Irreplaceable = Unpromotable | Working Principles

A version of this has happened to me multiple times in my career:

I get chosen as the technical person on a new project.

This new project is seeking to do something that’s never been done before in my organisation, and I start the project by researching the new topic and develop a plan. I love getting to know something new with all its intricacies and foibles.

The project is hard work but is successful and soon I’ve become known as the expert for this new capability.

Within a short while I’m receiving emails and teams chats from all around the organisation asking for my help. People are contacting me from every layer of the organisation and if I’m honest I love the notoriety.

It doesn’t take long for me to become the “go-to” person. In extreme cases I’m taking my work phone with me on holiday just-in-case I’m needed.

“Get Graham on a call I’m sure he’ll know what to do.”

“Graham, can we get 5 minutes of your time to work through this issue.”

All the while I’m becoming ever more proficient and seeing all sorts of opportunities for the new capability. I’m also seeing other areas where I could apply what I’ve learnt to really benefit the organisation.

It’s time, though, for others to start picking up some of the responsibility. I can’t be the only person in the organisation who knows how things work. I look around and realise that I’ve not invested enough in the skills of other members of the team, and they aren’t picking up their responsibilities. I’ve let the notoriety get to my head and tried to be the person who answers everyone’s questions and now I’m the only one that anyone asks.

Organisations love to build dependency and I’ve let myself become the one on whom that dependency has been built.

I see a project that I think would be a great next step so talk to my boss about a shift. They say, “Well Graham I think, for now, you are irreplaceable. on this capability.”

It’s then that some of my Dad’s advice comes to me: “If you are irreplaceable you are also unpromotable.”

How have a I let this happen again, haven’t I learnt from last time?

There is a lot in the human psyche that seeks out adulation, notoriety and the approval of others. There’s also something deep in many of us that means we want to do a good job. I’m not saying that’s any of that is bad, what I am pointing out is that these feelings come with a trap. Lean too much in and we become hemmed in. By becoming the “go-to” person we risk being stuck as that person.

Most of the time recognising the position that I’ve put myself in and making a few adjustments has been all that I’ve needed to do. There have, however, been times when I’ve needed to make more drastic shifts just to be able to get out from under the constraint of dependency.

If you are struggling to make a move perhaps it’s because you are too valuable in your current position. If you think you are irreplaceable, then remember that you are also unpromotable.

Header Image: We’ve had a little winter recently and it’s been great to get out into the calm and cold. This is the view across Grasmere from Loughrigg Terrace.