You work hard at your job. You receive praise. But unfortunately, praise isn't worth much if it doesn't lead to the opportunities you actually want.
In my work as an organizational psychologist, I often meet ambitious people who are caught in this very trap. They perform at a high level but expect their efforts to automatically translate into the next step in their careers. Meanwhile, they are fobbed off with empty praise.
Praise is free
Praise requires no changes—no new tasks, no new responsibilities, no promotion, and no pay raise. A leader can offer praise in the moment and move on, without your situation or the organization having to change one bit.
At the same time, receiving praise feels reassuring and nice. It tells you that you’re noticed and appreciated—and it can make you believe that your manager would give you more if it were possible.
Because you don’t sense any resistance from your manager, you don’t follow up. You don’t want to be a hassle or take up too much of their time. You just want to continue being the person who’s easy to work with and who always gets the job done.
The problem is simply that everyday praise can keep you stuck—right where you are.
Your wishes also benefit the workplace
What you want or ask for—whether it’s a promotion, an exciting assignment, or a raise—may also be in the workplace’s best interest.
If you’re already skilled and dedicated, you can make a bigger difference with more responsibility and influence. And if you’re satisfied with your opportunities, you’re also less likely to look for a job elsewhere.
It’s perfectly fine to be understanding that things take time. But you need to keep following up. Your manager has a lot of other things to deal with and can easily put your requests on the back burner because of other pressing priorities.
Your Actual Bargaining Position
If you're an employee who gets the job done, finds solutions to challenges, and comes to work in a good mood, there's one thing you should remember:
You're stronger than you realize.
That doesn't mean you can get everything you ask for. But you have something to offer: your experience, your commitment, your results, and the value you create.
If you don't express what you need, you'll end up frustrated and insecure one day. The result? You'll decide that your opportunities lie somewhere else entirely.
And it's costly for a workplace to lose talent.
So keep in mind that following up isn’t a burden on your manager. In fact, it’s your way of giving the company a real chance to keep you on.
One last request for you
If you recognize yourself in the above, try to change the mindset that what’s good for you is at odds with what’s good for your workplace.
Think of something you'd like to see happen at work. Identify the mutual benefits, and use them as the starting point for your next conversation with your manager.
It benefits the workplace when you ask for what you want—especially when you contribute something the workplace needs every day.
