Staying valuable in troubling times for tech folks

One of the most common discussions among the technology professionals that I speak with in today's economic climate is actually something that in my mind everyone should be doing all the time... how do they remain valuable to their organization. Interestingly, even among the most seasoned and most accomplished this concern is still high on the list. 

Being valuable for a tech person (or any person for that matter) means doing the following:

• Be engaged - Know your business and work with them. Do not be a stranger. Show them you know about the issues that are of concern to them.
• Be relevant - Now that they are aware you know about their issues, what can you do to help them? This is where you can show off what you can do.
• Be clear - Do not use buzzwords, do not use lingo. Speak the language of your customers. If they are technical great, but by and large most are not. 
• Be concrete - Show off prototypes, betas, alphas, web sites, etc.  These are worth more than hours of talks and weeks of debates. 
• Be realistic - Be mindful of the constraints. The way to shine is to soar to heights within your own limitations. If you can do more than what others can do with the same resources, you will be seen very favorably. 
• Be creative - There is more than one way to tackle any problem. In tough economic times doing something different that solves the problem, keeps costs low and delivers high quality to your customers will make you outstanding!

Doing all of these things is no guarantee. There is no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to employment. However doing these things will definitely improve your value to your company.