How to Increase Your Value in the Workplace

These are challenging times in every industry and the economy is seriously impacting job security. That's why it's more important than ever to position yourself as a valuable employee in your organization. Your manager's perception is reality. The higher your perceived value, the more secure you will be in your job. Here are seven simple steps to gain positive notice by your boss and co-workers:

Exhibit a positive attitude at all times.
Attitude is a choice you make every morning when you roll out of bed. Walk into work every day with a smile. Be loyal to your co-workers, even those individuals you don't like. Don't ever gossip or criticize a co-worker. It will erode trust and damage your credibility. Don't view work-related questions as interruptions of your work. Instead, greet your co-workers with warmth and a sincere willingness to help.

Arrive early and leave late.
Always be on time for work and meetings. Better yet, arrive a few minutes early to demonstrate that you are enthusiastic about your job. Don't race out the door at quitting time. Instead, stay an extra five or ten minutes to create a "to do" list for the next day, make some last minute calls and clear the clutter on your desk. It sends a highly professional signal to your boss and will help you to jumpstart your work the following day.

Embrace change.
Change is about the only thing you can count on in the workplace. Demonstrate your commitment to the future by embracing change, not criticizing or reluctantly accepting it. Give up old habits that are holding you back or making you appear outdated. Actively participate in changes by supporting even those initiatives with which you may not agree (see "Exhibit a positive attitude...").

Maintain a professional image.
Dress for success. Wear clean, pressed, appropriate clothing that reflects the image of the top people in your organization. A sloppy image sends a message of unreliability or apathy to your boss. Keep your work area well-organized and free of clutter.

Stay tuned to your manager's priorities.
Don't get hung up performing menial tasks that can take up large chunks of your valuable time. Find out what is most important to your manager and focus your energy on tasks that support his or her priorities.

Increase your knowledge.
Actively participate in training classes and show enthusiasm about developing new skills. Keep up to date on industry and technology changes. Take classes outside of the workplace to learn skills that will help you to become more promotable in other areas of the organization.

Develop strong customer relationships.
Frankly, the more your customers love you, the more valuable you become. Most businesses want to keep their employees who build customer loyalty. Get to know your customers. Listen carefully to their requests and show them that you sincerely care about their concerns. When customers are singing your praises, your boss can see concrete evidence of how you are supporting the bottom line.

Source: Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com]Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #304 "How to Increase Your Value in the Workplace"

Quote of the Day

"What you are will show in what you do."
~Thomas A. Edison

Establishing Trust is the Key to Customer Retention

As hard as it is to get new business, many companies drop the ball when it comes to keeping that business. Contacting your customers is an excellent way to establish trust. It's dangerous to take your current customers for granted. They want to know that you are thinking about them all the time, not just when you are trying to sell something. It's easy to come up with lots of excuses for not calling your existing customers:

"I'm too busy with my day-to-day tasks."
"I have deadlines to meet."
"I don't want to be a nuisance."
"I'm afraid if I call, I may hear complaints."

Take for example, Josh DeTar, a financial adviser with Edward Jones who was featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article. He knows that his customers are dealing with high levels of fear and stress due to the current economy. He also understands that there's a good chance that when he calls his customers, he's may get an earful of complaints about the market stress. He said that his role has become almost like that of a therapist. Still, Mr. DeTar checks in at least once a month with each of his customers. By finding ways to stay in touch, he is building the trust that is essential to customer retention.

Phone calls are a great way to keep in touch, but if you're worried about becoming a nuisance, there are other ways to let your customers know they are valued. For example, Mr. DeTar reads the obituaries and sends condolence cards to any customer who may have lost a loved one. You can send birthday cards, articles, tips or simply a hand-written note thanking them for doing business with you.When your customers hear from you on a consistent basis, they trust that you genuinely care about them as individuals. Your contacts do not have to be business-related. Last spring, I heard about some serious flooding in the western part of Wisconsin. I knew that one of my customers owned a summer home in that area so I called to let him know that I was concerned about him. He wasn't in when I called, so I simply left a voicemail expressing my concern that his property and family were safe. Several months later he called to thank me and indicated that he had really appreciated my message. Not every contact will translate into business, but not contacting your customers on a regular basis may translate into lost business.

Source: Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #301 "Establishing Trust is the Key to Customer Retention"

Mayang Sebahu

Malam baru merangkak gaduh
Di luar langit hitam-putih tak ada biru
Suara-suara mobil-motor satu-satu menderu
Merasuk hati berdegub seru
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Merajuk mengurai pandangan sedih mengadu
Tersenyum kelu melihatmu tak jua luluh
Nafas ragu menerjang sungguh


Awan mulai menaburkan gerimisnya
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Tepuk tangan merajah wajah yang basah
Berulang sesal asa yang menari-nari di atas kepala
:Tuhan, kenapa Kau biarkan dunia menjadi panglima
Menyeret jasad dalam nafsu amarah
Meninabobokan akal nurani dan hasrat bertemu diri
Ajarkanku mati sebelum mati...

Dalam diri ada kitab suci mengikuti
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:Tuhan, materi begitu di depan mata
Bijak berakata Ilmu tanpa amal tiadalah guna
Tapi ego berdebat hebat mengutip sepenggal petuah ulama
Rezeki dunia nikmatilah ;jangan disia-sia...

Malam makin tinggi mengharap berjumpa cahaya bulan bintang
Tertatih mencari jalan dalam gelap terbentang
Bisakah Kau pinjamkan (lagi) lilinMu
Untuk menitih shirat kembali padaMu
Sebelum ruh, nafs dan jasad berpisah menemui hisabMu...

Mayang sebahu menerawang ke langit-langit mushola
Menutup mahkotanya dengan mukena
Tatapannya berhenti di tengah mimbar bertulis "Allah"
Seluruh pori-pori tubuhnya terbuka pasrah
Bersyahadat tersendat menahan gumpalan hebat dalam dadanya
Meleleh genangan air dalam kelopak matanya...

SELAMAT TAHUN BARU HIJRIYAH 1430H & TAHUN BARU MASEHI 2009

The Reiki Ideals

Just for today do not worry
Just for today do not anger
Honour your parents, teachers and elders
Earn your living honestly
Show gratitude to everything

Why You have Gone...

Lima Puluh tujuh hari
Geliat semangat gundah melayani
20 Oktober 2008 cahaya visi mendadak pergi
Tinggalkan kebingungan dan cercaan sakit hati
Kenapa Tuan biarkan kami menanggung luka itu sendiri
Kenapa Tuan menari di gelap sepinya sunyi ini
Kenapa masalah Tuan-Tuan harus membenamkan karsa dan asa kami

Melangkah di jalan berjelaga tanpa peta arah
Menatap cinta yang makin memudar pasrah
Melihat sekeliling sahabat yang bersikap terserah :
Menunggu kepastian tanpa jerah
Atawa pergi dengan marah

Why you have gone
when together we shone
leading a market where competition had never been known
Now, still waiting for everybody won by their own...