Make Yourself Indispensible: Seven Ways to Win Your Boss Over with Your Talent

It's not enough to just come to work each day and make sure that your assigned tasks are completed. You have to do more. To be truly indispensible, you have to win over your boss with your ability to handle complex situations, resolve problems, and carry more than your own weight. To achieve this, learn seven key ways to make yourself truly indispensible.

Become the "Go-to" Person

Whether you're the resident expert on something or the most reliable person around, be the one that people come to in their time of need. It's especially important to be the "go-to" person for your manager. If they need technological assistance or a project handled quickly, and you're the first person they call, you've made yourself indispensible. Be good at the things they're not.

Share What You Know with Others

Let those around you know what you know - not by giving away all your secrets - but helping them to see the invaluable knowledge you possess. Or, if you don't have an immediate answer, know where to find it and be willing to conduct the research. Using your knowledge to help coworkers builds your credibility and communicates that you are indispensible.

Bend Over Backwards

No, this doesn't mean that you need to take a yoga class; you just need to be flexible. Be prepared to deal with ambiguity. You might not know exactly what is going on or what will happen next, but if you relax and go with the flow, you will make it easier on yourself and your boss. Embrace change. Be willing to compromise. And, alter your course when asked.

Brand and Market Yourself

Decide who you are and what you want. Get out and meet the right people by networking. Make a good and lasting impression on those you encounter. Don't blend in, but don't overwhelm either. The idea is to stand out for all the right reasons. So, how can you achieve this?

First, figure out what you want to be known for. Are you ready and steady like Betty Suarez in ABC's Ugly Betty? Or, are you the shoot-from-the-hip, quick-thinking solution-finder ala Jack Bauer on FOX's 24? Define what you want to be known for, and market your talents accordingly.

Eliminate, Automate and Outsource

To become indispensible, you need to determine the best course of action from both a personal and company-wide standpoint. Remember: The old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," is only acceptable if you're performing as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, most of us are not.

Closely examine all of your current responsibilities and determine if there's a better way to execute them. For each task you handle, ask yourself:

• Does it need to be done? What purpose does it serve or benefit does it offer? Also, can it be eliminated?
• If it needs to be done, are you the best person to do it? Does it make more sense for someone else in the department or company to take over? Or, should it be outsourced to someone outside of the company?
• Are you performing it the best way possible? Is it being conducted manually when it should be automated? Or, does the current automated system need to be upgraded?

Invest in Your Career

Don't sit back and expect someone to come to you. Step up and do whatever it takes to advance your career. Need new skills? Find the appropriate course to teach you what you don't know. Need more or different kinds of experiences? Find out how and where to get them. Especially in this economy, many people are too concerned with own careers to think about yours. Invest in your profession by looking to the future.

Play Nice

One of the most important characteristics that any employee can exhibit is being a team player. People like working around nice, cooperative individuals. To be indispensible, you have to show both your coworkers and managers that you are part of the team.

When you focus on making yourself indispensible, consider what draws you to other people. What do you admire about your coworkers, bosses and mentors? Once you've determined these characteristics, be sure to adopt and adapt them. You'll soon find that they consider you indispensible, too.