Can the Boss Survive Without You?

Certain people encounter life-or-death situations on the job: police officers, firefighters, medical professionals, members of the armed forces, miners and others. However, most professionals aren't saving lives. And as important as we'd like to think we are, the average company wouldn't crumble if we walked away from our jobs. The stock market wouldn't crash if we took a weeklong vacation.

Sometimes, though, you get the feeling that your boss can't survive without you. Sure, your boss could go on living without you, but from a professional standpoint, could she be successful without your know-how? Some workers certainly feel this way.

"I am in a position that I am ready to leave as soon as another opportunity arises," says Vandana*. "Every time I go on vacation, even if it's for one day, I come to an office stacked with new inquiries to log in and respond to. Only the bare essentials of my position (responding to direct inquiries, signing in new clients) are completed when I am away."

Vandana says that because her boss expects her to give updates on referrals and inquiries several times a day, the boss knows these tasks need to be done. And as Carrie points out, when she returns from vacation, the workload is piled high, so the boss is functioning well in her absence. Even when she is in the office, Vandana is expected to do more than just her  job, such as working on projects that everyone else has been trained for but no one else is asked to perform.

"I am looking forward to being 'missed' when I can give my notice."

Vinay*, on the other hand, has done his best to be as needed as possible. As a healthcare worker, he wants his boss and patients to rely on him.

"I make sure that in every workplace I go, I make myself visible. Being visible does not only mean physical visibility but leaving your mark with the supervisor and especially the client," Vinay says. In his opinion, when people are asking for you by name and want to meet with you directly, you're indispensible.

After all, who wants to fire the most sought-after, reliable person?

How essential do you want to be?

When you think about how vital you are to your supervisor's daily routine, you have to ask yourself if that's good or bad. Are you invaluable because of your talent or are you just handed every task because you're willing to take everything on? Although you want to be relied upon, you probably want to be valued, not taken advantage of. Even if you're essential to everyday operations, no one's going to promote you if they don't realize what you're doing.

Here are some ways to make your boss realize how necessary you are:

1. Keep a log of your tasks.

You're probably thinking, "I'm already overworked, but you want me to take time every day to document all the work I do?" Yes. For one thing, having a detailed list of your duties is helpful when you're drafting a résumé. Also, when you have a conversation with your boss and he gives you more responsibility, you can talk about your current workload. If you can say, "Yes, I can tackle that, but how should I prioritize these duties?" you can point to your list of duties to show him how full your schedule already is. He might not have realized.

2. Toot your own horn.

If your boss ever asks what you're working on, don't be afraid to explain your latest projects. You don't need to complain and gripe about all your work. Just mention what you're working on, what you just wrapped up and what you have lined up next. Sometimes bosses don't realize how much work their employees are doing and appreciate being kept in the loop.

3. Leave things in order.

Before you go on vacation or take a long weekend, try to make your absence painless -- but make sure the boss knows. Take care of everything you possibly can before you leave and let your boss know that you've arranged for your absence to be as painless as possible. Give her a quick rundown of what steps you've taken and leave any appropriate contact information (either for you or for a colleague) in case something comes up.

4. Don't ask the boss what you should do.

You've probably heard someone say, "Bring solutions -- not problems -- to the boss." The same thing goes for responsibilities. Don't ask whether or not you should take care of this problem -- do it and then tell the boss not to worry about the issue because it's been taken care of. That way you show initiative and you publicize your value.

*Names Changed because these workers are still employed by these bosses.