Thinking in SVOC helped me visualize what I can do

Recently, more people are working from home, and with the elimination of commute times, I think some people have gained a fair amount of disposable time.

Even for those who are usually swamped with work, this might be a good time to use this extra time to take stock of your career and skills.

It is embarrassing to admit, but I was not good at telling people what I could do.

In my case, since I work for a foreign-owned company, I need to make sure those around me understand the "value" I can provide.

I needed to be able to explain at all times what I could do (= the value I can provide) in response to the question, "What are you capable of?"

Otherwise, I would be told, "We don't need you."

Even at the company I joined as a new graduate, there was a "goal setting sheet," and when changing jobs, you prepare a "resume."

Whether setting goals (future) or taking stock of past experience (past), I found it useful to think by applying it to the English "SVOC (fifth sentence pattern)."

Talk about what you can do using "C," not "V"

I was not good at telling others what I could do (putting it into words).

I can say now that my biggest mistake was thinking about "what I can do" using "V (verbs)" instead.

When asked, "What can you do?", you naturally want to answer with a verb, like "I can do XX."

A quick review of the English fifth sentence pattern.

The reason why you shouldn't think about what you can do using verbs is because verbs cannot express "range (change)".

If you try to express what you can do using only verbs, it looks very banal.

・I can do sales
・I can do design
・I can do project management
・I can do financial analysis
・I can do marketing, etc.

Even if you say this, people will just think, "Oh, yeah... and?"

In my case, I would think to myself, "Yeah, is that all? There are tons of people who can do that, your value is almost zero," and I couldn't express what I could do.

Even if I spoke only in verbs, I couldn't clearly express what I had become capable of or my achievements, and I was troubled for a long time.

When I looked at how I wrote my Development Plan (a goal-setting sheet) while working at a foreign-owned company, my senior mentor said one thing.

This grammar isn't in SVOC, so I don't understand it.

I still haven't forgotten the shock I felt when I heard those words.

Thinking of "what I can do" as "changing the state of things," I realized that my value is clearer and easier to express as a change when described by C (Complement) rather than V (Verb) instead.

Adding credibility with "C" and "numbers"

People say "everyone is different, everyone is good," but in reality, we are compared to others.
It's tough, isn't it?
If you're going to be compared anyway, it's human nature to want to be chosen.

To be chosen, the content must be able to withstand the question, "Is that really true?"
In short, it means having credibility.

To create credibility, you must express "changing the state of things (C)" "quantitatively (with numbers)".

・Increased transaction volume from Company A from 100,000 yen to 1 million yen.
・Designed a logo that tripled the number of clicks.
・Met 100 requirements and supported the company in obtaining certification.
・Urgent addition of personnel to a 10-person project, managed 15 people, and completed it by the deadline.

By including numbers, you not only increase credibility but can also express the scale of what you have done.

Also, by expressing changes from past states with numbers, your own growth is easy to understand.

Swapping out "O" to guarantee "reproducibility"

The discussion from here on applies what we have talked about so far.

This is an effective method for situations where you are selling yourself.
For example, for salarymen, this includes job changes or internal transfers.
For freelancers selling their own skills, I think it can be used for sales and proposals.

As I have written so far, no matter how quantitatively you speak in SVOC, saying "I can do XX!" might just be something you could do because of that time and that place.
It's like, wasn't that just a fluke?

"Can you do the same thing if you come to our company (or department)?"

You have to be able to answer this question.
In other words, can you produce the same results even if you change the location, environment, or client?

Achievements are past results.
Skills are a guarantee of reproducibility.
To have the other party recognize your skills, you need them to understand that your achievements are not one-off, but reproducible.

So, what does it mean to have reproducibility?
It means that even if the object (O) of the action (V) changes, you can still bring it to a state (C) equivalent to your past achievements.

Tailoring your skills to the person you are communicating with by swapping out the object to demonstrate reproducibility is also effective for job interviews and internal transfers.

The importance of explaining "what I can do" is increasing.

I believe remote work will become more widespread in the future.
Until now, it was an era where you just had to go to the office and work for a set amount of time.
It was an era where the length of time worked was reflected in your evaluations and wages.

As remote work becomes more common, managers will not be able to strictly track the time you work.
In other words, one of the evaluation criteria used until now will no longer be applicable.

For those being evaluated, I think we are entering an era where, rather than the length of time worked, you will be considered unnecessary unless you express your value through your output.

Output means "having changed a state."
You need to appeal that you have provided value by changing a state.

Until now, time cards spoke for your achievements.
From now on, you must speak for your own achievements.

As a tool for that, I believe the method of taking stock of your achievements introduced in this note will be effective for even more people in the future.