Are You a Trophy Stored Away in the Closet at Work?
By Mylène Grégoire, President and PCC coach of Mymosa &CO Consulting inc.
One of my customers, a multi-talented professional, tells me: he wants to position himself better and become more influential within his company. With a hint of frustration, he shared, "It’s not always easy to make a place for yourself in a large organization. I feel unseen, unrecognized for my strengths and abilities… and not being valued to my full potential. I know I could contribute so much more to my employer. But I keep getting assigned projects well below my capabilities, and I end up working in the shadows. Unfortunately, it’s a recurring pattern in both my professional and personal life."
I offered him a metaphor: “It’s like being a trophy stored away in a closet, isn’t it?” At that moment, his eyes widened, and he nearly jumped out of his chair, responding, “That’s exactly it!”
Simply putting an image to this feeling motivated him to break out of that mindset. We then discussed what truly mattered to him and explored his aspirations:
"I want to be visible, for the leaders to look me in the eye, to listen and consider what I have to say. I want to be appreciated and seen as a high-potential talent in their eyes. Right now, I’m managed by a boss who prefers to take credit for my work instead of letting me shine."
From there, he laid out several concrete actions to transform his situation. He shared his ideas with me:
Stop believing I’m destined to stay in the shadows.
Move beyond the “victim” mindset and recognize that I have the power to change things.
Strengthen my self-confidence and speak up more often in group settings.
Share my ideas with my boss without fully revealing them so that if they try to take credit, I can reinforce that I am the author by adding further details.
Openly discuss my desire for visibility with my boss and suggest that he invite me to meetings with senior executives.
Expand my network by inviting colleagues from other teams to lunch.
Engage in strategic projects that interest senior leaders.
Seek out a mentor within the company’s mentorship program to gain guidance and visibility with an executive.
My client left feeling highly motivated, ready to bring that trophy out of the closet where it had been tucked away for too long!
What can you do to bring your trophy out of the closet?
Mylène Grégoire, president and coach at Mymosa &CO, author, speaker, and founder of the online training programs Brillez au boulot and From Gut to Success.
mymosa.co