Feeling Unappreciated at Work? 4 Helpful Ways to Address It

Shagun has been a part of the system for the past eleven months and putting a lot of effort into her work. She is a go-to person for everyone and one of the most well-liked members of the content marketing team. But over the last few days, she appears to be lacking enthusiasm and not taking the initiative in many cases. There have been a few occasions when she approached particular tasks with energy to pull tings together brilliantly, but the project heads gave her no appreciation at all. A lot of people, including her reporting manager, noticed this. You are not alone if you are experiencing difficulties and feeling undervalued at work. Read on to learn how Shagun’s manager handled her concern about feeling unappreciated at work. If you are also feeling like Shagun, then this blog is for you!

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What Do You Mean By Feeling Unappreciated at Work?

Feeling unappreciated usually means that you are not feeling valued enough after doing your best. If you are feeling unapprecaited at work, it relates to your belief that your colleagues or employees don’t recognise your efforts. Some of the signs that may cause you to feel unappreciated at work are:

1. lack of recognition for your efforts.
2. unjustified criticism of your work.
3. insufficient feedback on your projects.
4. other people taking credit for your efforts.
5. a lack of responsiveness to your concerns at work.

This feeling is harmful to both of you and your organization. Feeling unappreciated can make you insecure in your position, making you less active and efficient. Lack of recognition and confidence will affect your productivity in a negative way. To handle this feeling and bring your positive attitude back, read some of the helpful tips which will help you to feel better again.

1. Set Realistic Expectations

Shagun’s reporting manager, Abhay, advised her to be realistic in her expectations for recognition. He stated that there are chances of team members being preoccupied with work and unavailable when you are expecting appreciation. Moreover, when it comes to getting your work noticed at work, one of the best strategies is to acknowledge and value the efforts of others. 

Before anticipating a specific level of appreciation, consider asking yourself a few questions. Was the work you did exceptional? Are the projects you are working on exceeding the output of your teammates? Thinking about these kinds of questions will make things easier for you to understand. 

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2. Increase Your Visibility

It’s probably time to make more of your presence at work if you are feeling underappreciated. Talking about your team’s small victories and appreciating them is important as a leader. Additionally, it is important to inform others about the regular efforts your team is making to improve outcomes.

Make sure that everyone on your team knows how much they are valued, from your end, and that their names are listed on any shared projects. Additionally, ensure that your boss, the management team, and the coworkers are aware of the efforts you and your team are putting forth. 

Abhay, further suggested that those who show initiative for their team and consistently support them are valued and viewed as superior leaders in comparison to those who don’t shoulder such responsibilities. 

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3. Stop Looking for a Validation and Reframe Your Negative Thoughts

Abhay tried to explain to Shagun that motivation to perform shouldn’t stem solely from receiving praise and recognition for the job one is performing. Finding purpose in your job and rewarding yourself and your team when you reach milestones are ultimately internal processes.

Reduce the amount of negative thoughts you think and transform them into positive affirmations. You can determine what’s working and what isn’t, as well as where there is room for improvement. By setting aside time at the end of each week, you can evaluate your work and make plans for the next one. 

In addition, many people don’t think about leaving a certain organization and don’t seek better opportunities for a number of reasons. It’s possible that they enjoy what they do, that they need more experience before moving on, or that they just do not want to leave a certain area. However, if an individual has made every effort to make their current job more satisfying and validating and still feels unappreciated at work, then perhaps now is the right time to start searching for a better position. 

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4. Communicate with Your Manager If You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

It is important to speak to your manager when the feeling of being undervalued starts sprouting in your mind. It is important to communicate your fears in a transparent way to your manager. Talk about your performance, involvement, projects you led, tasks you accomplished successfully, and your overall journey. Try to find out whether your immediate reporting manager is aware of your accomplishments or not. 

Ask for any feedback, ideas, and corrective measures that can be done to move beyond the sense of being unappreciated at work, and feeling stuck. 

It will be wiser to approach your manager to talk about how you are feeling and how you are handling negative thoughts. Talking about how your feelings are impacting your work on a daily basis is much better than believing that things will improve by letting them go and avoiding them for an extended period of time. 

Also Read: How to Find a Mentor at Workplace?

Conclusion

Following her extensive conversation with Abhay, Shagun realized that a person’s attitude and approach to handling projects, situations, people, and disagreements at work are crucial factors. People don’t always receive the responses and feedback they have wished for and sometimes feel unappreciated at work, but it shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing your passions or make you feel overwhelmed.

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