Friday, July 4, 2008

Irreplaceable is Unpromotable

A very smart person once taught me:

“Irreplaceable is unpromotable”. Basically, if you are the only one who can do what you do, you are the only who will EVER do what you do. Are you so fantastic at your job that it would take three people to replace you? If so, train two people to know everything you know and document everything that you do. That way when you look for a promotion, people will be comfortable with you moving on. You will also get extra credit for giving the power of knowledge back to the entire business rather than storing in your own head. Remember, information is only as valuable as people who want it think it is.

Many hard working professionals wonder why people with less knowledge or talent get what they want. It is very simple. Those people use the knowledge they have as a springboard to other success rather than as a foundation for current success. Once they have the knowledge they need to move on, they move on. They don’t stick around filling in holes created by others. They don’t feel esponsible to fix everything they can fix before taking on a better role. They realize that they are more useful to the company in a higher position,
with decision making functions and the ability to shape the business into a better total package.

Instead of trying to provide all of the answers from the bottom, they explain where answers are needed, from the top. Then they make sure their staff answers the questions and implement solutions. In the end they accomplish much more with what may be much less. And they do all of this while the "subject matter expert" toils away and gives them ideas for problems and solutions that should be considered for future success. Any knowledge that you can make part of the public consciousness gives you power to move on to better things. Any knowledge you keep as currency ends up limiting you to the bank you can create on your own. Irreplaceable is unpromotable, and that’s a big reason why many people with the best grasp of everything are left grasping for a promotion.

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