In a January 2009 Vitality Magazine article, Polly Turner interviewed Deborah Singer Dobson, co-author of Managing Up: 59 Ways to Build a Career-Advancing Relationship With Your Boss (AMACOM, 2000). Dobson says you’re more likely to be perceived as being of value to your organization if:

You’re competent. Sounds like a no-brainer, but whether you’re high or low on the organizational chart, you won’t be considered important or taken seriously unless you show that you’re competent at what you do. Dobson recommends setting high personal standards for your performance, and continually striving to exceed those standards.

You’re likable. Make it a point to work well and flexibly with others. Make friends, too, especially with people in your organization’s lowest levels, since that’s often where a lot of the work gets done.

You anticipate needs. Be the first to notice your department or work group’s needs and act to address them, such as offering to take over some of your overworked boss’s tasks. Dobson suggests that you make it a point to recommend solutions whenever you point out problems. When you support the overall strategic direction of your boss and work group, it adds to your professionalism.

You give energy to the people around you. “To be really valued by other people and have your opinions sought out, you have to bring a lot of energy to the table and, more importantly, you have to energize others,” Dobson says. “Make it a goal to get other people excited about the work they’re doing.”

You share the recognition. Everyone wants to feel recognized and appreciated, so be quick to promote and praise your team members’ contributions. When someone makes his or her first contribution to the group, acknowledge it, encouraging him or her to explain the idea to the rest of the team. Don’t get hung up on who did how much of what; Dobson endorses representing the effort as an equal contribution by the entire team, saying, “When (you’re) generous to people in this way, the energy starts to flow.”

You’re willing to venture into uncharted territory. You can add clear value by bringing an idea or perspective that nobody else has; challenging perspectives that others won’t; or doing work that others aren’t willing to tackle.

You show integrity. “You can’t get away from office politics — nearly anytime you put two people in a room, they’ll engage in political discussion,” Dobson insists. So whenever you must participate in such a conversation, always do so with integrity and in the company’s best interest. “If you do,” Dobson adds, “nine times out of ten your star will rise.”