In my last post I talked about fighting for your value in the workplace.

But in order to fight for your value, you first need to know what your value is.

There are two types of value I will address.

First is the value you hold as a human being, which is priceless beyond comprehension.

The second is your value in the market place.

From one of my favorite books, “The Last Safe Investment” by Michael Ellsberg, they define value in the market place as the intersection between your skills and someone’s needs.

However, because the value you can provide to different needs differs drastically, it is strategic to identify which needs you can meet that you would most enjoy doing, align with your values, and support your long term plan.

For example, if I started working at Taco Bell I would be meeting the needs of hunger and possibly addiction (if you’ve tried their Cinnabon Delights you know what I’m talking about).

In contrast, in my current role I identify and connect with people who have a need for process documentation, increased collaboration, and better visualization of data. When I meet this need I generates revenue for the company, which is very valuable to them.

Filling this need is not only something I enjoy more than filling the need of hunger working at the local Taco Bell, but also aligns with my long term plans a lot more.