Some leaders give their team members all the recognition, advocacy and support they need. But not all employees work for these kinds of leaders. If you feel like your boss doesn’t fully understand all the value you bring, you might just need to try some creative ways to get them to appreciate your skills.

Karin Hurt and David Dye, founders of Let’s Grow Leaders, have found that people want to be seen and challenged — especially when they’re good at what they do and know it. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we highlight their top tips for getting your boss to recognize and appreciate your know-how.

1. Help your boss see who you’ve become. Your boss may still see you as the person you were when they first hired you. Since joining the team, you’ve accrued experience and contributed at higher levels. Your boss may be well-meaning, but they’re just not seeing you for the person you are today.

2. Determine if your boss “gets it.” Maybe you have technical expertise that they just don’t understand, Hurt says, or maybe they don’t value what you do. Both Hurt and Dye say they have had bosses who didn’t see their genius. And in both cases, they accepted roles in other organizations because those bosses could see their skills. Dye says after he left, his boss texted him and said, “I had no idea how much you did here.”

3. Get curious about the overwhelm. Dye says your boss may just be too busy or overwhelmed to see your genius and needs your help to point it out. Take heart in this. Most bosses don’t want to continue to neglect areas of their role.

4. Get curious about how you can grow. If your boss isn’t recognizing your expertise, pay attention to their perspective. You may have some improvement areas you hadn’t considered before. Hurt says if you don’t have the basics covered (as your boss sees them), it can be challenging for them to see where you shine.

Try These Conversation Starters
You could ask something generic like “How am I doing?” but Hurt and Dye recommend asking more specific questions. Some ideas include:

  • “I care deeply about this company and want to contribute in the best possible way. What’s one way I can add additional value to the team?”
  •  “As we head into the next 3 months, I’m curious what you see as one of my biggest strengths to build on and one opportunity to grow.”
  • “What do you see as the top strengths I bring to the team? How could I contribute more?”

You may have a huge list of accomplishments, and it’s important that your boss knows about your contributions. Apply some of the ideas above to make your boss aware of all you bring to your organization.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Karin Hurt and David Dye are the founders of Let’s Grow Leaders, a training firm focused on human-centered leadership.