Making yourself indispensable

“No one is indispensable.” This is the chant of managers and bosses, as they wield their job-position baton and “whip” their people into submission. This is absolutely untrue. Business owners don’t share the mantra. They know their businesses rely heavily on people who run and grow it successfully, and the moment those people leave, they’d be bringing company assets along with them. Worst, they could bring those assets – business/product know-how’s to competitors!

There was a time when workers were rewarded with loyalty awards for staying with their employer for many years. Workers felt secure because they get regularized or given seniority. In today’s work world, that sense of job security is a luxury few people enjoy. The rest are plagued with the fear of words that usually begin with the letter “R”. These words that send chill down the spine of many workers include Redundancy, Reengineering, Restructuring and Rightsizing.

But you and I need not to live with this constant fear. Fact is, we can make ourselves indispensable. How? Let me offer a few suggestions:

1. YOU NEED TO BE EXCELLENTLY PRODUCTIVE.

Being productive alone would not cut it if your work performance is merely “good enough.” Nobody wants “good enough” these days. You need to be productive all the time, and to excel in everything you do. Working longer hours is not the key, but finding a task or role that’s beyond your job description and that you can handle very well would make you useful and needed.

Be a master craftsman in whatever it is that you do. Don’t settle for average. Always find ways to improve. This way you become indispensable.

2. YOU NEED TO BE AVAILABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND VISIBLE.

“Out of sight, out of mind.” But some people are shy, to the point of being unwilling to be seen as the main contributor in an initiative they worked hard in. But when credit is given to someone else, the same shy people fume with anger, bitterness and hatred.

You don’t need to brag about your work because bragging will be taken against you. Nobody appreciates a windbag. But you do need to make sure that your boss knows you are the one who put in hours of labor and intensity in producing the piece of great work.

Make sure also that you’re accessible. When you’re not accessible (or visible), you lose great opportunities to someone who is.

Finally, always make yourself available. Don’t run away from responsibilities. Look for more challenges that would stretch you and unleash more of your God-given gifts and potential. Don’t wait for the performance appraisals to prove your accomplishments.

Participate in company bulletins or newspapers. Volunteer to serve in different activities. This is also a way of discovering other talents that may just be dormant all these years.

3. YOU NEED TO BE A NICE PERSON.

Be nice. Be kind. Be respectable. Don’t let yourself have an attitude. Learn to respect authorities. Cultivate a servant leader’s mentality. Always be willing to help. Stay away from gossips. Don’t backstab anyone. Never grab credit away from those who have worked hard on the project. Just be nice.

4. YOU NEED TO EXHIBIT UNQUESTIONALBE INTEGRITY.

Show unquestionable loyalty. Always be honest in everything you do. Be transparent and be ultra-mindful of your actions. Don’t base your stand on what’s popular but make a stand for what’s right and true.

The business world wants people who exhibit the qualities mentioned. If you have these, you actually become indispensable.

A person who has clean hands and a pure heart has a high market value. More important, he is someone who can make a difference in this world. And that makes you really valuable. –Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star)

(Develop your leadership skills? Spend two whole days with Francis Kong this August 22-23 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, as he facilitates the well-acclaimed Dr. John C. Maxwell Program “Developing The Leader Within You.” For further inquiries, contact GM Binky Ocaya +639178330723, or call 632-6872614 for details.)