What’s Value Got To Do With It? Three Important Steps To Demonstrate Your Value

As we progress in our careers, we’re often told to demonstrate our value.?Yet how can we do that? And more importantly, what is value anyway? Read on for three important steps to demonstrate your value.

1. Consider the” who” and the “when”

When we make a judgment about whether something is valuable we should consider both the “who” and “when”. The "who" refers to the person or entity that is evaluating the value, and the "when" refers to the time at which the evaluation is taking place. These two factors can have a significant impact on the outcome of the evaluation. For example, a product that is considered good value for a business might not be considered good value for a personal user. Similarly, a product that is considered good value at one point in time might not be considered good value at another point in time.

2. Keep track

How often do we do something of value and completely forget about it? Perhaps we even get caught up in a little thing that didn’t work out, even though there was immense value to the thing we did! To avoid such a situation, keep track of your work and the value that you generate.?

You could keep a notebook or file to record your accomplishments, feedback, and improvement areas. It takes a certain level of detail to make your notes more valuable and persuasive. Be specific. Not only record what you did but also why you did it and what the outcome was.?

Taking good testing notes is an essential skill and habit for all quality and testing professionals. So we can transfer such note-taking skills to track our progress, demonstrate our value, and set ourselves up for success.

3. Evaluate and communicate

Is a project worth your time and effort? Answer this to set realistic expectations for what you can achieve. You’ll be in a better position to evaluate your work after you finish.?This can help you to identify what went well, what could have been improved, and how you can apply what you learned to future projects. Also, consider what you stopped doing. Be aware of the opportunity cost of your work, and don’t be afraid to stop doing things that are not valuable.

Quantifying your evaluation will also help. For example, such as by measuring the number of bugs you have found or the amount of time you have saved your team.

While for some it might feel strange talking about the value you bring, it’s essential you can do this to demonstrate that you are confident in your skills and abilities. Talk about your value in interviews, performance reviews, and any other situation where you are trying to make a case for yourself. It demonstrates that you are willing to take ownership of your work and to be accountable for your results. Also, consider blogging, giving presentations or talking to colleagues about your work.

Value is not just about doing good work. It is also about communicating the value of your work to others.

What do bread ??, shoes ?? and technology ?? have in common? They all feature in David Williams ’ illuminating talk: The Most “Valuable” Talk Ever? This video is essential viewing for anyone who wants to improve their ability to demonstrate their value.

? The talk is available to everyone until Wednesday 5th July 2023. ?

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