Wednesday, May 18

The problem of being indispensible

One of the enlightenment I got from "The 4 Hours Work-Week" is that it's bad news to be indispensible within a company.

Ok, maybe no one is indispensible, especially when the downturn comes. What I mean is that if you monopolise a particular field within the company, you are considered a "much needed" person and you become the first name that comes to people's mind when they encounter problems in that field.

I must qualify that I do enjoy being the go-to guy in my department, but it is a double edge sword.

Pros:
(1) Job Security.
(2) More visibility and thus better chance for promotion.
(3) More likely to get a better pay increment compared to the average peers.

Cons:
(1) Over-reliance on you, and thus it starts to suck up my time, thus reducing productivity.
(2) Hard to go for long holidays, or even have to OT at home when on medical leave.

My boss once said that managers should train their subordinates to be almost as good as them, to the point that they can do the manager's things.
- When subordinates perform, it reflects nicely on the boss' management skills.
- When suboordinates perform to your level, you have the option of moving up to another level, since you now have a capable replacement.

A few months back, I have gotten a nice capable colleague, whom I have transferred my knowledge to. Now I can look forward to be absent without anything holding me back.

And it feels really good. ^_^

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Your 'nice capable colleague' is lucky to have you and vice versa. Good work ethics are valued and need to be passed down. Hope you are recognised for going the extra mile.

Wenny said...

I always believe in sharing our knowledge with the new breed. We can't hog our position forever, somehow we've got to give for our personal betterment and theirs too! Else, there's just no progress because everyone's at a stalemate which will also affect the company in the end.

I would love to have worked for you!

HappySurfer said...

Sounds like a big load off your chest teaching your colleague how to fish.. Kudos!

I see succession planning as a part of good corporate governance and fits well into the company mission. It ensures successful continuity of best practices which works well for the company in the long run.

wenn said...

true..we need a reliable person when we need a break.

Happy walker said...

visited here with a smile... =D

iamthewitch said...

Congrats on finding a good protege! It certainly does feel liberating to unload some of your burden to someone else right :P

Twilight Man said...

I would love to work under you coz you will teach me all your tricks & humour!

Anonymous said...

In the workplace, I believe no one is indispensible. In fact, we are all easily replaceable :)

Facebook "Like" Button