Downside of being the reliable employee

When it comes to the corporate lexicon, being reliable is often lauded as the ultimate professional virtue. And indeed, it is, depending on who you ask. From the perspective of leadership, the reliable employee is the bedrock of that particular department because he or she consistently delivers, requires minimal oversight and manages tension during periods of volatility.All is good; however, beneath the surface of this perceived accolade lies a very strategic trap set by top management, intentionally or perhaps not, but one they would rather not talk about.When an employee becomes synonymous with dependability, they often inadvertently fall into a cycle of diminishing returns. How? Instead of being rewarded with advancement or a salary increment, their high performance is met with an increased volume of work.1. The dumping effectOne of the immediate downsides of being a reliable employee is the subconscious tendency of management to throw everything over to you because, somehow, you will get it done with the least resistance. So, the most difficult, time-sensitive or tedious tasks will be disproportionately assigned to the high performer, aka “you”, because they know you will deliver.Follow The Standard
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on WhatsAppOver time, this reliable employee is overflowing with work, while his colleagues are given stretch assignments designed to build new skills. This leads to a divergence in career trajectories, whereby the reliable worker becomes indispensable while their peers are on the path to the next level because they have the capacity to learn, unlike you.2. Career stagnationIf you haven’t guessed it by now, your career progression is out the door for this very simple reason: you are too good to promote. If an entire department is running on your back, there is no way any manager would want to lose their most valued employee. This is the indispensability trap. While you are being praised in meetings for your top performance, you will be bypassed for promotions because the cost of training a successor is viewed as too high or too risky by the organisation.In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

All is good; however, beneath the surface of this perceived accolade lies a very strategic trap set by top management, intentionally or perhaps not, but one they would rather not talk about.When an employee becomes synonymous with dependability, they often inadvertently fall into a cycle of diminishing returns. How? Instead of being rewarded with advancement or a salary increment, their high performance is met with an increased volume of work.1. The dumping effectOne of the immediate downsides of being a reliable employee is the subconscious tendency of management to throw everything over to you because, somehow, you will get it done with the least resistance. So, the most difficult, time-sensitive or tedious tasks will be disproportionately assigned to the high performer, aka “you”, because they know you will deliver.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppOver time, this reliable employee is overflowing with work, while his colleagues are given stretch assignments designed to build new skills. This leads to a divergence in career trajectories, whereby the reliable worker becomes indispensable while their peers are on the path to the next level because they have the capacity to learn, unlike you.2. Career stagnationIf you haven’t guessed it by now, your career progression is out the door for this very simple reason: you are too good to promote. If an entire department is running on your back, there is no way any manager would want to lose their most valued employee. This is the indispensability trap. While you are being praised in meetings for your top performance, you will be bypassed for promotions because the cost of training a successor is viewed as too high or too risky by the organisation.In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

When an employee becomes synonymous with dependability, they often inadvertently fall into a cycle of diminishing returns. How? Instead of being rewarded with advancement or a salary increment, their high performance is met with an increased volume of work.1. The dumping effectOne of the immediate downsides of being a reliable employee is the subconscious tendency of management to throw everything over to you because, somehow, you will get it done with the least resistance. So, the most difficult, time-sensitive or tedious tasks will be disproportionately assigned to the high performer, aka “you”, because they know you will deliver.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppOver time, this reliable employee is overflowing with work, while his colleagues are given stretch assignments designed to build new skills. This leads to a divergence in career trajectories, whereby the reliable worker becomes indispensable while their peers are on the path to the next level because they have the capacity to learn, unlike you.2. Career stagnationIf you haven’t guessed it by now, your career progression is out the door for this very simple reason: you are too good to promote. If an entire department is running on your back, there is no way any manager would want to lose their most valued employee. This is the indispensability trap. While you are being praised in meetings for your top performance, you will be bypassed for promotions because the cost of training a successor is viewed as too high or too risky by the organisation.In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

One of the immediate downsides of being a reliable employee is the subconscious tendency of management to throw everything over to you because, somehow, you will get it done with the least resistance. So, the most difficult, time-sensitive or tedious tasks will be disproportionately assigned to the high performer, aka “you”, because they know you will deliver.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppOver time, this reliable employee is overflowing with work, while his colleagues are given stretch assignments designed to build new skills. This leads to a divergence in career trajectories, whereby the reliable worker becomes indispensable while their peers are on the path to the next level because they have the capacity to learn, unlike you.2. Career stagnationIf you haven’t guessed it by now, your career progression is out the door for this very simple reason: you are too good to promote. If an entire department is running on your back, there is no way any manager would want to lose their most valued employee. This is the indispensability trap. While you are being praised in meetings for your top performance, you will be bypassed for promotions because the cost of training a successor is viewed as too high or too risky by the organisation.In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Over time, this reliable employee is overflowing with work, while his colleagues are given stretch assignments designed to build new skills. This leads to a divergence in career trajectories, whereby the reliable worker becomes indispensable while their peers are on the path to the next level because they have the capacity to learn, unlike you.2. Career stagnationIf you haven’t guessed it by now, your career progression is out the door for this very simple reason: you are too good to promote. If an entire department is running on your back, there is no way any manager would want to lose their most valued employee. This is the indispensability trap. While you are being praised in meetings for your top performance, you will be bypassed for promotions because the cost of training a successor is viewed as too high or too risky by the organisation.In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

If you haven’t guessed it by now, your career progression is out the door for this very simple reason: you are too good to promote. If an entire department is running on your back, there is no way any manager would want to lose their most valued employee. This is the indispensability trap. While you are being praised in meetings for your top performance, you will be bypassed for promotions because the cost of training a successor is viewed as too high or too risky by the organisation.In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

In that scenario, your reputation for excellence becomes a prison cell, tethering you to a role you have long since mastered.3. Lack of boundariesSince you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Since you have shown everyone at work that they can rely on you no matter what, this can lead to the erosion of professional boundaries. Because you are the person who “always says yes” or “gets it done”, you become the default contact for after-hours requests and favours, including some that fall outside your job description. And before you know it, you develop active burnout, fuelled by the positive reinforcement of being “needed”.The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

The psychological toll of being the one who gets it done adds to your mental load, eventually degrading your cognitive performance and stifling the creative energy required for high-level strategic thinking.4. The competence trapNow that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Now that you have shown everyone that you are the reliable “fixer”, your time will be largely spent in reactive mode because it is you who is called upon to solve crises, clean up after less competent colleagues, or manage urgent tasks. This trap causes you to become specialised in solving the company’s current problems at the expense of developing future-proof skills that could help you rise the career ladder or consider a different career path in another company.While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

While you are busy being a “hero”, the industry may be pivoting towards new technologies and methodologies that you have no time to catch up on. Before you realise it, your external marketability has stagnated because your CV is filled with fires extinguished rather than innovations led.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

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