DISQUS

Jason Kratz · 11 months ago

Just a note...nobody is ever irreplaceable. Thinking you are is a *huge* mistake.

velvet jones · 11 months ago

I thought I was the only one who hated the "make yourself indispensible/irreplaceable" advice. One of the many problems with such ideas is that no one really knows what senior management has in mind or where they are going when they do layoffs. That knowledge you're hoarding could be something the company deems obsolete or not necessary if they choose to move in a completely different direction.

Craig · 11 months ago

It's tough to know exactly what people want or what they are looking for. Bottom line is you have to make yourself stand out over other, and make them know that you are too valuable to lose. Develop new skills, shine with the ones you have, and make your success be known.

Unemploymentality · 11 months ago

All sounds like solid advice EXCEPT...hanging out with people your boss respects most. That's code for pucker up and kiss ass. Sure, do that if you can live with yourself I suppose, but the work place is already filled with people that have gotten where they are thanks to that backwards 'reward your friends' mentality. Shameful.

Bee · 11 months ago

You make a good point about when your job becomes your identity. Your job is a reflection in some way shape or form of your inner beliefs. If you at some point have asked, either unknowingly or knowingly for some kind of change or shift in your life, then as you begin to change on the inside, your outside will change. It is important to be completely unconditional with what you have asked for because when you do, you allow yourself to receive what you have asked for and you can move ahead quickly.

That being said. One of the changes that may happen is that you may lose your job because it no longer supports what it is that you have asked to have in your life. If you remain unconditional, then Something will open up and support you in receiving what it is that you want.

Tracy · 11 months ago

Not sure it really matters. You can work really hard and do your best and when it comes to layoffs it's all politics and seniority.
Some people do nothing and stay around forever cause they are friends of the manager or are part of useless social clubs.

Writer's Coin · 11 months ago

I love talking about this stuff. I've posted my own set of tips to make you a better employee, which in my opinion is what can make you closer to irreplaceable, thought not totally (of course).

But the more I think about it, the more I draw the analogy with sports: who are the players that are worth so much on a team that you can't imagine getting rid of them? Bottom line: they have talents and abilities that other players don't. Some of them work harder than others, which you can do at work, but there's something about them that everyone pretty much agrees: "Wow, they are awesome at this."

Now, if you have that at work, you'll probably survive a few rounds of layoffs. At least.

Paul · 11 months ago

In my case, I was the gogetter and the one solving problems...
But I was also the one most able to find other work in theory.

Though still looking after 3 months....... Im still doing better than the coworkers who followed me.