An employee came to me, frustrated, seeking a transfer. After 30 minutes or so, I came to the realization, “So what you are saying is that people don’t value your opinion?” He agreed that was the source of his frustration and “people” meant his direct manager. I can definitely sympathize. After all, I exist for my judgment and that will be delivered in the form of my opinions. If people don’t value my opinion, what’s the point?
“But why don’t they value your opinions?” I asked. After a long rhetoric on favoritism, biases, and politicking, he concluded, “I was obviously right and valuable. They don’t listen to me because that they are stupid.” “But there are two other possibilities,” I said. “You could be wrong or not valuable. Secondly, you may have delivered the message ineffectively.” The employee was stunned. “If either of those is the case,” I continued. “The situation will not improve after you have transferred.”
Of course his boss could be stupid, not heeding an employee’s valuable opinions. This manager will not be an effective one and will, sooner or later, lose out to fierce career competition. All the employee has to do is wait. The manager will disappear and things will get better. But if it is the other possibility that the employee was wrong, then the situation will never improve. In fact, not for the rest of his career. The only way out is to better himself, or change to a different line of work.
Sooner or later, we will all face the same situation where we are not appreciated enough. It is not a good feeling. The first thought that will come to you is to leave the place. “If you guys don’t appreciate me, then I will go somewhere else that I will be.” The question is, “What if they don’t appreciate you there either?”
If you get no respect, work to earn them. There is something about you that is making people not respect you. Find out what it is and change that. Before you do, you have little chance getting it elsewhere.
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