Bringing Value
By: Buddy Verderber
Tags: Values, Courtesy, Relationships, Trust, Friendship

Photo by: Riccardo Annandale

By mastering a few essential skills, you give a good impression and can level up faster in life. “It results in gaining rewards, becoming desired or in demand, and being highly regarded and confident” ( school-for-champions.com). The three skills I chose for you today I have personally found are the key characteristics to work on. Trust, reliability, and flexibility are the most important to being a better employee, friend, and partner. While these may sound like common sense, it might help you to take a step back and evaluate yourself.

First, let’s talk about trust. Allowing people to put trust in you has a huge benefit. In a job, this sets you up for being given more responsibilities,which could lead to increased pay. Promotions often require more responsibilities and a level of trust that you will get the job done. You must be trusted to do tasks such as working with money or having the key to a store. If a supervisor or manager cannot trust you, you’ll be unlikely to earn more responsibility, not to mention, it might be hard to keep your job.

Trust in relationships is also imperative. Friends and family often tell of those closest to them their deepest secrets. I know I definitely wouldn’t want someone to go around telling others rumors that I don’t want to be public. Trusting others with your life or resources is crucial to have in a friend or loved one. Without it, there’s not really any point in having them close by, other than to spread negativity and walk with a one sided relationship.

Another important trait is reliability. Much like trust, being reliable can be almost as equally as important. Reliability means showing up to work or helping a friend move when you have committed to doing so. Plans certainly change and life happens, however that’s when good communication should bridge the gap to let them know you have to postpone or modify the situation. Like having someone’s back, reliability is the trust knowing you’ll be there for someone and in return they will be there for you.

Lastly, is none other than flexibility. While this one is a bit more complex and takes practice, it can prove to be extremely beneficial. Flexibility comes in many forms. It can mean being open to change in the workforce or even in your beliefs. Allowing flexibility in your schedule (depending on the importance of the event) demonstrates your willingness to a little give and take. Swapping work shifts with a coworker is a nice thing to do, especially when you might need a favor in return in the future. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you must always change for everyone that asks. It’s important to have balance in your flexibility to protect things that are important to you.

The more challenging part of flexibility is a change or acceptance of beliefs with others. Especially when it comes to the ever taxing topic of politics these days, there’s going to be quite a varying degree of thought from person to person. It is up to you how to handle the topic, but try to be open to understanding others — this can really help you grow in ways you never thought possible. I, for instance, moved from a conservative state to a liberal one. It was difficult to adapt at first, but asking questions and finding an understanding among people has helped me tremendously. Being open to change and actively listening to others was a huge part of my success. Balancing my conservative upbringing and experiences as an adult, I have definitely found a happy middle that feels right for me. I allow myself to be flexible and understanding of all people. It has made my life so much easier and I no longer feel the need to be defensive. Try talking to someone who disagrees with you — you never know what you might learn, and it’s ok to change your beliefs, that’s what brings wisdom.

Use these skills to your advantage and spread trust, reliability and flexibility to others. We need more of them in a world filled with so much fear and misguidance. So be trustworthy, reliable, and flexible, it will help make you a better person and lead to more of life’s benefits. “The more self-kindness and self-compassion you can foster, the more equipped you’ll be to treat those around you the same way. Plus, doing good for others can give your life a deeper sense of meaning” ( healthline.com).