Kev Kennedy's Blog

Your secret weapon

I was recently training someone on an online programme and they blurted out 'This is so easy! Why can't everyone do it.' My response was 'Shhh, you'll ruin the mystique!'

Because that's the key really to maintaining your perceived usefulness in a work environment - if someone else doesn't know how to do something, they will think it's difficult. So, because you can do it, you must be great, right? And in a time of recession your perceived usefulness may be what keeps you in a job.

Ironically, this also works if you deliberately unveil your own mystique at times. If you pass on knowledge, then you become the person who people will turn to when they need to know something. They will assume you are the expert guide, even if in reality you are only one step further along the path than they are.

Maybe you're thinking of self-preservation at the moment. You could do worse than cultivate an air of mystique, and then use your knowledge to benefit others through sharing it with them. Become invaluable and people will want you to stick around.

Created on Mon 7th September 2009 13:46