We work to support ourselves and our families. We work to grow our careers. And yes, we work to develop earth-shaking products, and enhance our employer’s image, brand and truly…the bottom line. Everyday it’s vital that we accomplish tasks which take us marching toward our corporate mission. If we are thoughtful, cognizant employees or managers, we know we must justify our spot on our company's salary roster. Every. Single. Day.

If we are amazingly fortunate, we work for a company whose product or service is "field disrupting", revolutionary, and solves a problem for many people or is perhaps even life-saving. In the Health IT field, some of our clients' software products do just that. Let's count our blessing to be part of those organizations that bring such light. And at the end of the day or in the wee hours of the morning, may we count ourselves among the few… "We few. We happy few".

If we woke your manager out of a dead sleep and we asked: “Why is John [or Joan] valuable in your organization?”, what do you think he or she would say about you?

• Would your manager say that you are a team player, serious, and dedicated employee?
  
• Would he/she say that you have solved problems that were particularly difficult? And not only that—fixed a long-term issue that no one else could resolve?
  
• Would he/she say that you saved the company hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in cost reduction?
  
• Would he/she say that your efforts delighted their biggest customer?
  
• Would your manager say: “Joan [or John] has my back. I can always depend on her to go the extra mile and get the job done right. She makes me look good.” ?
  

Okay, so you’ve got a nice job, good pay and great benefits. Now, are you doing your best every day to be your boss’s right-hand person? Frankly speaking, do earn your pay every day? I’m just saying…