Artificial intelligence and cognitive computing are redefining jobs and creating a sense of uncertainty among various professionals.
In the future, robots and sensors are expected to hold sway.
Several transactional jobs are likely to be performed automatically and human beings carrying out simple and repeatable tasks are likely to lose their jobs.
There are already signs of this happening.
Take, for example, the sales industry. E-commerce sites, social media, chat-bots and various other digital tools have shortened the sales cycle, reducing the reliance on salespersons.
In several other industries, one finds automated tools making human effort redundant.
In this scenario, what can an employee do to stay indispensable?
Be future-ready
To stay relevant, one has to have the skills that are going to build the future. For example, someone writing software codes or testing them, has to acquire new skills such as machine learning, big data techniques, cloud architecture, mobility and business analysis.
Often, we see the change round the corner but think change is not going to affect us.
However, the process of change, like any other event of nature, happens slowly and one has to be sensitive to one's environment to notice it.
Irrespective of one’s profession-- it may be finance, HR, sales, production, legal, medical care, teaching or singing -- one has to keep an eye on the latest developments in the industry and function accordingly. Reskilling is how one keeps pace with change.
Be an expert
Getting reskilled and certified is not enough. One has be an expert in it; the best in the team as far as the skill is concerned.
One has to be the go-to person in the team on the subject. It is not just about knowing how to do that complex problem, but also about being able to show others in the team how to do it.
Be the big-picture person
Do you see the big picture?
Many of us do not see how our day-to-day contributions make a difference in the overall scheme of things. We think and operate in silos; many of us do not bother much about the targets of the team and the department, let alone the organisation. Missing the big picture can never make one the organisation-man.
Leaders and all other stakeholders in the business always seek to work with people who see the big picture, feel for the organisation, act benevolently keeping the big picture in mind, extend their hand of support whenever needed and walk the extra mile to fulfil the bigger goal. You are indispensable if you are this person.
So, this is the conclusion of the matter.
To be considered indispensable, stay agile in developing new skillsets, apply them at work, let your actions be guided by the organisation's bigger picture and build a strong network within the organisation.
( Aditya Narayan Mishra is CEO at CIEL HR Services .)
