Five Signs Your Boss Takes You For Granted

Dear Liz,

I like my job but I'm pretty sure that my boss "Rachel" either doesn't know or doesn't care that I solve her biggest problems every week.

She can tell that I know my job. I'm always in the office and if I'm not at work I pick up my phone, and our customers love me. I work extremely hard but Rachel is oblivious.

Rachel has never thanked me even when I took on a huge, urgent project, and I have taken on many of them since I started working for her. She has never said "Great job." She has never thanked me for taking on extra work or hitting impossible deadlines.

Emotionally, I don't care. I'm into the technical side of my job and I don't need a lot of external approval.

The reason I'm concerned about Rachel's indifference is because I am not going to succeed, much less move up in this company, if Rachel doesn't see me as a valuable player on her team. What should I do?

Thanks Liz,

Dong

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Dear Dong,

You are right on target --- if Rachel doesn't recognize your contributions, then there is a huge obstacle between you and your goals.

In hierarchical organizations like nearly every company and institution, your boss is the most important person in your world.

If Rachel can be guided to recognize the ways you help her hit her goals and bring honor on your department, that's great. If she simply cannot see and acknowledge your efforts, that's fine too -- but it means you need a more deserving boss!

Here are five signs your boss takes you for granted:

• They email, call or text you with a big, urgent request and you stop everything to take care of it. When you text your manager back to say "I took care of it" you don't get a reply.

• Other managers gush and praise you when you save the day or resolve a complicated problem but your own manager hardly seems to notice.

• When you work overtime for weeks your manager doesn't comment, but if you miss an hour of work for any reason they get mad.

• Your manager confers with and congratulates teammates of yours who accomplish almost nothing while ignoring you.

• Your boss constantly tosses assignments and special requests at you but doesn't inquire what your career goals are or anything else about your needs.

When it hits you that your boss is taking you for granted, you might feel angry or frustrated but there's no need to feel bad.

The fact that Rachel takes you for granted doesn't mean that you're not a great employee. It doesn't even mean that Rachel is a horrible person. We are all learning new things all the time.

It's a simple fact that not every manager will see your gifts.

Rather than waste your precious time and mojo wondering why your boss doesn't appreciate you, you can start planning your next move.

A funny thing happens when you shift your attention away from keeping your boss happy and start focusing on your own career path.

You can do this by updating your LinkedIn profile to showcase your recent triumphs, rewriting your Human-Voiced Resume, re-connecting with your professional network and beginning to research target employers.

You could also look at opportunities in other departments in your current organization.

When your energy shifts away from pleasing Rachel toward your own path, you'll still be doing your job but you'll have a new part-time job called Taking My Next Step, as well.

Many managers will notice an energetic shift in an employee, even if they can't put their finger on what has changed.

They notice that your energy has changed direction, and they may respond by suddenly becoming aware of your value to them and praising you, asking for your opinion or even giving you a raise or a promotion.

Will that last-minute dawning of awareness be enough to keep you on their team? That depends what other opportunities you've turned up in the meantime!

All the best,

Liz