Show Me Your ROI: How to Prove Value at Work

Refilwe Maphanga
Jun 5
3 min read

We make choices every day based on perceived value — the car we drive, the course we study, the doctor we consult. Yet when it comes to our careers, projects or departmental budgets, many of us shy away from the one conversation that matters most: money. I’ve seen this in client consultations time and again: people are comfortable describing objectives and outcomes, but uncomfortable attaching a clear, measurable value to them. That discomfort costs real opportunities.

I’m not immune — I’ve made this mistake myself more than once, and for most of us it costs real money in missed opportunities. This piece is meant to raise awareness about measuring Return on Investment (ROI) and to show how individuals and businesses can grow by applying the concept to everyday decisions; I’ll illustrate this with four practical examples. Before I continue, a quick disclaimer: I’m not a financial advisor or an HR guru. What I share here comes from my experience as a consultant and may not apply to every situation. With that out of the way, let’s dive in.

The HR manager with a limited training budget

Workplace training is a strategic investment that drives career growth, productivity and retention. When budgets tighten, Dineo* wins the argument not by emotion but by evidence — by showing which training interventions deliver measurable business impact and the ROI they produce.

The maintenance engineer with the pumps that barely run

Two engineers ask for capital; one’s plant breaks down more often, the other presents a two‑year plan with documented savings. Lebohang* secures funding because he quantified past savings and linked his plan to strategic objectives — proof beats perception.

The process engineer with a multi‑million‑rand project

Lerato* had a brilliant technical solution but a weak cost case. The technical proposal impressed managers, but the finance approver needed clear cost definitions and projected returns. After refining the numbers, Lerato secured funding — technical brilliance plus financial clarity wins.

The junior accountant who attends courses every year

Thato* invests in learning but never applies or documents outcomes. Her manager sees little evidence of impact, and habits like lateness undermine her case. Learning without measurable application rarely translates into promotion.

Where to start: a simple ROI formula

At its core, ROI is straightforward:

What counts as a “return” will differ by situation: increased revenue, cost savings, time saved, reduced downtime, improved customer satisfaction, or even higher employee engagement. Some benefits are tangible; others are intangible — both matter, but both should be described and, where possible, quantified.

The Five Wives and One Husband framework (reframed for ROI)

Use these six questions to package value clearly:

Why (Objective): What specific problem will this investment solve?
What (Metrics): What financial and non‑financial data will prove success?
Who (Accountability): Who owns the budget and who benefits from the returns?
Where (Scope): Where in the business or your life will the impact be felt?
When (Timeline): When do you expect to break even and see net gains?
How (Methodology): How will you isolate this project’s impact from outside factors?

Answering these forces you to move from vague claims to measurable outcomes. If you’re asking for money, show the numbers and the assumptions behind them.

Final thoughts and next steps

Get comfortable with data. Track the small wins, document savings, and translate learning into measurable outcomes. When you can show how an investment returns value — even conservatively — you stop asking for money and start making a compelling business case.

Join us to learn how to package value and measure ROI:

Show Me Your ROI webinar — Saturday, 27 June 2026, 10:00–11:30 (SAST) on Zoom.

Cost: ZAR 150.00.

Please use the link below to register: