The Art of Making Yourself Indispensable

You can never master every skill, nor have conquered all of your weakness. It is a humbling realisation. But, we do not need to master every aspect of our character and evolve to a super human status in order to becoming invaluable to our local authority and to progress swiftly up the career ladder. What we need to do is master our strengths.

There is a fantastic article, "Making Yourself Indispensable," co-authored by John H. Zenger, Joseph Folkman, and Scott Edinger, in which they emphasise the importance of developing complementary skills to enhance one's core strengths. The key points from the article are:

1. Focus on Strengths: Leaders should identify and build on their existing strengths rather than solely trying to improve weaknesses. The authors argue that focusing on strengths leads to greater personal and professional growth. They suggest that leaders can achieve more significant improvements by enhancing what they are already good at, rather than spending excessive time on areas of weakness.

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." Albert Einstein

2. Nonlinear Development: Similar to cross-training in sports, developing complementary skills can lead to exponential improvements in performance. The concept of nonlinear development involves enhancing core strengths by acquiring skills that complement them. For example, a technically proficient leader can become more effective by improving their communication skills, thereby explaining technical issues more clearly and broadly.

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3. 360-Degree Feedback: Using formal or informal 360-degree evaluations helps in identifying core strengths and areas for complementary skill development. This feedback mechanism involves gathering insights from peers, subordinates, and supervisors, providing a comprehensive view of one's strengths and areas for improvement. It helps leaders understand how they are perceived and identify opportunities for growth.

"It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyse it and appropriately act on it." Stephen Covey

4. Complementary Skills: For each core strength, there are several complementary skills that can be developed to enhance overall effectiveness. The authors provide a step-by-step process for identifying these skills, which can range from interpersonal abilities to strategic thinking. By developing these complementary skills, leaders can amplify their core strengths and become more versatile and effective.

5. Unique Value: By developing these complementary skills, individuals can make themselves uniquely valuable to their organisations. The combination of core strengths and complementary skills creates a unique profile that sets leaders apart from their peers. This unique value proposition makes them indispensable to their organisations, as they can contribute in ways that others cannot.

The relevance of this for local government.

We are undergoing a massive reorganisation within local government, not only with local government reorganisation but also in the manner in which embrace technology to challenge the way we do our jobs and deliver our services. With both of these factors, captured under the banner of transformation, it is important that you protect yourself. Whether you stay within local government and are looking to progress as far as you wish to, or you are looking to understand what opportunities exist outside of local government should redundancy take place, this five stage approach gives you a tool kit to make yourself a key asset for whomever you decide to work for.

Applying the Principles

I want you now to work through the following key steps. It will be individual to each person doing this, but you can take these steps and give them to those who you manage or mentor, as a guide for them to also work towards making themselves indispensable and super charging their potential.

"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice." - Anton Chekhov

The key steps that you need to undertake are:

Identify Core Strengths

• Conduct Self-Assessment: Reflect on your past achievements and areas where you consistently excel.

• Seek Feedback: Use formal methods like 360-degree evaluations or informal feedback from colleagues and community members to identify your key strengths.

• Document Strengths: Create a list of your core strengths and review it regularly to stay focused on these areas.

  
  

Develop Complementary Skills

• Identify Complementary Skills: Determine which skills can enhance your core strengths. For example, if you excel in policy analysis, consider improving your communication skills.

• Create a Development Plan: Set specific, measurable goals for acquiring these complementary skills. Include timelines and resources needed.

• Engage in Training: Participate in workshops, courses, or mentoring sessions to develop these skills.

• Practice Regularly: Apply these skills in your daily work to reinforce learning and improvement.

  
  

Leverage Feedback

• Establish Feedback Channels: Create regular opportunities for receiving feedback, such as monthly check-ins or anonymous surveys.

• Act on Feedback: Analyse the feedback to identify areas for improvement and adjust your development plan accordingly.

• Track Progress: Keep a record of feedback received and actions taken to monitor your growth over time.

  
  

Enhance Collaboration

• Build Relationships: Foster strong working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and community members.

• Participate in Team Activities: Engage in team projects and collaborative efforts to broaden your skill set and learn from others.

• Share Knowledge: Offer your expertise to help others and encourage knowledge sharing within the team.

Increase Impact

• Combine Strengths and Skills: Use your core strengths and complementary skills to tackle complex challenges and contribute to significant projects.

• Show Initiative: Proactively identify opportunities to apply your skills in ways that benefit the organisation and community.

• Measure Impact: Regularly assess the outcomes of your contributions to ensure they are making a positive difference.

Conclusion

By diligently following these steps, local authority officers and members can significantly enhance their effectiveness in their roles. Identifying and building on core strengths allows individuals to leverage their natural talents and areas of expertise, creating a solid foundation for professional growth. Developing complementary skills further amplifies these strengths, enabling officers to tackle a broader range of challenges with increased proficiency.

Regularly seeking and acting on feedback ensures continuous improvement and adaptation to changing circumstances. This proactive approach to personal development fosters a culture of excellence and responsiveness within the organisation. Enhancing collaboration through strong relationships and teamwork not only broadens individual skill sets but also strengthens the collective capability of the team, leading to more innovative and effective solutions.

Ultimately, by combining core strengths with complementary skills, local authority officers and members can become indispensable assets to their organisations. Their unique value proposition will enable them to contribute more significantly to local governance and community development, driving positive change and fostering a more resilient and dynamic community. This holistic approach to personal and professional development ensures that officers are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of their communities and make a lasting impact.

This blog post was sponsored by RPNA, who help local authorities to deliver projects and implement changes efficiently. They offer expertise in areas like leadership, wellbeing, technology, and commercial acumen, ensuring excellent value for money and meeting key priorities.