By Dr. WANG Ming-min

Another goal to avoid aimless career moves in the workplace is to create real and reliable performance. Therefore, occupying or being close to value-creating positions is important because it directly determines your career growth rate, income ceiling, and workplace competitiveness. In today's rapidly changing workplace environment, choosing a position close to value creation means you are at the core of organizational development, gaining access to more resources, opportunities, and growth potential.

A value-creating role allows you to be exposed to the organization's core business and key decisions. This advantageous position makes it easier for you to gain promotion opportunities and receive preferential treatment in terms of resources. When your work is directly linked to the company's revenue, profits, or strategic goals, your value will be recognized by more people, and your growth rate will far exceed that of your peers.

Value-creating roles often require solving complex problems and handling uncertainty. This high-intensity training can rapidly improve your professional skills and overall competence. You will be forced to learn new skills, expand your cognitive boundaries, and grow from an "executor" to a "problem solver." This kind of skill development is incomparable to that of low-value positions. According to the wheat field theory, if a piece of land is not planted with crops, it will soon be overgrown with weeds. In the workplace, if your time is not used to create value, it will soon be consumed by various pointless or meaningless tasks. Over time, your abilities and motivation will suffer greatly.

Value creation is directly related to income. In value-creating positions, your compensation is often linked to performance, with greater potential for growth. More importantly, the experience and skills you accumulate will become your bargaining chip in future salary negotiations, and may even open up opportunities for entrepreneurship or consulting.

In today's rapidly evolving world of AI and automation, jobs with high substitutability face significant risks. Value-creating roles, on the other hand, typically require creative thinking, complex decision-making, and interpersonal collaboration skills—abilities that are difficult for machines to replace, providing a stronger career moat and greater job security.

So, how do we identify value-creating roles?

(1)Consider the distance between the position and the core business. The closer a position is to making money, the greater its potential to create value. Positions that directly participate in value creation, such as sales, product, and R&D, are usually more valuable than support positions such as administration and logistics. You can judge this by observing whether the position's KPIs are directly related to the company's revenue, profit, or user growth.

(2)Consider the scarcity and irreplaceability of the position. If the position requires special skills, rich experience, or unique resources, and it is difficult to find a substitute in the market, then the position has high value. For example, a scientist who has mastered core technologies, or a sales director who has rich customer resources.

(3)Consider the growth potential of the position. Whether a position creates value also depends on whether it allows you to continuously learn and grow. If the job content is monotonous, repetitive, and lacks challenge, then even if the income is good now, it will limit your development in the long run. On the contrary, positions that allow you to access new knowledge, new skills, and new fields are truly valuable.

(4)Assess the strategic importance of the position. From the perspective of company strategy, which positions are crucial to achieving strategic goals? These positions usually receive more resource support and development opportunities. You can determine which positions are in key value-creating positions by understanding the company's strategic direction, core business, and competitive advantages.

How can one secure or get close to a value-creating position?

(1)Take initiative to take on challenging tasks. Actively seek out opportunities that can create value and solve practical problems. Even if these tasks are beyond your job responsibilities, be willing to take them on. By solving difficult problems, you will accumulate experience, build trust, and gradually move closer to core positions.

(2)Enhance core competencies. Continuously learn new skills, especially those directly related to value creation, such as data analysis, project management, product thinking, and business acumen. These skills will make you stand out from the competition and make it easier to obtain opportunities for important positions.

(3)Build a value network. Proactively connect with key figures inside and outside the company and engage in substantive exchanges to understand their work content and value creation methods. Expand your network by participating in cross-departmental projects and industry events to increase your chances of being recommended for important positions.

(4)Demonstrate your value. Don't work silently; learn to demonstrate your value with data, case studies, and results. Regularly report your work progress and achievements to your superiors so that others can see your contributions. At the same time, proactively share your experience and insights to build your personal brand.

Some jobs may seem glamorous, but in reality, they don't create value and may even consume your time and energy. For example:

(1)Overly procedural positions: The job content is overly standardized, lacking creativity and decision-making space, which will limit your growth in the long run.

(2)Jobs with high substitutability: The job content is simple and repetitive, and it is easy to be replaced by AI or automation, lacking long-term development prospects.

The process of creating value is itself a form of growth and achievement, allowing you to find meaning and satisfaction in your work. Remember: the most valuable thing in the workplace is not a stable job, but the ability to continuously create value. Choosing a position close to value creation means choosing a career path of rapid growth and continuous value enhancement.