Why a Value Proposition Matters for Improvement Teams

A value proposition is a concise statement—just one or two sentences—that clearly articulates the value your team brings to the organisation. It’s not something every improvement team has, but it’s a vital tool for explaining to colleagues and stakeholders exactly why your team exists and how you can help them succeed.

When done well, a value proposition achieves three critical objectives:

1. Identifies Ideal Stakeholders: It helps you pinpoint who your internal clients or stakeholders are—the people most likely to benefit from your team’s expertise.
   
   
2. Understands Stakeholder Pain Points: It enables you to empathise with your stakeholders by identifying the challenges they face or the issues that keep them up at night.
   
   
3. Aligns Services to Stakeholder Needs: It connects the dots between your team’s core services and the specific pain points or aspirations of your stakeholders.

Creating a Value Proposition for Your Improvement Team

Here are three actionable steps to craft an effective value proposition for your team:

1. 1. Identify Your Ideal Stakeholders: Begin by determining who your primary stakeholders or internal clients are. These might be department heads, project leaders, or senior operational managers within your organisation. Consider who benefits most from your team’s expertise and services.
      
      
   2. Understand Stakeholder Pain Points: Take the time to engage with your stakeholders. Have meaningful conversations to uncover their challenges and aspirations. What keeps them up at night? What outcomes are they striving for? Empathy is key here—by truly understanding their perspective, you can align your efforts to their needs.
      
      
   3. Define Your Core Services: Review the services your team offers and determine how they address stakeholder pain points. Whether it’s building capability, conducting end-to-end process reviews, or improving efficiency and effectiveness, the focus should always be on reducing stakeholder pain and adding measurable value.

Examples of Value Propositions

To bring this to life, here’s an example of a value proposition for an improvement team:

By clearly articulating what your team offers and how it supports stakeholder success, you’ll not only boost your team’s visibility but also deepen its impact.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As you start the New Year, take some time to consider how a well-crafted value proposition can shape your strategy and improve stakeholder relationships. Reflect on how your team can reduce pain points and deliver tangible results for your organisation. Let’s make the year ahead a transformative one for our organisations and teams!