What would many people not give to have the unshakable confidence of a Harrison Ford? Asked about the future of Indiana Jones films, perhaps with another artist in the title role, the grizzled heartthrob reacted badly: “Don’t you understand? am Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, so is he. It’s simple”.
The phrase offers a good mix of menace and mockery – it’s quite Indy, actually. But just as it’s a bad idea for ordinary mortals to try to do the screen hero’s shenanigans at home, neither should we adopt the “after me, it’s over” star position at work.
Becoming, or considering yourself, indispensable is a terrible trap.
The internet is full of advice on how to be “the person no one can live without!” An example popped up in my inbox the same day I was laughing at the Harrison Ford interview. Like many things in the professional guru genre, she promoted a strategy for dealing with insecurity, both emotional and economic — after all, there’s plenty of both out there.
The key example concerned a person keeping his job when the rest of the department was laid off. Well, none of us want to get fired, so let’s deal with the bright side first.
Most indispensable writing tends to repeat a few gems: Volunteer for everything, clean up the messes that horrify your peers, and become “the guy” – or “the girl” – who solves problems for your boss.
Of course, these aren’t bad ideas. If you’re trying to get noticed, taking on difficult tasks is a good plan. If you solve problems, it’s useful for everything, and since they pay you, that’s relevant (hopefully it can be rewarding too).
But there are also some serious downsides – even the potential for a total disaster involving burnout for yourself and resentment from colleagues and bosses as they realize they’ve been manipulated into dependence.
Unless it’s your early career, there’s a dire possibility that you’re making it difficult to develop or change your role: some of these lists and blog posts could be more honest with the title “Five, Six, or Even 17 Ways to get stuck in a job you’ve already outgrown”. (Yes, I found a list of 17 — and if you get to the end of it without realizing that you’re looking a little needy, you’re in worse shape than I am.)
“Maybe it’s a bit of a self-defeating thing to do,” warns Monique Valcour, an executive coach who recognizes the affliction: She’s seen cases where bosses sabotage someone’s ability to move forward or leave an organization when they become useful. too much. So if you get emotional to hear your director say that you can’t be excused to try something new, it’s definitely a danger sign.
How about being known as a problem solver? Yes, it can be genuinely satisfying and promote loyalty. But “people can get stuck in small-scale, less valuable activities,” says Valcour, “and you need to be able to get out of the zoom and have a strategic focus.”
Professional services companies are notorious for hiring a personality type dubbed the Eager Achievers. But Valcour sees many white-collar workers, even at very high levels, fall into the psychological trap of trying to make themselves indispensable for other reasons. “Maybe they’re the kind of people who need to be in control, so they start taking on some jobs for their manager, who then becomes dependent,” she says.
If you’re too busy juggling the tasks you’ve set yourself up for, how can you decide what you really want? How can you delegate or take a break if you haven’t allowed your colleagues to understand your work and help you? A warning from Valcour: “Now you’re one of those people with a headset on the lounger who keeps talking to the office.” Congratulations!
As for leaders who want to be so indispensable that they don’t delegate to others who are capable of taking over — they can’t be considered a success, even when they come out humming, “You’ll miss me when I’m gone.” And should success in any normal endeavor depend on one person? It looks more like a management failure.
As an old silver-backed gorilla, Ford was eager to get rid of young suitors, and his chest-beating paid off — Chris Pratt, who was mentioned for the role, says he’s now too scared. A new Indiana Jones movie in the works still has the star in the lead role – no charming supporting roles for Ford.
But you and I must ditch the whip and the hat. We are not Indy and we are not indispensable. Nor should we want that, as it could prevent us from having adventures of our own.
Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
