Doing Everyone Else's Job

The other powerful thing about being able to do everyone else's job is that you, personally, gain a lot of leverage, and in a lot of different ways. Someone else needs a favor? You probably know how to deliver. Something's on fire? You probably know what to do next, or at least who to call, no matter what's on fire today. Someone isn't budging on something? You might not have any bigger of a lever than anyone else, but you probably know exactly where to position yours, and exactly what it'll do when you apply a bit of force.

It's useful.

And then there's times like getting to charge your client $300/hour to drop stuff off at FedEx. Because you can do that and you're here and you'll get it done right -- no one needs to explain the idiosyncracies of this particular deadline or package contents; you've got it.

Even if that's not normally a senior consultant's job.

Re: Doing Everyone Else's Job

#9

Post by proc0 » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 5:34 AM UTC

distortionfield wrote: post #4

proc0 wrote: post #2

Just work a lot more for the same pay. Great idea.

This is what pretty much every “lifehack” type of tip boils down to, btw lol

I guess I should add "for someone else". In that case it's just bad negotiating skills, but at the same time companies have a lot more bargaining power over individual employees, and it's especially bad in the software industry.

Re: Doing Everyone Else's Job

#10

Post by proc0 » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 5:36 AM UTC

perelin wrote: post #5

proc0 wrote: post #2

Just work a lot more for the same pay. Great idea.

Only if you add the hours for free and dont punch out when you should.

It's not possible to do everything. That's when your coworker that dedicates every waking moment to the job will outpace you and then set the standards.