Providing value.

When it comes to advancing your career, standing out in a competitive job market, building meaningful relationships, or even making a positive change in the world, one question stands above the rest:

"What value can I bring to the table?"

At its core, this question is about identifying the unique skills, experiences, and qualities that you possess and how they can be leveraged to make a meaningful impact. It's about understanding what sets you apart from others and what you can offer that no one else can.

Not sure how to answer?

Identify your strengths: Take some time to reflect on your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. What are you really good at? What do you enjoy doing? What have you achieved so far that your really jazzed about?

Think about your ambitions: What are your long-term goals? By understanding what you want to achieve, you can focus on developing the skills and experiences that will help you to reach your goals.

Figure out who your people are: Who are you speaking to? What are their needs and priorities? By understanding those around you, you can tailor what you offer-up and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to them.

Cool, but really...why should I answer the question?

It forces you to think critically about your strengths and weaknesses.

When you ask yourself what value you can bring to the table, you're essentially asking what sets you apart from others. This requires some deep reflection on your part to identify your core strengths and how they can be applied in a variety of contexts. It also means being honest with yourself about areas where you may need to improve or develop new skills.

It helps you communicate your unique value proposition.

Once you've identified your unique value proposition, you can use it to communicate to others what sets you apart from the crowd. Whether you're networking, interviewing for a job, or simply trying to build a relationship, being able to articulate your unique value proposition can make a big difference in how others perceive you.

It helps you set goals and priorities.

Knowing what value you can bring also help you set goals and priorities for yourself. For example, if you've identified that you're particularly skilled at project management, you may want to focus on developing additional skills in that area or seek out opportunities to lead projects.

In a society of take, take, take, it's important that we spend some time to reflect on what we can give. You have unique and powerful strengths. They can be used to make a positive impact. How awesome is that?