I begin here in a place where I will share years of contemplation. Nothing is absolute, and everything is subject to perception and interpretation. There is no strict process, only suggestions. There is learning and exploration and growth for myself and for my readers. I will share a lot about value in many contexts, hoping to offer insight into what something or someone of value offers beyond price or utility. Understanding value will require the reader to be insightful and engaged. Before we begin the journey into value, we need to define value. That is not as easy to do as it sounds.
Google defines both the noun and verb “value” below:
val·ue
/ˈvalyo͞o/
noun
the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
"your support is of great value"
a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
"they internalize their parents' rules and values"
verb
estimate the monetary worth of (something).
"his estate was valued at $45,000"
consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; have a high opinion of.
"she had come to value her privacy and independence"
The definitions of value lead me to question the objectivity of the word value. In fact, the word means very different things to every person. One hundred people would yield one hundred definitions if asked, “How would you specifically describe what value means to you?”
How can I define value when it means something different to each person? This is a question that I have meandered daily.
I recently stumbled upon a quote that a close friend posted on social media. It was in remembrance of a young and insightful man. I was meant to see this quote to continue his message, but also to find mine.
“When deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or career. Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you.”
-Chadwick Boseman
When I say “I am” I cannot define exactly what I do every day. If asked, my answer would be that I do an awful lot, and my brain feels it by the end of the day! The real reason that the question is so hard to answer is because I have never felt comfortable being defined by a title or by a label. It is too limiting, and it implies I only “do” one thing. It implies that I fit a job description, or a salary range, or a finite value. That is not me and is probably not many people. The question is not what I am, but why I am. What is my purpose? What is my value? As Chadwick said, “….Purpose is an essential element of you.”
After reading Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, I was further enlightened, and I realized this: Value is why. Value is the inexplicable, immeasurable reason we buy what we buy, live where we live, do what we do. Value and purpose define who we are. Since why is so difficult to understand, we often equate why, or value, with quantitative figures. This allows us to make our why and our value tangible. Think about it. What is the #1 reason you chose……..? What is the value of living here, working here, joining here……..? What is the value of making that purchase? That sale? That decision? The tangible assignment of value is so important to society, because it allows us to put our gut instincts into words, or better yet, into numbers. Making value tangible allows our rational brain to accept the validity of a decision. Data, analytics, revenue, earnings, appreciation, and depreciation are all credible validation tools. This validation is important. Making sense of a decision is an imperative “gut check.” Follow your heart but validate with your brain. That is rational and that is good. Validation of value is not in question. Validation is the result of finding and defining value.
Yet, the question still dwells. Why? What is the purpose, not what is the validation? Within the answer to that question lives the intangible value, and that intangible value is why you do what you do in all aspects of your life. In fact, sometimes, the intangible why overwhelms the logical what, or the rationalization and validation of the value, and that is ok. Sometimes the answer defies logic. There really is no right or wrong. I would argue that both why you value something and what the value, or validation is are vital to how your mind processes value. The weight you give to heart and mind is up to you.
We return to the question of value, defined uniquely for each person. What am I? What do I do? When pushed, I would answer, “I am a strategist. I work with companies to define their value and to message that value to the marketplace. Next, I teach that message internally, using collateral and data, so that the organization can deliver their tailored value proposition, based on the objectives, strategies and challenges each client is uniquely facing.” That is what I do. I use data, and I validate the instinctual value a company delivers to its clients.
Why do I do this? What is my purpose? What is my value? After many versions and edits, the paragraph below is my value. This is what I feel in my heart, and this what my voice offers when I am enveloped in an insightful discussion. This is why I do what I do.
I propel people forward, whether an organization of people, my family or my friends. I strive for us all to be more than we anticipate we can be. I drive people to stretch themselves by sharing success stories and observations that empower people to push themselves passed the barriers of their potential, so that they seek the possibilities and make them reality. I spark people to deliver their talent and their good to the world. I do this because this empowers me to conquer my own limitations, and to become a better version of myself. The success of others in my presence engulfs me with energy, and the energy is plentiful enough to fuel opportunities and results that are much greater than any of us could produce alone. In that way, I can move the people, the organization, the industry that I am engaged with, to be better. and to reach beyond their capabilities. Every threshold I pass ignites more drive and that drive is infinite, because possibilities are endless. In that way, I contribute to making this world a better place. That is my why, that is my purpose and that is my value. What is yours?
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