Listen to audio version
What makes you valuable at work? It sounds like a simple question, but most people struggle to answer it clearly. They can list their tasks, describe their responsibilities and rattle off their job title. But when it comes to articulating the actual value they create, things get fuzzy.
This matters more than you might think. Without a clear sense of your value, you end up reactive, scattered, and busy with things that may not matter much. You become excellent at being occupied, but not at being effective. And as AI reshapes the workplace, the people who thrive will be those who are clear about the skills they bring and the value they add, not just the tasks they complete.
The difference between activity and value
I have worked with countless professionals who feel overwhelmed by their workload. When we dig into what they actually spend their time on, a pattern emerges. They are doing lots of things, but many of those things are not connected to any clear outcome that matters.
In Chapter 7 of my book, Smart Work, I explore this distinction between activity and value. The core idea is straightforward: your value is not measured by how busy you are, but by the outcomes you create for your team and organisation.
If you disappeared from your role tomorrow, what would actually suffer? What results would stop being delivered? Those answers point to where your real value lies.
Getting clear on your priorities
A useful exercise is to write down your top priorities, not your tasks, but the outcomes you need to deliver to be successful in your role.
Most people find this harder than expected. They start listing activities, meetings, and processes. But priorities answer a different question: what results am I here to create?
For a sales manager, that might be hitting revenue targets and developing team capability. For a project manager, delivering on time and budget while keeping stakeholders informed. The specifics vary, but the principle holds. You need to know what success looks like, and you need to be able to state it simply.
Aligning with what your organisation values
Here is where many people go wrong. They define their priorities based on what feels urgent, what interests them the most or what feels achievable. But your priorities need to align with what your organisation actually values.
What does your manager expect from you? What does your team need from you to function well? What outcomes would make the biggest difference to the broader goals of the organisation? Sometimes the answers are obvious. Sometimes you need a conversation with your manager to get clarity, and that conversation is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career.
Start with a simple question
At the start of each week, ask yourself: what are the most valuable things I could deliver in the next five days? Not the most urgent. Not the things other people are shouting about. The most valuable.
Write them down. Keep them visible. Use them as a filter for how you spend your time.
A client I worked with described it as the difference between steering and drifting. Before she got clear on her priorities, she felt carried along by other people’s agendas. Afterwards, she was making deliberate choices about where to put her energy.
So, what is your value? If you cannot answer that question clearly, that is the work to do this week