The Loss of a Linchpin

What happens when an organization losses a Linchpin - The Indispensable?  A person whom you cannot replace, tough to find a person like that to fit in your organization.  If your firm or organization has such a person then think of that person leaving the job.  As a leader, I can only think of nightmares Or You shall see everything falling apart.

You certainly don't want a linchpin to quit their work.  But you only realize Whether an employee is a linchpin when that person quits his/her job.  You start realizing their true value.  You cannot a buy a linchpin off of a Wal-Mart shelf or off a stack of thousand resumes.  They are not a factory worker and they are certainly not a commodity.  So tough to regain those employees with such high value.

So what are you going to do now when that person quits? Or what are you going to do before that person quits?  What if you knew in advance whether your employee is a linchpin or not?  All these questions should help you identify a linchpin in your company or help you identify things you could have done to prevent them from quitting.

You can conduct a regular Linchpin Checkup on your employees to see they are linchpins or regulars.  Below are the few things you can do as a leader to realize what value an employee brings and what you can do to prevent them quit.  Sometimes you will realize that some things were in your control and you could have done.

1.) See what value an employee brings to an org apart from their job descriptions
2.) What are the different people skills that an employee possess
3.) Are they contributing their ideas to save an organization?

4.) Start looking for linchpins within your org and outside
5.) Either make job positions replaceable or make linchpins replaceable.
6.) Give empowerment to Linchpins
7.) Burn your free fuel -Appreciation, Recognition and Encouragement
8.) Start giving Gifts to a linchpin - because they certainly don't work for money.  They are artists and artist love gifts.  Embrace the culture of gifts.
9.) Sometimes simply asking them what they want can solve the problem
10.) Read book "Linchpin - Are you indispensable"  By Seth Godin.This book has transformed my thinking by leaps and bounds on how you can become a linchpin.

I am writing this post because I have witnessed a linchpin quit and some devastating consequences to follow.  This post is very close to my heart.

Losing a linchpin is something you cannot afford in a 21st century because employees will become less dispensable in coming years. 

Identify Linchpin and do the right thing.

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