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 Marketing guru and big thinker Seth Godin recently did an excellent podcast interview with Mitch Joel, author of the excellent book, Six Pixels of Separation, in which Godin gives a preview of his new book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (available in late January) They also talked about a free e-book that Godin just published this week entitled What Matters Now, which contains awesome insights from more than 70 big thinkers.
I was so impressed with some of the insights that Godin shared that I felt compelled to let you know about them.
In today's economy, it's not enough just to go to work and blend in with everyone else. In fact, he says that's a recipe for disaster. Instead, you need to be unique, to deliver superior value, to be indispensable - which has a lot to do with being a fluent thinker and creative problem solver. Here's what Godin says about the focus of his new book:
"My goal is to get us out of the work-a-day mindset and into the what's possible mindset, because I think there's a lot that's possible that we're not doing."
I love this concept of "possibility thinking" - it forces you to expand your horizons, to get your brain out of neutral gear and spend some time thinking deeply about the opportunities that lie all around us - if only we have eyes that are trained to recognize them (That, by the way, is the premise of my new Creativity Hacks e-book).
The opportunities to become indispensable to your employer or your clients is greater than ever before. That's because the majority of people have been hunkering down during the last year and a half, working hard, doing what they're told, afraid of rocking the boat. Maybe if they don't attract management's attention, they reason, they won't get laid off.
Godin's counterintuitive insight is that you can increase your job security by becoming indispensable - by delivering skills, experience and insights that no one else can offer. Here's his take on that topic:
"You don't win by being more average than all of the people in your industry. You don't win by becoming more compliant than everyone else who's your coworker. Being more obedient at what you do all day is not going to make you more indispensable.
What makes someone indispensable is that they do something that other people can't do. I think if we're honest with ourselves, most people go to work every day trying not to do that. We go to work trying to be like everyone else because we feel safe. In today's economy, and in the forseeable future, that is the riskiest strategy in the world."
This is what I've been saying for the last month or so. Businesses need fresh ideas like never before, to help position them for the global economic upturn that's coming. And individuals hoping to succeed in the months and years ahead must have what marketers call a "unique selling proposition" - a unique combination of benefits that only they can provide - in order to survive and thrive. This isn't a new concept, by the way. It's something that savvy executives have been doing for many, many years. What has changed is that today's turbulent economy makes the need for it greater than ever.
I don't recall if I have shared this story with you. When an ocean-going cargo ship hits rough seas, where it's at risk of sinking, what gets thrown overboard? Everything that's non-essential to the operation and survival of the ship and its crew.
Companies around the world are forced to be similarly pragmatic. Recessions are a perfect time to weed out the dead wood - to "throw overboard" any non-essential employees who aren't delivering enough value compared to what they're being paid, or who are lazy, unmotivated or simple have bad attitudes about the organization and its leadership.
Don't be dead wood. Be indispensable. Here's how.
And don't forget download Godin's excellent What Matters Now report. It's filled with lots of thought-provoking "idea nuggets" that will whack your thinking in fresh directions. |
