Finding Value

Articles abound outlining how Millennials and others become valuable to their employers. They say that if you are valuable, then you will never be without a job. This sounds like good advice, but it leaves another question to be asked. Who determines the value? What I find valuable might not be the same thing as what you find valuable.

Being valuable is not the same as finding value. Finding value is something different. When I find value, I'm looking through the lens of the person for whom I'm working. If I try to find value for my client, I put myself in their position and reveal things they would find valuable based on my understanding of their goals and aspirations.

Sometimes finding value means creating something new, while other times it means modifying something old to bring out new value. Think of how a restoration project on an old home can drastically improve it's worth, but it takes a special eye to see the beauty (and value) behind the worn down house. Few people have this eye and even fewer have the ability to do the work to turn it into something special. That is why you can find dozens of TV shows documenting the process. 

Finding value is a mindset, but it is also a set of skills that can be learned. First you must understand who determines the value. Then you need to find a way to find value based on their definition using your unique skills.

If you can effectively and consistently find value for others, they will find value in you. Someone that consistently finds value is indispensable.