Did you know that only 15% of global professionals are fully engaged in their workplace? This was found in Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace study, which states that 85% of unengaged professionals do only the bare minimum or view their workplace negatively. In short, they rarely aspire to rise to the rank of a value creator – a model professional who is a leader, a problem solver and more efficient, getting more done in less time.
As an industry leader value creator leading a successful organization, it becomes imperative to try to engage all employees, identify and empower rare value-driven professionals. Ultimately, you have to turn your team into a group of professionals who bring value to the company beyond the regular fare.
So, how do you seek out and identify such a value creator in your team or hire one? Here are the top 10 traits that will help you figure it out.
- Value-based leadership
A true value creator is, first and foremost, a value-based leader. What does that mean, exactly? A value-based leader is driven by a purpose and shared values for both him/her and the organization. Whether a finance leader or a start-up executive, such a professional exemplifies an organization’s culture and propagates its vision to motivate others and get the most productivity out of work.
- Character and professionalism
One’s character, personality and discipline speak volumes about how one approaches work. You don’t simply become an industry leader or a value creator without embracing a certain work ethic – and that comes from one’s character. Punctuality, receiving feedback, outspokenness, empathy, transparency, honesty, and good communication skills are essential elements that make up a good value-driven professional.
- Strategically-driven
It is not only the best financial leaders and tech gurus who believe in serious number-crunching, data and forecasts. Any 21st century professional aspiring to be a value-driven professional has a sense of business acumen and backs every decision, solution or innovation with facts and research. An acumen for this strategic thinking is a good sign to look for.
- Entrepreneurial
We consider every popular businessman in India to be an upholder of the ‘entrepreneurial spirit’. But that appetite for risk-taking, being self-sufficient and bringing bold new ideas to the table are telling traits of a value-driven professional. One of the best transformational leaders in India, Sanjiv Bajaj – Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv – is a big proponent of enabling an entrepreneurial culture amongst employees. The inspiring industry leader value creator believes that when professionals start thinking like business owners, that is when they can drive true value and success at a company.
- Process-oriented
Any value-driven professional is highly process-oriented and a good manager of everything – from time to resources to people. Anyone who knows how to set priorities, devise systems and processes, develop KPIs, etc., holds the key to streamlining a business for success.
- Innovative
Doing everything by the book is not enough. True success often comes from disruption. A value-driven professional is never afraid to think out of the box. This thirst for innovation sets them apart and enables them to drive disruption for a business or solve problems in a way others cannot.
- Balanced mind-set
The most successful finance leaders and businessmen always advocate the need for a balanced mindset. That means having the ability to view any problem, situation, decision, etc., at work from multiple viewpoints instead of being heavily biased towards one side. This is a key trait in value-driven professionals who leverage the strengths of every resource or alternative they have on the plate to drive results.
- Team player
The team player trait enables a value creator to create a special synergy between various peers and departments. They bring out the best in others and make it possible for an organization to accomplish the most challenging goals. With such team players on board, any enterprise will reap the benefits of having a greater sum than its parts.
- Empathetic
A value-driven professional possesses emotional intelligence and is often empathetic to others. This enables them to be a great person to work with. Such professionals give and receive honest feedback mindfully, bring passion and camaraderie to work, recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and know-how to raise spirits and morale.
- Follow through
Lastly, being a good executor is one of the traits of being a value creator at work. Such professionals believe in walking the walk and follow through with their ideas, solutions and decisions. Whether it is finishing tasks, following up with clients, backing their ideas with credible ‘proof-of-concept’, or celebrating team wins – value creators know how to execute everything without fuss.
Conclusion
While the above-mentioned traits are most commonly found in all value-driven professionals, it is important to understand that they will be present in everyone to varying degrees. The best financial leaders engage and empower more employees to become value-driven professionals by identifying that.
In the workplace, not everyone can be a true value creator. However, knowing how to identify one or empower one is crucial to the success of a business. Value-driven professionals get the most work done in the least amount of time while enhancing workplace culture through innovative and creative means and setting an example for others to follow. In today’s modern work environment, there are significant traits that all value-driven professionals have.
