The Third Zone

Specialists in Organizational and Executive Leadership

  • Home
  • Our Team
  • What We Do
  • Successes
  • Blog
  • Reading
  • Contact

Oct 19 2022

Grit …. the Secret Sauce of Thriving In A Post-COVID Work World

 

GRIT SIGNA few years ago, I was referred to a book entitled ‘GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance’ by Angela Duckworth.  The author makes her convincing case for the role that one’s grit plays in what we are able to truly accomplish.  This is clearly differentiated from ‘natural talent’ or ‘superior intellect’ in any specific area.  Rather it is fueled by our sheer drive and determination to achieve whatever our passion … one that might be aided by, however is not dependent on, any obvious or natural talent.

For the past three plus years lives in general and certainly in our working world have been seriously impacted.  It has created our need to adapt, juggle and learn to function in our COVID- related reality. Our challenges have been exacerbated. Thus, it seems very beneficial to consider the development of true grit and consider how this could help us thrive in today’s ‘new normal’.

 

fence obstacleThere have always been some who have placed or at least seen obstacles that stand between them and what they truly desire to achieve.  Perhaps we don’t believe we have the ability. Or, maybe we see a lack of ‘natural’ talent that will allow us to pursue the dream.  Thus, we move onto something else.  In a way, we have allowed our passion and avid interest to be hijacked by self-doubt and insecurity.

To understand how finding our ‘gritty’ self could help in today’s ‘normal’ we need to understand the personal beliefs of one having grit:

  • Success is driven by effort over talent
    Grit is a far more reliable predictor of success than intelligence. If you have grit, you’re brave and strong enough to do what it takes to succeed in business and life. It’s a powerful force that allows you to stand out from the crowd even though your skills may not be exceptional. Professor Duckworth finds that grit — defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals — is an important predictor of success. In fact, grit is unrelated, or even negatively correlated, with talent. 
    How to make it work for you: It takes more than talent and it takes more than skill.  It takes effort. Without effort, even the most skilled and talented people in the world will never accomplish anything.

  • Effort must be accompanied by a true sense of purpose

     

    purpose signSkill alone without grit leads to being satisfied with what one considers ‘good’. One may have the talent, however, without one’s heart being in it they eliminate the grit ingredient.  They are not motivated to go beyond what can easily be achieved with their talent alone.
    How to make it work for you: Take the time to connect with your higher purpose. Purpose will require you to find value in yourself and discover how you can contribute to the well-being of others.

  • Never stop in one’s drive toward continual improvement
    A grit mindset never forgets that there are always opportunities to improve, no matter how good you may already be. This way of thinking gives people a leg up when confronted with an obstacle because defeat is never the default. A setback is not looked at as an opportunity to improve themselves; instead, it unfolds as their new path. 
    How to make it work for you: Once you’ve found a pursuit that fills you with purpose, put in the work to get better at it every day. Compete with yourself so that you’re a bit better today than yesterday.

  • Learn to fail well

     

    fail way to success scrabbleTrying a new approach or solution can’t be viewed as failure. Rather each such experience brings us closer to finding a solution. View failure and trying again was simply part of the learning process. Failure presented a “problem” to be worked out and it was often a game of trying something new that might work.
    How to make it work for you: Look at your failure as fertile training ground for future improvement. List everything you learned from the experience. List all the insights and lessons gained as well as all that went wrong, and why. It’s only a painful memory if you don’t grow from the experience.

The past few years have clearly added challenges for anyone part of most any type of organization or business.  The advantages to those who have found their ‘grit’ is that they have called forth their determination and perseverance.  In no way does this mean success comes easy to them. In fact, the opposite is more likely to be true. They may face extreme challenges and hurdles while working towards their goals. But what makes them different from the non-gritty is that these challenges don’t hold them back.  They display …

  • MORE CONFIDENCE … IMPROVED FOCUS … LEARN FROM MISTAKES

So do you buy this?  Can you see how developing more grit can help you both adapt and thrive in today’s changed environment?  Then you might find these four grit related ingredients to be worthwhile additions to your diet.

  • Get out of your routine
    Challenge yourself. If you’re comfortable, you’re not doing enough to move forward.
  • Understand the ‘why’ related to the goal you work toward
    Knowing your reasons for the goal you have established will help both remain focused on it and maintain your eye on the prize.

  • Check in with your feelings
    Ignoring them or paying them too much attention can hold us in place. Learn how to recognize and validate and process them and respond as needed.
  • Know and accept that you can’t control everything

     

    cant control all puzzlePart of grit is knowing what to do when things don’t go according to plan. When it comes to working towards your work goals with grit, it’s not about the cards you were dealt. It’s how you play them. Rather than focusing on the end goal, set smaller goals. Persevere through them and finish strong.

Bethaney HamiltonCoinciding with my reading Duckworth’s book on Grit were stories of two individuals who defied the logic and odds in achieving their individual success and achievement. The first was Bethany Hamilton.  She was an avid surfer and at the age of 13, lost her entire arm to a shark while practicing her sport.  Of course … the game was over for most however not for her.  With undeterred drive at the age of 26, she placed 3rd in the World Surfing Women’s Pro League competition in Fiji.  And, this as an unseeded ‘walk-on’. Surfing minus one full arm and placing among the winners goes against the grain of conventional wisdom.  For us maybe, however for Bethany, simply a little obstacle.  Her magic ingredient?  It has got to be grit to the nth degree.

The second example involves 26 year-old Nyle DiMarco.  He is totally deaf and has been since birth into a family of 25 other deaf members.  He had won a dance competition on the TV show … Dancing with the Stars. That’s right. He won and he doesn’t hear a solitary sound.  That he actually dared to even enter is admirable and yet he went on to WIN!  From what I’ve read and although total deafness is the only thing he has ever known, it hadn’t stopped him from it graduating a university or traveling the world on his own.  Enter and win a dance competition … why not?  Sheer grit!

Think about it.  Nyle or Bethany didn’t win a dance or surfing trophy because it made any logical sense … to us. Neither of them have all of the physical attributes to obviously support their skill and drive.  Yet what they did have was their daring grit that fueled their passion and propelled them forward … initially to try and ultimately to win.  They simply refused to be defined by what others would see as obvious limitations.

secret sauceIf ever there was an appropriate time to find our inner grit, it seems so valuable a drive and skill to be activated and developed now.  For most it is just a matter of mindset rather than overcoming physical limitations.  Making this our personal new normal becomes our personal secret sauce for success.
Mike Dorman

P.S. Are you interested in seeing where you fit on the Grit Scale developed by Professor Duckworth?  Click here: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/

Written by Mike · Categorized: Uncategorized

Oct 19 2022

COVID Fades … Quiet Quitting Surges

COVID is on the wane and likely the result of more people being vaccinated and boosted.  At last … finally.  However, there is a new resulting twist and although not new to the working world, it does have a new name.  It’s called ‘Quiet Quitting’ and is impacting numerous businesses and throughout the organizations. A very recent Gallup poll found that about half of US workers could be described as “quiet quitters,” meaning they fulfill their job description but are psychologically detached from their work.

silent dog pix

Although it sounds like it refers to someone resigning from their position, it is not that. Rather, it describes a person pulling back from the hustle culture of going above and beyond what a job requires. COVID is given as the motivation and clearly it upended employees’ priorities and companies’ workplace policies. COVID has resulted in what is referred to as the ‘great resignation’. This saw over seventy-one million people leaving jobs within one year … April 2021 to 2022.  it is also the force behind the employee who stayed at their job and yet made the conscious decision to do the bare minimum to satisfy their job requirements … or Quiet Quitting (QQ).

balance life

One contributing reality was the remote work environment that accompanied the pandemic.  It helped to put the spotlight on a work-life balance.  As workers learned to adapt to this it also allowed them to appreciate and even enjoy this outlook on life.  It is one that many felt they had been missing.  And, along with this appreciation, came the awareness that their leaders were less focused on the balance aspect. They just appreciated those who went above and beyond. Although the individual team members were still fulfilling their job responsibilities, they were much less inclined to buy into the ‘work is life’ culture. Enter the clash of these two mind-sets.

What are signs of quiet quitting that leaders can see as indicators of this?  There are several:

  • Scheduled meetings that a person does not attend … although they were expected.
  • A noticeable reduction in one’s productivity measure in daily output or as related to a team project.
  • Unreliable attendance most often demonstrated by ones’ arriving late or leaving early with regularity.

  • Feeling less attachment to or interest in team projects … wherein the overall success requires this from all to maximize success.
  • Failure to be an active participant in needed planning.

    bored dog

  • An overall lack of interest, passion or enthusiasm related to the expected and needed work.

There are three questions that company leaders should be asking themselves.  First is ‘what do the employees want from me in order to reverse this current trend?’  Here are some key desires and needs:

  • The manager’s ability to build a relationship with their employees where they are not counting the minutes until quitting time.
  • The manager’s ability to balance the push for results with a concern for other’ needs.
  • The manager’s ability and drive to create a work environment that is a place where people want to go the extra mile. All giving 110% the efficiency and results are elevated.

    celebrating workers

  • Making certain the one’s reports clearly know that they and their work is both valued and appreciated. This enhances ones’ motivation to be actively engaged and thus, ones’ lack of this receiving this leads to QQ.

Another question a leader needs to consider and explore is ‘what habits must I incorporate into how I work with my reports in order to reverse this disruptive trend?’

  • The initial question considers when examining those reports that one feels are demonstrating QQ is whether this is a problem with the direct reports. Or … is it with me and my leadership abilities?
  • Take a hard look at your approach toward getting results with your team members. When asking your direct reports for increased productivity, do you go out of your way to make sure that team members feel valued? Open and honest dialogue with colleagues about the expectations each party has of the other goes a long way.

    trust blocks

  • Question the degree to which you as leader demonstrate the trust conveyed to the employee. This is the number one behavior that impact the reports willingness to be an active team participate.  When trust is present, they also presume that their manager was concerned about them and their well-being. Trust is conveyed with these three components:
    • The positive relationships with all of ones’ direct reports. This means the leader enjoys connecting and enjoy interactions with them.  With some this is easier than with others however looking for and discovering common ground will build mutual trust.
    • Consistency in being totally honest and delivering on what has been promised are ways to earn the desired trust.
    • Demonstrating ones’ expertise through being current on all aspects of the work is necessary. Knowing that your opinions and advice are trusted and provide a clarity and a clear path forward further trust.

The third question for a manager/leader to ask themselves is ‘what are the ways I can manage QQ’ that can improve both employee happiness and protect workplace productivity?

  • No Sunday emails. This may be an attempt to get a head start on one’s week however it serves to elicit anxiety, stress, and resentment. It’s a firestorm.  Then sure otherwise wait until Monday.
  • No weekend work. The firestorm strikes again?  Then sure and understandable however firestorms don’t occur often nor should the request for weekend work.
  • Reduce the number of meetings and their length. Meetings should be work sessions or about strategy—not status checks. Managers need to ask themselves why they are calling for a meeting and whether it is truly productive.
  • Limit workplace “fun activities”. For all that has been written and suggested about allowing for a fun time with the team remember that many workers want to do yoga and have happy hour on their own time and with their own friends. Don’t go overboard.

    goals typewriter

  • Set goals based on achieving milestones and quality of work. The fact is that with remote working you can’t know if your employee is working a full week or full days, but does it matter? If they know what is the assignment is and when it is due and the work is top-notch, isn’t that enough? 

Here’s the bottom line of this surge in Quiet Quitting. There is going to be an employee who is unhappy or not doing adequate work.  This being the case parting ways is the right decision, especially with those who spread negativity and disharmony throughout the team. Quiet quitting can affect other employees who might still want to give 110% and move up through the company. While workers may have the desire, and the right, to be happier in their jobs than in the past, they don’t have the right to have a detrimental impact on their employer, especially when that employer is a smaller business.

 

shh signLeaders need to willingly accept the confront the reality of the QQ surge. This means altering their actions and incorporating things that are important to their reports.  In doing so they will have successfully transitioned into a leadership style that is prudent in today’s business environment. And, will help to silence the form of ‘quiet quitting’ currently gaining steam with undesirable and unwanted impact.
Mike Dorman

Written by Mike · Categorized: Effective Leadership, Leadership, Uncategorized

Aug 17 2022

Emerging from the Intrusive EMAIL Nightmare at Work

One’s email inbox has been a source of great frustration and complaint at least for the past decade at work.  This has evolved into a challenge that has served to impact one’s productivity and sense of control. The inbox has become something to be dreaded and for many, an obstacle to getting needed work done.

2 much email sign

The problem is simple.  One can’t avoid the inbox as that became and has remained the overwhelming leading communication method within organizations.  And when we consider the past three+ years living under the COVID umbrella, the situation has become worse.  Under COVID and the related remote working, what used to be walking up to another person in the office to get an answer or information we wanted became much more reliant on email to achieve the same purpose.

FLOW SIGN

So, what’s the big deal? The big deal is that it interrupts our being in our ‘flow state’ … a term devised by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura. Flow state describes a feeling where, under the right conditions, you become fully immersed in whatever you are doing. This is when one’s body and mind are fluid and allows us to be totally absorbed by and deeply focused on something beyond the point of distraction.  It feels like time has slowed.  You are completely absorbed by the task at hand and with heightened senses this creates an effortless momentum.  It’s what some refer to as being ‘in the zone’.  When working on something of importance, the resulting focus brings about intensity toward the task.  It leads to a sense of  clarity, and one knows exactly what he/she wants to do from minute to minute.

The problem arises when working in this ‘flow state’ and being productive as needed, along comes our email.  Be it a ‘ding’ from our phone or computer or just conditioning that that has made us feel dependent on the need to check emails, our ability to focus and ‘flow’ is out the window. Therefore, the real question that must be asked is what one can do about this and regain more control over the things that must get done.  Here are some ways to achieve this:

  1. Allocate specific times on your calendar during each day for checking email.
    Treating the email inbox like we treat an appointment or meeting brings the needed structure and related control. This will allow focus on key items that require our uninterrupted focus to complete. It also serves to set boundaries for oneself that, when adhered to will increase a person’s productivity.

    do not disturb2

  1. With times scheduled on one’s calendar, turnoff notifications of incoming mail.
    The dings on phone or computer are no longer needed once committed to a scheduled approach to checking emails. Leaving them in place only serves as a distraction and works against what one wants to accomplish. 
  1. View the email inbox as a place to receive and process messages … only.
    As such there is a commitment to act in some way with each item present. Having several hundred emails in an inbox renders the inbox as useless.  The impact on the individual that allows that to happen is a combination of overwhelm, frustration and anything but productive. 
  1. Create email folders that allow inbox emails to be moved to the appropriate file.
    Sort inbox mail to the likes of ‘urgent response’ … ‘fyi’ … ‘industry info’ or any other category that is meaningful to the recipient. This will enable one to sort the inbox appropriately and reduce the emails requiring response or action that day to be receive the needed focus. This organized approach will provide a sense of control to the user.

  2. Commit to touching an email ONLY once.

    ONE TIME FINGER

    Making this commitment means that when an email is in our inbox, we will take some Thus, we deal with this just once rather than leaving it in the inbox to see repeatedly. We move it to another folder, or we immediately respond to it and it then moved.  Too often it is read … and read … and read only to remain in that inbox.

  3. Apply and follow a 1-minute rule.
    Because you have allocated time on your calendar to this ‘email appointment’ when an email can be responded to and thus managed within one minute … do it. That email can then be moved to a client folder or any other one that is appropriate. 
  1. An email response is not always the most efficient response.
    We have become so email prone that responding in the most efficient and effective way is overlooked. Differentiating as related to what the intention is can lead to communicating in the most effective manner. If the desire is simply to update a co-worker or customer on a situation, emails work well.  If, however, you are looking to get or receive information that will enable you to proceed with your work at hand, a telephone call can prove to be faster and beneficial. 

While email has become the glue that holds companies together, it also is one of our biggest distractions. The statics pertaining to the percentage of time that individuals spend dealing with daily emails is staggering. There is a clear value to any form of email-like communication that conveys needed information without the need to communicate in-person or via telephone. And yet, without self-control and management it can and does have a significant impact on the level of productivity experienced throughout the organization.

sharing an idea with another

Sharing your personal plan with other co-workers might get their interest in taking this challenge for themselves. The issue is widespread throughout most organizations.  If this were the beginning of the new year, taking steps as suggested above would make for a terrific resolution. Of course, there is nothing to prevent any of us from making a mid-year resolution.  Why not?  All will probably like it!
Mike Dorman

Written by Mike · Categorized: Employee Effectiveness, Employee Success, Personal Responsibility

Aug 03 2022

“Seeing Our Own Potential Just Means We Haven’t Done It Yet”

There is much conversation about employees who are leaving their jobs and seeking employment in a different field. Traditionally, people looked to switch careers for the likes of more money, better benefits and more advancement opportunities.  Whereas these are still important considerations they are not the most important ones any longer.  The pandemic forced people to reevaluate what they want from their career.  It provided the experiences that included a different interpretation of work-life balance. It made flexible scheduling an accepted norm and it created changes in the components of a ‘positive’ culture.

winding road

Thus, today, many are questioning what they really aspire to do and achieve in their work careers. They are daring to think about and explore paths that they believe will be personally desirable, fulfilling and rewarding. These paths can be advancing in their current field or going in a different direction. They are exploring the potential of what going to a different direction will require and mean.  And they are acting on the feeling of excitement that accompanies these possibilities.  They are acting on the ‘potential’ that they personally possess and the positive impact on the lives they envision.

graduation cap

As I read much that is addressing this ever-increasing occurrence, I am reminded of the opportunity I had in hearing a commencement address at the University of Wisconsin.  Russel Wilson, the quarterback, as football aficionados will know, has just moved from playing for Seattle to his new team in Denver. Although directed at graduates about to embark on their futures, Wilson made some very valid and important points that apply to any person navigating career ladder.  As you read this, digest it in terms of where you are in your career as related to where you want to be.

Russell Wilson made five key points that I pass onto you.

Point # 1:
Wilson said
… You can’t do it alone. You’ve got to surround yourself with good people … family, friends, mentors.

Ask yourself …Who is a part of the support team that you’ve created and how are you using them to help you achieve your vision of success?  Is there someone missing who can help escalate your growth and gain?

Point # 2
Wilson said
… All of us leave our schooling with the exact same mission: to make the most of whatever talents we were born with. The question isn’t whether you have something to offer to the world – you definitely have something to offer to the world.  The question is how and whether you’ll do it.

scrabble talent

Ask yourself … What talents and capabilities do you feel you have that are not being utilized today?  What can you do to immediately put them on display so that others become aware of them?

Point # 3
Wilson said
… Most of us have potential.  Yet not everyone does what it takes to reach theirs.  The difference isn’t the way the way that we manage ourselves when things go well. When you land the job you want, get the advancement you seek, or you achieve something a little bit earlier than you expected, go ahead and celebrate it, be happy. Enjoy it. But remember that the moments when life tells you yes aren’t the ones that define you. The moments that really matter are the moments when life tells you no. What do you do when life tells you no?  When that happens ask yourself honestly: What am I capable of? And once you know the answer, don’t be afraid to let everyone else know it too.

Ask yourself … What potential do you know that you have that have not been displayed for others to see?  Who needs to know about it thus enabling them to even consider you for jobs requiring these previously unrealized skills?

Point # 4
Wilson said
… When life tells you no, stay ready. Always be ready.

Ask yourself … What skills should I be learning on my own that will make my job ready and able to move into the new role with little effort?  Where can I go to learn them?  We never know when suddenly and unexpectedly the door we are waiting to enter opens and we’re called upon to take that step.  Being ready and focused, we’re totally prepared to grab the opportunity when it appears.

Point # 5

yes sign

Wilson said … When life tells you no, find a way to keep things in perspective. That doesn’t make the painful moments any less painful. But it does mean you don’t have to live forever in the pain. You don’t have to live forever in that no. Because if you know what you’re capable of, if you’re always prepared, and you keep things in perspective, then life has a way of turning a no into yes.

Ask yourself … What previously heard ‘no’ can you use as a positive to motivate yourself to keep the faith and the focus?

dream sign

Russell Wilson was only addressing a graduating class.  That’s certain.  And yet, his words seem very meaningful for those of us excited about and challenged to expand or alter our path.  What is the focus that we dare to explore and pursue? Wilson was traded to Denver as the team for which he played and succeeded for 10 years felt like they needed a change.  What enables him to move with enthusiasm and winning energy is the potential he sees for himself in being successful. It’s his commitment to work hard, surround himself with good people and never stop improving.  As he said in his graduate address, his father often told him … ‘if we can see our own potential, it means that we haven’t done it yet.’  It’s evident that today, many are seeing their potential and that is what is allowing them to pursue their dream!
Mike Dorman 

Written by Mike · Categorized: Employee, Employee Success

Jul 20 2022

Feeling Undervalued at Work? What You Can and Should Do About It!

Who has ever said that moving into a ‘new normal’ is or has ever been an easy transition?  How to conduct a business in general, how to develop an effective hybrid or partially hybrid team is a challenge.  And while this is an ‘in progress’ happening on the part of organizations, employees are becoming more vocal.  About what?  Many increasingly easily express how they do not feel valued and an important part of the business equation.

Unseen sign

Of course, this is not beneficial from any vantage point.  A team member who believes their work and effort is not seen as a valuable contribution to success becomes demoralized and if left unaddressed, digs a path to the door.  My curiosity has me wondering to what extent there is truth and fact feeding this feeling or is the cause more in the minds of the ones experiencing this?  In either case there are actions and evaluations that one can do to alter this course.

To clarify, what does it look like to be valued at work?  There are 4 key factors or measurement tools that are particularly good indicators as follows:

in person conversation

  • Receiving verbal recognition.
    They recognize contributions one is making toward the overall team effort is a strategy used by management. Certainly, this reinforces our sense of the value we bring to the effort.

  • Performance reviews that provide positive feedback.
    These indicate positive ratings for various categories included in the review. These confirm the employee’s success in their efforts to contribute as needed and expected.
  • Receiving fair compensation for one’s work.
    This should reflect for their contribution, skills, experience and learning they have successfully done.
  • Have clarity pertaining to opportunities for their advancement.
    When employees know there is a path to growth and more responsibilities that can earn promotions, they know their skills and talent are valued by the company.

Let’s imagine that you are not receiving some of the above measures of being valued by others and you begin to question your worth.  Here are some key tale-tale indicators that might validate your fear, concern, and actions you can take:

being invisible

  • One sees themself as invisible as their opinions are not taken seriously.
    Perhaps your thoughts are dismissed as unrelated, insignificant or unimportant. Or you hear your ideas passed off by another as theirs. 
    Action
    Consider asking where others see that your thinking and approach went off course.  This approach avoids someone else feeling challenged and the input received can be valuable. 
  • Others on the team consider you the go-to for office work.
    However, you are not receiving the projects/assignments that can result in advancement.
    Action
    Look for and identify aspects of the overall work that the leaders are doing and express your ability and interest in taking this over to their benefit. You may have been put into the category of the go-to person simply because you have always been so willing to respond positively.  You can bring notice to yourself through taking such an active approach.

    micromanagement


    You are experiencing micro-management from those to whom you report.
    This conveys a potential lack of confidence and trust on the part of the ‘boss’’ This can result in one’s diminished interest and passion for the work you are assigned.
    Action
    Point out that you are working to meet the deadline for the work for which you are responsible. Relate that the need to frequently update another as to where you are and undergo an examination of your work at frequent stages impacts your ability to meet the needed deadline.  Ask for input as to what the concern is that leads to this tendency to closely monitor and ask if there is another way that one would prefer you approach the work. 
  • You are doing an excellent job and yet believe you are being underpaid.
    You are acknowledged for the work you do. You are praised for your contribution and your performance review is very positive.  Still, you believe that your strong and valued performance is worthy of salary increase that are seemingly overlooked.
    Action
    Gather factual data related to the money being paid to others performing a similar role.  Perhaps this comes from a trusted associate or someone at another company.  Then, develop your presentation around your contributions, your knowledge and the growth you have done that justifies salary growth.  Talk to the person able to bring about the change you believe is warranted. This could well be a case of the squeaky wheel.  Managers are also busy and are not always sensitive to the needs and desire of those they oversee.

In the overall, it is critical that one communicates their concern pertaining to seeing themselves as undervalued.  Taking these steps will put your thoughts, concerns and desires on the table where they belong before change can happen:

making a list

  1. Make a list of the contributions for which you are responsible.
    Provide very factual evidence of what you have achieved and your contributions to the overall effort of the team, department or organization overall.
  1. Request to meet with your manager.
    Work to find a time wherein both of you will be able to focus as opposed to having a rushed meeting. 
  1. Express your concerns.
    Include your desire to feel of value and feel more appreciation for your contribution.  Share some of the key contributions you have made that warrant acknowledgement.  Share in what ways you feel you are undervalued in your job.
      • No pay increases since you started your current position
      • Little recognition for the job being done
      • Limited or no opportunities for growth
      • So-so performance evaluations
  1. Provide your suggested solutions for this situation.
    Offer your thoughts as to various ways this situation can be resolved as you see it encouraging discussion that leads to improvement.
  1. Increase your visibility
    Get involved in projects or related tasks that are technically outside of your normal work. Find ways to make yourself known as no one will seek you out if they don’t know who you are and what you can bring to the table 
  1. Openly and enthusiastically seek the boss’s perspective.
    You are likely to be discussing an issue about which he has had no knowledge of. By being open to her/his view of your input you show your willingness and interest in finding a solution.  It is the solution that is potentially going to alter your situation for the better.

    self advocacy

  1. Be your own best advocate.
    Being able to speak confidently and directly to the strengths you offer and the related contribution to the overall success is key. If you differ in the way you have been evaluated on any given topic, you are the one to provide your perspective of the difference.  It is likely that the leader will hear and willingly consider your input.

taking steps

Truly feeling undervalued at work is not a place anyone wants to be. There can be a wide range of warning signs that this is the case in your workplace and not all are immediately obvious. When you think you notice any such signs it is particularly important that YOU take action.  Keep in mind that only YOU own your career and the related growth. Do you want change?  Just take needed steps and you open the door to money, advancement and job satisfaction.
Mike Dorman

Written by Mike · Categorized: Effective Communication, Employee Success

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • …
  • 55
  • Next Page »

Our Categories

Contact

Toll Free: (866) 902-3777
Direct Phone: (949) 733-3777





    The Third Zone
    (Headquarters)
    5319 University Drive #212
    Irvine, CA 92612

    Copyright © 2025 The Third Zone

    Powered by Guild™

    Please wait...

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Want to be notified when our article is published? Enter your email address and name below to be the first to know.
    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER NOW

    190220 Ebook CTA image

    Being Thrown Under the Bus:
    What to Do When It happens to YOU in the Workplace

    Chapters include:

    • The Meaning of Being Thrown Under the Bus
    • The Ones Who are Likely to do the Throwing
    • The Impact on the Individuals and the Organization Where Throwing Under the Bus is Tolerated
    • Responding After Having Been Thrown Under the Bus … You Get to Choose
    • How to Minimize the Likelihood of Finding Yourself Under the Bus

      Your Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Your Phone

      Thanks for your message!

       

      Loading Comments...