“The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does.”
-Napoleon Hill
Whenever my brother assigned me work, he always came up with these words of Napolean Hill adding “I want to see value addition” With a frowned face I would reply “When the assigned work takes all the time from where can I find extra time for extra work?” He would smile at me saying “Find a way!” Argh! Those were the most annoying words as I had to compromise my time to do something more and I would never get a conclusive answer for why! (What is in it for me?)
I did question myself several times as to Why should I work more? Why should I sweat more for the same salary? What’s in it for me? Extra work= extra time, extra-time= no fun and hence extra work= no fun. As you can imagine, I certainly didn’t feel like doing it. But ended up doing it anyway cos well I simply didn’t want to end up and I really wasn’t doing anything better anyway! It sure didn’t make any sense to me, atleast not in the initial stages, but now if I look back I realize that it has become a part of me and I unconsciously start scanning if there is anything more I can do to add value.
It is not that I am an altruistic person who likes to please everyone but I really do like the feeling of getting most of a situation and offering my best at most things I do. I didn’t however keep quiet when my brother used to say that I need to add value. I decided to confront him and told him that I am spending X amount of time more than expected and it didn’t seem very fair to be doing for the same amount of salary. Then he told me something- “Adding value doesn’t really mean spending more time, all it means is that one constant question on your mind which keeps asking what I can do better”. And I realize now as to what he meant by it. (How to use time effectively?)
Although I did start with doing one thing without much of a knowledge as to how it would pan further, I realize that I have been given a lot more opportunities from the time I have done these tiny things in a better way. And I also realized that the more value I added, the more I got to do and eventually the paycheck also gets a little fatter for the same amount of work I have done and there have been new avenues which have paid me more cos of that one shift, that one little idea of value addition.
Today, if I have to start something new, there is that one question in my mind which asks -” What can I do to make it a little better, what can be that value addition to this situation? How can I do that extra bit”. It has helped me immensely all through, today meeting a friend was just not meeting, it was a little effort to bring more smiles on a friend’s face, writing an article is to try and identify how it can be of more help to people, talking to a stranger is more about how to exchange a smile, going to the gym is trying to identify as to what can be done better than yesterday. It has sort of become a part of me now and I seem to enjoy it. Although I hated the very moments which demanded the value add from me, to realize that the value add can be done in simple effective ways is a great realization and to keep implementing it over and over again is its own definition of fun!
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I love your article, good thought!
Thank you Ranap. Glad you enjoyed the post. Do stay tuned in for more :)
Adding value doesn’t really mean spending more time, all it means is that one constant question on your mind which keeps asking what I can do better”. And I realize now as to what he meant by it. inspirational thought
Thank you Yogi :)
Great post Vinay !!
Thank you Veena :)
Good one. I always persevered to deliver more and ended up burning out early at work :)
He he, I guess we can’t really avoid that .. There are many an instance where we keep doing that on a daily basis!
Wooooohhhhhh , this is fantastic article… I really love your way of thinking. Whenever I read your articles I can easily associate them with me and that’s too very easily.
I have a rule, it states – whatever I will do , I will bring excellence in it. I will improve it till my conscience will not get satisfied.
I follow this and this is very similar to your way of thinking. We slog so that we can improve. Not for the company or organization that we are working for, however, for our own selves.
Thank you Nikhil, it really does mean a lot to me and it is a pleasure to look forward to your thoughts on the posts :).
I think that is one of the most fascinating rules ever, when you are doing something make sure you bring your best to it or don’t do it at all! And like you said, life is finally all about ourselves, we slog and slog thinking it is for different reasons, but the ultimate truth is that it is always for us :)
A very great thought. How good it would be if we work not according to the money we are paid… but due the love for our work.. These days it’s all about money. True devotion for work has lost. I am no one different. But ofcourse, money as a motivation won’t take us towards excellence.
Thank you Namrata, great to hear from you. It had been a while. Hope things went great with the farewell.
I agree, nowadays it has become all about money and I guess money does play a good role as well. But I think sometimes we do miss out on the equations cos we are too focussed on the thought that x+y=Z whereas there might be plenty more things which can open up with the help of slight value addition. I mean if everyone in the world is doing what is expected out of them, won’t a person who does a little extra stand out by a lot, thus giving them a great edge in the competition as well?
We should, but then we will have to check the possibility as well…
Yeah, I do agree that a lot of subjectivities also come into picture.. Good to keep trying though :)
Really a good thought..!!
:)
Should you deliver more than expected? http://t.co/LmWZyfe3jM