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Most of us don’t change until we have to. When it comes to value, we know what it has looked like in our past, we are less familiar with what it looks like in our present, and we are clueless about what it will look like in our future.

To ensure that we are producing value, and will produce value for the foreseeable future, we often have to break the mold that produced value in the past. If we simply continue to function in the way we always have, the value we produce will be slowly degraded by changing times. Another way that I often put it to my audiences is, “Success is an early warning indicator of failure.” Yesterday’s formula for success probably won’t work tomorrow.

By any measure, Facebook is the model of success for social media. In fact, “Facebooking” is the most popular activity on the World Wide Web. The social network has about three quarters of a billion users and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. The brand name “Facebook” is now synonymous with social networking in the minds of most consumers.

And yet, just this month, Facebook announced a stem-to-stern overhaul of its social networking site. It’s added new features, removed old ones, and changed the way the site is used and viewed. While the site’s old model was quite popular among users, the pioneers behind the site understand that standing pat is not an option. They know that Facebook must continue to train and retrain the value it creates in order to remain competitive. (And yes, it can be unsettling for users, myself included.)

Competition is definitely one of the forces motivating Facebook’s changes. Inspired by its success, new competitors have entered the social media market, duplicating the value that Facebook offers and, in some cases, offering distinctive new value or appealing to niche markets not well served by Facebook.

Adding new features and tapping new markets are Facebook’s way of keeping its value current for today and prepared for tomorrow. Without changes like these, Facebook’s value would gradually begin to seem like old hat, yesterday’s news, as users migrate to newer, more innovative sites. Facebook’s changes are not without risks, particularly the risk of alienating customers who were already happy with its service. However, the team at the social networking giant understands that the risks of growing stale and changing nothing are greater.

Your products and their value change over time, so you often have to change the product or the process. Sometimes it’s a tweak. Sometimes it’s an overhaul. As you assess your own products—what is it that you produce that creates value?—it’s important to live in the present and think toward the future. More often than not, value and success in the future will be defined differently than they were in the past.

My new book, Up, Down or Sideways explains why value is paramount and how you can innovate to grow your personal and organizational value proposition. Watch the trailer and download an excerpt here.

I recently engaged a service provider for a large project. This was someone I’d met through an organization we mutually support and who came highly recommended. Given the personal connection, I was pleased by his initial involvement in bidding the project and assuring me of his ongoing involvement.

Regrettably, there was little personal involvement past the scheduling phase. I kept hoping and expecting some follow up from my acquaintance. None came. To his credit, one of his managers did follow up but the punch list we identified to finish the project has yet to be completed.

A mutual friend asked if I’d ever heard from the person I’m referencing. That reminded me of how odd it is that I haven’t.

This individual is highly successful. He runs a large business and business is brisk. But, as I’ve commented before, success can be an early warning indicator for failure.

If you are in the service business, please consider:

1. If you’re too busy to provide the personal touch, you’re too busy.

2. Getting the big things right creates satisfaction, not delight nor loyalty. Those come from the “extras” (attention, value, benefits, results, etc.)

3. Timeliness is an important detail. Sooner is better than later. Saying you’ll get it done isn’t nearly as good as saying when you’ll get it done and then following through.

4. Of he or she whom much is given, much is expected. The more we pay, the more we expect. Premium pricing requires a premium result and service to match.

5. Creating connections is easy; keeping connections is much harder. If you start the sales process, stick with it to the end. Losing a personal relationship during the delivery phase feels like bait and switch.

Extraordinary service delivery is simple in concept but difficult in execution. It means paying attention to the details, including the nuances of relationship.

Remember that all business is personal so the personal touch is one of your most powerful tools. That means personally paying attention to the details and providing the extras.

Reader Nancy Wright submitted the following story after reading the January issue of my ezine.

“I just read your latest ezine and the article “Live like Fred” has spurred me to share this experience with you. I was standing in the back of my church during a service several weeks ago and noticed one of our ushers “living like Fred” (although she would have no idea what that meant). Our ushers hand out programs to people who enter the service. Included in the program is an outline that people can fill in during the sermon. This particular usher would fill out the outlines as far as the pastor had gotten so that anyone entering the service late would know where they were in the service and would not have missed any of the teaching points. This woman only has sight in one eye, and it is somewhat limited at that.  So for her to hurry to fill in those programs for late arrivers is truly a remarkable thing.

I was inspired (and told her so). The notion of “living like Fred” is very powerful and I will endeavor to live that way myself!”

Thanks for sharing, Nancy!