The economy inevitably goes through cycles of growth and contraction, and it looks like we are moving into some challenging times in the next couple of years. Making yourself indispensable at work is an important way to bolster your job security and improve your career path.
Although nobody is irreplaceable, it is always beneficial to make yourself the “go to” person in your line of work.
What does being “indispensable” mean? It’s not about trying to do everything solo. It means that your skill set, and work patterns make you essential for the success of your team. Putting in the work to hone certain skills will tend to make you a more valuable member of the organization. This doesn’t just apply to C-Level personnel either – it is valid for any department of an organization.
Here are 5 key ways to become indispensable at your company:
1. Commit to excellence with a particular skill.
Try to aim for excellence in a skill that your organization values. Make sure you are the one person who is most adept at doing it. For example, if you’re an analyst or accountant, mastering a certain set of spreadsheet skills makes you a subject matter expert that can make your job and the department’s output much more efficient.
Not only will this increase your value to the company, but the initiative you take to stay current with technology and trends demonstrates to management how adaptable you are.
2.Collaborate Effectively
Don’t frame the problem in too vague a way, like: “Why is our business underperforming in New York?” Dig down into the details, like: “What, specifically, are we trying to uncover what is stalling the growth of a product in New York? Or a segment in New York? Or a channel in New York?”
3: Collect feedback
Make a practice to include others in a range of tasks. Listening and implementing feedback can help you become a tremendous team player. Work together on developing plans and roadmaps, too. Forward-looking initiatives are a skill prized by management.
It helps to know your company’s structure and hierarchies, too. Understanding who’s skill sets to leverage or collaborate with will help you execute your work within the team structure more effectively. It will also get you noticed across a wide range of personnel levels, too.
“Being indispensable at work is an important way to ensure job security as we enter uncertain economic times. It will also increase your job satisfaction and help you progress in your career goals.”
4: Be a Trustworthy Team Member
Consistency in how accurately and thoroughly you complete your assigned tasks is essential for enhancing your perceived value in an organization. Be timely, but don’t try an be a super hero. That is a sure route to burnout. It is better to under promise and over deliver when it comes to the long-term perception of your effectiveness within an organization.
5: Develop your communication skills
Your written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills are key to maintaining an efficient, active role within the workplace. Effective communication drives improved results – goals are achieved faster, and with fewer iterations due to misunderstandings, conflicts, or incomplete information.
Your supervisor relies on your ability to effectively communicate information that assists them to make better decisions. They will count on you more and more when you can demonstrate that you are making their job easier.
6: Think like an entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs succeed by thinking beyond the immediate scope of obvious solutions to problems and challenges. Developing an ability to generate new and actionable ideas will help you stand out. Make a practice of looking for ways you can improve any aspect of your role or the work environment. Take these ideas to your supervisor and show that you care about saving money or driving efficiencies.
A great way to develop this skill is to study other companies, their processes and where they succeed and fail. You may be surprised at the parallels that can be applied within your organization once you look beyond walls of your company.
There are a range of other benefits when you are indispensable at work; You’re more likely to get a raise or promotion; and you may be selected for special projects, opinions, and direction.
Being indispensable can put a lot of pressure on you, too, because you feel that people are always counting on you – and you don’t want to let them down. However, it is better to be seen as a key player and fail every now and then, versus being just a run-of-the mill employee.
Ultimately, you will feel a greater sense of comfort by executing on the above points by knowing that the effort you put in will enhance your job security as we enter uncertain times.
