Being Invaluable is the Biggest Inhibitor of Your Career

Yes, you did just read that correctly.

in·val·u·a·ble - [inˈvaly(o͞o)əb(ə)l] : ADJECTIVE : extremely useful; indispensable.

When you are invaluable, you know vital information that others on your team don't know. While this means you are critical to the process, it also means that progress can't be made without your presence.

That 1 week vacation you're going on? Be prepared to fight fire once you return.

Work-life balance? Not possible when every problem in the office requires your attention.

People you prioritize will love you. The bottom of your priority list may hate you. Your rate of response will determine the success or failure of others - is this really an attractive working style?

When you are invaluable, the team depends on your presence, meaning that you won't be the recommended name when the next opportunity arises. You are so indispensable that your team can't afford to let you go - even if the opportunity aligns with your dreams of career advancement. Through being invaluable, you have removed your probability of change, even if the change is good and includes upward advancement.

Invaluable-ness is often confused with job security. At the end of the day, knowing the most information can't make up for a bad attitude or not being a team player. Knowing the most information without the effort of sharing that knowledge sets a team up for long-term failure - something that may not be noticed until after you leave - but it will be noticed. Do you really want to leave that kind of destruction in your wake?

Let me be clear that preventing yourself from becoming invaluable does not mean slacking off at work. Being invaluable is the extreme end of being "valuable" and we all know that everything is better in moderation - so let's focus on just being valuable.

This means working just as hard as you are today - but on top of working hard:

• Sharing your learnings with the teammates around you
• Mentoring junior co-workers to understand your knowledge
• Bringing everyone up to speed so that your well-deserved vacation time doesn’t cause turmoil on the team

These are the makings of a team player and I firmly believe that inclusivity, patience, and teaching ability prove a stronger case for job security than being invaluable ever will.

So let's stop using "invaluable" as a compliment and strive to nurture a culture of simply valuable team members who are willing to share the power of knowledge with those around them.