The True Meaning Of Relevance: It's Not About You, But The Value You Create

We don't understand properly what relevance means in business today.

Not understanding the true meaning of something hinders its potential for growth.

This is why it’s important that we understand what things mean in and of themselves.

"Relevance isn't about you.

It is about the value that you create."

TODAY’S THOUGHT: RELEVANCE

I am starting to feel like we don’t really understand the true meaning of relevance in our business today struck by the quick rise of social media and digital democratisation. All of this and purpose combined have shifted the conversation towards us, instead of the thing that we're talking about.

As a result of this, it seems as if relevance has become a buddy club rather than a more profound search for the truth and meaning we create in the world. Something more substantial that is supposed to have a deeper value.

We see the same old faces everywhere talking about the same uninspired things we’ve heard a million times. Yet, we seldom if ever hear anything that has the ability to turn our minds in a direction that actually matters.

This creates an illusion that there is nothing new going on, nothing new to learn and become aware of for our own growth to become more of who we are today, more of whom we could become if we wanted to. If we wanted to grow instead of wanting to be distracted and entertained.

The Real Problem With Relevance

This has inevitably led me to a thought today…

The real problem with “relevance” is that people don’t want Relevance, as in to know the answers, the truth and the correct information to build things of value to bring on social change.

They want Their Own Relevance, as in fame. That’s why they talk to the same people to gain traction and visibility. Not for the subject they're talking about, but for themselves. To boost their own personal brand, monetise their audiences and keep themselves afloat. The circle has closed in a tight loop, a cul de sac, a dead-end, a self-serving never-ending cycle of constant self-validation. Without any meaning or purpose other than to feed itself.

It is not driven by the search for the truth, it is driven by the insatiability of our own ego because we don't know who we are and why we're here. What we're supposed to be doing here.

We have mixed up the means for an end. And that's why we're locked and trapped in our own personal brands –– the constructs of our own creation –– constantly beating the drum without really knowing why we do it.

So What Really Is Relevance?

Relevance isn’t fame and social validation.

Relevance is the truth and actionable insight that when leveraged can lead to a large-scale social change.

Less of you and more of what matters and you’ll get more relevance.

Relevance starts where Ego stops. That’s why there’s so little of it.

Meaning Leads To Relevance

When we prioritize meaning over ourselves, we'll create more relevance as an outcome. Then we can use this new charge to instigate social change.

In this way, our work will have true meaning and we’ll actually have a shot at changing things for the better in the world.

But, like everything, it starts with us — with our own choices and where we place our focus.

So place it right. Don’t place it on you.

Place it on the thing that you care about (not you, something else with a social benefit) and you'll see your impact in the world grow exponentially.

Then, and only then, will your own relevance grow as well.

Because your own relevance — your own brand––is an afterthought. It is a consequence. A result, and not a cause.

It grows in direct proportion to the positive impact you create in the world.

Then you'll finally be relevant.

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Dr. Martina Olbert is a social scientist, writer, strategist and semiotician interested in the expansion of consciousness, cognition, social and cultural change. In her work, she focuses on how the shifts in society redefine the perception of meaning in our culture today. She is the Founder and CEO of Meaning.Global, a global strategic intelligence consultancy, helping brands and businesses create new meaning and real value, and the world’s leading expert on creating meaning and cultural relevance in business, branding and marketing.

Email: hello@meaning.global | Website: www.meaning.global | Twitter: @MartinaOlb