What is this Value Exchange thing All about anyway?

I'm going to dedicate this very first post (there are so many more to come) to my friend, business partner and long suffering colleague Tony Clarke

Tony and I started working together in the mid 90s whilst consultant at EY (then E&Y and Tony joined when they were Arthur Young LOL).

Tony is a very deep thinker. Arguably one of the best business architects on the planet and I'm trying to get all my friends and colleagues to come along and join me on this incredibly exciting projects on the Hive chain. So now over to Tony to tell you all what this is about:

The VE process - overview

At its core the VE process (aka VE dynamic) is intended to help an individual explore and discover what makes life meaningful for them (‘finding their why’ etc). This will of course vary from individual to individual but is likely to revolve around activities that offer the individual the opportunity for such things as creativity, developing friendships, pursuing interests, creating value (social, economic, environmental), serving some ‘greater purpose’, etc, etc.

By necessity, for many [most?] people these activities also need to have an economic context. This straddles the idea of work as something distinct from a job; where work is an activity that is performed in order to accomplish or produce something that is meaningful to the individual (and typically of value to others) while a job is what an individual does in exchange for payment.

In an ideal world an individual’s job would encompass their work but of course in reality some degree of compromise may be necessary. That said, that should not stop an individual from discovering meaning so that at least they can better understand and (hopefully) manage any job related compromises.

It is worth stressing, as we discussed, that we would not want the individual (beneficiary) to get bogged down in the theory; this is only useful to us as we [attempt to] evaluate what works and why. The theory (or model) behind the VE process is valuable only insofar as it helps us reflect on and refine process (description) and practice (actual doing). For the beneficiary the practisce and the degree to which they are satisfied with the results is really all that matters.

The VE process - details

The VE process begins with the VED. A possible metaphor is that the VED is like constructing a map while the periodic VR events are points of reflection where the beneficiary can evaluate their journey as they navigate the unfolding terrain.

The VED

The means by which the beneficiary captures their initial insights about what activity(s) they are proposing to engage in that will allow them to explore and hopefully discover what is meaningful for them. I guess there are no real constraints on this activity(s) other than it gives the beneficiary the opportunity to establish and engage a network of people who through their support and feedback can help them in their discovery process (more below). The VE captured during the VED is a ‘living document’ that is updated to reflect the circumstances at any stage in the process (although this is most likely to be aligned with VR events).

The VR events

A series of meetings [number, timings, etc?] where the beneficiary gets positive, reinforcing feedback from their network and where the beneficiary has the chance to think out loud about what is, or not, working. This reflection may prompt some revision of their VED.

The network

The network performs a variety of roles, including mentoring, navigation support, VR participation, moral support, etc. I feel a critical role here is the people to whom the beneficiary will feel accountable and with whom an actual exchange of value is taking place. These network participants must, at some meaningful level, value the outcomes the beneficiary is proposing to pursue as per their VED. These specific value exchanges provide the main mechanism through which the beneficiary can reflect on what they and of course others value.

This network can extend as far as the beneficiary wants (within practical constraints). In my mind VR events are the visible evidence of an ongoing dialogue with the beneficiary’s network. This for me is the natural scope for ‘working out loud’ (WOL), i.e. the beneficiary proactively collaborating with their chosen [virtual] network.

And blockchain?

Can/should this WOL extend into the public domain (e.g. on a public blockchain)? This should be for the beneficiary to decide? For some people an unlimited scope might be a deterrent? Once public there is ‘no going back’, the audit trail is set in stone, great if it has all gone well but this will not be the case for all beneficiaries or network participants?