There are different value recipient personas who imbibe value in their own unique way. The following are some of the personas that are typically found when narrating the value story:
Bean Counter: The bean counter persona is essentially one who likes to “nickel and dime” financial transactions. They are extremely detail-oriented and are typically mired in the accounting world (hence the bean counter moniker). They like to distinguish between tangible value and intangible value and are more inclined toward the former. They are great allies when the quantified aspects of your value model are well defined in sound principles of accounting. Aspects such as Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI), Expense Ratios, etc. are embraced and easily understood. They are usually antagonistic to the value conversation and approach it with suspicion when the value models are based on emerging paradigms, industry benchmarks, etc.
Visionary: When compared to the “bean counter”, the “Visionary” persona is on the other end of the spectrum. People falling under this category exhibit traits of holistic thinking. They are constantly looking at the bigger picture and can often tolerate intermediate setbacks. As long as the project/initiative is on the right track, they do not care for the minutiae of tactical tasks. Value conversations with these personas often meander into deep philosophic discussions which may sometimes be counter-productive when trying to scope the initiative. As with the “bean counter”, the “Visionary” is also interested in monetized aspects of value but at the same time, does appreciate the qualitative aspects of the value conversation as well.
Dreamer: The “Dreamer” is at the extreme end of the spectrum when it comes to delving into the value conversation. Their philosophical bent is extreme and would not be like to be bothered with the monetized aspects of value at all. They are all about goodwill, personnel benefits, etc. Their ideas, if not regulated, can easily become “pie in the sky” projects with no end in sight. While they may or may not have deep pockets, they are often removed from daily operations and are hence unable to see the challenges faced in operations, maintenance, and other tactically oriented functions.
Driver: The “Driver” persona is heavily involved in the daily humdrum of running the enterprise. It is all about optimization and efficiency of processes for this persona. Anything that can improve upon these aspects while reducing costs easily gets their attention. Terms as TCO (total cost of ownership), ROI, etc. attract this persona’s attention.
