Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions about workplace, career and leadership in her advice column Got a Minute? This week: a quiet achiever looking for praise, an underutilised prayer space and a young worker being ghosted.
During a recent period of organisational change, I took on significant leadership responsibilities, ensuring strong team performance and staff support. However, when leadership roles were officially filled, this wasn’t recognised, and I was not considered for progression. I believe this may have been influenced by limited visibility of my work and how it was represented by others. What strategies can I use to ensure my contributions and leadership impact are clearly recognised in future, so I am fairly considered for a promotion?
It sounds like the core problem has been hoping your results would speak for themselves. Unfortunately, your colleagues have done a better job at being their own spokesperson and so this is something you might like to consider doing – in your own way – from here on.
Keep note of all your contributions as you achieve them. Big or small, just keep a list of them. Whenever you lead something, fix something, do a job that wasn’t yours, write it down. Be sure to also note the benefits and positive outcomes of what you do, too – not just the actual task. This will then become your long list of things you might otherwise forget next time you are asked to put yourself forward for a promotion. It will even help in your annual reviews and performance conversations.
As your own personal cheerleader, also make sure you are being proactive in having those career discussions with your manager. Let them know in one-on-one meetings what you have been working on. Tell them your aspirations for the future. Make it clear you are committed to the company and want to do what you can to succeed. This isn’t about self-promotion or being conceited, it is simply about making sure you are accurately assessed for all you contribute.
My workplace has a reflection room, or prayer space, which is underutilised. Management have started to put a security pass requirement on the front of the room to measure exactly how many people are using it, and at this stage it’s one person about four times a week. It has been brought up to potentially change it to a cafe, which would be used every day by most staff members who usually have to walk 10 minutes to get a coffee and lunch. How can we collectively get behind the idea of a cafe and remove the prayer space, without seeming xenophobic? We appreciate our employer being very fair and wouldn’t want it to backfire.
The way you have worded your question indicates you want to make sure anyone who does need a prayer room, even if only four times a week, can use it. That is great, and it also confirms that the best way to deal with this issue is not to think of it in terms of cafe or prayer room, but rather how to best utilise the limited space you have in the office.
Is there a way to relocate the prayer room to a smaller space that still meets the needs of those who use it, while also effectively using the currently underutilised space in a way that meets everyone’s needs?
I think the biggest risk of backfire will be from pitting the ideas of one over the other when really this should be a matter of thinking about how you can still have both. Together with your team, I have no doubt you will be able to do that.
My 16-year-old daughter landed her first retail job as a casual and was led to believe by the regional manager that shifts would be regular, but her last shift was 10 weeks ago. She’s sought clarification on why she hasn’t been rostered and was told by her manager she was being entitled. No performance feedback has ever been given. Meanwhile, two other people have recently been hired and are getting shifts, despite the store manager citing low sales as the reason hours are restricted. She hasn’t been terminated and is still receiving staff communications. Should she ask for clarification or resign?
I think she is best to briefly clarify in writing with her manager whether she is still required. I would keep it short and factual. If the manager responds in a hostile way, or doesn’t reply at all, she has her answer and resigning is the right choice. Either way, looking for another job sounds like a good idea.
It is appalling how poorly our youngest and most vulnerable workers are treated. Employers really need to do better. You can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman if your daughter needs specific advice in her situation.
To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask. You will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited.
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Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM is the author of Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss and Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership. Kirstin is ranked in the world’s Thinkers50 list and holds a PhD in leadership and culture. www.kirstinferguson.com.Connect via X, Facebook or email.
