This past year, I’ve seen this same phrase come up. but it always centers around “providing value.” I’m not gonna lie, it’s still a foreign concept to me. The whole premise of it is that you approach situations and people with the idea of primarily adding to the situation, not taking away. There is a couple of ways this can be helpful, but I still have questions.

Networking

The short time I’ve spent in Tech, about 6 months now, has led me to unlearn networking. Although I wasn’t intentionally providing value, I created and organized spaces where people can be heard, learn, and gain insight from each other. This alone encouraged me to keep asking questions, which is the whole basis for learning.

I used to think networking with other professionals, whether casual or intentional, was much more complicated - and fake. It’s clear to me that we don’t have to fake anything, let alone network with people we don’t even like. It can all be simple, fun, and fruitful if approached with the right mindset.

Solution-oriented

Problem-solving is in every job application, sprinkled throughout. That’s what a job is. That’s what life is. We wake up to problems, and we have to figure out how to go about it. Generating a way to re-configure how we respond to these obstacles is great. Providing value is part of that process.

Provide Value but…

Although I support having a positive outlook on life, and I generally try to, forcing it can be exhausting. Yes, we can always help and be a source of great information, but that can be a natural journey rather than measuring ourselves with just how much we know.

If there is no balance, then even actions with great intentions can become toxic. This is more of a reminder for myself.

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