Mark Cuban Says One Trait Provides ‘Greatest Value’ To Your Boss: How It Translates to $300 Billion a Year
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Mary Green
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Mark Cuban, personal finance expert and entrepreneur, told CNBC that high-value employees all share one key trait: They’re natural problem-solvers who know how to “analyze a situation, find a solution and not make a big deal of it.”
Cuban explained, “The greatest value you can offer a boss is to reduce their stress” by solving problems instead of adding to the workplace chaos.
Here’s how you can use Cuban’s words of wisdom to stand out in the workplace.
Adding Value by Reducing Stress
Various studies have shown that high levels of stress can reduce your productivity in the workplace. Overstressed employees can easily burn out and wind up needing time off. Even if they don’t get sick, stressed-out employees tend to make more mistakes, work more slowly and have more trouble focusing.
This can spell major trouble for people in leadership roles. If your boss is stressed out, they could have trouble focusing and making the tough decisions that make up a large part of their job. If their employees are all experiencing high-stress levels, your boss will have to deal with a drop in productivity and a sluggish team.
You can add value to the organization by stepping in and reducing everyone’s stress levels. That means using your empathy to understand what your colleagues may be feeling at any given moment so that you can help them stay ahead of their stressors. It also means offering a nonjudgmental listening ear and a positive outlook to boost morale and restore productivity in the workplace.
Bonus points: If you can use your empathy to understand what’s stressing out your boss, then you can probably help fix some of the workplace issues that are leading to everyone else’s stress.
Problem-Solving
One of the best ways to help your boss is by taking problems off their plate. As Cuban pointed out, great employees spot problems and fix them before they turn into major headaches. Chances are that if you consistently nip problems in the bud, a good boss will notice and appreciate it, especially if you don’t make a big fuss about it.
How can you improve your problem-solving skills? Experts say it starts with squashing your own ego. Set aside your preconceptions and your need to be right. Never assume that you fully understand the situation; instead, adopt a growth mindset and activate your innate curiosity.
Once you identify a problem, gather as much information as you can about it. Ask your colleagues questions and try to figure out all the potential repercussions of the problem.
Invite collaboration when you tackle the problem. Typically, bringing other people into the problem-solving process can help you come up with creative solutions that really address each aspect of the problem.
Remember not to create new drama over your problem-solving success, of course. The whole point of solving this problem is to take something off your boss’s plate and reduce their overall stress levels. So while it may be tempting to show off a little bit, resist that urge!
Reducing Stress by Saving Time
Everyone loves getting their deliverables early. If your company turns projects around promptly, customers will be happy, and your business will be likely to build up a solid base of loyal customers.
Guess what? When your customers are happy, your boss is happy.
You can help make that happen by making sure your team gets its work done on time, or even early. Over time, if you consistently beat deadlines and inspire your colleagues to do the same, a good boss will recognize your effort and reward you with a promotion, a bonus or both.
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