Indispensable? I Think Not…
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
There is no shortage of information circulating of late espousing the benefits of making yourself indispensable to your employer. While this mantra has clearly gained some traction, if not actually becoming quite popular, popular thinking does not necessarily equate to sound thinking. Let me be as clear as I can – nobody, and I mean nobody is indispensable. I don’t care who you are, what role you play, or what your title is…if you perceive yourself to be indispensable, you are setting yourself up for a very rude awakening. Furthermore, anyone who by design sets out to orchestrate a situation to make themselves indispensable is not operating in good faith. In today’s post I’m going to share my thoughts as to why the myth of becoming indispensable is very dangerous thinking to say the least…
A well managed company does not allow itself to become dependent upon the performance of any single individual. Those individuals who attempt to hoard knowledge, relationships, or resources to attain job security should not to be valued or viewed as indispensable, but should be admonished as ineffective and deemed a liability. Corporate talent that cannot be shared, duplicated, distributed, or leveraged is not nearly as valuable as talent that can.
So, where has all this recent self-indulgent, misguided thinking come from? I believe much of it stems from the self-help types that proliferate the concept of self-promotion for self-benefit over the concept of service above self. More distressing is that this concept was recently validated in Seth Godin’s new book Linchpin.
Let me begin by stating that I’m a Seth Godin fan. While I agree with him more often than not, I will from time-to-time find myself shaking my head wondering what in the heck could Seth possibly be thinking? In his recent book Linchpin, Seth Godin puts forth some great concepts that we should all aspire to. I wholeheartedly agree that each of us should become the best we can be, that our work should become developed and refined to the point where it is viewed as art, and we are seen as the artist behind the masterpiece. So much of what you’ll read in between the covers of Linchpin is as close to inspirational brilliance as you’ll find in a business book, which is why it pains me to have to point out the critical flaw in Linchpin that regrettably overshadows the highlights – namely the concept of the linchpin itself.
Seth describes a linchpin as somebody in an organization who is indispensable - who simply cannot be replaced because their role is just far too unique and valuable. Making things worse, he then goes on to say how important it is for all of us to become indispensable, for not to be indispensable is tantamount to economic and career suicide. Encouraging somebody to make the most of their talents and abilities is quite laudable – encouraging them to become indispensable is validating a new level of self worship that I find quite troubling.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that anyone who sets out to make themselves indispensable would be the one committing career suicide for two reasons: 1.) anyone who is ”perceived” as indispensable in their current role completely eliminates any possibility of promotion, and; 2.) Any good leadership team who finds themselves dependant upon a linchpin will immediately move to mitigate the risk of finding themselves in such an untenable position.
It is an organization’s ability to collect and convert data into information, turn information into knowledge, and knowledge into an operating advantage that allows an enterprise to effectively address current needs as well as to strategically drive innovation and forward planning. This cannot happen if one person positions themselves as a linchpin. Put more simply, a corporation’s employees must be able to acquire knowledge (learning), transfer knowledge (out of the head and into an information system), apply knowledge (from the information system into an actionable event), manage knowledge (execute with focus, timing and precision), and secure knowledge (keep it from evaporating or even worse from walking out the door to a competitor). Let’s see if we can bring this issue a bit closer to home for some of you…Ask yourself the following questions:
- Have you ever had a disruption in business continuity because someone who possessed a wealth of experience and/or information retired, quit or was terminated?
- Have you ever lost a deal or had a major operational problem because somewhere in your organization you found yourself dependent upon a single person’s expertise and they dropped the ball?
- Have you ever found yourself in the unenviable position of desiring to terminate an employee only to be held hostage by the fear of losing the knowledge that they possess?
While I could go on ad-nauseum with day-to-day operating examples of how a linchpin can adversely affect a business, I think I’ve probably dredged-up enough painful memories for now. As a CEO or entrepreneur, the fact that you would allow an employee to become indispensable to begin with means that at a minimum you have a lack of transparency and continuity in your organization, and more probably that you lack depth of talent and are weak in process and knowledge management.
How would you answer this question…Is your company talent poor and linchpin dependent, or talent rich or linchpin independent? From my perspective there is a monumental difference between real tier-one talent and a primadonna who thinks of themselves as indispensable. Employees who represent true tier-one talent see themselves as part of the team seeking to make those around them more successful. Contrast this with those primadonnas who are interested solely in their own success without regard to those around them. Any company that bestows a primadonna with recognition as somehow being indispensable, is a company about ready to experience a completely avoidable disaster.
If you want to eliminate unnecessary dependencies, don’t allow any individual to create ultimate domain over anything that is considered key or mission critical. Instead create a culture that values transparency, knowledge management, mentoring, coaching, and process. By doing these things you will add both depth and breadth to your organization and increase the overall level of talent across the enterprise. Bottom line…encourage people to be a valuable part of the team, to maximize their contribution to others and the overall enterprise, but under no circumstances allow someone be become the proverbial cog in the wheel.
Excellent post, Mike! I agree with your thoughts on many levels.
If there is any merit at all to indespensibility, it would arise solely out of creating tremendous value for others. That, in and of itself, requires a laser-like focus on others (not ourselves).
Smart businesses are 'systems dependent', not people dependent. That, in no way, minimizes the passion that leadership should have for serving employees.
Blessings
Mark
I completely agree with your argument here. The so-called 'linchpin' is a personality within an organization which makes other managers nervous. This is because they know a linchpin is ultimately a liability to the company and will need to be dealt with at some point or the linchpin will have leverage over the company. Therefore the 'linchpin' is actually committing career suicide instead of creating job security just as you mentioned.
I also had trouble with the book as I wrote "Chasing the Indispensable Linchpin: what's the catch?"
I argue that the premise of the book is impossibly flawed because the gift of true art (a.k.a. ourselves) can not be grounded in the self serving desire to be "indispensable". That corrupts the nature of the gift.
This book struck me as an example of a cool "book title" he came up with and then scurried to find content to fill it.
Judy Shapiro
Mike, this is a really interesting perpective and makes a lot of sense. I have the book, but haven't read it yet. I will be thankful to have your thoughts in mind as I read.
Thanks for a great blog. Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, used to say, "If you want a better job, work harder," He believed that anything that started with the word self was a "self defeating" concept. I look forward to following you in the future.
Hi Mark:
Good to hear from you and thanks for your thoughts. I agree with your sentiments about having a laser-like focus on serving others. The best leaders I have known would totally cringe at the thought of making themselves indispensable. Through systems, training, development, mentoring, coaching, etc., the best leaders strive to make themselves completely replaceable.
Great thoughts Mark…
One of my former bosses has a favorite saying: "The graveyard is filled with indispensable people." That saying certainly puts a perspective on how indispensable "indispensable" really is.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Thanks Joe…It is now become one of my favorite sayings as well
When I read the review for Linchpin my impression was that people who are concerned about loosing jobs due to downsizing were being encouraged to become much more than a run of the mill employee. However, you make a brilliant point from the management perspective.
My husband worked in the worst-case scenario for a linchpin such as you described. The man in question was in his mid 70’s and was crotchety and controlling – clearly driven by fear. He had been allowed to make it so that nobody else could get into his area. My husband told upper management that they needed someone to shadow this man to understand what all he did because of his advanced age. Management’s response was, that they didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he died… unbelievable! Nobody lives forever, but management stuck their collective head in the sand!
Any employee that is not willing to document their job or be transparent and interdependent is a liability, not an asset to the company!
Thanks for the “rant” Mike.
Thought provoking post. I strongly believe that leadership is the antithesis of the self-centered approach of making oneself indespensable as you describe it. This kind of "go-to person" bogs down the process and makes it more difficult to compete both in the short and long-term. Strive for excellence, be the best in your field, but leave indespensable for those individuals and organizations that you plan to leave in your dust.
Mike,
Once again the adage, "Genius is the ability to think otherwise" applies here. Thanks for your view. I am a Godin fan and am currently reading Linchpin. Love it.
Depending on one individual to accomplish mission critical tasks puts everyone in peril. Wisdom is simple.
I'll add that I want to be indispensable in enabling others. I want to be the guy who can help others reach higher.
I'm keeping your perspective in view as I finish Linchpin.
Regards,
Leadership Freak
Dan Rockwell
Today's Blog – The Power of Calm
http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/t...
Well said Kevin…thanks for the comment.
Seth Godin's value to the rest of us is his ability to look at current situations in a fresh way and to phrase his vision provocatively. Then people like you and the commenters point out the problems and hammer out the details. It's a bit like the way that customers always complete an innovation.
If he had said, "do such a great job that your boss will want to keep you around," we wouldn't be having this conversation. But suggesting that you must become "indispensable" opens a wide path for conversation.
Mike,
I am reading the book…not finished yet. You bring up some excellent points here. Hopefully, many of Godin's readers will simply aspire for more greatness than where they are today. In doing so, they become more engaged and more valuable.
I agree that to become "indispensable" is not truly possible, and companies should not become so reliant one one person. These are very valid points, and I applaud you for sharing a very relevant and well thought -out perspective.
One of your commentors got it right, despensible people end up in the graveyard early. Seth wrote the book to deal with the problems of people who are afraid of losing their jobs. That fear has made the economy worse. We have become such a fear-base country. Somebody had to speak up.
If you've read Tom Peter's books on Wow! projects and such, the theme is the same. That said, read Geoffrey Moore's "Living on the Fault Line." If everyone in the organization differentiates themselves, then a lot of that differentiation is outside the offer made to the customer. Management would rather outsource the out of offer stuff and lay those people off. So being more indespensible would mean moving into an in-offer component of the business. That may not even require a move, because the company may undertake an offer expansion to enhance the customer value of their offer to fight price-based competition. Or, the company might undertake demand-side services.
The point might be off the mark if it was be indespensible, rather than more indespensible or less despensible. The latter is on the mark.
Having experienced the downside of being overly dependent on one person for a specific area of expertise, I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective, Mike. There’s a big difference in someone being a highly valued member of a team and being indispensable. That latter is dangerous and could be disastrous. Now we make every effort to cross-train people and create systems, as Mark pointed out, so someone else can step in and take over in just about any area. Your advice is on-target and well-stated (as always).
Thanks Rich…I've found that those who view themselves as indispensable not only make other managers nervous, but they also tend to anger and frustrate their co-workers as well. I appreciate your thoughts Rich…
Hi Judy:
Thanks for your comments. If the book's main theme had been how to become invaluable in serving others, as opposed to how to get ahead by becoming indispensable it would have resonated more with me.
Becky – Thanks for your comment and I hope you enjoy the book.
To be clear, my perspective is that there were a lot of inspirational and philosophical gems in the book, but they were diluted if not altogether obviated by the underlying premise of the linchpin theory. Ultimately, a person\\'s motivation will either set a strong foundation that will stand the test of time, or it will crumble under the pressure when tested. Most anything motivated out of pure unadulterated self-interest will be seen for what it is…
Hi Meredith – I agree that there is a difference between being valued and trying to become indispensable. Thanks for your comments Meredith.
Hi Bridget:
Thanks for stopping by…it seems most of us have had an encounter with a linchpin at some point in our careers, and I've yet to hear of it being a positive experience. Your comments about transparency and interdependency are spot-on. Thanks again Bridget.
Hi Wally:
I agree with your perspective on Seth's value as a visionary. I also believe you make a great observation in pointing out that customers always complete an innovation. That said, I still believe how something is phrased is a significant matter as it has a very real impact. In this case, it can cause serious damage to an individual career or the enterprise as a whole if the advice is taken literally. Thanks for sharing Wally…love what you do.
Erin:
Thanks for the thoughts and I hope you enjoy the book. Much of it is well worth investing yourself in, and I think we've identified the aspect that is, how shall I say, "dispensable." Thanks Erin…
Hi David:
Thanks for the astute comments and the recommended reading list…Best wishes David.
Hi Dennis:
Thanks for the comment and your observations. Always nice to hear from like minds…
Couple of thoughts:
1) I think if we have learned anything from this downturn it should have been no one is Indispensable.
2) This flies in the face of the current movements that are Larger than self. TED, Open Source, social media, etc.
I agree with much of your analysis putting the kibosh on the linchpin concept as a worthy goal.
[...] have suffered some when they did – but that doesn’t stop them from letting you go. Being “indispensible” these days is Not a guarantee of keeping your job. Instead, it is a prisoner mentality. You are locked into your job to define your self-worth. [...]