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Ask the Gen Y Expert: How Can I Get Recognized for My Hard Work?
Featured Author:
Lindsey Pollak
Lindsey Pollak | Excelle
Being new to the workforce isn’t easy. Let Excelle help you! We’re delighted to introduce a new weekly column by venerated Generation Y career expert, Lindsey Pollak.
She’ll be taking member questions each week, on topics ranging from finding your first job, to getting a promotion and managing office politics. Submit your question here.
This week, a community member wants to know how to manage an underappreciative boss and lack of recognition at work.
Dear Lindsey,
I’m a junior assistant at a PR firm, which basically means I’m pretty far down on the totem pole. However, I get the impression my manager sees promise because she invites me to all of the big meetings and keeps me in the loop on projects.
My work speaks for itself – the reports are chock full of my suggestions, recommendations, and feedback. Yet, I have never gotten an ounce of credit or even a bit of praise. She says I’m only there for “support” and only to “gain exposure” to high-profile campaigns. I’m all for paying my dues but a simple pat on the back would be a great morale booster. Instead, this constant take take take without mention is pushing me into a really negative place.
Should I be grateful for the opportunity to take part in these meetings? Am I asking too much to want a little bit of recognition?
Thanks,
Underappreciated PR Assistant
Dear U.P.R.A.,
I totally sympathize. Yours truly was a PR assistant for six months in my early twenties. I had a horrid boss with icky teeth who criticized my every move. And here is what I wish someone had told me back then:
Learning to manage a challenging boss is one of the most important experiences of your career.
There are bound to be many more difficult people in your future. The sooner you become an expert at handling them, the more successful — and happier — you’ll be. Here are some strategies to try:
Do a Reality Check. Are you sure that no one else had the same suggestions, recommendations and feedback you gave your boss for her reports? Is your job exactly what she described it to be when you applied? Are you perhaps receiving more praise than you think? Before making any drastic moves, step back and honestly assess your situation and expectations, especially if you haven’t been in the professional world very long. Hint: work friends and mentors can be a great sounding board.
Step Into Your Boss’s Stilettos. Next, take some time to analyze the situation from your manager’s point of view. Did she pay her dues as a PR assistant? Does she have a demanding boss who takes credit for her work? Politely ask your manager about her previous experiences and observe her behavior with others. When I dug deeper about my mean boss, I learned that her beloved, longtime assistant had departed right before I was hired, so she resented having to train a new person (me). This didn’t solve all of my problems, but it gave me new insight and empathy.
Make It Easy for Her. If you want more praise, you have to make it really easy for your manager to praise you. After a particularly successful meeting, you might ask her to sit down for a quick debrief and say, “Since I’m really interested in improving, I jotted down a few things I’d like to do better next time. Can you let me know if you agree and what things I did well so I can continue doing them?”
Get Your Pats Elsewhere. Ultimately, you may find that your manager is simply not capable of patting you on the back — because no one patted her on the back, or because she’s insecure or because she’s just plain mean. If this is the case, then you have to consider finding your praise someplace else. If you generally like your job, you can cultivate a support network beyond your direct manager and turn to those people for positive reinforcement. If your boss’s lack of appreciation for you seems to be part of a larger company culture, then it may be time to dust off your resume and find a new situation where you’ll feel more appreciated.
Good Luck!
Lindsey
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about 1 month ago
1868 comments
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cjvideopro
almost 2 years ago
54 comments
My second week of work, and at my first weekly department meeting, my boss printed out copies of a press release I had written, handed out copies to everyone and told them he wrote it. I'm sure my face turned bright red. Later I saw that he had taken my press release, changed a few words (making grammatical errors and typos), and tried to pass it off as his own. Everyone knew he didn't write it, and that those weren't my errors. I realized that he must be really insecure, and that would let it slide...this time. Since then it hasn't happened again.
Maxine21
almost 2 years ago
78 comments
Great article!