How to be indispensable

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A person who is indispensable is someone who is absolutely necessary or essential.

At work, it definitely feels good to be the "go-to" person that people rely on. It means that you’re great at what you do and that your colleagues and your boss want you to stay around for as long as possible.

Here’s how we recommend you make the work you do really stand out from the crowd!

Make it your own

Once you have understood the basics of your role, if you think you’ve come up with a way of being more efficient, don’t be afraid to share your ideas or introduce new processes within the company.

If successful, you’ll make a name for yourself as someone responsible and committed, as well as someone who has saved the business money. This can’t fail to influence colleagues and other employees who could take on your best practices. This, in turn, will foster a positive culture of proactivity within the business.

Take the initiative

Being indispensable doesn’t necessarily mean you are the member of your team who can plough through the most work, the most quickly; it’s about taking the initiative to make your contribution to the company one that the department can’t do without.

Taking the initiative is not about meeting goals based on performance, it's all to do with going that extra mile. You can start by spotting a need and then driving forward a solution that will positively benefit the company, when you haven’t specifically been asked to help.

Have a specialism

Whatever your role within the organisation, make sure that you get the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge. Don’t hide behind your desk waiting to be asked – just volunteer what you know.

Rather than being unappreciated, it might just be that people are not aware of your expertise and the only way they will find out is if you speak up. It takes confidence, but you will reap the rewards once your peers realise your knowledge is strong and you are a keen and valuable contributor.