Todd Piche reposted this
Sometimes you're not underperforming. You're just in a workplace that doesn't know how to value what you bring.
I remember watching someone spend years trying to prove themselves at work.
They were dependable, took on difficult projects, helped colleagues whenever they could and rarely complained when the workload increased. Whenever something went wrong, they were usually one of the people asked to fix it.
Still, it never seemed to be enough.
When they completed something well, the conversation quickly moved to what they could have done better. When they took initiative, they were told they were stepping outside their role.
When they asked for more responsibility, they were reminded of the things they hadn't achieved yet.
After a while, they started questioning themselves.
Maybe they weren't as good as they thought. Maybe they weren't working hard enough. Maybe everyone else was simply better.
Then they joined another company.
Nothing about their ability had changed. What changed was the environment around them.
Their new manager trusted them with important work, asked for their opinion in meetings and actually noticed the effort they were putting in.
Their colleagues appreciated what they brought to the team, and they finally had room to do their best work without constantly feeling like they had something to prove.
Within a year, their confidence was completely different.
That experience made me think about how quickly we blame ourselves when a workplace isn't a good fit.
Sometimes the problem isn't your ability. It is the culture around you.
A workplace can either give people the confidence to contribute or slowly convince them that their contribution isn't enough.
That is why workplace culture matters so much. People spend a huge part of their lives at work, and the environment they work in can shape how comfortable they feel speaking up, taking initiative, making mistakes and growing.
Four reflections for leaders:
- Don't make good employees spend years proving that they deserve to be trusted.
- Notice what people contribute before focusing on what they still need to improve.
- Create an environment where people can disagree, ask questions and bring ideas without fear.
- If someone consistently performs better after changing teams, look at the environment before blaming the person.
Sometimes you can give everything you have to a workplace and still feel like you're falling short.
Find a place where your strengths matter and your presence counts.
In the wrong place, even your best may never feel enough. In the right place, people will see your value.
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𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲?
𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝟭:𝟭, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽.