If you show up at work every day on time and do your job the best you can, is that enough to be considered a great employee and even advance at work? Unfortunately, the answer is 'no' in most jobs - that would only be enough to make you an average employee. But average employees don't often get recognized or promoted. Related: 5 Conversations You Must Have With A New Boss So, if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing every day, why isn't that enough? What else should you be doing? There are so many things you could do to become a better employee (and more valued). I could list 50 things for you and they all fall in the category of 'going above and beyond.' For example, you could be more helpful to others on your team, you could volunteer for or spearhead projects, you could brand yourself as the 'go to' person, you could work longer hours to show your dedication, you could be more available off hours, you could offer up more innovative ideas, and you can stop gossiping and/or complaining with your co-workers and always display a positive attitude. The list can go on and on and most people know they could do these things but the problem is, most people don't feel like doing them. Many do try to do some but if what they try to do are not things they really want to do, they won't do them consistently in a way that impresses others and it won't last - they'll eventually decide it's not worth it and stop doing them. So, that begs the question, what can you do if you really want to become a better employee?

There's an art in how to resolve problems at work without creating more problems. If you're in the 70-something percentile of people who are disengaged at work (as reported by the Society of Human Resources Management) and you know your reasons are directly related to your work environment, you probably wonder if there is anything you can actually do about it that will turn your situation around. Related: How To Handle A Hostile Work Environment There are some things you can do so consider your choices. You have three: you can suck it up and live with it (least desirable option!), you can start looking for another job, or you can talk to your boss and/or someone at work who can help you. Despite the issues you're having, if you otherwise really like your job, it’s definitely worth a shot at attempting to resolve the problems before you throw in the towel. In many cases you can – you just have to know the right way to go about doing it. Talking about work issues at work can get messy if not done correctly. Typically, that means you probably won’t be able to say what you really think without there being some risk involved. That’s not very encouraging but unfortunately, that’s how it is for many people because addressing issues at work is more like an art than a skill because you have to know how honest you can be and how to say what you want to say without digging a deeper hole for yourself. Perhaps you feel like you can’t address your issues because you fear your boss (or someone else) will retaliate against you or worse yet, you will get fired. These are very legitimate concerns. Your ability to be successful at this, however, depends a lot on where you stand at work. If you have a history of performance or attitude related issues, you will have less success with this than if you're an employee who has a record of outstanding work performance. If you do have performance issues because of the issues you experience at work, it’s a good idea to tie them together in your conversation so that it explains your performance issues. The resolution tactic that you must consider first is directly talking to your boss or to the person who is the cause of your problem. It's the most professional way to handle it as a first line strategy. Immediately going above that person’s head or to HR could (but not always) significantly worsen the problem. People tend to get upset when others go around them or above them instead of dealing directly with them.