Who are you taking for granted?

The employee you never worry about. Do they know what they’re worth to you?

Another piece of advice from my wife has stayed with me.

She was a personnel officer at a leading London law firm. When it came to promotions and pay rises, she said, the obvious candidates always got noticed.

But there was someone else you needed to look for.

The quiet person you never had to chase. Never had to check on. The one you could give something to and know it would be done properly.

You probably thought of someone as you read that.

How much time does that person save you? How many problems never reach your desk because they’ve already dealt with them?

Being able to stop worrying about a job is worth an awful lot when you run a business.

Yet reliability can become strangely invisible. You get so used to things being done well that you stop noticing who’s doing them.

So when you’re next considering a pay rise, a promotion or extra responsibility, remember that person.

And in the meantime, tell them you’ve noticed. Be specific about what they do and why you value it.

Make sure the person you never have to chase is someone you’re properly looking after.