Since the release of the book, I’ve been receiving emails from all over the globe with people asking questions about their workplace situations. Throughout this week I’m going to be sharing some of the questions I have received and my answers. I hope that you are blessed, uplifted, and able to use some of this knowledge for yourselves!
Chu wrote: How can I be a good team player in my work place?
It has been said the quality of your life will be determined to a great extent by the questions you ask. The fact that you are searching for ways to be a better team member says a great deal about you, and I applaud the question! Here are 5 things you can do right now to add value to your team:
1. Find ways to make it easier for people to do business with you. For example, do you have information that others need to do their jobs? Can you make it easier for them to find and use that information? If you have trouble coming up with ideas, ask the people you work for and with, “How can I make it easier for you to do business with me?”
2. Understand how your work impacts the work of others. Find those connections between your work and the work of your colleagues. Are there log jams, miscommunications, or breakdowns in the process? Work with your teammates to identify and implement solutions.
3. Understand the goals of your teammates. Is there something you can do to help them be more successful?
4. Speak to issues, not about them. If you have a problem with someone on the team, make sure they hear it from you. This builds trust and credibility.
5. Invest yourself in team accomplishments, become a shareholder in success.Commandment Five in Designed for Success is, “Lead from Your Current Position.” Here you will find more high-impact ideas that will help you become a more valuable team member. I also encourage you to ask your boss the question you have asked me. I’m betting he or she will be as impressed as I am with the question. I would love to hear what you try and how it turns out!
Diana asked: How do I get the raise that I deserve?
Remember, we are not paid what we are worth. We are paid what we believe we are worth and what we negotiate for. Negotiating for more money begins with
assessing the value you bring, marketing your results, and preparing your “script.” Steps like these will help you prepare to negotiate with confidence:
1. Quantify your results if you can. It is not what you did that brings real value to the organization; *it is the difference you made*. Be prepared to
talk about the difference you are making in quantifiable terms. Have you saved the organization money or time? Have you improved a process or
implemented a new idea? What solutions have you created, and how have these solutions impacted the bottom line?
2. How have you grown? What skills have you added to yourself? How are you applying new skills and knowledge?3. What are you asking for? In addition to money, are there other things you would like to include in the negotiation? Will you ask for more challenging
assignments, more authority, or more flexibility in your schedule?
4. Review your job description to determine ways you are currently exceeding the expectations of your job. You may find that your current job description
does not adequately reflect what you actually do! If that is the case, consider writing a description that more accurately describes your responsibilities and use that a document for discussion in your negotiation.
5. Research your organization’s pay practices. Some companies review salaries once a year. *That doesn’t mean you can’t ask at another time, it does mean you will want to prepare for that objection*. (Asking in advance of the review process is highly recommended! Help your boss plan ahead for your increase!Treat the negotiation as an exchange of value. Highlight the value you bring and confidently ask for value in return. Best of luck to you, and let us know how it turns out.