7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Something I came across:
As a private investigator trainee - or an experienced PI who is looking to earn more business - you need to convince others that you're valuable and that your existence alone benefits the client or the boss who signs your paycheck.
"Today's business environment doesn't allow for satisfaction with the status quo. It requires constant growth and change," writes Mark Samuel in his book Making Yourself Indispensable: The Power of Personal Accountability.
"Being indispensable means that you are adaptable, learning and growing with your organization as it changes and evolves...at the end of the day, you are either working to make yourself indispensable or working to make yourself obsolete."
Samuel provides seven tips to help you become the most valuable person to others:
1. Never take the shortcut. Have you known many highly-successful people to be lazy? In order to be truly irreplaceable, you have to work hard. You can't take shortcuts and still expect tremendous respect.
2. Be adaptable, not rigid. Samuel says that being rigid is the fastest way to losing your job. In an age where technology, workplace environment and strategy techniques are constantly changing, the most pernicious thing you can do for your career is to cling on to something from the past and refuse to change.
"The good news about rigidity is that it gives you a sense of control — it is predictable. You understand it, know it, can explain it, and can even teach it to others," he says. "The bad news is that the sense of control is often a false one or temporary at best."
"You can always tell when someone isn't adaptable to change. They demonstrate their paralysis through resistance, advocating for the old way, talking about the "good ol' days," or undermining current change efforts through their lack of cooperation and cynicism."
3. Being a perfectionist will be your downfall. Most people think that being a perfectionist is what they need for success, but, in actuality, it prevents it.
"Perfectionism fosters inaction — waiting until we we can guarantee success before we take action. And this negates accountability and prevents success. We wait for the perfect plan, the perfect decision, and the perfect action that won't fail."
4. Be of service to others without expecting anything in return. Most of us only do things for other people if we get something in return, but a truly irreplaceable private investigator is someone who makes decisions and solves problems for the good of their client, team, and other colleagues.
The more you become "we-centered" rather than "me-centered" the more indispensable you become. Samuel quotes Stephen M. R. Covey's book The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything:
"Trust grows when our motives are straightforward and based on mutual benefits — in other words, when we genuinely care not only for ourselves, but also for the people we interact with, lead, or serve."
5. Be purpose-driven, not goal-driven. At work, you will have goals to achieve, but Samuel says that these goals are often "established without a clear sense of purpose." And since most people are often too busy to go above and beyond their daily tasks, they're not making an effort to produce actual changes. Samuel quotes Daniel H. Pink in his own book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us:
"Substantial evidence demonstrates that in addition to motivating constructive effort, goal setting can induce some unethical behavior."
So don't stress out about finishing every single step you've written down on your checklist or it'll become a never-ending cycle.
6. Be assertive. Life is a game, so play big or go home. Take charge, stand apart and don't be afraid to speak up during meetings for fear of sounding unintelligent or being wrong.
7. Forgive others quickly. "The measure of accountability is based more on how you handle mistakes, mishaps, and breakdowns than on getting everything right all the time," Samuel says. "It's about how fast you can pick yourself up when you fall; how quickly you correct a mistake that you made; that little or no harm comes to your customer, family member, or friend."
End
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When I started my career as a private investigator trainee, I joined the crowd by getting all of the "tools" I needed to ply my trade. Little did I know that my "tool-box" was missing some other very important (but private) tools. Can you guess what those were?
Michael
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
this 7 ways have some truths and goodies..
thank you for sharing,
have many great days
dannyguda
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
This article had many truths in it. It seems as if it is mainly stating to stay on your game at all time and to not get sloppy in your work. This article can apply to many things in life, relationships, work, projects, etc. Thanks for sharing this article
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Does anyone read these before they actually post them?
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ted Menard
Does anyone read these before they actually post them?
Are you referring to the quote I posted in Post #1?
Michael
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
No. And don't take any offense to any replies you get from me. They will not be intended to be rude to you or any other persons posting. My comment was ..... please read your post before you do so as you might be able to do the corrections of spelling and grammer. There is nothing that takes away ones credibility than poor spelling and bad grammer. Professionals use the tools and keys to make sure that does not happen. It also makes them mush easier to read. Thank you !
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ted Menard
My comment was ..... please read your post before you do so as you might be able to do the corrections of spelling and grammer. There is nothing that takes away ones credibility than poor spelling and bad grammer. Professionals use the tools and keys to make sure that does not happen. It also makes them mush easier to read. Thank you !
That makes for better clarity than what I originally read.
One of the items I noticed IPIU recommends is to always use the QUOTE button when answering or referring to a previous comment by another member (like I have done with your comment). And then they recommend to click on the GO ADVANCED button instead of using the Quick Reply. The GO ADVANCED still brings up the quoted post in a Message Box, but it also has other message tools available, including the all-important PREVIEW button to check for grammar and typos before submitting.
And when possible, IPIU recommends using the web browser known as Google Chrome for both speed and free spell check.
Michael
PS: It looks like you used the word "mash" instead of "much". Or perhaps you really did suggest we mush it. (wink)
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Actually "mush" was intentional to see if anyone really read these and would catch the spelling. The word should be spelled much.
My whole blabbing on about the grammar and spelling is based upon the premise that if i were to get a letter or? from some of the persons that post....... there would be a slim chance that I would be hiring them to do case work or investigations where note keeping would be critical. Some other person may at sometime need to read their notes ............. BTW, (never use!!!) and wink, lol, smileys and .... are not used by professionals. Please do not use them when sending a message to me. I was a professional in at least one of my other lives before I became a PI. Thank you , T
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Ted, I love the honesty and I like that this subject was brought up because I for one was terrible at this after I opened up my commercial business a few years ago. I would be moving so fast and then read back my emails and realize I had nothing but typos after typos. After being brought to my attention, I became aware of it and then Ive been looking like a more professional as I was but it was not portraying that from my correspondence, in business clients.
Kim
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kim Collins
Ted, I love the honesty and I like that this subject was brought up because I for one was terrible at this after I opened up my commercial business a few years ago. I would be moving so fast and then read back my emails and realize I had nothing but typos after typos. After being brought to my attention, I became aware of it and then Ive been looking like a more professional as I was but it was not portraying that from my correspondence, in business clients.
Kim
On the forums, always use the Advanced Message box, and then click Preview to review before posting. Practice here makes for a perfect discipline elsewhere.
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Donna Reagan
On the forums, always use the Advanced Message box, and then click Preview to review before posting. Practice here makes for a perfect discipline elsewhere.
Hi Donna
Thank you. Yes. It's been helping a lot. I will continue to practice here, but question. I could not figure out which icon is the "advance" tool button. Please forgive me.
Kim
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kim Collins
Hi Donna
Thank you. Yes. It's been helping a lot. I will continue to practice here, but question. I could not figure out which icon is the "advance" tool button. Please forgive me.
Kim
My mistake. It looks like Technical Support removed what used to be the "Quick Reply", so that now all of the reply buttons (including the Reply with quote) take you to the advanced message box. Right below the area on the right side where you type your message there is a Preview Button to be used before you choose to Submit. Many times the spell check does not pick up on grammar, so just preview your posts before submitting.
Re: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Private Investigator Trainee
yes I do read this as well I find it very helpful because I am new and just starting up my business as well as becoming a member in to ipiu so thank you for shearing this topic with us. Glen Fuller:)
