For long term success...Focus on adding value, not being irreplaceable

I had the pleasure of working with someone who had built an entire revenue stream by herself. It was an entirely new service model that was different than the revenue model most pursued by the organization I was with. It was an impressive feat as the organization was very traditional and generally pushed back against new ideas...especially ones that either courted a new market or worked in opposition to the traditional business model.

She grew it to a number of clients...and even started attracting new ones. She had created an abundance of opportunity for herself...and that was where it stopped. She didn't want to involve anyone else or share how she was doing things. She was carving out a niche for herself and only herself. In fact, she carved so well, she carved herself right out of the organization.

Despite the revenue she was generating, she was not adding value to the firm in the long run. The revenue was entirely dependent on her and therefore not scalable or sustainable. In fact, as the walls she had built herself started to close in, rather than share her knowledge more freely, she began guarding information even more closely. Within a few months she didn't feel supported and left. And while the organization missed the revenue she was bringing in, they saw it as a blip...not a sustainable growth model.

It could have been different.

Being Irreplaceable

A few years ago, I observed one of my teammates who liked to "own" information and processes. Her thinking was if she was the only one who could do something, her job security was pretty much in tact. And while that might have been relatively true for a time, it also meant something else. She would never get promoted. I shared a quote I had heard a number of years ago that went something like this.

"If you are irreplaceable, you'll never get promoted."

When I said that to her, she responded quizzically and said "I don't know if I believe that or not."

Fast forward 5 years...the company she worked with was acquired...and she was let go, having the same title she'd had since she started 7 years earlier. And while she is capable of so many other things, she held so tightly to the role she had that, from an outsider's perspective, she looks like she can only do one thing, which not only limited her growth in the organization but also her options for new job opportunities.

In retrospect, the quote I gave her was incomplete. I think a subtle difference needs to be teased out. There is a certain attractiveness to being irreplaceable and if the world were predictable, being irreplaceable sounds like a good strategy. But the world isn't predictable (COVID-19, anyone) and people unfortunately have learned time and time again...that you are replaceable. Whats more is, if I position myself as irreplaceable...generally that has a container around it...meaning IF someone WERE to infiltrate my defenses or prove that they too can perform my tasks...my position of security goes away. And as sad as it might sound...there is always someone who can do your job better than you...you just haven't met them yet.

Adding Value

The idea of being irreplaceable can be boiled down to something transactional. It is a specific knowledge or ability that you have to do a certain thing. Transactional elements can always be learned and therefore, are interchangeable with a certain amount of work. This is why being irreplaceable is a temporary mindset. In the cases of my colleagues, they both enjoyed temporary security...but as the business changed direction or change hands...their value proposition was either no longer relevant...or duplicative. It was temporary.

I have another friend who cheerfully shares her knowledge with others, intentionally invites her colleagues and team members to take ownership of things, and she constantly deflects questions for approval with " I trust you. Do what you think is best." She is one of the best leaders I know. She hates "managing" her team and is widely regarded as one of the best "bosses" they have ever had. She is well respected by leadership and included on many large scale projects with great impact across the organization.

Despite being in what most would consider a mid-level management role at a Fortune 200 company, she is constantly working with VPs, EVPs, and the C-suite. Not because she is irreplaceable...but because she adds value. Her perspective, her thoughtfulness, her trust, and her creativity...add value to almost any team or project she is on. And while she knows (and sometimes fears) that she is replaceable, she has never been let go from a company...ever. Even when companies she worked with encountered layoffs, they find a way to keep her.

That is the difference between being irreplaceable versus adding value. Being irreplaceable is temporary...when the time comes that a company doesn't need what you do, your status of being irreplaceable turns into being irrelevant. Adding value is ALWAYS relevant.

Making the Shift

Making the shift in mindset it difficult. It begins with the admission that YOU are replaceable...but the knowledge and skills you have add value. It's a variation on the idea of fixed mindset vs growth mindset.

A position, your position, or any job in a company is a "fixed" element. Like a cake, your role is one slice of the cake...if you take it out, there is less cake left...ie. there is a "fixed" amount of cake. So guarding your slice might seem reasonable in a world with only one cake. EXCEPT a cake's purpose is to feed people dessert...not just be a cake. If you want to feed more people dessert, you need to think beyond the slice.

Knowledge and skills are what makes your cake delicious...and, when shared, can multiply the number of cakes. A position is like a slice of cake...if you give it away, you have less cake. Knowledge and skills are like a recipe...if you give it away, you can actually get MORE cake. That is what adds value. It's not about guarding your slice of cake, it is about sharing your skills and knowledge to enable more people to make their own cakes or make cakes for others. That is adding value and THAT is hard to replace

If you are unsure whether you are guarding your slice or sharing recipes...ask yourself when was the last time you took a week off. Was it a big ordeal? Were you constantly worried that things would get missed? Folks who approach their jobs as being irreplaceable often struggle to take vacation...any vacation. Even a day or two is hard for them to put the phone/laptop down. If this is you, then it might be time to take a step back.

Start by sharing some of your recipe and let others bake a cake...or maybe just a cookie. Something. Anything. Give them the trust you crave yourself. When they ask what they should do in any given situation...as hard as it is, don't give them the answer...instead, say "I trust you. Do what you think is right."

Parting Thoughts

Coming to the realization that YOU ARE replaceable can be frightening...and also freeing. Focusing instead on the knowledge and skills (rather than the tasks you perform) as to why you are important is a self-validation of sorts. Realizing that it is not because of WHAT you do, but because of how you add value leads to opportunity. A role or position is fixed; knowledge and skills become transferable, adaptable, and promotable. Adding value is hard to replace...and very easy to recognize and appreciate.

If you want to feel more appreciated and recognized, focus on adding value by sharing knowledge, helping others get better at what they do, and transferring skills. If you need help or a nudge, go on vacation and send this note to your team:

"While I am away, I trust you to handle whatever may come up. If it is an emergency, I still trust you to handle it."

Then leave the laptop at home and turn of your email.

There is nothing more frightening and liberating than to be fully trusted by your boss. Trust, knowledge, and skills build the recipe for great sustainability. The people who add value by sharing their recipes will enjoy long-term success over their cake hoarding counterparts. The cake hoarders might have their slice of cake...but if the slice can't be replaced, you can't eat it.

And there aren't too many things that are better than being able to have your cake....and eat it too.

For more inspirational tips: https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/seven-things-you-should-say-to-your-team-more-often-to-inspire-them.html