Seth Godin’s latest book talks about Linchpins: people inside a business that really are pivotal to its success.
But there’s a big difference between being indispensable and irreplaceable. One is important and can propel your career forward. The other can stagnate you.
Being indispensable is about delivering massive impact no matter where you are. It’s much more of a characteristic – a mindset wrapped with skills and attributes – rather than the details and functions in a role. Indispensable people are the types that you can hand any project, put in nearly any role, issue a challenge to, and they simply make things happen by understanding what needs to get done and adapting their skills accordingly.
Being irreplaceable is the opposite. It’s about being locked into a role because you’re harboring finite knowledge, skills, or information that you can’t or aren’t willing to share with anyone else. Sometimes that’s borne from insecurity. Other times it’s a false sense that if you protect your sandbox so that only you know its secrets, you have job security for life.
If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted. You can’t grow your company or your profile, because it can’t move forward without you. You can’t grow, move on, do different things, expand your horizons. Being irreplaceable is actually a pretty crappy place to be in your career.
But indispensable? Hell yes.
Build your team to sail the ship without you. Teach them everything you know, and hire people smarter than you. Equip yourself to always bring something powerful, unique, and pivotal to your work, but make it a methodology, not a checklist that’s unique to any one discipline.
And then carry that approach into everything you do.
The irreplaceable always, oddly, get replaced somehow. Think automation, outsourcing, downsizing.
The indispensable? They’re they ultimate in adaptability, and thrive on whatever gets thrown at them next. Their skills and techniques are unique, and ever-evolving. Which means that few businesses can thrive for the long term without them.
Which are you?
Seems the days of irreplaceable are gone. Everyone is replaceable according to Corporate America. It’s happened to the best of us. However, taking that moment and learning from it, becoming versatile and strong is what eventually leads you to be that indispensable person – open-minded and embraces challenges no matter what they are. Indispensable people stand out from the rest, and are the ones you always learn from and keep you thinking. People like, well, YOU! Great post.
Seems the days of irreplaceable are gone. Everyone is replaceable according to Corporate America. It’s happened to the best of us. However, taking that moment and learning from it, becoming versatile and strong is what eventually leads you to be that indispensable person – open-minded and embraces challenges no matter what they are. Indispensable people stand out from the rest, and are the ones you always learn from and keep you thinking. People like, well, YOU! Great post.
This is a great post!
I agree with Anna, anyone who thinks they are irreplaceable in this age is likely to get an unpleasant surprise but the wonderful outcome of knowing that we are all irreplaceably, for me, has been the motivation to make sure that my skills and my style of working are adaptable and adaptive. I’ve learned that I can take my skills and my get-it-done approach and find success in any setting from a small local NGO to a large corporation to the United Nations and back again.
I’ve never liked the idea of being indispensable because I was mistaking it for being irreplaceable, but your distinction makes all the difference.
Thanks!
.-= Marianne´s last blog ..Facing your fears in five (relatively) easy steps =-.
This is a great post!
I agree with Anna, anyone who thinks they are irreplaceable in this age is likely to get an unpleasant surprise but the wonderful outcome of knowing that we are all irreplaceably, for me, has been the motivation to make sure that my skills and my style of working are adaptable and adaptive. I’ve learned that I can take my skills and my get-it-done approach and find success in any setting from a small local NGO to a large corporation to the United Nations and back again.
I’ve never liked the idea of being indispensable because I was mistaking it for being irreplaceable, but your distinction makes all the difference.
Thanks!
.-= Marianne´s last blog ..Facing your fears in five (relatively) easy steps =-.
This is actually a good distinction. When I read the title, I got confused thinking it’s the same thing. The challenge that faces us all today is how to be indispensable. I agree with Anna, these days, everyone is replaceable. People tend to be relaxed, because they have a job, they know they’re good at their job, they’ve been in that company forever, but there is no growth for them. And that’s okay. Eventually, they will be replaced. But to rise above and be indispensable…We need to have vision, open our minds to other possibilities that could improve our business. Be a leader! I guess it’s one way of looking at it. Indispensable = leader, Irreplaceable = followers.
This is actually a good distinction. When I read the title, I got confused thinking it’s the same thing. The challenge that faces us all today is how to be indispensable. I agree with Anna, these days, everyone is replaceable. People tend to be relaxed, because they have a job, they know they’re good at their job, they’ve been in that company forever, but there is no growth for them. And that’s okay. Eventually, they will be replaced. But to rise above and be indispensable…We need to have vision, open our minds to other possibilities that could improve our business. Be a leader! I guess it’s one way of looking at it. Indispensable = leader, Irreplaceable = followers.
Great post Amber — I am intrigued by your points about being irreplaceable. I feel like this happens a lot, either intentionally or unintentionally. I think many people strive to be irreplaceable without thinking of the consequences it will have on their careers.
And I think Anna made a good point about the days of being irreplaceable is gone. It times where companies are taking new strategic directions, anyone who is good at a particular skill or task can be headed out the door.
Agreed with you being an example of indispensable. Radian6 is thrilled to have you on the team and I can only imagine what the other community team members are learning from your experience!
Great post Amber — I am intrigued by your points about being irreplaceable. I feel like this happens a lot, either intentionally or unintentionally. I think many people strive to be irreplaceable without thinking of the consequences it will have on their careers.
And I think Anna made a good point about the days of being irreplaceable is gone. It times where companies are taking new strategic directions, anyone who is good at a particular skill or task can be headed out the door.
Agreed with you being an example of indispensable. Radian6 is thrilled to have you on the team and I can only imagine what the other community team members are learning from your experience!
Amber,
This is a great post. What stuck out the most to me was how being irreplaceable is really a hindrance – and while I think the days of that are fading, I don’t think they are gone yet. It’s not only a detriment to the person though – it’s a problem for the company. When you lock up so much knowledge with one person, you’re doing a disservice to your business.
The career advice lately seems to encourage creating a very targeted skill set. I like how you turn that on its head and instead recommend focusing your particular skills and attributes to any job description.
Amber,
This is a great post. What stuck out the most to me was how being irreplaceable is really a hindrance – and while I think the days of that are fading, I don’t think they are gone yet. It’s not only a detriment to the person though – it’s a problem for the company. When you lock up so much knowledge with one person, you’re doing a disservice to your business.
The career advice lately seems to encourage creating a very targeted skill set. I like how you turn that on its head and instead recommend focusing your particular skills and attributes to any job description.
That does seem like a very interesting book to read. Where I work I definitely see many people who are irreplaceable. They hold on to the process and knowledge. Actually that seems to be a common trait in the stereotypical IT person. Instead of showing us how to do something or fix it, they just do it themselves. Whatever happened to the ‘teach a man to fish’ concept?
.-= Mike McCready´s last blog ..The Ugly Truth About Facebook Pages =-.
That does seem like a very interesting book to read. Where I work I definitely see many people who are irreplaceable. They hold on to the process and knowledge. Actually that seems to be a common trait in the stereotypical IT person. Instead of showing us how to do something or fix it, they just do it themselves. Whatever happened to the ‘teach a man to fish’ concept?
.-= Mike McCready´s last blog ..The Ugly Truth About Facebook Pages =-.
Amber,
Solid points in this post. I think sometimes becoming irreplaceable can be a slippery slope that occurs when you least expect it. It can be a symptom of not being open about knowledge and skills, but it can also be a symptom of team members not stepping up to accept that knowledge. And thus, when you’re the only person on your team who does what you do, getting promoted can be very difficult.
Just a few thoughts. Couldn’t agree more that becoming indispensable is the ultimate goal.
.-= Scott Cohen´s last blog ..ESPs: Build Me an Email Marketing Tool =-.
Amber,
Solid points in this post. I think sometimes becoming irreplaceable can be a slippery slope that occurs when you least expect it. It can be a symptom of not being open about knowledge and skills, but it can also be a symptom of team members not stepping up to accept that knowledge. And thus, when you’re the only person on your team who does what you do, getting promoted can be very difficult.
Just a few thoughts. Couldn’t agree more that becoming indispensable is the ultimate goal.
.-= Scott Cohen´s last blog ..ESPs: Build Me an Email Marketing Tool =-.
Unfortunately, we’ve all seen the irreplaceable get replaced before our eyes, those who thought they were safe because they could do things no one else could.
But I’ve also seen the indispensable get shown the door or leave on their own because a manager/supervisor wasn’t astute enough to know the difference.
It’s a great time to prove how indispensable you can be, because so many people just trudge to their desks each day to spend another eight hours trying to stay ahead of their work, not thinking of what that mindset does to their job security and career.
Unfortunately, we’ve all seen the irreplaceable get replaced before our eyes, those who thought they were safe because they could do things no one else could.
But I’ve also seen the indispensable get shown the door or leave on their own because a manager/supervisor wasn’t astute enough to know the difference.
It’s a great time to prove how indispensable you can be, because so many people just trudge to their desks each day to spend another eight hours trying to stay ahead of their work, not thinking of what that mindset does to their job security and career.
People are irreplaceable when a company does not have systems in place to share, communicate and record institutional knowledge, and when the corporate culture provides a value to hoarding information rather than giving it freely.
It’s the product of a broken environment.
Inevitably when they are replaced, the institutional knowledge gets taken with them, and the job efficiency of those that remain gets all screwed up.
.-= Jeremy Meyers´s last blog ..Social Media isn’t the game changer. Acting like humans is the game changer. =-.
People are irreplaceable when a company does not have systems in place to share, communicate and record institutional knowledge, and when the corporate culture provides a value to hoarding information rather than giving it freely.
It’s the product of a broken environment.
Inevitably when they are replaced, the institutional knowledge gets taken with them, and the job efficiency of those that remain gets all screwed up.
.-= Jeremy Meyers´s last blog ..Social Media isn’t the game changer. Acting like humans is the game changer. =-.
Amber –
Totally dig.
Building on what Kevin wrote…
“But I’ve also seen the indispensable get shown the door or leave on their own because a manager/supervisor wasn’t astute enough to know the difference.”
Agreed. However, eventually that indispensable person will land in a gig where the leadership team does know the difference. When that happens, life will be back to good. Either that or the indispensable person starts their own company and hires their own team of smart people.
That’s all I’ve got … for now.
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
.-= DJ Waldow´s last blog ..Using Segmentations to Make Your Email Campaigns More Effective =-.
Amber –
Totally dig.
Building on what Kevin wrote…
“But I’ve also seen the indispensable get shown the door or leave on their own because a manager/supervisor wasn’t astute enough to know the difference.”
Agreed. However, eventually that indispensable person will land in a gig where the leadership team does know the difference. When that happens, life will be back to good. Either that or the indispensable person starts their own company and hires their own team of smart people.
That’s all I’ve got … for now.
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
.-= DJ Waldow´s last blog ..Using Segmentations to Make Your Email Campaigns More Effective =-.
As a recent follower and new fan of Amber, I found this to be a very interesting discussion on the difference between being indispensable vs irreplaceable. People who focus on being irreplaceable are often protectionists who hoard intellectual property to ensure the importance of their role and are motivated by the illusion that they are creating job security. It’s more important to focus on development of skills that are transferable to any role as you develop your career. The protectionists often find themselves stuck in a role that stifles growth and narrows their opportunities. I was so excited about the distinction that Amber pointed out that I linked to her article from my recent blog article “Do Protectionists Get Trapped by an Illusion?” on http://www.tyrometer.com because it was such a nice tie in. I really enjoy your commentary, Amber. Very provocative and hard hitting. Thanks for all the food for thought.
As a recent follower and new fan of Amber, I found this to be a very interesting discussion on the difference between being indispensable vs irreplaceable. People who focus on being irreplaceable are often protectionists who hoard intellectual property to ensure the importance of their role and are motivated by the illusion that they are creating job security. It’s more important to focus on development of skills that are transferable to any role as you develop your career. The protectionists often find themselves stuck in a role that stifles growth and narrows their opportunities. I was so excited about the distinction that Amber pointed out that I linked to her article from my recent blog article “Do Protectionists Get Trapped by an Illusion?” on http://www.tyrometer.com because it was such a nice tie in. I really enjoy your commentary, Amber. Very provocative and hard hitting. Thanks for all the food for thought.
Oh, My Dear…
I like it very much! Thanks!
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Oh, My Dear…
I like it very much! Thanks!
chian cell phones