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The V.A.L.U.E. Quotients
(5 key competencies at work)
An executive, who is re-evaluating his future
with his current company, recently lamented to
me: “This world is going topsy-turvy. All
the rules of engagement have changed.” Indeed,
the only thing constant today is change. A major
source of dissonance among the working population
today is the gradual demise of Corporate or Job
Loyalty. We learn of retrenchments and lay-offs
in the papers almost daily. We know of loved ones
who have become unfortunate victims of corporate
downsizing.
Wait a minute! In case you are tempted to blame
this on a weak economy and the heartless corporate
world, please allow me to take you back to the
good times not too long ago; when profit, bonus
and jobs were bountiful. It was an employee’s
market. The employer had to constantly wonder
if their employees were going to stay with them
for the long-term. They, who are called heartless
today, had to work hard to make you happy with
better remuneration, working conditions, job prospects…
Yet, all these efforts did not prevent many of
us from updating our resumes and going for job
interviews. When we handed in our resignation
letters, we did not once blink when confronted
with protestations from your boss of how much
the company had done for you over the years. So
who is really the heartless one?
All’s fair in the corporate world. Let’s
face it: Loyalty is on the wane; from both ends.
Therefore what is the new rule of engagement for
us? Through my own working experience and interaction
with clients, I have come to acknowledge the importance
of 5 key values and skills. We all know that I.Q.
refers to Intelligence Quotient. Quotient means
varying quantities and amounts. I similarly call
the 5 values/skills quotients, simply because
each of us have different degrees of each of the
5. For ease of retention, we’ll use the
acronym V.A.L.U.E.
THE V.A.L.U.E QUOTIENTS
Value-Add Quotient
We cannot count on blind loyalty anymore and therefore
have to really make sure that our presence adds
value to the organization. The word “value-add”
is overused. What does it plainly mean? Consider
the following questions:
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Is your job becoming redundant?
Can it be replaced by technology or cheaper
labor? |
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Do you feel as if your work duties are always
challenging and different? |
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Have you been upgrading your knowledge or
skill sets that are relevant to your organization? |
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Are you contributing new ideas that will
help improve your job’s or your organization’s
efficiency and results? |
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Are you proactively seeking to find new and/or additional
responsibilities that will help enhance your organization's
goals? |
If your answer to any of the above questions is unclear, sound
the value-add alarm bell!
Value-add is mutual. Just as we need to focus on adding value
to the organization in order to keep our job, the organization
has the reciprocal responsibility to add value to us, the employees.
This value-add takes various forms. The more basic ones are
competitive wages, career prospects, learning opportunities,
stimulating working environment, fair and competent leadership…
the list goes on.
This two-way value-add equilibrium must be maintained. Or else
the deal is off. You’ll get fired or you’ll fire
the organization.
In Japan where life-long employment was a cornerstone of its
corporate realm, both employers and employees are gasping to
come to terms with the economic slow-down. Companies have no
choice but to break the long-embraced pact of loyalty by laying-off
workers. The Japanese are slowly but surely coming to embrace
this new corporate norm of value-add. Therefore, stop thinking
loyalty: think how you can add value instead.
Adversity Quotient
The concept of adversity quotient was first mooted by Paul
G. Stolz in his book, “Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles
into Opportunities”. We have all heard of tales of how
extraordinary people overcame setbacks to eventually triumph
over obstacles. Perhaps all of us have, at one point or another,
encountered and withstood adversities. However, the true test
of a professional is not just how he/she withstands adversities
but also how he/she is able to surmount them.
With the current economic slowdown, the test is real. Employees
with a high Adversity Quotient will not just stare tribulations
in the eye but also find means to overcome them. We first
need to take stock of our current state: Are my skills relevant
for the New Economy? What mistakes can I learn from my previous
employment that I can avoid down the road? Then we need to
plan the next step: What skills do I need to acquire to meet
the needs of the post-recession economy? What personal and
professional traits and attributes do I need to develop?
Leadership Quotient
Here we are not referring to conventional leadership and managerial
skills/concepts. We are more concerned about values and mindsets.
A little-known book “Servant Leadership”, written
by the late Robert Greenleaf, advocates an alternative perspective
on leadership: A Leader is a Servant. We are turning the leadership
hierarchical pyramid upside down. The role of a leader is
to work to support his/her followers so that they can achieve
their goals and objectives. The leader does this by coaching,
guiding, advising, instilling discipline, influencing and
inspiring the subordinates.
The leader is a role-model and possesses a sense of integrity
and fairness in every matter. The leader is not afraid to
help make the subordinate look good because when the subordinate
looks good, the leader also looks good. This is in stark contrast
to a common leadership misnomer: In order to look good, I
must be perceived to be smarter and more capable than my subordinates.
As a qualifier, being a servant leader does not mean allowing
subordinates to take advantage of the leader. Instead, tough
love, akin to what parents have to demonstrate to their children,
is encouraged. This would actually lead to a high degree of
discipline and accountability. We are also not talking about
charisma or oratory skills either, even though these tend
to be tangibles by which the world judges its leaders. Mahatma
Gandhi, the “Bapu” of modern India, was a humble
man of small stature. He moved an entire nation by his quiet
acts of self-reliance and his vision of non-violence. He did
not move mountains with his speeches. He did not lead his
people in a war. Through his understated leadership, India
won its independence.
Leadership need not be formal. Gandhi did not hold any significant
formal office. Leadership in this context refers to interpersonal
dealings. It is found in offices, homes, community centers,
clubs etc. Servant leaders cannot expect to be loved or welcomed
at all times. However, if a servant leader does his/her role
well, he/she will always be respected.
Use of Persuasion Quotient
This refers to the ability to convince others to see a certain
point of view. Some call this selling or negotiation skills.
However, we are not doing justice to this quotient by limiting
the quotient to just those skills. To succeed in the new economy,
we need to help customers and prospects see the merits of
our organizations’ or our own offerings and positions.
Internally, if we have to get things done through our colleagues
and staff, we will get better outcomes if they are convinced
the job is worth doing. At home, we enjoy a more fulfilling
family life if we can motivate our spouses and children through
persuasion rather than coercion.
Persuasion can take multiple forms. It need not be all vocal
or written. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple act of conviction.
Top management finds it easier to persuade the staff of the
need for a pay cut when they themselves take a more severe
pay cut. Retrenchments need not be unpleasant if employers
demonstrate empathic acts like providing advance notice and
outplacement services. Motivation plays a major role in persuasion.
A young recently married manager accepted an overseas posting
only when the company management promised to find a job in
that country for his wife. This quotient is a skill that can
be developed. It is about developing the awareness of what
motivates others and then knowing how to communicate that
motivation to win acceptance
Emotional Quotient
This quotient is a measure of one’s capability to relate
to and handle people, be aware of and manage one’s own
emotions, possess and demonstrate empathy to others. This
quotient is increasingly becoming accepted in the corporate
world as a critical success factor for professionals. To get
results, we need to leverage on each other and work as a team.
Customers, staff, suppliers, regulatory bodies, stakeholders…
all have to synergise to exceed ever-demanding end-users’
needs and expectations. We cannot run away from having to
deal with other people around us.
Again, there is a danger of associating this quotient solely
with outright charisma and presence. Some great connectors
of people go about their business quietly but purposefully.
Think Mother Theresa.
CONCLUSION
To stay relevant in the new economy, do not just
rush out and attend another course or get another certification.
Give due consideration to our soft skill sets like the V.A.L.U.E
quotients. They are the flesh to the bones of knowledge and
expertise. We all know these quotients are important. The
question is what are we doing to acquire them.
Written by:
George Quek
Director
DistincTions Asia Pte Ltd
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