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Digital Transformation affect an organization’s most valuable players (MVP) first. As the frame of what is important for an MVP is shifting. This post is about how the target for MVPs change to become/remain the most valuable in the digital world to. And for players not standing out in the classical business. To become the most valuable digital employees by embracing the shift.

The Most Valuable Player in a classic business

The most valuable players in a classic business stand out in a few ways. They know it all in his/her area of expertise. They are a hero character coming in and taking on the toughest tasks. They perform without errors, over and over again. Results fueled by putting in very long hours.

These are all great attributes in a classic business. But the demand is shifting as you go through a digital transformation.

Learning fast

The digital market place is fast moving. And the most valuable players are the fast learners. Your ability to learn is more important than what you know.

Detailed customer understanding is the most sought after knowledge. Understanding your customers’ business better than your customer. A daunting task, but required to be successful. And a exercise about learning bits and pieces in every single customer interaction.

The business complexity is growing and demanding cross-domain skills. Where you need experiences from several domains. And are able to connect insights from experiences gained in diverse areas.

Being a fast learner is not enough. You need to be able to translate it into teaching skills also. As what you learn today will become the asset in teaching customers and peers tomorrow. Aspire to become a fast learner, that teach the moment after you have learnt.

Innovating from customer insights

The digital market place build around an outside-in centric mind-set. Where you understand why customers need your solutions. Rather than exactly how they work. Where you put high emphasis on value provided to customers and associated metrics. Also to understand your role as one of many players in an eco-system. Where a large part of the value come from connected companies and individuals.

Your innovation efforts start from customer jobs to be done. A solid understanding of the job customers hire you to get done. Using customer led innovation as your path to success. Where you stand out by asking great questions and listen well to customers. To alter pull conclusions beyond what you learnt.

Your value grows when you can address the full 360 degrees of your customers’ problems. Either direct from you and your team. Or from partners you are collaborating with. Aspire to become a master a customer led innovation from start to finish.

Sharing with passion

The more your share in a digital market place the more valuable you get. Sharing is the fuel for your personal brand and the productivity of your teams. Sharing of high quality insights from own and others leading thoughts.

The best sharers are the anchors in internal collaboration groups. A successful collaboration group is dependent on a few net contributors. Offering deep insights and answers to hard questions. Providing an order of magnitude more input to their collaboration group than peers. And doing with a smile without expecting an equal amount of insights or responses in return.

Sharing insights from your lighthouse customer projects. The first deals that help you understand the market place. The first deal where you make all the initial mistakes. The first deal where you tweak the business model until it is working. Valuable insights for all upcoming deals of the same type. And mistakes that are costly to repeat over and over again.

A critical part of your sharing is to go beyond successes. To share what you did and what you learnt. And not to be afraid of sharing mistakes and what you learnt from them. The learning from mistakes are bigger and more valuable.

Part of your sharing role is to become the first responder to difficult questions. Questions posted to the collaboration community where your experience provide value. Aspire to become the best sharer and first responder if you what to remain or become and MVP in your team.

Active in influencing on digital platforms

In digital markets the best payers play a role in influencing on the digital arena. Becoming the voice your customers listen to. And not only when they meet you in person. But following your digital footprint whenever you have something meaningful to communicate.

You are active in building external digital networks with customers and partners. Connecting on several digital platforms. Building up your industry recognition step by step. A long journey, one connection at a time. A recognition reaching outside your own organization. On top of the base task to connect with colleagues and leaders in your own company.

You are exploiting the new digital communication channels. To convey your insights. Mastering new communication formats. Such as blogs, podcasts, etc. you have not used in the past. Aspire to become a trusted person to connect with. With the vision to one day become a super connector in your field of expertise.

Questions for you and your team

1. How do we need to tweak our MVP target to stay relevant – the old target will not work.
2. How do we articulate an attractive MVP description – for our best employees to embrace.
3. Which initiatives do we need to speed up our learning capabilities – focused on MVPs.
4. Which initiatives can increase our customer led innovation capabilities – a top transformation priority.
5. Which initiatives can establish suitable collaboration communities – where MVPs can excel at sharing.
6. How to develop MVPs in using digital collaboration tools – tough for digital immigrants.
7. Which MVPs are ready to become external influencers – a long term goal with a few onboard day one.

Additional reading suggestions

• 11 signs you are an incredibly valuable employee [ARTICLE] – by Inc.
• Ten traits of a valuable employee [BLOGPOST] – by The Real Truth
• Uncle Al’s rile: How to become your company’s most valuable employee [BLOGPOST] – by Early To Rise
• The qualities valued most in employees is changing and not how you think [ARTICLE] – by Huffington Post
• The 5 types of innovation for the future of work, Part 1 employee innovation [BLOGPOST] – by Jacob Morgan, Medium
• 3 steps to becoming a high value employee [BLOGPOST] – by Snelling