Create Value, Not Just Hard Work.

If you want to stand out at work, stop being busy and focus on delivering results. ?Your boss rewards impact, not effort.

I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago while working as a Finance Manager for a financial service company. The clients developed a habit of calling me directly to ask about the status of their accounts instead of contacting the brokers. I thought I was doing an excellent job by being helpful and accommodating, but I spent countless hours on the phone with these clients, explaining account details, discussing their shares, and ensuring they felt well-informed.

When it came time for my performance review, I was confident my hard work would be recognized. Instead, the General Manager gave me a poor review, stating that I wasn't delivering what he expected. I was shocked. I had been working tirelessly, spending long hours ensuring the clients were satisfied.

But here's what I didn't realize then: what I saw as hard work wasn't what the company needed from me. My manager expected me to focus on financial reporting, improving processes, and ensuring the accuracy of financial data that could be used to make key decisions and not spend hours handling tasks that didn't contribute to the company's strategic goals.

That experience taught me a crucial lesson: hard work alone isn't enough if it is not aligned with the right outcomes. Since that day, I focused on what activities truly benefit the company rather than just keeping myself busy.

Why Completing Tasks Won't Get You Ahead

Let's face it—most employees are stuck in the "task loop." They arrive at work, open their inbox, respond to emails, attend meetings, and check things off their to-do list, but at the end of the day, they feel like they haven't achieved anything meaningful.

Here's why this happens:

• You're focused on output instead of outcomes.
• You think that "working hard" will eventually be rewarded.
• Your manager doesn't see the impact of your work but sees you as busy.

But here's the hard truth: Being busy doesn't make you valuable. Delivering results does.

The Consultant Mindset: Focus on Business Impact

Consultants are hired to solve business problems and create value. They don't spend time on low-impact work because they know they're measured by results, not time.

When a consultant takes on a project, they start by asking:

• What outcome does the client want?
• How will success be measured?
• What is the fastest and most efficient way to get the outcome?

Now, imagine applying that same approach to your work. Instead of answering all 20 of your emails, you focus on the important email to save time and increase efficiency. Rather than sitting through a long, unproductive meeting, you suggest a streamlined agenda and cutting the meeting time by 50% while improving focus. And instead of just delivering a report, you go a step further by analyzing the data and proposing a solution that directly increases profitability.

This shift from simply completing tasks to delivering strategic value is what separates top performers from everyone else.

How to Shift from Tasks to Results

Here's a simple, actionable process to help you start working like a consultant today:

1. Identify 3 High-Impact Outcomes Each Week: At the start of each week, take 10 minutes to define the top 3 results you want to achieve.

• Don't list tasks like "finish the report."
• Focus on outcomes like "deliver insights that reduce project costs by 10%."
• Ask yourself: "If I only accomplished these three things this week, would it positively impact the business?"

2. Replace "I Completed This" with "I Achieved This." When talking to your manager or team, stop focusing on what you "worked on" and focus on what you "delivered."

• Instead of saying, "I worked on the project report," say, "I delivered a project report that identified $50,000 in potential savings."

3. Measure and Track Your Results Consultants always measure success. You need to do the same.

• Track the value of your work each week.
• Create a personal "value report" where you record:

• Efficiency improvements (e.g., reduced project completion time by 20%)

• Revenue impact (e.g., helped increase department revenue by $75K)

• Strategic wins (e.g., launched a new process that cut completion time and costs by 10%)

4. Communicate Your Results to the Right People If you deliver value but no one knows about it, it won't help you grow your career.

• After completing a project, send a follow-up email to your boss:
• "I wanted to share that the new reporting system we implemented reduced preparation time by 3 hours per week, translating to 150 saved hours annually. Let me know if you'd like to discuss further improvements."
• You must announce your achievement to be seen and recognized.

5. Focus on Business Impact, Not Just Workload. Consultants focus on business value—not how busy they are.

• Prioritize high-impact work over low-impact tasks.
• If your schedule is full of low-value meetings and admin work, start eliminating or automating them.
• Ask yourself daily: "Is this work creating business value?" If the answer is no, stop doing it or delegate it.

Example in Action

Let's say you work in sales support. Instead of just preparing reports for the sales team, you take a consultant's approach by analyzing the data and identifying that certain products have higher profit margins but lower sales volume. Rather than simply stating, "I prepared the sales report," you present a strategic recommendation: "After analyzing the sales report, I recommended a focus on high-margin products, which could increase profitability by 12%. I've outlined my recommendation for implementing this strategy."

This shift from task completion to strategic problem-solving positions you as a valuable asset to the business, not just a support player.

Why This Works

Shifting your focus from activity to impact positions you as a strategic thinker rather than just a worker. When you consistently deliver measurable results and solve business problems, you demonstrate value beyond task completion. This gives your boss a clear reason to promote and reward you, as you become seen as a key contributor to the company's success rather than just another employee.

Start Working Like a Consultant Today

Stop measuring success by how busy you are and start measuring it by the value you create. The fastest way to stand out and accelerate your career is to consistently deliver measurable, business-focused results.

This Week's Challenge:

• Define three high-impact outcomes for the week.
• Focus on communicating outcomes instead of tasks.
• Track your wins and share them with your boss at the end of the week.

When you deliver results, you stop being just another employee and become a strategic asset. That's how you work like a consultant.

?Ready to keep building your career like a consultant? Stay tuned for next week’s post, where we will cover how to Solve Business Problems Like a Consultant—because top performers don’t just work hard, they work smart.

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