Are You Indispensable to Your Boss?

Being indispensable to your boss is an insurance policy of sorts. It means you have more job security, which most people believe is a good thing, even in today’s low unemployment market. Today, jobs are still outsourced and positions shifted, middle managers are still cut and replaced with freelancers. So part of your job should be to become the go-to person for your employer so that none of these things happen to you. How can you make yourself indispensable to your boss and the company?

Seven Suggestions To Make Yourself Highly Valued at Work

Being indispensable means you are highly valued. When this happens you won’t have to worry as much about being replaced. If layoffs happen, you will hopefully be the last man (or woman) standing. Here’s how to move up the chain to become your bosses right arm:

  1. Do the work that matters. Go above and beyond the easy work. Don’t be the employee that sinks below the radar of your boss. Give some thought to what committees you should be on, what projects are most important, and work there to make yourself more valuable.
  2. Monopolize a skillset. Is there a legacy platform that only you can troubleshoot? Is there a special skill that only you have? Do you hold crucial historic information for the department that makes you stand out? Try to corner the market on a particular skill to make your expertise more valuable.
  3. Go the extra mile. Stay positive and take on the work. Meet deadlines. Volunteer. If you can give just a little more than what is expected it will increase your value to the team. Being reliable, working hard, and coming up with innovative ideas are good ways to make yourself irreplaceable.
  4. Your job is to make your manager’s job easier. If you become their right arm you will build trust so that they think of you as a reliable good worker that contributes a lot to the organization.
  5. Add skills the organization will need down the road. If you’re working on a project build and you know there’s a crucial skill missing to complete the project, why not learn that skill? Try to think ahead enough to figure out what the company will need more of in the future, and then learn what you need to know to provide it.
  6. Build relationships with critical stakeholders. For example, are you the best one to handle a fractious client? Do you have a great relationship with a vendor? Are you terrific with a collaborative team? Find relationships that are important to the organization and cultivate them. Not only will you get more things done, your ability to communicate with others is an added skill your employer will notice.
  7. Be a team player. Don’t make waves. Instead, get along with everyone, not just your boss. Make sure your co-workers can approach you for help. Work to make interactions with teams productive and positive. Be genuine, trustworthy, approachable, and hardworking with everyone around you. This will build your reputation and make you well-liked and needed by the team and your boss.

If your best efforts have failed and you’ve been let go, don’t worry. Blackstone is standing by to help. Contact us.

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