Value (cont.)

Following up on my note from Monday, here is a bit more about value

First, a note to self – when at the gym focus on the weights that you are trying to lift, not a good time to ponder about value with a heavy metal thing above your head (though I do find myself asking why am I trying to move the loaded barbell, it was perfectly happy just lying there).

Times that are appropriate to ask ourselves why and what’s the value:

• Handover from Sales to PS. Why is the client really buying the solution, what is the immediate and longer term value for the client stakeholders and importantly, for the users.
• During solution design and project planning. Are we gearing up to build a valuable solution? Have we identified the relevant people that will benefit from the solution and understand what they need?
• Entering a long stretch of project with a distant milestone. What value can we introduce in the interim? Early value for the client will help keep users engaged and in turn bring value to us, the tech providers.
• When managing a change. The value of the outcome is a great driver for figuring out priorities.
• Client-side change management after solution design. A simple show and tell does part of the job, a show and tell that emphasises the value as it was requested by client stakeholders and users is a better way to get the users on board.
• When testing, when preparing for partial or technical or full go lives, when documenting… the list is too long. And crucially, throughout it all, the value should be clear and drive every communication – every email exchange, every escalation, every update.