3 tips for being of 'high value & hard to replace'
The world of work is constantly changing - so how can you continue to make yourself employable? “Build on your strengths, find sponsors who will pay you and deliver success,” is the mantra. Sounds okay - but how can you stay ahead of the game? Here are 3 tips for maintaining your employability.
* You can recognise where you are on the employability scale.
Take a look at The Employability Model. This plots your ‘Value’ to an employer against your ‘Replaceability’. (Nobody is irreplaceable, but some are more replaceable than others.)
* You can recognise where you are on the employability scale.
Take a look at The Employability Model. This plots your ‘Value’ to an employer against your ‘Replaceability’. (Nobody is irreplaceable, but some are more replaceable than others.)
Looking through the eyes of a potential employer, where do you fit on the model? Is your contribution:
* High value/Easy to replace.
For example, some older-style marketing departments fall into this category. Some marketers are great - because they align their efforts to the business strategy. Some do their own thing - whether or not this supports the business. Those who fall into the latter category may well become candidates for outsourcing.
* Low value/Easy to replace.
For example, cleaners and consultants. “When in doubt, keep the cleaners,” we are told. “They are cheaper and get more visible results.” Joking aside, it is vital for people to move out of this quadrant, otherwise they become cannon fodder.
* Low value/Try to make themselves hard to replace.
For example, departments that attempt to make themselves hard to replace by obscuring their work in the ‘black arts’. IT, Business Intelligence and Finance may soon be on this danger list.
* High value/Hard to replace.
For example, brilliant niche providers who perform outstanding work, but are also willing to pass on their wisdom. Paradoxically, they make themselves valuable by giving away their knowledge, rather than by hoarding trade secrets.
* You can make yourself of ‘high value & hard to replace’.
Try tackling the exercise at the end of this piece called Employability. Start by describing where you rate yourself now on the scale of value and replaceability. Then move onto the next stage. Describe the specific things you can do to make yourself of ‘high value & hard to replace’. Here is how one person tackled the challenge.
“Ten years ago I was one of the few people running creativity workshops in this country,” they explained. “Five years ago the market suddenly became flooded with people offering courses in this field. What to do? Certainly it was a test of my creativity!”
“Going back to basics, I visited at least four customers every week, but this time focused on ‘applied creativity’. When setting-up the visit, I offered to meet any person or team interested in using creative techniques to tackle specific business challenges. The sessions were fun and produced many practical solutions. Since then I have run literally hundreds of sessions in ‘applied creativity’. People are happy to pay because the approach delivers tangible business results.”
* You can continue to make yourself employable in the future.
How can you stay in the top right corner? Some of the eternal rules apply: a) Stay close to your customers; b) Encourage them talk about their present and future challenges; c) Do whatever you can to help them tackle the challenges and achieve success.
Spend a lot of time with your ‘pacesetting’ customers. Pacesetters take the lead, maintain the lead and extend the lead. They make the new rules for the game. Staying close to such customers provides an advantage. They are tackling challenges today that others will tackle tomorrow. Working with pacesetters helps you to stay ahead of the game. You will then be in a better position to provide services that are of high value & hard to replace.
* High value/Easy to replace.
For example, some older-style marketing departments fall into this category. Some marketers are great - because they align their efforts to the business strategy. Some do their own thing - whether or not this supports the business. Those who fall into the latter category may well become candidates for outsourcing.
* Low value/Easy to replace.
For example, cleaners and consultants. “When in doubt, keep the cleaners,” we are told. “They are cheaper and get more visible results.” Joking aside, it is vital for people to move out of this quadrant, otherwise they become cannon fodder.
* Low value/Try to make themselves hard to replace.
For example, departments that attempt to make themselves hard to replace by obscuring their work in the ‘black arts’. IT, Business Intelligence and Finance may soon be on this danger list.
* High value/Hard to replace.
For example, brilliant niche providers who perform outstanding work, but are also willing to pass on their wisdom. Paradoxically, they make themselves valuable by giving away their knowledge, rather than by hoarding trade secrets.
* You can make yourself of ‘high value & hard to replace’.
Try tackling the exercise at the end of this piece called Employability. Start by describing where you rate yourself now on the scale of value and replaceability. Then move onto the next stage. Describe the specific things you can do to make yourself of ‘high value & hard to replace’. Here is how one person tackled the challenge.
“Ten years ago I was one of the few people running creativity workshops in this country,” they explained. “Five years ago the market suddenly became flooded with people offering courses in this field. What to do? Certainly it was a test of my creativity!”
“Going back to basics, I visited at least four customers every week, but this time focused on ‘applied creativity’. When setting-up the visit, I offered to meet any person or team interested in using creative techniques to tackle specific business challenges. The sessions were fun and produced many practical solutions. Since then I have run literally hundreds of sessions in ‘applied creativity’. People are happy to pay because the approach delivers tangible business results.”
* You can continue to make yourself employable in the future.
How can you stay in the top right corner? Some of the eternal rules apply: a) Stay close to your customers; b) Encourage them talk about their present and future challenges; c) Do whatever you can to help them tackle the challenges and achieve success.
Spend a lot of time with your ‘pacesetting’ customers. Pacesetters take the lead, maintain the lead and extend the lead. They make the new rules for the game. Staying close to such customers provides an advantage. They are tackling challenges today that others will tackle tomorrow. Working with pacesetters helps you to stay ahead of the game. You will then be in a better position to provide services that are of high value & hard to replace.
You can find many more tools on this theme at:
posted by Mike Pegg at
17:21
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