First Hired, Last Fired: How to Make Yourself Indispensable in an Age of Downsizing, Mergers, and Restructuring [Hardcover]

Robert M. Bramson (Author), Susan J. Bramson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

This book reveals what makes an employee vital to employers so that readers can adopt these job-saving strategies and characteristics. The indispensable employee comes to life with authentic anecdotes and examples that will prove helpful to those looking for career growth and stability.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Truth is, after reading the Bramsons' treatise on indispensability, users just might prefer to work their own way, regardless of the consequences. Nonetheless, these seasoned authors (he's the expert who penned Coping with Difficult People) have outlined all the traits of difficult-to-get-rid-of employees, why readers should care, and how to achieve these attributes. In a scientific manner, culling from 57 executive interviews, the Bramsons set about proving their theses--that, yes, there are indispensable workers and, yes, they share common qualities. Some surprises abound in the list of characteristics: a relative freedom from office politics, can-do attitude, flexibility, systems orientation to problem solving, and the like. A few self-exams along the way help shape readers' education; still, many may resolve that the effort isn't worth it in today's tight labor market. Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Contemporary Books (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809231301
• ISBN-13: 978-0809231300
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,654,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked this book, February 9, 2000

By 

Barrry R. Phegan (Larkspur, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Hired, Last Fired: How to Make Yourself Indispensable in an Age of Downsizing, Mergers, and Restructuring (Hardcover)

Successful books usually confirm what we know to be true. I felt that about this book. The authors have over twenty-five years of consulting to companies and observing people in the workplace. They know what they are talking about and it shows clearly. For this book they interviewed more than sixty bosses and coworkers of "indispensable" employees. These "first hired, last fired" people each have at least two but usually more of these six characteristics.

·They see the whole system behind the problem. They don't oversimplify complex issues.

·They don't stick narrowly to their own job but take responsibility for success of the whole enterprise. They act like "owners".

·They are ready to interact with and help others but only in limited ways and only when needed.

·They are cooperative, not competitive with others inside the company. They are relatively free from company politics, tensions and conflicts.

·They have a can-do attitude.

·They are adaptable to change.

In the books first section-"What indispensable People Are Like"-the authors quote liberally from their interviews, painting vivid pictures of the six qualities and how individuals showed them in their daily work. The rest of the book, and its main part, guides readers in "Becoming an Indispensable Person" with many suggestions, exercises and questionnaires to help you become the kind of person others need and like to work with.

But for me the book is a guide enjoying any job. Trying just a few of the suggestions should increase anyone's satisfaction with their work life. The book is down to earth and makes sense. I enjoyed it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are You Indispensable?, September 19, 2004

By 

Star "Personal Legend" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Hired, Last Fired (Paperback)

"First Hired, Last Fired" is a book designed to help one make him or herself indispensable in today's professional environment, where layoffs due to mergers or downswings in the economy are far too common, and the idea of lifetime employment is the thing of the past. The first section of the book contains useful information on the qualities of mind and personal characteristics that people who are considered indispensable in the workplace appear to possess. The second section helps your measure yourself against those characteristics and plan your own program for becoming indispensable. The third section deals with helping you develop those characteristics and qualities that you feel are missing from your repertoire.

I picked up this book just as I started a new job, figuring that I might as well use all the help I can get in setting off on the right foot in my new career. A natural quesiton might arise: why not just work hard, do the job you're supposed to do, meet all the deadlines, etc.? The author argues (and I agree with him) that simple hard work and dedication are no longer enough to make you indispensable. They are just the pre-requisites. After all, how many such hard-working and dedicated people do you know that are either not treated well by their employers or are let go while somebody seemingly much less deserving gets promoted? This is where this book comes in handy, as it spells out exactly which qualities will make you indispensable (and they may not be what you think!).

What I also like about this book is that it's interactive. For example, it provides an opportunity to evaluate yourself on the 18 dimensions of indispensability. Having done that, you get a much clearer picture where you need to do the most work. The book also helps you prioritize your efforts, so that you do not spread yourself too thin by working on too many things at once. Then, it guides you through a series of targeted exercises and recommendations, aimed at ehnancing specific indispensability attributes.

Overall, I found this book to be extremely practical and useful. Although I got my copy at the library, I've already renewed it twice and am now thinking of actually purchasing one for myself - so that I would have it handy for easy reference!