Creating value: For effective Entrepreneurship and Parenting

This journey towards identifying and realizing value creation has led me to many deep reflections on my own 'ikigai' - my reason for getting up in the morning. I have come to understand that my calling in professional life is to combine my passion for innovation with an ability to help others become more competitive in a way that is both rewarding for me and valuable for them.

A central theme in my development has been the concept of resource-efficient value creation. The principle is simple: to create maximum value with minimum resources. My former mentor, Sedigh, once illustrated this through a metaphor that from plate to mouth one's fork may take a thousand paths, but there is only one path that is both simple and elegant. This reasoning has become a guiding star in my work, where I strive to find the most direct and efficient path to value creation, regardless of the nature of the task.

When it comes to project work, one of the big challenges is to ensure that the activities we carry out create real value, not only for our partners but also for their target audiences. This means working based on the needs of the target group and ensuring that our partners have a clear understanding of what we deliver, even before the project is finished. This process requires that we together iteratively and proactively design what is desirable (desirability), feasible (feasibility) and economically sustainable (viability).

In order to further clarify and optimize the value creation within my projects, I have started to proactively visualize different outcomes for our partners. I prepare them by creating prototypes at an early stage that show where we will end up, while we can gather and discuss these artifacts. By asking them if they prefer to reach point A with a specific report or point B with insights to build on, together we can identify which path creates the most value. This method has not only helped me to create more targeted value, but also to engage my partners in the value creation process from the start.

In addition to my professional life, I have also applied the concept of resource efficiency to my parenting. I recently enrolled in a course aimed at creating greater behavioral change with less effort. The goal is to avoid nagging and conflicts by building bridges to create a more harmonious family life.

Building these bridges is not only a matter of communicating effectively, but also of truly listening, understanding and respecting different perspectives. This has proven invaluable in my work and personal life, and it is a skill I continuously strive to improve. For me, it adds another dimension to my quest for value creation, to become an expert in building bridges to understand each other. This means that I actively work to bridge understandings, whether it is collaborating with colleagues from different backgrounds, navigating family relationships, or understanding and meeting the needs of those we serve through our work.

My journey towards effective value creation and building bridges of understanding is far from over, but each step forward is a step closer to understanding and realizing the full value of my work

How do you create value in your everyday life?