HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF
INDISPENSABLE AT WORK
These measures
can safeguard your job at a time when a lot of others are being shown the door.
Nobody is indispensable,
yet companies go to great lengths to retain employees in critical positions.
They give huge increments, offer promotions and even use stock options to stop
these employees from leaving. Here are a few steps that can put you in this
hallowed company.
Develop expertise in a critical task
Whether it is fluency in a
foreign language, or knowledge of a computer software used by your company,
having expertise in a function can make you indispensable. This does not mean
that you monopolise that skill or put up hurdles for others who want to learn
that task but, instead, become so good at it that no one else is entrusted with
that function. It's best to learn skills related to the core functions of your
company.
Mentor and support colleagues
Organisations value
employees who mentor and train junior colleagues. A good mentor imparts
knowledge and expertise to the newbie employee and encourages him to improve
his skills. But mentoring is not everybody's cup of tea. Only someone who takes
pleasure in watching others succeed can be a good mentor. An insecure person
may not want to teach everything to someone who might eventually replace him in
the company.
Volunteer to do more
Some people slip into a
clockwork mode over time and mechanically do the tasks assigned to them. To
become indispensable, step out of that comfort zone and start doing stuff you
have never done before. As a start, learn at least one new thing every week. If
you learn to do four new things every month, imagine how much more skilled you
will be in a year. Over time, these baby steps can enhance your skills
significantly and add up to a lot.
Offer useful solutions
Employees who offer
effective solutions to problems are seen as people who have the company's
interests at heart. If you have a solution to a problem, don't go to your boss
without working out a detailed action plan.First identify the cause of the
problem, then offer the potential solutions. If your idea is workable, it will
cement your indispensability in the organisation.
Never stop learning
New technologies and
artificial intelligence are fast making humans irrelevant at the workplace.
“The only skill that keeps your relevant at work is to constantly evolve, learn
and improve. Everything else can be replicated,“ says Rituparna Chakraborty,
Co-founder and Senior Vice-President of HR consultancy firm, TeamLease
Services. The individuals who embrace change and are able to quickly adapt are
seen as more valuable than those who cling to outdated principles and concepts
that are past their expiry date.
Build relationships at work
It is important to build
good relationships, not only within your team and with the people you report
to, but also with others in the organisation. It helps to be well-connected
with senior people in the organisation. Interpersonal skills and the ability to
network are as important as basic knowledge required for the job. Try and smile
as much as you can and control the urge to say things you might regret later.
This is especially important during a stressful period.
ETW 14AUG17
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