The Value Is In You, Not Your Resources
May 10, 2020
Whenever there is a family function, my brother and I take turns as the family photographer. I click a lot of photographs. Most of them are ordinary. There is something about the way my brother clicks the photos. The same Camera in his hand becomes a high-end gizmo clicking amazing images in terms of symmetry, lighting, and angles. Even though he is a doctor, he is also very informed on all facets of photography.
The Camera is just a “resource,” which is the same in my hand and my brother’s hands. But what my brother has that I don’t have when it comes to photography is “Competence.”
Competence is the ability to put “resources” to good use in an effective way to create value.
Resources(Camera) + Competence(Specific ability to handle a Camera)= Value Created(Great Photographs)
“I feel like running, let me buy the best shoes out there” or ” I want to write. Let me buy some books on how to write” or ” I want to be more organised, let me subscribe to this mobile app to help me me more organised.”
We all tend to invest in resources thinking that they will generate great results.
But the reality is that it does not matter how good the resources may be. If the specific competence to handle the resources is missing, results will not happen. However, when someone is competent specific to any area, even if the resources are limited, good results can be generated. And with the right resources, a competent person can produce great results.
Someone could be having a team(Resources), but if that individual lacks the specific leadership competence to manage a team, the results will not be the best. By the same token, if the person has good leadership attributes, the same team becomes a powerhouse.
A company could invest in the best of Human Resources, but if it lacks the specific competence to leverage the infrastructure through a great working culture, the best of talent is ineffective.
Someone could be acquiring a lot of knowledge by reading books and attending seminars. But unless the individual has the specific competence of applying the learning beyond the theory to real-life situations, there can be no value created.
Resources are external, but competence is internal, within you. Invest time and energy in developing the specific skills to make yourself competent instead of acquiring more resources. You will become more valuable.
