Welcome back to my podcast Scaling Out!
A unicorn is a mythical beast with basically a narwal tusk for a horn and magical powers. Well there are lots of definitions for the term Unicorn as it applies to humans. In the business world, I have heard it used for the rarest of employees, the one the embodies all the traits required to excel at their position. This employee is integral to the ongoing success of the company and losing the unicorn could be the end of life as you know it. Maybe in a group of 100, 1 might be a Unicorn.
Do you think you are already the unicorn?
Do you think your manager would have a panic attack if you said you were leaving? Maybe.
Have you heard your manager say that they wouldn’t be able to live without you? Maybe.
Do you have skills outside of your current role, that others call on frequently – or you find yourself on projects that require double duty? Now we are talking.
Are you assigned to complicated projects & you look around and realize – yeah, there is NOONE here that could do this except me? YES
If you are a unicorn, the world is your oyster. You can really name your (albeit reasonable) price and the organization will do everything in its power to appease. That price might be $, it might be title, it could even mean flextime or all Fridays off. Think about what would make you happy, what your manager could actually provide, and how to make this a win-win for both of you.
What if you’re not sure whether you are or not a unicorn but you just really want to be a one? Train!Train!Train! (No not the choo-choo train, but actual classes.) And then volunteer to do more than just what is in your box of responsibilities. Make yourself INDISPENSABLE!
Are you a manager & you have a unicorn on your team? I will talk about that during my next podcast.
Until then stay safe everyone!
