Last week, Career Girl Contributor Marcy Farry brought us the article “Busyness Equals Worth?” In it, she talks about the tendency of our culture to equate busyness and general stress to value. Marcy encouraged us to equate more value in personal relationships, and what we really desire out of life. So I asked myself the question – what then creates our worth in business? The answer? Influence.
Think about your office and the past offices you worked in. Who was the most valuable person in the office? It was usually someone who was:
- Connected/friends with the most people in the office.
- The person who is the “go-to” for the higher ups.
- The person who has the most industry contacts.
- The person who has the “Jill of all trades” mentality.
When you add up those traits, what you get is a strong circle and knowledge that creates influence. Fast Company recently agreed with it’s article “Measuring An Employee’s Worth? Consider Influence.” By examining tools like Chatter by Salesforce.com, Fast Company found:
The most progressive organizations have always realized that the informal connections employees make with others and the amount of knowledge and expertise they share outside of prescribed work responsibilities contributes mightily to the bottom line.
Those people, the ones with the most influence, will quickly see more promotions, more raises, and more opportunities to connect in their field. You might even see these types of individuals moving companies more frequently because of the industry connections they make. They are valuable. They are sought after.
If you want to increase your worth in the workplace, the key is influence. Become the go-to gal, become the best networked, become the person who is the “Jill of all trades” – your stock will rise.
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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