Everyone in the workforce could benefit by assessing how they are providing value to their organization, their internal and external customers, and their shareholders. And something we could ask more frequently is "what value do we provide to ourself"?

Given today's economy it's important to review what we do and how we're doing it. Gone are the days of "job security." Decades ago, as long as you were a "good" worker you could pretty much be guaranteed a job until you chose to retire - that is no longer the case. So what can you do?

We recommend looking at your current position from two different perspectives:

1. Are you using the skills in which you excel and make you feel good?
2. Are you meeting the expectations of the people you work for and with?

Now is the perfect time to explore your career objectives and identify your developmental needs. What makes you happy? What aspects of your current position energize you? Do you know what your strengths are? Bottom line, what contributions and achievements do YOU want to provide?

We also need to realistically assess the value we are providing others. Do we know what's expected of us? Do we consistently meet and even exceed those expectations? Have we verified that by soliciting feedback? And, to provide exceptional customer value we need the ability to anticipate the needs and expectations of our customers.

Being true to ourselves, being customer focused, and delivering what we commit to is a win-win for everyone!

"We often spend so much time coping with problems along our path that we only have a dim or even inaccurate view of what's really important to us."
- Peter Senge