When Your Best Work Gets Presented by Someone Else
- Priya Venkatesan
- 13 minutes ago
- 2 min read
You executed the project. Delivered the results. Prepared the presentation. Someone else took the stage to present it.
You can be a
GCC leader whose work travels via HQ.
A Director whose work gets credit one level up.
A specialist whose work get voiced by someone senior.
It's a function of {Structure, Hierarchy, Proximity & Access}.The work flows up. The visibility stays up. The system works as designed.
Sometimes you get the feeling that your work travels without your name on the baggage tag.
Over time, you may feel you have become essential but invisible.
You are not naive. You know the trade you're making.
So what do you do when those voices in your head scream that you need visibility and recognition?
Apart from the polar choices,
Accept it fully and shut your mind voices in the box.
Change to a context that you can be visible.
there are still more to ponder about:
Becoming exceptional in one thing that no one else comes close to
Borrowing from the art world, you carry a unique signature, a fragrance, that inspite of who presents it, the work screams your name.
One of my clients has a unique way of creating presentations. No matter who presents, everyone knows who did the actual work and of course the presentation!
Another client is extremely good in non-linear strategic thinking. When no other person can find a blue ocean, she can. It shows!
Discover a thing that you can own
AI broke the 'execution scale' problem. Think strategically, systemically to create and own something your organisation has never done before. Eg: create a new revenue stream.
Brand yourself
Build a name that exists independently of where you work. Use your other interests and strengths to work on something dear to you, is purposeful and gets you recognition.
All this is asking you to
Redefine Success.
Reflections
What's still worth pursuing when credit is not yours?
What is your work signature that others cannot copy?
What are your own strengths you are not recognising or leveraging?
