I might shock you when I say the following: Be replaceable
(at work). Think about it, but don’t take it so literally. What kind of person
do you want to be at work? I have worked with many types of personalities. The
one that I found to be the most frustrating to work with are the ones that
don’t share information.
These are the people that are afraid that if they tell
someone how they accomplish their job, that they will be replaced. To them,
it’s job security that no one else knows how to do what they do. To me, that’s
the worst kind of person for any organization.
I walk into work everyday telling myself, “be replaceable.”
What does that mean? It means I work to improve processes every single day and
make those around me smarter. These processes when put in place will automate
tasks (and I don’t mean electronically).
I give my team the tools they need in
order to do their job more efficiently. My hope is that as I fix and implement
certain processes, that function/task will no longer require my “managing” and
attention; the team will be on autopilot once everyone is equipped to
successfully execute it.
Work should never be a secret. What people work on; how they
accomplish their task; best practices.
None of it should be a secret. I am 100% transparent and that is the
expectation I have of everyone at work.
When I learn something new, I share it.
When I solve a problem, I share the situation and how I resolved it. Being
replaceable means you are arming those around you with the knowledge you have.
You are helping people work smarter and be more efficient by being an open
book.
Be replaceable. There should always be someone on your
“bench” that can do your job if and when you leave the organization. I measure
my success by one rule: If I leave an organization, they will be able to
continue right where I left off. If a company can continue marching on after my
departure without skipping a beat, that means I have succeeded. It's when things go bad and a company takes
three steps back that I know I failed and didn't do my job prior to leaving.
Be replaceable. Put systems into place and share your
knowledge so that everyone learns from it. Being replaceable means you have the
confidence that you will not lose your job because you are sharing your
knowledge and creating a succession plan. Being replaceable is the most
selfless act one can do for any organization. By being replaceable, it means
you are putting the company above your own agenda and needs.
Be replaceable.
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