In the world of computer and software development, there's a term called "overhead." Overhead refers to the cost and effort needed to operate, manage, and maintain a computer system or software development, in addition to the resources and effort required to achieve the original goals.

For example, consider the preparation and cleanup involved in cooking. The purpose of cooking is to create and enjoy delicious food, but the actual process requires various steps like washing vegetables, cutting ingredients, and preparing seasonings. After cooking, dishes need to be washed and cleaned up. This preparation and cleanup is similar to overhead.

Loyalty cards provide monetary value, but you have to carry the card, use an app, present the card at the register, and receive newsletters, to gain that value. These are examples of overhead.

"The cost or effort required to achieve the original purpose or value" is called overhead.

No matter how delicious the intended meal is, if it takes a significant amount of time and effort to prepare, the food's value is diminished.

Many people don't use loyalty cards because they think the extra work and costs to get the "value gained as points" are not worth it.  includes carrying the card, showing it at the register, and signing up as a member.

The value of something is the "benefit gained" minus the "cost and effort required to receive the benefit."

If this value is large, people will pay for the cost. For example, when I bought a Tesla, the paperwork to get the subsidy is tedious, but I invested my time to get $6,500 since the cost was reasonable for me.

Again, the value of something is the "benefit gained" minus the "cost and effort required to receive the benefit."

Let's apply that thought to our work.

If we work without considering the “overhead” that occurs when people work with you, we may be seen as someone who does good work but takes a lot of time and effort. For example, if people have to send a long email, wait a few days, set up a meeting to ask for your advice, we may be seen as a "pain in the neck.” Eventually, people will say, "No problem, I'll ask someone else," "No problem, I'll do it myself," or just ignore you.

In my current company, I work with various people. To collaborate effectively, I must increase my "net value," which is the "value I bring to the job" minus the "cost and effort required to work with me."

One approach is to "deliver great value," while another is to "lower the cost. In either case, you need to consider overhead, or you will be a pain in the neck.

It's important not to misinterpret this as saying, "Let's be a jack-of-all-trades by taking care of everything immediately and completely."

In a large company, there aren't many jobs that have to go through you to get ahead. Even if you can produce some value, if the overhead is high, you won't get the job and you won't be included in the group. This is critical when considering the value of an individual's work as well as the value of your team. Even if your team can produce some value, if overhead your team imposes on others when working with your team, people won't want to join your team. Unless, of course, you or your team can create such exceptional value that it outweighs the overhead.

Considering the overhead is very effective and important when working with other people.