Becoming the Most Valuable Player

For any employee, the most important thing he/she can do is become the Most Valuable Player (MVP) on the team.  How can he/she do that?  The way to become MVP is to increase one's productivity and the quality level of work provided on the job.  The following are some strategies that you may wish to review with students about how they can become the MVP of their work team.

• Do the assigned task and nothing else.  If you finish, find something else to do.
• Do the job right.  Review your work to see if there are any mistakes.
• Make sure all parts of the job are complete.  Even if you do 90 percent of the job perfect, the 10 percent not completed will overshadow the good work you did.
• Do the complete job as fast as possible.
• Don't bring items (food, radio, books, magazines) that will distract you.
• Make sure other people do not bother you.
• Make a schedule of what you have to complete.
• Get all of the materials ready to complete the task.
• Ask questions in the beginning.  It takes less time to get additional instruction than to do the job over.
• Start the job soon after instructions are given. Taking it easy for 15 minutes prior to starting can make it difficult to get the job completed on time.
• Correct mistakes as soon as possible.  This will save time in the long run.
• If your co-workers are having more success, try to find out some of their techniques.
• Do the task the way your supervisor instructs you to do it.

The ability to communicate effectively is the most important skill an employee can have in order to "get along" with others in the workplace as well as the community.  For many individuals, the skill of communication is a difficult one that requires practice. How can you help your students learn better communication skills so that they will be more successful in retaining employment?

There are many situations that you can role-play with students.  Practicing what is known as "soft skills" can make the student become a more productive and successful employee.