I have a friend that’s a director that told me that we’re all replaceable.  Her claim is that everybody at where I work, can easily be replaced.

I’ve been thinking about this, and I agree, we can all be replaced… but does the company suffer when they replace the wrong person?

I’ve noticed that sometime a company doesn’t realize the value of their employees.  This is observable with layoffs, I’ve seen instances where employees get laid off, then rehired back and promoted shortly there after.  I’ve seen this happen through the various rounds of layoffs that my place of employment has performed.

A great example is the incredible successful company Apple.  Steve Jobs left Apple and the company just barely slipped by for years.   Then Steve Jobs can back and shook things up, and now they once again are the great company that the were.

Would Microsoft be Microsoft if it wasn’t co-started by Bill Gates?  I don’t think it would!  How about Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway?

Do you think that it’s only the CEO that make a difference?  I know people at work that are rock stars and they don’t even know it.  They have incredible skills, but because they lack social skills, they stay hidden except to those that work directly with them.  Even after getting numerous awards…

Have you even seen hidden invaluable people at work, and it seems that only you realize their worth?  So yes, in the end a person can be replaced, but does the company suffer without anyone realizing it?

Regards,

MR