample others to get what they want. Don’t sacrifice your family and loved ones at the altar of your success. It’s not worth it. Have a tender heart. Help the people God brings in your path right now. Be sympathetic to other people’s needs and wants. Your success is directly tied up to the measure you help others. The famous Zig Zigler said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

Say Sorry. Nobody is perfect. You will make mistakes. The greatest in life are those who take ownership for their mistakes, turn away from them and move forward. When you make a mistake, simply say, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” No buts… ifs… and because…

Dress for success! You’re born to do great things. God made you to leave a mark on this planet. You’re destined to win. You have what it takes. You are born to fly. Get your inner dialogues right. You cannot have a poor mouth and live a rich life. Have faith in God. Take some risks. Help others along the way. Every day when you wake up, dress for success with your inner attitudes. You and God are a winning team! I believe in you and am praying for you.

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it” (Colossians 3:12-14 The Message).

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Dignity of Labor

Work has been a part of man’s life since the beginning of creation. God gave Adam a garden to care for. He made Eve to improve Adam! If we’re to live a balanced life, it is important for us to have the right attitude towards work.

John D. Rockefeller was a businessman and philanthropist. He said, “I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.” America is one of the greatest countries in the world to provide opportunity and reward work excellence. Yet there are more people today who are going on social welfare simply because they don’t want to work.

My friend Ben came to this country with seventy dollars in his pocket. He understood the value of work and opportunity. He worked through several menial jobs but today has three thriving restaurants in Colorado, serving Himalayan cuisines. He employs over fifty local college students and hires chefs from Nepal. His family supports our ministry sending destitute children to school.

God’s Word provides instructions on work and ethics. One of my favorite verses is, “If a man should not work, he shouldn’t eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). It is God’s will for us to work. One mistake people often make is to wait for a perfect job. While it’s good to pray, believe and search for the job of your dream, it is better to start with the best job you can get and work your way to the top. Don’t worry about promotion and the time it takes to get to the top, just be your best at what you have. The cream always rises to the top.

If you’re an employee, work as unto the Lord. Your work-life is a daily sermon to your co-workers. If you’re coming to work on time, putting in a full day’s work, reliable, kind, team player and productive soon they’ll begin to question about your God. You’re setting a God-standard at work when you don’t gossip or talk down on the management. When you’re practicing your Sunday values at work, you’re being a witness for Christ. Your example will draw men and women to the Lord.

Employers, be fair to your co-workers. Recently I was visiting with my friend Ms. Joyce. She works for some other friends of mine in an insurance business. I was having dinner at her home with her children and grandchildren. When the subject of work came up, Ms. Joyce couldn’t say enough nice things about her employers and her office. She kept bragging on the kindness of her boss and the flexibility they offer. The owners go out of their way to treat their employees with great love, respect and honor. Is there any wonder that the company is doing well in spite of the economy! We have workers in our ministry who have been with us fifteen, twenty years because they feel the love and care we provide for them and their families.

A very important part of life is to have balance. I know many friends who are workaholics. All their conversations and social life revolves around work. This is not healthy. People at work are too stressed out today. If you make God your Provider, you’ll be less stressed and more productive. Don’t be a lion at work and come home to give the leftover (time, effort and energy) to your family. Don’t miss out on the best part of life. Once a week, keep a day reserved for your family. Don’t take business calls, emails or do other work activity. When your family sees you value your family, spend time with them and keep healthy boundaries then they will love, respect and honor you more.

“If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need” (Ephesians 4:28 NLT).

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Stay Hungry

Much of life’s success is our desire to get what we want and be what we want to be. While we should not be driven by fame, prosperity and vain glory, we should always have a passion for life. When we lose our purpose, we begin to die.

Many people today are going through the motion. Like a robot they get up, get dressed and rush to their work place. They live for the weekends and life’s never exciting for them. They eat the bread of complacency and idleness in their spare time. They’re breathing but there’s no life, purpose, excitement or zeal in them.

Yesterday, I was in Target with my daughter Cassandra. We came across an associate who was working very diligently. She had a big smile on her face and every time we passed by her, she radiated positive energy. When we went to the checkout counter the same young lady was there. Again, she was very friendly, energetic and had a smile on her face. My daughter noted immediately and said, “Wow! She’s friendly and excited about her work!” I said, “Yes, she’s going to go places in life.”

When we’re at our job or business, we must have the same enthusiasm and zeal for our work. This is where many Christians are failing. We’re great in church but we act like we’re serving the devil on Monday through Friday. This attitude affects our performance. It devalues what we’re capable of doing in the marketplace. On the contrary, when we’re hungry and passionate about doing our best in the marketplace we draw in God’s favor and continue to rise to the top. The higher we go the more influence we’ll have. The more influence we have the better witness we can be for our Lord at our work. Being a passionate worshiper in Church is great but when we’re on top of our game at work, we’re being a witness for our Lord among the non-believers. Let’s get hungry and up our game to please the Lord at our workplace.

Daniel in the Bible was in a foreign land. He worked among the heathen people. Daniel and his friends had excellent work ethic. This brought great favor to Daniel. As a result “God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief” (Daniel 1:9). Daniel had a gift of interpreting dreams just like you have a gift from God. When the decree went out to kill all the wise men of the country, Daniel interpreted the king’s dream. “Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48). In modern times, you can say, “all the employees were threatened to be sacked from their job. But when they saw Daniel’s excellence and performance at work, he was spared and promoted to be the manager of the whole department!”  Friend, you’ll not be at your current position forever. Blossom where you’re planted and your promotion will come sooner than you think. You’re the light of the world in the marketplace. Shine don’t whine!

I heard about a world famous cellist in his eighties. He practiced five-six hours every day. When a reporter asked him why he still practiced every day, the famous artist said, “I think I’m getting better at it!” What would happen if we as Christian would rise up and perform better every day? I believe just like king Nebuchadnezzar, we’ll have company presidents running to us offering us promotion, more control and influence at our work place. Let us remember, we don’t work unto people, we work unto our Lord. Our job is our ministry! Let’s become the best representation of God in the marketplace. You’re not only there for a paycheck you’re preaching a sermon with your life. What people see in you is what people believe about your God.

Let me proclaim a blessing over you today. “You’re smart. You’re intelligent. You’re creative. You’re disciplined. You are surrounded by favor. You are in the right place at the right time. You are the solution and not the problem. You have keen insight and nifty inventions. You save your company from waste and you add to the company’s bottom line profit. You provide a vital service; you cannot be replaced but only be promoted to a higher position.” Stay hungry. Promotion comes from the Lord.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35 NIV)

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Be a Person of Excellence

It doesn’t take much effort to be ordinary. Doing the minimum is an easy road to travel. But God didn’t make us to be average. He wants us to be a person of excellence because God is first-class all the way.

What does it mean to be a person of excellence? Let me start by saying excellence is not perfection. Excellence means doing an ordinary thing in an extra-ordinary fashion. How we do one thing is how people perceive us doing everything. A person of excellence will make an extra effort to deliver his best – all the time.

None of us can perform at 100% all the time but it’s our attitude and commitment to do our best in every situation that shows excellence in our lives. A person of excellence will go the extra mile even when it is hard. A person of excellence will come to work early, give his best and not leave early. When you have a spirit of excellence, it will demonstrate in your work and cause you to find favor and rise higher. One of Mother Teresa’s favorite quotes was, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

In the Bible, Joseph had a spirit of excellence. In spite of cruel treatment from his brothers, fellow prisoner and Pharos’s wife, Joseph was a person of integrity and excellence. His rise to the top was characterized by his commitment to excellence. When temptation came Joseph ran the opposite direction. He took a stand for what was right before God. Compromise and mediocrity may give you a temporary advantage but when you’re a person of excellence, you’ll have God’s favor that will cause you to stand out amongst the average.

What are some ways we can have excellence in our lives? At home, take care of what God has given you. Your relationships at home are much more important than your career or the stuff. How we treat our loved ones are an indicator of how high we will fly. How we treat our spouse, our children and even our pets will define if we’re a person of excellence or not. If we’re always taking our family for granted, giving them the leftover time and energy then we’re living a mediocre life. If our home is a mess and dirty dishes pile up all the time, we’re being average. A person of excellence will do his/her best to take best care of what God has given him. When we exhibit excellence at home, we’re raising the bar for our children.

I’d love to claim that I’ve always been a person of excellence but that would be wrong. I remember I had a bad habit of leaving my chewing gum in all sorts of places. It was a small thing. No one really saw what I was doing but deep inside I knew I was being lazy. I didn’t want to put trash where it belonged. Instead of putting it in my pocket, I’d just leave it in the wrapper even in the church pews! I know I was terrible. Another area of struggle I had was to put the shopping cart where it belongs. Then the Holy Spirit began to teach me excellence in these small things and my life became more fruitful.

 

We can demonstrate excellence at our workplace. Our commitment to excellence is a much greater sermon than what we can preach with our words. We as representatives of Christ should be the highest performer. We should have the best attitude. We should uphold the company policy and submit and support the management. When we are top performers at work, we’ll have not only have job security but influence others and commend respect. Nobody can be perfect but there’s a great difference between being perfect and having a spirit of excellence. When we pick up the trash other people have left, we’re being excellent. When we avoid the office gossip, we’re being a person of excellence. When we submit and defend the management’s decision we’re carving our way to the top. Being a person of excellence has its own rewards. Remember, God is ALWAYS watching us. Not so much to see what we’re doing wrong but what we’re doing right so He can promote us.

Friend, let’s do the small things in a big way. When we’re displaying excellence in our work, like Joseph, God will cause us to rise higher and find favor in unusual ways. Today, will you commit yourself to excellence? When we do, we’ll draw in God’s favor like never before. Be a person of excellence and promotion will be the hallmark of your life.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

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