The value is in the people
Posted on 18. Sep, 2009 by Brett in Leadership
Next time someone is looking through your vacation pictures, notice how they breeze past your pictures of the mountains or the beach or the Eiffel Tower. Yet they’ll slow down, maybe even leaning in to the page when they see a picture of you or your family. The pictures with faces grab their hearts. A mountain landscape barely grabs their glance. Why? Because the value is in the people.
Imagine you’re the last person on earth. No really, think about it. You could drive a Bentley or a Lamborghini or an F-16. You could pitch a tent in Wrigley Field . You could sleep in Barack Obama’s bed. But it would be meaningless. Why? Because without people, it’s all hollow. The value is in the people.
In 2004, a college kid figured out that there is value in faces, in people. Two years later, someone offered him $1 billion for his people idea. He declined. His website is now the 4th most popular website in the world because he’s known all along that the value is in the people.
Food from a vending machine sucks because there are no people involved. Fast food is a little better because unskilled people prepare it. Gourmet food fetches big bucks because fabulous people who know what they’re doing have their hands all over it. When you add people to the equation, value magically appears. The value is in the people.
Without readers, an author is just turning paper a different color. Without patients a doctor is writing prescriptions for ghosts. Without drivers, a mechanic is just banging on metal. The value is in the people.
Yet day after day we chase utterly unvaluable crap.
Success and joy will find us when we learn to invest in, love, affirm, and champion
people.
The value is in the ________.
12 Responses to “The value is in the people”
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Ryan Rigby
18. Sep, 2009
Awesome! So true. When given the option to buy food from a vending machine or go over to the silly hot dog stand where a man is wearing a big goofy hot dog hat I will pick the dog cart any day. Why? because I want to learn more about a person rather than try to insert my dollar for the ninth time in a stupid machine. People do matter. Great post Trapp. Roll Tide!
Charity
18. Sep, 2009
GREAT post!!! SO true!
John Jackson
18. Sep, 2009
Thanks you so much for this post. This blog has been a HUGE blessing to my live. Keep it up!
FLAN
18. Sep, 2009
Trapper, I am thoroughly amazed and you topics you post on here. Especially this one. The value of people is what makes my job worth while and keeps me going. If there was no people then there would be no need for services thus no social work. To best suit the needs of the families I work with I must know the value of the person to provide the best possible and help program and services as possible. Trapper, you are an amazing person, just wanted you to know that…..
Emily Settle
21. Sep, 2009
Great post!! I really needed to be reminded of this today. Enjoying your blog!
Jason Clotfelter
21. Sep, 2009
So very true! This is what is making our company so successful. It’s hard being “just the janitors.” Great job, Trapp.
Jared Burks
22. Sep, 2009
Great piece man!
Lynette Smith
25. Sep, 2009
Brett, You could write an amazing book. Would it be ok if I used some of this in a training session — giving you the credit, of course?
Jann
30. Sep, 2009
Thanks so much for the Brett. Just what I needed today.
Paul
30. Sep, 2009
This is very true! I think we live in a world today that is too much about what could I get from that person or what could that person do for my benefits! Our world is to full of hatred and jealousy on each other! And the power lies in each and everyone of us!
Larry d. Wright
30. Sep, 2009
Excellent!
David Pezzino
02. Oct, 2009
Understanding the value of people guides us in understanding the value of ourselves. So many of us do not value who we really are. Social Media allows us to extend our relationships and create intimacy. Intimacy gives us energy. Energy fuels our success. Isn’t it funny … it all comes back to understanding the value of people. Value yourself and the people that life brings you … you will inrich your life.
This was a wonderfully insightful post. I give you “snaps!”