Have you heard Beyonce’s song Irreplaceable, “…you must not know ‘bout me? I can have another you by tomorrow. So, don’t you ever for a second get to thinking you’re irreplaceable.”
If there was a downsizing or forced termination event, will you be the first to go? If an opening in an department you wanted became available, would you be considered for the position? Are you making yourself “irreplaceable”?
What skills do you need to be irreplaceable? Throughout my career I have been in situations where I have consistently received positive performance reviews and had a solid track record. However, some promotions eluded me. So, what happened? The feedback I received from the interviewers and my managers was positive, nothing was glaring, no gaps to close. They kept telling me to keep doing what I was doing. After a few times of hearing the same feedback, I started thinking maybe I need to develop new strategy to use. Apparently, I was missing something.
I discussed this with one of close friends and she advised me to focus on building and enhancing my strengths versus my gaps. What? Did I hear that right? That was the first time I heard that….and it was the total opposite of what I have done for the past 15 years.
How do you build on your strengths? How do you improve good to even better? My recommendation is to get a copy of the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Once you identify your strengths, choose a strength to focus on that is important of the organization and that you are passionate about. After taking the assessment, it will recommend tools to discover what makes you stand out. The book is a great addition to enhance your most recent 360 review. And if you do not have a formal 360 review process on your job, I highly recommend this book as a starting point.
One of the strengths I continue to develop is to be a learner, which leads to developing others. I have a great desire to learn, to continuously improve and transfer my knowledge to help others. My strategy this year is to use the action plan below to develop as a learner and developing others.
Learner
1. Be a catalyst for change – seek out opportunities to streamline an existing process
2. Seek a role that requires more technical competence – trying to acquire a new skill
3. Take advantage of programs that subsidize your learning like conferences or serving on a panel discussion
4. Seek a consulting role – internal & external, giving you an opportunity to develop new competence
Developing Others
1. Be a Presenter - This is an opportunity to present in meeting with leadership, thus building your credibility
2. Practice inclusion – value diversity of perspectives
3. Give feedback – give effective, candid feedback
4. Recognition – provide rewards for success
Post in the comments at least one strength you plan to develop further, and outline your strategy to make you irreplaceable, so you will not be the first to go.
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