Indispensability is a situation when an employee is essential for the functioning of a company, and his/her absence significantly impacts the overall work.
Some indispensable people are ready to share knowledge and help others. However, that’s not often the case which leads to uncertainty and instability. People who think of themselves as irreplaceable have the attitude of being too important and create issues in the long run. They:
- believe that no one can do the job like them;
- experience burnout due to the number of tasks without being able to delegate them;
- stop learning new skills and acquire new knowledge;
- see that other team members look at them as not part of their team.
The challenges the companies have with indispensable people are also numerous. Although they protect them and give them many benefits, companies prefer not to rely on just a few extraordinary individuals. There are several reasons for that:
- the risk of that exceptional worker leaving the company or going to sick leave without proper replacement;
- the unwillingness of that employee to help and share knowledge with others;
- limiting career growth for other employees;
- creating a lack of team spirit and enthusiasm among other team members;
Companies can prevent this by identifying areas for improvement, investing in all employees and inspiring and encouraging them to share knowledge and delegate. An individual who perceives himself as irreplaceable should work on himself to strengthen his role in the team and his leadership abilities in order to be helpful to others and develop new skills.
