Job Security Systems
When layoffs happen, leadership asks around about who should stay. They talk to managers, check with other departments, and gather opinions about who adds value beyond their job description. The people who would vouch for your work quality matter before anyone asks them for a reference. This isn't
Job Security Systems
Helping an overwhelmed colleague builds the kind of goodwill that matters during layoffs. When leadership considers who adds value beyond their job description, they remember people who helped the team function when things got difficult. This isn't about becoming everyone's problem solver. It's about
Job Security Systems
Cross-departmental relationships matter during layoffs. When leadership decides who stays, they consider who understands how the company actually works, not just their own corner of it. Most people stay within their department boundaries. They know their team, their manager, their immediate projects. When restructuring happens, these people become easy to
Job Security Systems
You're the only person who knows how to export the monthly sales data. You're the only one who understands the workaround for the vendor portal. When you're out sick, work stops until you return. This feels like job security. It's actually career
Job Security Systems
Making yourself valuable at work often comes down to one behavior: offering solutions instead of listing problems. Your manager announced another process change. The team groans. Someone lists three reasons it won't work. Another person mentions the failed attempt six months ago. The meeting stalls. This is your
Job Security Systems
Last week you built documentation habits - work logs, paper trails for invisible contributions, stakeholder maps. You know what you do and who depends on it. This week you make sure other people know too. Visibility without politics means your work gets noticed for the right reasons, not because you&
Job Security Systems
The first two days focused on documenting what you do. Today you document who needs what you do. Your value to the organization isn't just about the tasks you complete. It's about the relationships you maintain, the people who rely on your work, and the gaps
Job Security Systems
Most of your work exists only in your memory and in the results you produced. If someone asked your manager to list your contributions from six months ago, they'd remember the big projects but miss the smaller work that kept things running. This creates a problem during layoffs.
Job Security Systems
When companies make cuts, decisions happen in closed rooms between people who don't see your daily work. They rely on what's documented, what's visible, and what managers remember under pressure. If your contributions exist only in your own memory, they might not factor into