I have a theory, and I think it’s a good one. I think the best way to both work your way up the ladder and make yourself Indispensable at a company is to make sure you are replaceable, and better yet – work hard to engineer yourself out of your current job. I know it seems backwards in these days of economic hardship. People are guarded and tend to shroud their positions in secrecy thinking it is the “safe” route, but I beg to differ. I have noticed that it is those who are organized, document information, communicate well and look for continuous improvement that are the same people who seem to excel. Those that are engineering new, more automated, streamlined processes are adding value because the ability to do just that in itself is a valuable skill. What could be the fate for those that are in hiding? Well, I’m afraid the world might eventually find a way to engineer around them. If no one knows what they do, those around them also won’t know when a piece of information is relevant to them, their job or career. I would guess they may stagnate and maybe even fade away. If you think about it from the employer’s point of view, which employee would you work harder to hold on to? The organized go-getter who is making a difference, or the mysterious person (with the mysterious job function) behind door #2?
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