Winning The Argument, Then Cement Your Value At Work

Cement your value at work

If you want a degree of security in your position or if you want to move up the ladder, you’re likely to need to put into practice some habits that will solidify your standing. Here are some suggestions:

Save money - for your company, that is. Check around your department or look over your budget and find ways you can save money or make the department more efficient.

Adapt - the most valuable people are invariably those who know how to, and are willing to adapt to constantly evolving environments. Companies’ priorities can change rapidly - you should realign your own work systems to meet the changing demands.

Let your boss know - it’s not always a good idea to wait for your supervisor to notice your good work, or efforts that have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Point out the facts. A good way to let your boss in on your accomplishments is to schedule regular meetings where you can keep him/her up-to-date on your work, your progress and your successes.

Keep your own list of goals - reassess them regularly. Be sure they’re consistent with both corporate and departmental objectives.

Be likeable - no one likes a constant complainer. Always try to meet expectations and foster good, professional relationships with co-workers and management.

Be accessible - let it be known that when your own work permits, you are willing to help out wherever necessary, even if it means staying late occasionally.

Never stop learning - attend in-house seminars and training workshops that are job-specific, or are in line with your career track. Join appropriate professional organizations and network with others in your field. It’s a simple, effective way to keep up to date with technology, trends and cultures.

Give customers what they want.

According to a recent US survey by the Association of Purchasing Managers, there are ten traits buyers consider to be the most valuable when working with suppliers. The list is ranked with the traits most often mentioned first.

1          product knowledge

2          empathy

3          well-organized

4          promptness

5          follow-through

6          ability to solve problems

7          punctuality

8          hardworking

9          energetic

10        honesty

Meaningful meetings

There have been countless articles written on planning and leading good meetings. However, an aspect which is often forgotten is how to be an effective participant.

We often take our own role as participant for granted, without fully appreciating that we have important contributions to make. (After all that's the reason we're being invited!)

So before you head off to your next meeting, read these tips on making yourself a more valuable contributor:

Come prepared. Do some background reading on the subject beforehand and bring any helpful material with you.

Be an active listener. Our minds tend to wander without our permission, so it takes a conscious effort to remain focused and consider every word said.

Keep an open mind. Enter the meeting with the idea that it will be a learning experience and that your current viewpoint might be changed.

Speak up. Sometimes even the most far-fetched questions or idea can lead to a suggestion that's right on target. Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind, as it may lead to fresh, new perspective.

Stay cool. Not everyone will agree with everything you say. Take criticism in your stride, knowing that some level of disagreement is necessary to arrive at the best possible outcome.

Be considerate. Avoid crying on whispered conversations with fellow participants and interrupting the proceedings. When you disagree, make it clear that you are challenging the idea, not the person who offered it.

Instead of complaining that nothing ever gets done at meetings, think instead of all that you could contribute. There's so much more to meetings than showing up, and your active involvement can make a difference.

Winning the argument
(To be read with a pinch of salt)
I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me. You too can win arguments. Simply follow these rules:

• Drink to excess.

Suppose you're at a party and some hotshot intellectual is expounding on the economy of Peru, a subject you know nothing about. If you're drinking some health-fanatic drink like grapefruit juice, you'll hang back, afraid to display your ignorance, whilst the hotshot enthralls your date. But if you drink several large martinis, you'll discover you have strong views about the Peruvian economy. You'll be a wealth of information. You'll argue forcefully, offering searing insights and possibly upsetting furniture. People will be impressed. Some may leave the room.

• Make things up.

Suppose, in the Peruvian economy argument, you are trying to prove Peruvians are underpaid, a position you base solely on the fact YOU are underpaid, and you're damned if you're going to let a bunch of Peruvians be better off. DON'T say: 'I think Peruvians are underpaid'. Say: 'The average Peruvian's salary in 2001 dollar adjusted for the revised tax base is $2,452.81 per annum, which is $836.07 before the means gross poverty level.
NOTE: Always make up exact figures.
If an opponent asks you where you got your information, make THAT up, too. Say: 'This information comes from Dr Hovel T Moon's study for the Buford Commission published May 9, 1993. Didn't you read it?’ say this in the same tone of voice you would use to say 'You left your soiled underwear in my bath house.'

• Use meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases.

Memorize this list:

• Let me put it this way
• In term of
• Vis-à-vis
• Per se
• As it were
• Qua
• So to speak

You should also memorize some Latin abbreviations such as 'Q.E.D.', e.g.…., and i.e. these are all short for 'I speak Latin, and you do not.'
Here's how to use these words and phrases.
Suppose you want to say "Peruvians would like to order appetizers more often, but they don't have enough money."
You never win arguments talking like that. But you WILL win if you say: 'Let me put it this way. In terms of appetizers vis-à-vis Peruvians qua Peruvians, they would like to order them more often, so to speak, but they do not have enough money per se, as it were. Q.E.D!'
Only a fool would challenge this statement.

• Use snappy and irrelevant comebacks.

You need an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at your opponents when they make valid points.
The best are:

• You're begging the question.
• You're being defensive
• Don't compare apples and oranges.
• What are your parameters?

This last one is especially valuable. Nobody, other than mathematicians, has the vaguest idea what 'parameters' means.
Here's how to use your comebacks:
You say "As Abraham Lincoln said in 18973……."
Your opponent says Lincoln died in 1865. You say "You're begging the question……"
OR
You say "Liberians, like most Asians……"
Your opponent says Liberia is in Africa. You say "You're being defensive."
Compare your opponent to Saddam Hussein.
This is your heavy artillery, for when your opponent is obviously right and you are spectacularly wrong. Bring Saddam up subtly.
Say: "That sounds suspiciously like something Saddam Hussein might say", or "You certainly do remind me of Saddam Hussein."

So that's it: you now know how to out-argue anybody. Do not try to pull any of this on people who generally carry weapons.