How would your manager respond if you walked in tomorrow morning with a job offer? Would the business struggle to move on without you? It sounds like a compliment to be told no one could replace you, but perhaps take warning instead.
Here are four underlying thoughts to consider regarding being irreplaceable.
You could lack a succession plan.
If no one can do your job except you, you can’t be promoted or move within the company. You’re stuck with the same work. Without a succession or career advancement plan, you may miss out on professional development opportunities, pay raises, and promotion prospects.
Develop a clear set of goals to achieve, along with a five-year (or more) plan for your career advancement. You should have an idea of how roles would change if someone on your team leaves or is promoted. 
Your company lacks resilience.
Beware of the company that cannot face change. A strong business model not only allows for the unexpected, it has a creative plan to handle it gracefully. Customers come and go, the market fluctuates, and employees inevitably leave or retire; does your company correctly adapt to these changes?
A lack of internal flexibility generally means a lack of external resilience. This is a death sentence in today’s hyper-agile work environment. If your company is afraid, unwilling, or unable to face the prospect of replacing people or changing its way of doing business, you may be the one who suffers when a market disruption comes along.
Your workflow may be flawed.
A poorly designed work process may be holding you back. Has your company recently considered or tested new technology to help you to do your job? Have they made any positive changes to your work processes or organization since you took the job? Are there snags in your workflow that you have discussed with management, to no avail?
“If no one knows how to do your job except you, your workplace likely lacks good communication and cross-training.”
Unprecedented technological advances and dramatic workplace culture shifts are the norm in today’s economy. Savvy managers are willing to implement changes that will help to increase productivity and automate repetitive tasks, allowing additional focus on more advanced work.
Additionally, if no one knows how to do your job except for you, your workplace likely lacks good communication and cross-training. A colleague should be able to handle your job if you are out unexpectedly.
Sometimes, loyalty is misplaced.
Loyalty is admirable, but it can also prejudice you against making good professional decisions for your career. It is natural for dedicated employees to feel attached to their work and colleagues, even when dissatisfied with the actual job. It pays to listen to advanced career opportunities outside your current organization when the time is right.
Be loyal to people, not situations. A good mentor, subordinate, or colleague will also want the best for your career, even if it means parting ways. A healthy business relationship leaves room for change and growth.
Is it time to listen to better career opportunities outside of your current organization? Contact us directly at info@bluesignal.com for a confidential, personalized approach to your career.
“What’s your biggest weakness?” Common wisdom says you should answer with a strength posing as a weakness; you care too much, work too hard, etc. These answers come off as insincere.
