One way to acquire job security: Be the kind of worker your boss would be crazy to let go of because of your value. In simple words, make yourself irreplaceable.
As the world shifts to various disciplines in automation and tech, no one’s job is now truly secure, with a lot of roles being downsized, outsourced, or redesigned. Thus, the value you bring to the table would determine your place in your workplace.
Being irreplaceable at your employment means that your supervisors can count on you greatly up to the point that your entire department could suffer a loss without you. If you want to make yourself irreplaceable, here are some ways you could do:
Be a thought leader
“Thought leadership” is currently a big buzzword in the business world. It is easy to see why it has become such a crucial focus for leaders. Once you have the insight and expertise, you could emerge as a leading, recognized voice in your industry.
A thought leader is someone who imparts knowledge and wisdom to those people around them. Hence, a thought leader has a well-grounded reputation for assisting and enlightening others.
You need to have consistency if you want to be a thought leader in your industry— you would need a continuous flow of content, whether that may be through podcasts or blogs. Determine industry blogs where you can become a regular contributor, produce a podcast, and release weekly episodes.
Businesses can acquire a competitive edge by solving problems, especially if doing so frees up staff to operate under other circumstances. Be aware of your suggestions and make transformations that matter.
Find your niche
If you want to ensure that you are irreplaceable, you need to focus on your unfair advantage. Identify the talents that you possess that no one in your company has. Know what you can do that the rest of your team cannot and the financial impact that your talent has on your business.
Break down the abilities you can develop from the niche you are good at, and after you have identified your areas of expertise, utilize them in every way possible.
Utilize your time wisely
Companies value workers who bring innovations to streamline procedures or save expenses. Keep in mind to spend your time wisely because it would serve as your most important resource.
If you want to be irreplaceable, you need to offer something that only you can do. Perform important work instead of just doing simple tasks.
Although it’s a bit tempting to complete chores at work as slowly as possible to pass the time, it would be better if you would give careful consideration to the task that will make the organization succeed if you want to establish your irreplaceability.
If you train yourself to get the same outcome with less preparation time, you won’t have to spend many hours crafting an exhibition together. In case you have developed a more efficient approach to accomplishing a task fast without affecting output quality, share it with others.
Be a team player
You should not only demonstrate your worth to the higher-ups but also to your employees. If you want to be indispensable, you need to serve as a project’s point person.
You need to help people around you every time they encounter hardships. This way, they will look at you as their mentor and colleague, which would greatly help in improving your connection with them.
Be detail-oriented
Detail-oriented people can pay close attention to the tiny details. They have the capability to give undivided attention to their task and notice minor mistakes, changes, and errors before they snowball into a much bigger problem.
Being detail-oriented is a very beneficial skill, especially when trying to solve an issue. Perhaps, this is because paying attention to the smallest details can produce work, and it also helps improve social abilities. Individuals who pay attention to little details are experts at interpreting tones and body language.
Cultivate communication skills and contribute to the meetings
Whether you are partaking digitally in video games, conferences, and in person, staying immersed in meetings is a powerful way to add value to your position. If you pay close attention to meetings, you will be able to gain more insights and provide suggestions, as well as give crucial feedback.
Cultivating a relationship with other people is only possible when you communicate with them. It would be great if you could thoroughly share your point of view so that other people could comprehend your whole thinking process. On the other hand, you should know how to listen and understand what the other person wants.
Offer solutions
The best way to be extremely irreplaceable is by offering solutions. Instead of joining the group of people who only whine about problems they come across, you should be the solution-finder. Identify a process, define it, and look for different approaches that you can use to solve the problem at hand.
Be the employee who has the readiness to aid in resolving issues and boosting production. Thus, you will definitely be treasured by your superiors.
