Devan Moonsamy

In the office environment we are no strangers to doing hard work and not having it noticed. It is perhaps one of the biggest lessons we learn as we navigate through our careers. Doing the hard work is not enough we have to make sure that management knows about it too.

Maybe bragging about it is not your style and you worry that it might come across as conceited behaviour. But the fact is that the only way we can move forward in our career is by actually being visible. We can’t hide in the shadows anymore and allow others to take credit for our hard work.

The new office operative of working from home has also put immense pressure on making sure that the hard work that you put in is recognised. Working from home has become the most convenient and popular work from. This puts pressure on those who are working from home to ensure their hard work shows.   

We need to move away from the thinking that hard work speaks for itself. Unfortunately, office culture is such that hard work does not speak for itself.

The individual doing the hard work needs to speak out for him or herself. If you find that your hard work is always shadowed and you are never recognised for it then perhaps it is time for a new approach.

Here are a few ways you can try and get recognised for your hard work.

  • Share your accomplishments with others. This will bring up the much-needed discussion around your hard work. You won’t be bragging but rather sharing your accomplishment which will show how you have made progress.
  • Credit others for their work and this will bring up the conversation of recognition for you. One way to get your work noticed is to acknowledge the work of others too. Sharing feedback will get a positive team culture going and it can get your team members to start hyping each other up. This can even get your team mates to give credit back to you.
  • Always keep your boss updated on your progress. You don’t need to be kissing up to management for brownie points but rather ensure you keep them in the loop of you progress. This way when there are meetings you can feel assured that your productivity will be commended.
  • Take on new challenges. Another way to get recognised is to take on more tasks that are challenging. Your team will not only be impressed but feel motivated to try and work just as hard. This will also get management talking about how you are always going above and beyond.

At the same time management must remember that when staff are not recognised for their hard work, they can be left feeling demotivated and despondent. If as management you feel the need to shake things up and encourage more hard work then create incentives and reward staff for their efforts.

Try to have monthly sessions were staff members who are straight up go getters are recognised for their effort and role in enhancing the workforce. The time has come to change office culture from an environment that just wants deadlines met to an office that value hard work.

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET
College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That
Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training
Institute.
The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills,
computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity
management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To
book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact
details below.
Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |
Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za |
Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za | www.devan-moonsamy.co.za