At a time in my professional life, I acknowledge people by their roles. I assumed that having an important title hanging on the office door (manager, director, president, etc.) meant that the person had the knowledge and experience that made him worthy of respect. Today I think in a very different way. Now I rate professionals based on the added value they provide or bring to a company. I even see titles or positions as formalities. In fact, I know many people who reached a particular job only by being recommended rather than by merit.
In all these years, I have met many professionals with high-profile roles. Still, when they left the company (not necessarily by their will), they left the impression that their work was not delivering any impact. It was as if nothing had changed or happened when they left. On the other hand, we have all known a colleague who created a harsh void to fill after resigning from the company. These are the people who make the difference, they are the ones who are contributing something different, and when they leave, their absence feels. I call this idea a value proposition.
To understand the concept of a value proposition and how it extends to people, I would like to make an analogy with the value proposition of a product. In that regard, the person who explains it best is Alex Hormozi in his book $100M Offers.
People appreciate something more or are willing to pay for something if the proposition offers certain benefits. The question is, what does a person value more? The answer is time saved (decrease), less effort (decrease) and a greater probability of reaching the goal (increase). Now, let’s see it reflected in the value proposition equation:
A value proposition will be stronger the more of these aspects are included. So, every time we want to offer a product (or our service as professionals), we must make these reflections:
Does what I offer help to reduce the time needed to achieve the objectives?
Does what I offer contribute to reducing the effort that others have to make to achieve the objectives?
Does what I offer contribute to increasing the probability of success?
Returning to the examples with which I began the article, the managers or vice-presidents (professionals with important roles) that I once met, and whose departure seemed not to have generated a change in the company, probably did not add significant value or the value that they did add was not what the company needed, that is, there was no alignment. I may even dare to say that their value proposition was not strong enough to generate an impact in the company, so their exit was necessary.
As professionals, we must always keep this principle in mind. We all have different value propositions; the idea is to build or perfect our own as well as possible. Make it solid, differentiated, and unique. We must discover what our strengths are to exploit our potential. Only then will we become indispensable and generate a real impact on a company and the lives of others.
Coaching can help you discover and strengthen your value proposition; there is still much to discuss on this topic. If you are interested in knowing more or would like to plan a coaching session, do not hesitate to contact me via the web or to schedule a meeting.
Alexander Martinez
