Indispensable is a huge word these days, whether it’s in business or the public sector. In his book Linchpin, Seth Godin sums up that “there used to be two teams in every workplace: Management & Labor. Now there is a third team, the Linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of the chaos.” In other words, these are the people who add so much value to the organization that the very thought of not promoting them or dispensing with their job is almost irrelevant. Proactive leaders and ambitious personnel can advance their careers more swiftly by looking at the workforce through the eyes of the organization’s leadership. Which employees stand out and which are just status quo? Which personnel add value to the organization (all-the-while adding value to themselves) and advances the goals of the department in a unique and creative fashion? These questions operate in the subconscious mind of most leaders as they build their inner circles and position the right people to succeed them.
So how does someone become indispensable in their job? The strategy that simply ‘apple polishing’ to the boss is the least effective approach in an age of great technological and social change. The days of the ‘yes man’ expired when the family-owned factories were transitioned by mergers and acquisitions to more hybrid leadership styles. In other words, the mobility of today’s workforce prefers a more diverse skill-set that ‘tightens the loose ends’ of modern companies and small business. If you do a web search for qualities of an indispensable employee, you’ll find great suggestions, such as:
Taking on difficult assignments.
Displaying consistency of mood, work ethic, great attitude, and punctuality.
Knowing a second language to expand the business’s customer base.
Holding specialized skill-sets that makes you a key resource for the boss to go to.
Lighten the leader’s load (without apple-polishing).
Leading amongst your peers to promote the company or projects.
This is very wise advice, and there are many, many more qualities to pack a tool box for a successful career path. However, we are seeing an explosive growth of private and public entities that are doing more than the product they produce or the service they provide. That ‘third wheel’ of indispensability is the employee that is the workplace superstar! Am I saying that the person who works hard, makes the sales, and performs flawlessly is not a superstar? Of course not, but there is a third wheel in today’s market which has exploded and growing by the day, which is social responsibility. Social responsibility comes in many forms, such as a commitment to environmental sustainability, inclusion, and support of veterans. Those are great, 30,000 foot views of social responsibility, but the workplace superstar is born more so at the grass-roots level where the people actually meet the company or agency.
The personal interaction that is born when a standout in a company, small business, or government agency offers themselves as the face of the organization is money in the bank for both parties. The organization benefits by the benevolent or altruistic gestures that adds a personal touch to the product or service they provide. The workplace superstar benefits even more because they become the organization and become that key link with important people outside of their own place of work. For example, a small business wants to become involved in the local Chamber of Commerce and they send someone to represent them. That person begins to rub shoulders with other business professionals and makes valuable contacts. Serving on local Board of Directors of the United Way, Salvation Army, Red Cross, or food pantry is a great way to link the organization directly to the people. Becoming involved and chairing a local project, in the name of the organization, is a dynamite way of become indispensable, becoming part of a network of new contacts, and getting your name out there. Companies love it when their folks are praised in the community and they often rely on these superstars to be the primary point-of-contact to the public. Another thing they love is when their employees are members of civic clubs. Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, and many other civic groups are in every community and they are some of the world’s best avenues for community service. The price of dues is trivial when it comes to the return you will receive in being part of a professional network of like-minded, community leaders.
Embracing social responsibility is a career milestone (Kudzu Principle #6) and it is one of the prime ways to make you indispensable! The feeling and satisfaction of helping our world, even in some small way, is worthy enough of your efforts.