Skilled Migrant Professionals October 2014 | Page 18

Career The Art of Being Indispensable Go-to individuals are professionals who consistently operate at the top of their game. These high performers are rewarded with handsome remuneration in whatever profession or industry they have mastered. According to American business journalist George Anders, these professionals are sometimes referred to as indispensable and usually possess five traits in common. “They thrive on expanding their skills, engage in solving ongoing problems, are self-starters who set the tempo at work or in their personal lives and deliver more value than is expected of them.” Find out how you fare in the two-minute Indispensable Test! Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 by honestly responding to the following five questions. 1 = No recent evidence in my life 10 = I have two or three recent examples for each trait to substantiate my claim. 1. I keep expanding my skills every year 2. I solve problems that seem to have no solutions 3. I am a self-starter or closer at work 4. I set the tempo at work or in my personal life 5. I deliver more value than is expected from me If you scored seven or above for each question then you are well on your way to being a high performer. You thrive on identifying areas in your life that need developing and then working towards expanding those undeveloped skills. You take responsibility for your personal development and are up-to-date with the necessary knowledge and trends in your industry. Author Seth Godin urges us: “To approach our jobs as emotionally engaged artists, crusading for new ideas.” If you scored eight or above for question two, then you will never actually retire because you provide ongoing solutions for co-workers and society at large by delivering knowledge, providing companionship, and stimulating personal growth. You will also never ‘sell-out’, because you see every challenge as an opportunity to serve others and grow. If you scored nine or above for questions three to five, you are the kind of professional that your boss will hold onto for as long as possible. You are the type of team player that colleagues will always want to work with. You make this happen because on a subconscious level, you have made the firm choice to succeed in what you do. For more on this topic, please visit www.smpmagazine.com.au 18 www.smpmagazine.com.au | October 2014 Davies Chibale, Director, Engineered for Success HR Pty Ltd Being indispensable begins with: 1. Committing to continued learning by attending seminars and professional workshops, reading books and professional journals etc. • When did you last attend a professional workshop or seminar? • When did you last read a good book for professional or personal development? 2. Engaging in giving ongoing, innovative solutions to co-workers and others. 3. Being a self-starter, innovating, and following through. 4. Setting the tempo and leading the way, while also being proactive, focused, and passionate. 5. Delivering more value than others expect of you. Going above and beyond the call of duty. If you are working for a company that you don’t believe deserves the best of you, then ask yourself whether the problem is with you, the company, or both? Remember, like attracts like and success is a choice!