Member-only story
How To Be Taken Seriously At Work
Six little steps to earn serious respect from senior management
At the start of 2022 one of my junior colleagues, Ellie*, reached out to me for advice. Ellie joined the company as part of a graduate program two years ago and is someone I love working with — smart, hardworking, and an all-around lovely person. However, Ellie is the only person from that 2019 graduate program who was yet to be promoted, despite being very competent in the limited responsibilities she held.
Ellie’s 2022 goal was to get a promotion and move up the ranks. She knew she worked hard, never had any bad feedback from her direct managers, rarely made glaring mistakes or had any major problems. “So why am I being overlooked?” she asked me.
Ellie’s issue is one that I’ve witnessed many times, and experienced myself early in my career — she wasn’t being taken seriously by management. It’s common, especially when you have joined a company at a young age or in a more junior position.
In Ellie’s case, which I’m sure will be similar to many others, when it comes to being taken seriously, it’s not necessarily about just doing a good job, it’s also about being seen to be doing a good job. And in that respect, it was the little things that were letting Ellie down — a series of small actions and inactions…
