Random Thoughts on Being Indispensable

One of the most exhilarating ego boosters is the public acknowledgement as an indispensable person.?

You have worked hard to earn the tag. You have built it from scratch; you know the code, the system, the nuances and everything about it. You know the shortcuts; you know all the internal and external people, factors, etc., to do it faster and in high quality and, with you handling that part, your boss and the rest of the organisation sleep in peace. Your colleagues and boss (rightly) think that the whole system will collapse without you holding that portfolio, or the result will be sub-standard and with missed deadlines.?

It is a great feeling to have and know that you hold the key to success. You won't be faulted for thinking, "after me, the deluge." Great! What more can you ask for in life??

But like any hero narrative, there is a potential dark side to this, and if you are not mindful, it can be disastrous in the long run. Because by becoming an expert, you would have inadvertently boxed yourself into a corner.?

Primarily, if you are the expert in one domain, no one will risk the trouble of giving you another task.?Why will any sane manager threaten their project by disturbing the apple cart??So the more you become an expert, the more the risk of you doing only one kind of job for the rest of your life.?Recollect the hilarious factory scene in the famous Charlie Chaplin's movie, Modern Times, where he only does tightening the nuts?

Secondly, since you are an expert in one area, the chance of you getting selected for retraining in anything new is slim (of course, you could be first on the list for anything related to your expertise -?like how to tighten the nuts faster, without looking at them!). In the worst case, you yourself won't bother to upskill (either due to complacency or simply because you are the ultimate Master in that area).?

Being one dimensional has a real risk of any technological breakthrough in your domain (or any unexpected force majeure conditions) could put you out of business overnight. In the ancient world, expert sworders, accurate flame throwers, and the like were made redundant by the arrival of guns. In the recent past, many highly skilled typists, stenographers, drafting technicians, etc., lost their job with the introduction of computers and highly user-friendly software.?(Some of you might feel that the above examples are pretty naive, but if you look at the current post covid world, many jobs and skills that were very valuable earlier are losing their hold now. There are many good articles on this, and you might find Mckinsey's article on the 'Future of Work' as a good guide.?https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19).

However strange and challenging it may sound, the best way to avoid getting trapped in the "after me deluge" syndrome is to?make yourself redundant?in your current role. You do this consciously and before circumstances make you redundant. You can do this in two ways, (1) by developing systems and procedures that last beyond you - making it 'individual proof,' and (2) by hiring more brilliant people to your team who can replace you. (Both these also have the additional benefit of overcoming your insecurities and mastering your ego).

Making yourself redundant in your 'expert' area frees you to upskill yourself and take on higher or different responsibilities. You can diversify into other areas, thereby expanding the breadth of your knowledge and experience.?You break the chains of just being an expert oarsman to the possibility of being the captain of the ship.?Remember, the depth of expertise in the core area always stays with you, and no one can take it away.?

In your earlier "expert" domain, you move to the role of a mentor (or an internal consultant) to whom people look up when things go wrong or seek input when they improve it further. By making yourself redundant, you cultivate a pool of talents within the organisation and leave a legacy.?

Make yourself redundant to grow.?

Footnote:?If you are a leader, you are interested in developing multiple experts anyway. In mechanical terms, one working machine with one standby is any day better than one working with no standby. As the number of standbys increases, so does the reliability (delivering on time, quality, etc.). People might resist being pushed out of their comfort zones and forced to learn new skills. But, trust me, the rewards are so gratifying in grooming people from one-dimensional to multidimensional.?And the best part is that you will sleep even better.?