Career Book Review – 101 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work by Carol A Silvis

Today’s workplace continues to evolve, becoming more mobile and individualized. Employers are looking for smart professionals with a positive attitude, determination and motivation to meet their needs. Tighter job markets require you to have a plan for career achievement.

The following is the last of three articles summarizing the “101” career books published by Course Technology. A different author highlights what it takes to achieve professional success in the 21st century for each book. Here, it’s businesswoman and educator Carol A. Silvis. Her book is titled 101 ways to make yourself indispensable at work.

For more than two decades, Silvis has trained adults on how to get a job, keep it, enjoy it and get ahead. She has a master’s degree in Adult Education and is an associate director and department head at a leading business institute. She also gives talks and workshops to organizations on a variety of business topics.

In the opening, Silvis lists the 101 ways to become indispensable at work, for easy reference. Nine chapters classify his advice with his brief and important message.

Chapter 1 is titled “Beating the Competition.” Among its eight pointers are:

  • Get a competitive advantage. You need a competitive edge to keep your job and get promoted in a tough economy. If you’re not getting the results you’d like from your job, consider leaving. Does it stand out among the company’s employees in a positive way? Do you need to make any changes in your behavior, work habits, and productivity to become an outstanding employee?
  • Be self sufficient. Self-reliant employees free up the boss so they can attend to other business. Once he is trained, he knows his duties and how to perform them, do the job with minimal supervision. Trust your own judgment and abilities. “Having the ability to work independently prepares him for promotions by demonstrating his self-reliance and confidence,” says Silvis.

“Develop positive work habits” is Chapter 4. Here, sixteen tips include their message.

They include:

  • Give a good day’s work. While you’re at work, do your job and give it your full attention and effort. Complete assigned tasks with efficiency, accuracy, and convenience. Look at others doing similar jobs and compare your productivity to theirs. Is there a way to measure your output compared to workers in similar jobs? Do you achieve more than them? Are you as accurate as them? There will be days when you feel tired, irritable, or bored. The professional overcomes these feelings to continue doing his job to the best of his ability.
  • Do not complain. Enthusiasm is contagious; unfortunately, so is complaining. If you have a legitimate problem or complaint, you should try to come up with a solution when you bring it up with someone who can do something about it. Avoid the constant complaining mode by looking for the positive in any given situation. Fear of layoffs or business closures during economic downturns can put undue stress on employees who are worried about keeping their jobs. Negative comments and complaints only increase anxiety and make the situation worse. Therefore, it is extremely important to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude.

Jay Miletsky, author of “101 Ways to Successfully Market Yourself,” credits Silvis Chapter 8; “Strategies for Success,” which he uses in its entirety as Appendix F. Key tips include:

  • Learn how to advance within the company.
  • Being a Representative par Excellence.

Chapter 9 concludes the book and is titled “Have a Plan.” His eight tips include:

  • Set personal goals. What do you want to achieve in your life? What is your motivation for what you want? Without clearly defined goals, your path to success will be uncertain. Set short-term goals that start from the day you create them through the first year or two, and set long-term goals that cover anywhere from five years to your entire life. Set the bar higher than where you are now and surpass what you have already achieved. When setting personal goals that work to increase your job satisfaction and advancement, make sure they align with your career aspirations.
  • Be aware of office politics. Anywhere people gather, politics will come into play, which is especially true in the workplace. It’s the way people interact. “A lot of people try to avoid ‘playing office politics,’ but it’s almost impossible to do because it’s about people,” says Silvis. There is a good side and a bad side to office politics. To stay on the “good side” be sincere, honest, trustworthy, helpful, and personable.

Self-assessment exercises and forms throughout the book promote critical thinking, stimulate creativity, and identify areas where improvement will enhance your career success.

With 101 tips, it’s inevitable that you’ll see your own work behaviors reflected, both good and bad. Read Silvis’s book and you’ll come away with a fresh perspective on the workplace and his role in it.

“101 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work” is invaluable reading for new and veteran workers alike. Along with Course Technology’s “101 Secrets to Career Success” by Rashika Fernando and Jay Miletsky’s “101 Ways to Market Yourself Successfully,” they form an influential triad of career-based reading. One or all three books would make a great gift during upcoming holidays, birthdays, or graduations.

Employers could benefit from purchasing Silvis’s text in bulk for distribution to employees. However, consider starting a business book/book talk library at work and include Silvis’s text in the collection. An open discussion among workers could lead to a rejuvenated awareness and focus in the workplace.

Hard times or not, “101 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work” emphasizes the workplace agreement to be compensated for an honest day’s work.

To view all Course Technology books, including Professional, Technical, and Reference, visit http://courseptr.com/.

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