At KFC we used to have a saying about “climbing the accountability ladder.” The higher up on the ladder you are, the more you are taking ownership of a task or project. Some people don’t like climbing the ladder. Because it’s so much easier to provide excuses why not, rather than doing whatever it takes.
The thing is that the world has gotten pretty rough. Once upon a time, all you had to do was show up. And if you showed up long enough, you got a gold watch or a recliner or even a cruise. Now showing up is not enough. The pendulum has swung 180 and you need to go for indispensability.
Indispensability is about your peers trusting your word and having a very high degree of confidence that what you promise you will deliver. And deliver means not just ticking the box but executing with excellence. Only indispensable people get to keep their jobs. And that’s the new gold watch.
