How to confront lack of recognition at work ?

It’s true that ROI of actions can be tough to calculate at times, mainly through the variety of tasks, but this isn’t an excuse, to not express the gratitude one deserves. Are you yourself experiencing lack of recognition at work? Here are some tricks to use:

Begin by showing gratitude to yourself

If nobody shows you gratitude except yourself, it’s a start. The feeling of having worked well, brings along personal satisfaction which is important. Learn to appreciate your own efforts, and don’t hesitate rewarding yourself with some chocolate as it never killed anybody. In short, the idea is to regain control and congratulate oneself properly and not (completely) depend on gratitude from others.

Be grateful towards others

You yourself should be grateful with the work of your superior and your colleagues. Show recognition to good colleagues, those who help you on a daily basis, who trust you etc.…Who gives, receives! Moreover, it’s possible that your superiors/colleagues receive less recognition than you, so don’t be stingy with the appreciation, be generous. You can even congratulate your colleagues in public: a more intense effect. However, don’t go overboard, otherwise you’ll pass off for the hypocritical one in the department. 

Ask your boss for advice

Asking your boss for advise helps the latter to be supportive. He or she will feel flattered by the reliance. Trust will settle down and when your boss notices that you have been using his advice, it’ll be much easier for this person to show you the recognition you deserve. 

Highlight the result of your actions 

Ok, as we already said, the return on investment of the actions of an Office Manager can be tough to calculate at times. But there should be some figures, that you can point out, right? For example, the savings your company made due to you, as you changed services providers with consumables? 

Or the time that everyone saved, due to you as you reorganized the process of expense report management? Maintain a management chart in which you take good note of the performance indicators, which you can measure. In fact, you can use this management chart to negotiate your next raise.

Moreover, being shy or introverted doesn’t necessarily help highlighting the results of your actions. Work on your self-confidence and don’t hesitate talking about the various actions you implement, topics on which you work etc.…It’s all about balance, make sure you remain humble otherwise, the opposite will take place: one won’t compliment you, out of fear that you get a big head. 

Ask for feedback at work

You could ask your superior for feedback, concerning your actions. This way, he or she won’t be able to ignore the work you’ve done. You’re the one asking the latter for his or her opinion. You can discuss together, and possibly your superior could tell you the areas to improve, if he feels like it. Though, avoid asking your superior for advise on the file that you forgot about, after going back and having 3 glasses of wine: try to stack all odds by your side.  

Talk to your boss

If you’re really suffering from lack of recognition at work, how about simply discussing this problem with your boss? Break the ice and establish communication. You can remind the latter that a simple “thanks” or “you did a good job” could go a long way with your work and motivation. If this person is genuinely a manager, he or she should listen to this argument. 

Change jobs

If you’ve tried out everything and despite all this, you’re still suffering from a real lack of recognition at work, perhaps it might be time to change jobs. Recognition nurtures self-esteem, so if your boss and your colleagues aren’t capable of showing recognition at work to you or others, walk out and look for another company where the word thanks, is part of the everyday vocabulary.