Hard work ≠ value delivered

You create value whenever you deliver something useful or important. 

The amount of value you create is the product of 1) how effective your solution is and 2) how important the problem that you’re solving is. 

When you deliver effective solutions, you are generating value. 

When you solve high priority problems, you are generating value. 

When you deliver effective solutions for high priority problems, you generate even more value still. 
In contrast, you can work really hard on a solution only to create little value if the solution doesn’t map to a high priority problem within your organization or team.

When it comes to creating value, it’s not enough to resolve to work harder. 

You need to empathize first and ask the fundamental questions like: what problems matter the most to the people I’m aiming to serve? And what kind of solution(s) would truly satisfy these problems & make things better? 

Empathy + hard work = impact. 

Today’s post is inspired by ideas from Patty Azzarello’s book “Rise: 3 Practical Steps for Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader, and Liking Your Life