Dr. Mercola July 15 2008 43,092 views
This is a field that I have some expertise in. Making yourself indispensable does not mean "keeping information to yourself". It means doing your job in a manner that reflects the experience you have. When you keep information to yourself in the course of business you are telling everyone that you are insecure in your profession. The true professional manager will train those around him/her to take over if or when you take a bullet. (Fired, heart attack and etc.) This is called devotion to duty! Unfortunately we have the current labor pool to draw from, which includes persons who are "on the take"; persons who "have no morals", and persons who have parents who "did not do proper parenting". What we end up with is a labor pool that steals, cheats and lies about everything. Been there and seen that! After interviewing several thousand candidates for job positions you find that the good ones are those that are honest about their abilities.
I agree with Jack Root.
We are about to start a business and my biggest fear is that I won't be able to find honest hard working people. Being a small independent business owner I can not afford to have employees steal from us. The sad truth is that the majority of loss in any culinary or retail business if from employee theft.
I want my employees to understand that the sooner we can get in the green and stay there the sooner I can afford to give them a pay increase and those who tough it out in the early times will reap greater benefits.
I was always taught "an honest day work for an honest day's dollar". "Always do your best!"
I do agree with Jack Root too. The problem starts by the parents, parenting is not easy, but how come my parents did a good job with me...? I had the same experience in Germany with the employees...maybe it is the time we are in? I hope it will change...
As a small business owner, former company turnaround specialist and professional headhunter, many of these suggestions will help.
But, too truly be the "go to" person/indispensible requires the following:
1. Work harder, with less complaining, than your co-workers.
2. Ask for more/tougher assignments
3. Under promise and then over deliver. Set the bar lower then blow it away.
4. Treat the company as if you own it
5. Stay out of the gossip mill
As a high school drop out who has risen to upper management, I can tell you that these are the "secrets" to success.
Problem is, in our award for showing up society, no one wants to put any effort into their jobs. As a manager I find that the "do the minimum", take the most time off and abuse the boss types are the vast majority of our population. Sad days and no wonder our jobs are leaving this country in droves.
With an attitude about employees like that, you are likely to have a large turnover, and very little loyalty.
Treat people the way you expect to be treated - the way YOU WANT to be treated. If you show patience, kindness, flexibility, and understanding, with most people, you will receive the same.
Show respect for others. It's the best way to earn respect.
Understand that your job - even your career - is not everything in life. Yes, you need the income, but if your child is deathly ill, or YOU are deathly ill, you take care of that child or yourself, first. When all is well, you can be much more productive than when your loyalties are expected to go to a boss who doesn't give a damn about you or your children.
When at work, do your job well. If you don't get the respect, pay, time off, or credit you deserve in spite of all you do, organize a union.
Why not just be yourself while always attempting to be the best you can be and keep growing. How about just doing a great job at work.
Leila
Good response
Hoarding information isn't a positive way to contribute to any situation. You can share all you know and still stand out by being an asset in so many other ways - be positive, happy, make others feel important and valued, etc.
Thinking in negative, selfish manner will bring more of that experience in to your life.
My attitude: get people to like and trust you so you can use them and their money. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
lol
actually, my motto is: I try to experience what it is to be a human in this earth/school while positively impacting people along the way : )
what I dont get is this: it is sooooooooooo easy to make people smile with a joke, a compliment etc. and so few people do it. I wish we had socialization classes in our schools for "being friendly" "figuring out others' needs" "resolving conflict without arguing" etc. can you imagine a generation of people who had a class like that once a year (and another one on basic finances?)
when I meet a young person who is curious and receptive, I tell them that the two most important things as far as social skills are concerned 1) the ability to communicate well and with some degree of eloquence 2) the ability to see things from others' perspectives.