What makes you so special?
March 9, 2011 Leave a Comment
With nearly 7 billion people worldwide, and more than 310M in the United States, how do you distinguish yourself as an individual? An individual is a culmination of experiences, attributes, abilities, needs, successes, and failures that have got you to this point in life. Are you able to do something better than most people? Which adversities have you overcome, and how has that shaped your outlook? What have you done in the past? Can you identify how these experiences will enable you to provide value to new situations?
Successful people consider ways to add value, rather than simply serve as a commodity. A commodity is interchangeable, cheap, and disposable. If you want to rise above that, you need to find what you do better than others, adapt it, and improve on it to become a standout and add value.There is only one person that can do exactly what you are capable of, and that person is you. Determine what makes you so special, develop a plan to use that ability to add value, and capitalize on it.
This article is a bit of a stretch. I turn down plenty of projects offering well into 6 figures annually, due to adverse contract clauses such as non-competes or overreaching intellectual property ownership that company bureaucracy can’t get changed. I’ve done fine in this economy, working primarily telecommute and setting my own terms. Those I work with value results, treat me well, and are rewarded with great improvements.
Employees should find ways to add value, rather than simply serve as a commodity. A commodity is interchangeable, cheap, and disposable. Find something you do better than others, and improve from there to become a standout.