How To Make Yourself Irreplaceable In The Marketplace

The concept of having a safe secure job just because you have good degrees or skills, is now obsolete and there is a general awareness about the new economy where performance is everything.You can't make yourself irreplaceable just because you are highly educated or skilled alone.

As long as you can add value to the company you work for, as long as you can perform, you have a job. But, if your skills are not of much value to your employer or you are unable to perform as expected, no matter how long you may have worked for the company, you can be replaced.

A friend tweeted an article yesterday with the title, "Bottom Line: Everyone is Replaceable. Everyone" where the author shares her personal experience with respect to employment. It is an interesting article with a simple message, "You must take personal responsibility for doing a great job… or you may not have that job for very long."

While the concept is sound, I felt that this thought injects fear of losing your job.  I felt that the statement, "You are replaceable", poses a threat and that may not make me feel great about going to work tomorrow morning as an employee.

I believe we all are unique creations of God. We all are blessed with special and unique talents and abilities that nobody else can ever have. Our fingerprints, our voice and even our DNA is unique. There neither was another human like you and me in the history nor there will be any in the future. If that is true, then how is it possible that anybody can replace you or me?

The way I think of employment is, it is no different than a business relationship. Personally I like to think my employer as my customer who pays for the services I render and I ensure that I take that relationship positively and seriously.

You are paid for your services based on your employment contract and seriously, you've got to perform as you agreed upon in the contract.

If you don't deliver what you promised at the time of the signing the contract, it definitely can be fatal to your future whether you are an employee or you are an entrepreneur. This is true in every aspect of life. Unaccountability is a very bad and costly habit to keep!

The way I think, it isn't whether you are replaceable or irreplaceable. The real question is, are you doing enough to earn the trust and respect of your employer?If you are, then you are truly invaluable, you are irreplaceable and you don't even have time to think about your job security.

Here are three key things every man and woman should practice to earn the trust and become incredibly irreplaceable to your employer (or your customer if you are an entrepreneur):

1. Treat Your Employer As Your Top Customer

For a business, you know how important it is to consistently strive to make your customers happy. The same way, if you treat your employer and ensure that your most loyal customer (your employer) is happy and satisfied, you can always have a good night sleep having known that a day at work was productive. It not only makes you valuable to your employer, but also helps you develop a long term great relationship.

This seems easy, however, think about it. You can no longer say, "I am already doing I  what am supposed to be doing for the salary I am paid." You may sometimes, need to learn a new skill, do a little bit of things beyond your expected duties etc. But when you keep the customer focus, you will be amazed how much impact your presence can make!

2. Be A Problem Solver

Everybody loves the people who are great problem solvers. I love to be around a go-to person and try to emulate them in terms of behavior and the way they think. The same is true for your employer. When you consistently strive to provide solutions to their problems you become irreplaceable as you separate yourself from the average who are busy protecting their job.

As a business owner, we should always remember, nobody is interested in what you do and what you sell in terms of product or a service. They all care about just one thing, "What problem can you solve for them?"

Be a problem solver and you will succeed in not just becoming the most valuable asset to your company, but also a better person, a better leader in every aspect of life.

3. Do What Is Expected And A Little Extra

This is the real mantra to be absolutely effective at the first two steps we discussed above. When you are assigned a work, prepare well to be your best, do whatever it takes to get the job done, and then do a little more. When you are solving a problem, do what is needed and then a little more to make it just that much better.

Leaders don't do big things, they just to the little things consistently with the intention to make their work, a masterpiece. [tweet this]

This is a leadership trait and the success attitude. With a genuine interest in helping your company in the best way possible, when you practice this attitude, you become invaluable to your employer. If you're an entrepreneur, with this attitude, you earn customer loyalty like never before.

If I practice these steps, do you think I ever need to live in fear of losing my job? Absolutely not!  In addition, I truly believe this approach grows your self-confidence and makes you a person of influence. Don't you think?

Your Thoughts?

Do you think living in fear that, "I may lose this job" makes us more productive? What do you think of my approach to managing our job security? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.