Doing Good Work Is Not Enough

WEBVTT
00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:06.240
You're listening to How Work Really Works with Steve.
00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:12.080
Practical advice to help you communicate better, lead with confidence, and advance your career.
00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.679
Hi, I'm Steve, and this is how work really works.
00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.640
Here is one of the most frustrating things you can hear at work.
00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:20.480
You're doing a great job.
00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:23.440
It sounds encouraging, and sometimes it is.
00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:30.719
But when it is followed by we've decided to give the opportunity to someone else, it rather loses its sparkle.
00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:34.719
You did the work, you met the deadlines, you helped other people.
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.280
You stayed late when something went wrong.
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:44.159
You probably attended several meetings that could have been emails, and at least one email chain that somehow became a meeting.
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:46.240
Then somebody else gets promoted.
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:49.600
Perhaps they were not as technically strong as you.
00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:56.799
Perhaps they did not seem to work as hard, perhaps you are now being asked to help them settle into the role you thought you were ready for.
00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.679
That one is particularly character building.
00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:01.200
So what happened?
00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:06.959
The uncomfortable answer is that doing good work is essential, but it is not enough on its own.
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.799
That is not because organizations are always unfair, although some certainly make a determined effort.
00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:20.079
It is because work is judged by people, and people can only judge what they understand, remember, and trust.
00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:27.040
Good work that nobody can see, connect to a result, or explain to someone else is easy to overlook.
00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:30.000
Many of us learn the opposite lesson early in life.
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.319
At school, the rules are fairly clear.
00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:36.319
Do the assignment, answer the questions, get the grade.
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:40.159
Your work sits there on the page, waiting to be marked.
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:41.840
Work is not like that.
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:46.159
There is no neutral examiner quietly reviewing everything you did during the year.
00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:54.400
Your manager has their own job, their own deadlines, and usually a calendar that looks like somebody has been playing Tetris with it.
00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:57.680
Senior leaders are even further away from the detail.
00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:03.840
They may see the final result, but not the judgment, persistence, and problem solving that produced it.
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.599
This means your contribution has to travel beyond the work itself.
00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.400
People need to know what changed because you were involved.
00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:12.240
They need to trust how you think.
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:18.879
And when an opportunity appears, somebody needs to be able to describe your value when you are not in the room.
00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:20.960
That last point matters.
00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:28.479
Most important career decisions are not made while you are sitting there giving a flawless explanation of why you deserve the role.
00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:31.439
They are made in conversations between other people.
00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:34.639
A leader says, who could take this on?
00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:41.360
Somebody mentions a name, then the room starts exchanging stories, impressions, and examples.
00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:44.400
If your name comes up, what can people say?
00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:48.479
Not what do you hope they say, what evidence have you given them to use?
00:02:48.719 --> 00:03:05.439
That is the real subject of this episode, not office politics in the worst sense, not turning yourself into a walking advertisement, and definitely not speaking about yourself in the third person, which should remain the preserve of professional wrestlers and unusually confident football managers.
00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:12.639
This is about making your value clear, building credibility, and helping the right people understand what you are capable of doing next.
00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:14.800
You still have to do good work.
00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:20.560
There is no clever communication technique that can permanently disguise poor performance.
00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:22.960
But good performance is the foundation.
00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:25.039
It is not the complete building.
00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:27.280
Can this person deliver results?
00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:30.400
Can they handle more ambiguity and responsibility?
00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:32.960
Can they communicate with different audiences?
00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:34.879
Will other people trust them?
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:41.840
And will putting them into the role make life easier or considerably more exciting for everyone involved?
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.800
Your current performance answers only part of that.
00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:50.639
If you are excellent at your present job, people may conclude that you are excellent at your present job.
00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:55.039
That is positive, but it is not the same as seeing you in the next one.
00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:59.759
To advance, you need to show evidence of the capabilities the next role requires.
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:05.199
If the next role involves leading people, can others see you helping colleagues succeed?
00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:11.439
If it involves senior communication, can you explain a complicated issue clearly and briefly?
00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:15.360
If it involves judgment, do you bring sensible options?
00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:19.279
Or do you simply deliver problems with the enthusiasm of a courier?
00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:24.720
I have seen very capable people become frustrated because they assume their effort was obvious.
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:31.920
They believed the hours they worked, the problems they solved, and the quality they delivered would naturally lead to recognition.
00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.480
Sometimes it did, often it did not.
00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:37.839
The problem was rarely that nobody valued them.
00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:42.240
The problem was that the organization had an incomplete picture of them.
00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:48.959
A useful way to think about this is through three things performance, perception, and positioning.
00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:51.759
Performance is the work you actually do.
00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.759
It is the quality, reliability, and outcome of your contribution.
00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.759
Perception is how other people understand that contribution.
00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:07.920
Do they see you as dependable, strategic, calm under pressure, difficult, helpful, invisible?
00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:12.639
The perception may not be perfectly fair, but it still influences decisions.
00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:17.279
Positioning is whether people can imagine you handling the next level of responsibility.
00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:22.639
It is the bridge between doing your current job well and being trusted with something larger.
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:30.399
People sometimes react badly to the word visibility because it sounds like self-promotion, and bad self-promotion is irritating.
00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:34.959
We have all met the person who provides a live commentary on everything they do.
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:45.439
They send an update when they begin the work, another update when they consider the work, and a final update celebrating the courageous completion of a task that was due last Tuesday.
00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:47.120
That is not what I mean.
00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:50.480
Useful visibility is simply making the outcome clear.
00:05:50.720 --> 00:06:03.040
Instead of saying, I attended six meetings and completed the analysis, say we identified the cause of the delay, agreed the decision with operations, and brought the schedule back by two weeks.
00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:06.160
The first version describes activity.
00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:08.160
The second explains value.
00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:13.439
Senior leaders tend to remember outcomes, risks, decisions, and consequences.
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:17.519
If you want your work to be understood, translate it into that language.
00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:19.839
You do not need to make it grander than it is.
00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:21.600
In fact, please do not.
00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.759
Every routine improvement does not need to be described as transformational.
00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:29.120
Just explain what was different, because the work happened.
00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:35.600
There is another part of visibility that is often missed, helping other people connect your name with good judgment.
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:42.879
That happens through the questions you ask, the way you handle pressure, and the way you communicate when things are not going well.
00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:49.839
Anyone can look composed when the project is green and the presentation has reassuring arrows pointing upwards.
00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.040
Credibility is built when the news is awkward.
00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:55.600
If something slips, say so early.
00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:57.199
Explain the impact.
00:06:57.519 --> 00:06:59.360
Offer realistic options.
00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:01.920
Recommend what should happen next.
00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:08.079
Do not hide the problem until it has developed its own project code and steering committee.
00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.759
Leaders remember people who make difficult situations clearer.
00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:14.879
They also remember people who make them more confusing.
00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.439
Relationships matter for the same reason.
00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:22.240
This does not mean collecting contacts or treating every conversation as a transaction.
00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:30.079
It means understanding the people affected by your work and earning their trust before you urgently need something from them.
00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:32.959
Talk to colleagues outside your immediate team.
00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:35.360
Ask what they are trying to achieve.
00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.759
Learn what creates pressure for them.
00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.079
Follow through when you offer help.
00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:44.399
Over time, those people become part of your professional reputation.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.319
They have experienced how you work, not merely read your profile.
00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:50.959
A mentor can help you think through your career.
00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:52.959
A sponsor does something different.
00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:58.959
A sponsor uses their own credibility to advocate for you when an opportunity is being discussed.
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:05.920
You cannot walk up to a senior leader and announce, congratulations, you are now my sponsor.
00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:07.839
Sponsorship is earned.
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:15.839
It grows when influential people see consistent performance, sound judgment, and the ability to operate at a broader level.
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:21.839
There is also a trap that affects some of the strongest performers, becoming indispensable in the wrong way.
00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:23.199
You know the person.
00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:24.959
They understand every detail.
00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:26.879
They fix every crisis.
00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:36.080
They are the only one who knows how the monthly process works, where the important file lives, and why the system behaves strangely every second Thursday.
00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:38.000
The organization depends on them.
00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:40.799
That sounds like excellent career protection.
00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:44.559
Unfortunately, it can also make people reluctant to move them.
00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:52.320
If promoting you creates an immediate operational problem, somebody may decide that the safest option is to leave you exactly where you are.
00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.759
Nobody will describe it quite that honestly, of course.
00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:02.159
You may hear that you're too valuable to the team, which is flattering, right up to the point where you realize what it means.
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:05.039
The answer is not to become less valuable.
00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.519
It is to make your value scalable.
00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:09.679
Document what only you know.
00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:15.919
Develop someone else, improve the process so it does not depend on heroic intervention.
00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:20.399
Show that you can build capability, not merely provide it personally.
00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:22.720
That is evidence of leadership.
00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:30.080
It also removes one of the quietest barriers to advancement, the fear that everything will fall apart if you leave your current seat.
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.159
Your manager is part of this.
00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:36.320
But your manager cannot carry the entire responsibility for your career.
00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:41.360
A good manager should give feedback, create opportunities, and help you develop.
00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:44.080
But they may not know exactly what you want.
00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:53.440
They may assume you are happy, they may be focused on keeping a strong performer exactly where they are because moving you creates a rather inconvenient vacancy.
00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.120
So have the conversation.
00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.159
Do not say only I want to be promoted.
00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:02.960
That tells your manager the outcome you want, but gives them very little to work with.
00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:04.720
Try this instead.
00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:09.039
I would like to be considered for a larger role over the next year.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:13.519
What would you need to see from me to feel confident recommending me?
00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:18.879
That question is useful because it turns a vague ambition into observable evidence.
00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.559
Then listen carefully.
00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.360
If the answer is unclear, ask for examples.
00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:29.279
If they say you need to be more strategic, ask what strategic behavior would look like in your role.
00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:34.000
If they say you need more visibility, ask with whom and around what work.
00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:37.039
Vague feedback is difficult to act on.
00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.919
Your job is to make it specific enough to test.
00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:44.240
So how do you become more visible without becoming unbearable?
00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:46.639
Start with a simple habit.
00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:49.679
Keep a record of outcomes, not just tasks.
00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:53.440
At the end of each week, write down three things.
00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:54.639
What changed?
00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:55.919
What did I contribute?
00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:57.200
Why did it matter?
00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.840
This is not a diary of every email you sent.
00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.159
It is a short record of evidence.
00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:12.240
Perhaps you reduced a delay, prevented a risk, improved a customer experience, helped a colleague make a decision, or found a simpler way to do something.
00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.120
Capture the result while you still remember it.
00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:23.519
Six months later, everything tends to become worked on several important initiatives, which is accurate but not especially persuasive.
00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:27.039
Next, create a sensible rhythm for communicating progress.
00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:32.879
This might be a short weekly note to your manager, a project update, or a regular one-to-one conversation.
00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:34.000
Keep it brief.
00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:38.799
Focus on progress, decisions, risks, and what happens next.
00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.840
A useful update can be four sentences.
00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:44.320
Here is the outcome we are working towards.
00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:46.320
Here is what changed this week.
00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:49.759
Here is the risk or decision that needs attention.
00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.000
Here is what I recommend we do next.
00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:56.639
That structure makes you easier to manage, which is more valuable than it sounds.
00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:02.000
You are showing that you understand the work, the wider objective, and the decisions that matter.
00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:08.960
You are not asking your manager to reconstruct the story from 17 status items and a color-coded spreadsheet.
00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:10.879
Then look at your relationships.
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:14.320
Choose a few people whose work connects with yours.
00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.799
Not necessarily the most senior people.
00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:23.440
Often the strongest professional relationships begin with peers, partners and colleagues in other teams.
00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:30.480
Ask them what they are trying to achieve and where your work creates friction or helps them.
00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:38.159
You may learn that something your team considers a minor detail is a major problem for somebody else.
00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:44.240
Solving that kind of problem builds a reputation quickly because the value is experienced, not advertised.
00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:50.399
You should also look for work that demonstrates the next level, not merely more of the current level.
00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:53.600
This is where many strong performers become trapped.
00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:58.159
They respond to ambition by taking on a larger quantity of the same work.
00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.919
They become the most overloaded version of their current role.
00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:04.080
More work can prove stamina.
00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:06.480
It does not always prove readiness.
00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:10.159
Instead, look for an opportunity that requires a broader skill.
00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:12.240
Lead a cross-team discussion.
00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:21.440
Present a recommendation, coach someone, resolve a disagreement, take ownership of an unclear problem, and bring structure to it.
00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:26.399
The objective is to create evidence that people can use when they discuss your future.
00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:29.759
And ask for feedback before the annual review.
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:36.639
Annual reviews have a remarkable ability to contain information that would have been far more useful eleven months earlier.
00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.159
Ask a focused question after a meaningful piece of work.
00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.799
What did I do that helped?
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:47.039
Then ask, what would have made me more effective?
00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:51.200
Those questions are easier to answer than do you have any feedback?
00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:56.960
Which often produces the deeply actionable response, No, you're doing great.
00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:01.039
You are trying to build an accurate picture of how other people experience you.
00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:09.360
Some feedback will be useful, some will be vague, occasionally some will be complete nonsense delivered with impressive confidence.
00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.480
You do not have to accept every comment as truth.
00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:14.000
Look for patents.
00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:18.399
If different people are giving you similar feedback, pay attention.
00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:21.919
It can help to perform a simple reputation check as well.
00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:25.759
Write down the three qualities you would like people to associate with you.
00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:30.320
Perhaps calm judgment, clear communication, and reliable delivery.
00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:32.799
Then ask yourself a harder question.
00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:37.200
What have I done recently that would cause somebody else to use those words?
00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:40.000
Intentions do not create a reputation.
00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.080
Repeated experiences do.
00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:48.320
If you want to be seen as strategic, bring a thoughtful recommendation that considers the wider business.
00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:52.399
If you want to be seen as a leader, help another person succeed.
00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:57.519
If you want to be seen as dependable, communicate early when a commitment is at risk.
00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:01.679
Choose the reputation you want, then create honest evidence for it.
00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.759
One final point visibility cannot be occasional.
00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:12.639
If you suddenly begin promoting your achievements two weeks before a promotion decision, it feels like a campaign because it is one.
00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:23.279
Reputation is built through a steady pattern, good work, clear communication, reliable judgment, helpful relationships, evidence of readiness.
00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:28.240
None of this requires you to become louder, more political, or less genuine.
00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:34.080
It requires you to stop assuming that your work explains itself, because it usually does not.
00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:40.399
Here is your action for this week.
00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:45.360
Take one piece of work you are proud of and describe it in three sentences.
00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:48.559
First, what was the situation or problem?
00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.840
Second, what did you contribute?
00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:54.159
Third, what changed as a result?
00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:56.399
Keep it factual, keep it brief.
00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:04.399
Then use it in your next conversation with your manager, your next project update, or your own career notes, for example.
00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:09.360
The team was losing time because ownership of the approval process was unclear.
00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:16.799
I brought the affected groups together, clarified the decision points, and agreed a single owner for each stage.
00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.840
Approval time fell from 10 days to four.
00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:21.360
That is not boasting.
00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:23.360
It is a clear account of value.
00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:30.399
Do this once a week, and within a few months you will have something many people reach review season without evidence.
00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:32.879
That is your put it to work for this week.
00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:39.039
If this episode was useful, follow or subscribe to How Work Really Works with Steve.
00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:48.720
Next time we are going to talk about how to communicate with senior leaders, including why more detail is rarely the answer and what they actually need from you.
00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:52.399
Until then, keep doing good work, just don't make it a secret.