Value-added organizations believe their solutions include three dimensions of value. Dimension number one is the product or service, whether it's a truck, tin cans, office furniture, education or accounting services. Dimension number two is the organization. This includes financial stability, depth of resources, number of locations, inventory levels and value-added services. Dimension number three is people. Value-added organizations understand that people represent the single, unique dimension of value. And they wield this uniqueness for competitive gain.

I can build a product or design a service that looks a lot like yours. If you're a distributor, I can sell a product that looks so much like your product that the differences will be imperceptible to most people. I can bundle a package of services that rivals your services.

The unique dimension of value that I cannot copy is your people. Why? Because there's no commodity in creativity and there's no traffic jam on the extra mile. A company president approached me during one of my presentations and said, “Tom, we used to be a value-added organization until we lost our best people. Now, we're like everybody else.” People represent the single, unique dimension of value.

Value-added organizations appreciate their people. They understand that all things being equal, people make a difference. And it is a difference that's not easily copied. Creativity, initiative, courage and passion build customer loyalty and retention.

Customer loyalty is the behavioral side of customer satisfaction. And customer satisfaction reflects employee satisfaction. Satisfied employees help create satisfied customers. Loyal employees help create loyal customers.

There are three questions that value-added “peak competitor” employees ask themselves. Question number one is, “Do I add value or cost to our efforts?” This is another way of asking the question, “Am I a cost center or a profit center to my organization?” I'm sure you've figured out that there is no future in being a cost center to your organization.

Question number two is, “Does my energy add to our momentum or does it slow us down?” When you come to work in the morning, your energy either adds momentum to your team or it serves as a resistance force. You add positive momentum or negative resistance. For which would you rather be known? Which is better for the organization? Which is more productive for the customer?

Question number three is the fundamental question for value-added team members: “What am I personally doing today to add value to our efforts?” If everyone in your organization would ask and answer this question daily you could lift your organization to the next level with your people.

A CEO for a major bank once said, “The person or organization that somehow manages to harness the collective genius of his or her employees will blow away the competition.”