(1) Assign responsibility without authority. Bill insisted that in order to cast his fishing line, he needed to be in back of canoe. I was to paddle as he cast and trolled his lure. The only challenge is that ability to steer a two-person canoe is handled by person in back. He'd shout directions to me but I had little authority over craft. Frustrated, I wanted to turn around and whack him with paddle. LESSON: If you assign someone a task, put them where they have full control to do what is required rather than hamstring them with your positional authority.

(2) Hire a skill set but don't let employee use it. The Boundary Waters are comprised of many lakes connected with islands and it is frequently necessary to portage canoe to next lake. I have a good eye for reading navigational maps. I would identify portage spot as we approached. On more than one occasion, Bill would insist I was wrong and we'd spend time "looking", only to return to site I had identified. I felt like throwing backpacks up trail. LESSON: If you hire someone with a skill you don't have let them take lead.

In difficult economic times everyone is potentially subject to being “downsized” or “outplaced” – what in less politically correct (mealy mouthed?) days used to be called redundancy.

For some people unhappy with their work this can present a golden opportunity, and also push necessary to go and do what they would really like. This is especially true if they receive a decent financial pay-off. Many will say (with hindsight) that it was best thing that ever happened to them.

However, for majority of workers redundancy is something to be feared and avoided. It can happen at wrong time, without warning, and without much of a financial buffer.

So how to you avoid it happening to you?

Here are 4 suggestions to help you make yourself indispensable to your employer, so that company needs you more than you need it.

1. Become an expert

Become an expert in some essential field of activity. Become THE expert. Get yourself known as first and obvious person to turn to on anything to do with your chosen subject. Read all you can about subject. Speak on subject whenever you are given chance, at meetings and in presentations. Publish internal reports, making sure that circulation list includes top management.

Make sure that your subject is essential to company – to its manufacturing process, to its sales methods, to its essential competitive edge, to its debt collection. Whatever it is, make sure that you are widely accepted as THE expert.

2. Build your contacts