Have you ever felt like just another cog in the vast machinery of your workplace, indistinguishable from the next person in line?
There's a word for that: fungible. It refers to employees who don’t stand out from the crowd in any way, and that makes them easily replaceable. They’re relatively efficient and competent but their workplace wouldn't miss a beat if they were suddenly gone.
In an insecure economic era like this one, fungible becomes a synonym for vulnerable. So what can you do to avoid being seen as fungible and ensure job security in the future?
1: Share your ideas without fear or reservation
If you want to overcome your fungibility problem, you can’t afford to be modest. Got a new strategy for increasing your employer’s profits? Share it. Have a better way to organize workflow? Speak up. Talk to your manager about your ideas, even if they are not fully formed yet.
Holding back or deferring to those with more experience won’t help you be noticed. It's better to risk having your ideas rejected than to never have them heard at all. And even if just one or two of your suggestions are judged to be brilliant enough to be approved, it can secure your position for some time to come.
2: Seek improvement at the margins
Learning and development should be an ongoing process for every employee, and it's always worth improving on skills that are relevant to your job. But when it comes to standing out, you may be better off trying to find ways to become just a little bit more efficient or a little more creative in what you’re already doing. If you can develop a new approach that produces slightly better results, this can establish your reputation as a creative troubleshooter.
Coming up with a new idea or a new angle takes brainpower, a dedication to innovation, maybe some trial-and-error experimentation, and possibly a conversation or two with co-workers who can help you see things from a fresh perspective. Doing all of this will show that you really care and are always looking to gain an edge, which your employers will appreciate.
3: Work on improving your communication
You can add texture to your career by being the office's unofficial "drama reducer." This means using your communication skills to help everyone get along better and work more efficiently.
There are many ways you can upgrade your communication style. For example, you can be the go-to person for project updates, the moderator in meetings or the person who always offers support to stressed-out colleagues. These are all ways to make an impression on those around you and show that you’re not just another interchangeable worker.
4: Learn to be a team player
While your individual contributions are your bread and butter, you can add an extra helping of goodness to your plate by striving to be a team player. This sends a message that you put the needs of the company before your own personal ambitions, a trait that will win you the respect of your superiors every single time.
Even if you work mostly solo, there are still ways you can work towards being a better team player. Offer your assistance and advice liberally and volunteer to help anyone who is working on a big project or has too much on their plate. You can celebrate your team’s successes as if they were your own, proving to your bosses that you have your priorities in order.
5: Treat yourself as a work in progress
You should view your career not as a finished product, but as a work in progress. In fact you should view yourself as a work in progress as well. Keeping this in mind, you can address the fungibility issue by seeking out learning experiences that will help you grow as a professional. This might mean expanding your knowledge base, increasing your technical skill or becoming the go-to person on the trends that will be shaping your industry in the years to come.
Another option is to learn in some new areas, especially those areas where the organization is currently lacking skills or knowledge. By identifying gaps in the company's capabilities and stepping in to fill them, you become an invaluable resource. It's hard to get rid of someone who can do what no one else at the company is qualified for.
6: Have an honest conversation about your performance
One of the most reliable ways to find out what you need to do to become indispensable is to ask someone in authority. Set up a private meeting with a manager you trust and ask them to evaluate you – not just your performance, but also your visibility and reputation with the higher ups. Ask them straight out what you would need to do to boost your status and increase your value to your organization.
It's best not to give them any indication that you’re feeling insecure about your position. Just let them know you’re on a fact-finding mission and make it clear you’re ready to make any adjustments necessary to become a more impactful employee. What they tell you could be most enlightening, and it could give you a leg up on other fungible employees who haven’t initiated this kind of dialogue.
7: Make sure you're in the right job
If you feel like you're lost in a sea of sameness at work, it's worth stepping back to ask whether the job you're doing is actually the right one for you. When people are in roles that aren't an ideal fit, their performance and motivation tend to suffer.
Think about your strengths and interests, and see if there's a role within your organization where those skills could be better utilized. A personality test like Typefinder or DISC can give you real insights into your work style, motivations and preferences, and may reveal why you’re having a hard time with certain tasks or specific requirements associated with your job.
Bottom line? It’s not easy to become irreplaceable at work, but being in a role where your talents can shine makes it a whole lot easier. When you show your value on a daily basis, it's only a matter of time before the higher ups notice and give you the recognition (and job security) that you deserve.
