1. Employee Guide: Becoming an Enterprise Contributor
CEB Corporate Leadership Council
Employee Guide: Becoming an Enterprise Contributor
February 2013

2. Becoming an Enterprise Contributor
How to use this guidebook:
Audience:
This guide helps employees understand CEB Corporate Leadership Council’s model for top performance: enterprise contribution.
How to Use:
This guidebook was written to be beneficial to employees at all levels and jobs functions. It explains the changing nature of how they need to evaluate their own performance in the new work environment.

3. The Changing Work Environment Understanding Enterprise Contribution
EMPLOYEE GUIDE: BECOMING AN ENTERPISE CONTRIBUTOR
The Changing Work Environment
Understanding Enterprise Contribution
Becoming an Enterprise Contributor

4. THE WORK ENVIRONMENT HAS BECOME MORE COMPLEX
Widespread changes in the organizational environment fundamentally change the way you perform your work.
Your Colleagues are More Dispersed
Change in Amount of Work with Coworkers in Another Location in the Past Three Years, by Percentage of Employees
More Stakeholders are Involved in Your Work
Change in Number of Individuals Involved in Decisions in the Past Three Years, by Percentage of Employees
You and your colleagues increasingly work across multiple time zones, cultures, and customer segments.
5% Decreased
7% Decreased
57% Increased
50% Increased
You are having to report to an increasing number of managers, complicating your work flow.
38% Stayed the Same
43% Stay the Same
An abundance of information can improve your performance, but also complicates decision making and distracts from work priorities.
You Have Access to a Higher Volume of Information
Change in Time Spent Finding and Reviewing Data and Information in the Past Three Years, by Percentage of Employees
6% Decreased
18% Stayed the Same
76% Increased
Source: CEB, CEB Corporate Leadership Council High Performance Survey, 2012.

5. WORK IS MORE INTERCONNECTED THAN EVER
Greater complexity at work means your performance is more dependent on collaboration with others.
Your Work Requires More Collaboration with Others
Change in Amount of Work That Requires Collaboration with Others in the Past Three Years, by Percentage of Employees
3% Decreased
67% Increased
30% Stayed the Same
You Work With More People on a Day-to-Day Basis
Number of People Involved in Day-to-Day Work, by Percentage of Employees
30% 20 or More
40% 0–9
30%
10–19
Source: CEB, CEB Corporate Leadership Council High Performance Survey, 2012.

6. COLLEGUES BEYOND YOUR MANAGER AND TEAM INCREASINGLY INFLUENCE YOUR PERFORMANCE
Colleagues outside of your team, and even your company, impact your performance to a greater extent than ever.
For example: Your performance may depend on a supplier in another country shipping needed goods or documents in a timely manner.
For example: A colleague on another team might be working with you on a joint project.
For example: Your company may be partnering with another to gain a lucrative contract.
For example: Your company recently opened a new office in another country and you are asked to educate the new team on company culture and procedures.
Manager
Immediate
Team
Coworkers Outside Your Team
External Partners
Those outside your team that can impact your performance include:
Different Teams
Different Job Levels
Different Locations
Those outside your company that can impact your performance include:
Vendors
Customers
Suppliers
Professional associations
Alumni networks

7. The Changing Work Environment Understanding Enterprise Contribution
EMPLOYEE GUIDE: BECOMING AN ENTERPISE CONTRIBUTOR
The Changing Work Environment
Understanding Enterprise Contribution
Becoming an Enterprise Contributor

8. TOP PERFORMANCE LOOKS DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IN THE PAST
Given today’s more interdependent workplace, your performance is no longer based on individual tasks alone, but also on your network performance.
CEB Corporate Leadership Council’s Model of High Performance
Individual Task Performance
An employee’s effectiveness at achieving his or her individual tasks and assignments
Network Performance
An employee’s effectiveness at improving others’ performance and using others’ contributions to improve his or her own performance
Enterprise Contribution
An employee’s effectiveness at his or her individual tasks, contribution to others’ performance, and use of others’ contributions to improve his or her own performance
Taken together, these two performance types are known as ‘enterprise contribution.’ + =

9. BENEFITS OF BECOMING AN ENTERPRISE CONTRIBUTOR
There are many benefits to becoming an enterprise contributor.
Why should you seek to become an enterprise contributor?
Increased recognition from management for investing effort into bettering the company overall, not just in your own role.
Learning different people’s expertise and task ownership will help make your work easier since you will be able to identify whom to seek assistance from right away.
A willingness to help others in their jobs will make them more willing to help you when you need it from them.
You will be able to better manage your work if you are able to work better with your colleagues spread across geographies and departments.
You will gain from introducing more efficient and improved working processes and tools.

10. Enterprise Contribution
HIGH PERFORMANCE TODAY INVOLVES BOTH FORMAL AND INFORMAL ACTIVITIES
Enterprise contributors succeed in both individual tasks and activities based on collaboration and contribution to others’ work.
Indications of High Performance in the New Work Environment
Individual Task Performance
Consists of outcomes such as…
Network Performance
Consists of outcomes such as…
Some activities represented in network performance are conducted informally, rather than through official lines of communication, including improved working methods and transferring skills and knowledge.
Introduction of improved processes
Implementation of new product or service ideas
Improved working methods, processes, tools
Transfer of great ideas from other parts of the organization
Transfer of skills and knowledge
Enterprise Contribution
High output per hour worked
On-time task completion
Error-free work
High-quality work = +

11. Enterprise Contribution
PERFORMANCE WORKSHEET
Only 17% of employees today are enterprise contributors. Are you one of them?
In the worksheet below fill out tasks and activities you complete as part of your regular duties, whether part of your formal job description or not, to assist you in thinking about the two types of performance which make up enterprise contribution.
CEB Corporate Leadership Council’s Model of High Performance
Tasks I do which count towards Individual Task Performance include:
Tasks I do which count towards Network Performance include: 
Enterprise Contribution  = +

12. The Changing Work Environment Understanding Enterprise Contribution
EMPLOYEE GUIDE: BECOMING AN ENTERPISE CONTRIBUTOR
The Changing Work Environment
Understanding Enterprise Contribution
Becoming an Enterprise Contributor

13. Enterprise Contributors
BECOMING AN ENTERPRISE CONTRIBUTOR DOES NOT ONLY MEAN COLLABORATING MORE WITH OTHERS
Interacting more with others will not improve your network contribution and make you an enterprise contributor.
To achieve high enterprise contribution, you must balance your time between your individual task performance and network performance.
Distribution of Time Spent on Individual and Group Tasks
Enterprise Contributors
Average Employee
45% Individual Tasks
48% Individual Tasks
Most importantly, to become an enterprise contributor, you must focus on four key competencies:
Prioritization
Teamwork
Organizational Awareness
Problem Solving
55%
Working
With Others
52% Working With Others
Source: CEB, CEB Corporate Leadership Council High Performance Survey, 2012.
Enterprise contributors do not spend much more time working with others than the average employee. Rather, the difference between enterprise contributors and average employees is found in the way they perform four key competencies:
Prioritization - Prioritizes activities based on organizational goals and self-directs work
Teamwork - Coordinates one’s work and performance with that of others to achieve mutual outcomes
Organizational Awareness - Understands the informal structures and decision-making processes of the organization
Problem Solving - Identifies problems and opportunities for changes and implements solutions when appropriate

14. FOCUS ON FOUR KEY SHIFTS TO BECOME AN ENTERPRISE CONTRIBUTOR
To become an enterprise contributor, you should shift your approach to fulfilling four key competencies.
Conventional Approach:
Enterprise Contributor:
Prioritization
Prioritize work by the contribution it can make to the organization, not just what their job description says. 1
Prioritizes Tasks
Prioritizes activities to fulfill job description and manager directs work
Prioritizes Contributions
Prioritizes activities based on organizational goals and self-directs work
Teamwork
Understand peers’ workflow, objectives, and challenges, rather than only getting to know them personally. 2
Builds Connections
Increases the number of, and maintains strong, personal relationships
Understands Peers’ Motivations
Coordinates one’s work and performance with that of others to achieve mutual outcomes
Organizational Awareness
Understand the context that surrounds organizational decisions and operations, not just formal structures. 3
Knows Formal Organization
Understands business basics and the formal structure and mechanics of the organization
Understands Organizational Context
Understands the informal structures and decision-making processes of the organization
Identify problems and initiate necessary changes, not only express willingness to change based on others’ recommendations.
Problem Solving 4
Receptive to Change
Displays openness and willingness to change behavior in response to new situations
Initiates Change
Identifies problems and opportunities for changes and implements solutions when appropriate

15. EMPLOYEE ENTERPRISE CONTRIBUTION CHECKLIST
Use this guide to identify areas where you can concentrate your efforts to become an enterprise contributor
Prioritization
Organizational Awareness
Prioritize activities based on their contribution to the organization, rather than completing tasks based only on fulfilling job description.
Understand the informal decision-making processes of your organization, rather than just the formal reporting structures.
Speak with colleagues to understand the key talents and responsibilities in your division in order to identify the best person to ask for assistance or bring concerns in certain instances
Speak with your manager(s) to better understand organizational priorities and how your role relates to those goals  
Seek out ways to make broader impact outside of your formal role, for example by organizing skill workshops or assisting other teams with your experience and knowledge
Use your informal interactions with colleagues to get a better understanding of the challenges your division or organization is facing and consider how you can help  
Identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as additional skills of team members when considering division of labor on team projects
Ask your manager(s) to explain the reasoning behind organizational decisions, not just the decisions themselves  
Teamwork
Problem Solving
Coordinate your work with that of others to achieve mutual outcomes, rather than just maintaining personal relationships with colleagues.
Proactively identify problems and opportunities for change and initiate solutions, rather than only responding to changes made by others.
Shadow colleagues outside of your direct team to gain better perspective of their accountabilities
Meet periodically with peers in other functions to discuss common challenges and share best practices  
Proactively serve as a resource for new hires rather than having them approach you with questions first
Include at least one proposed solution when escalating a problem or challenge  
Use your extended network including alumni networks, vendors, etc., to advance other teams in your company, rather than only using them to benefit your team
Avoid becoming complacent with existing practices by periodically reviewing procedures to identify alternative methods that may prove more efficient  