How to Stay Motivated When You’re Not Receiving the Recognition You Deserve
When was the last time you received recognition from your boss at work?
While I hope an example readily comes to mind, research tells a different story. According to Gallup, two out of three employees don’t feel they receive consistent recognition. That’s more than a missed opportunity—it’s a risk to your advancement organization’s engagement, performance, and retention.
In university advancement, where relationship-building and long-term cultivation are key, lack of recognition can be particularly demoralizing—especially when your fundraising and donor stewardship efforts may not show immediate results.
When recognition is delivered meaningfully, employees are five times more likely to be connected to a company’s culture and four times more likely to be engaged.
First, know you’re not alone, and your value isn’t determined by how often someone else acknowledges it. You can stay focused, resilient, and motivated by reinforcing your own growth, even in the absence of external praise. Even if you decide it’s time to find a new job soon, these strategies can still help you for the role you’re in now.
Here are four ways you can provide reinforcement to yourself:
Set growth-oriented goals for yourself
Though you likely have performance goals already at work, those goals are likely tied to the organization’s expectations and not your personal aspirations. Create personal growth or career-aligned goals that reflect what you want to learn, how you want to grow at work, and what’s most important to you. For example:
Reach out to one new contact each quarter to learn about their role or industry
Add a new skill to your toolkit by taking an online course or attending a conference
Strengthen your leadership skills by joining an internal committee or leading a project
Deepen your expertise in major or planned giving by completing a certificate program
These kinds of job-adjacent, self-directed goals are especially important for mid-level professionals or managers in advancement, where learning can sometimes take a backseat to day to day tasks and deadlines.
Celebrate progress
Instead of waiting for someone else to notice your work—or for when something is completed—recognize your own milestones along the way.
Jot down one thing each day that you’re proud of or you moved forward
Keep a Bold Move Folder of feedback, notes from donors or colleagues, or small wins
Reflect weekly on what you’re proud of, what challenged you, and what you’d like to learn or do next
This practice builds your resilience and helps you track your professional development over time. If you’re in a team culture that doesn’t always highlight everyday wins, this habit will reinforce your own sense of progress.
Ask for feedback
Not all managers are skilled at giving consistent or effective feedback. That doesn’t mean you have to wait for it. Prompt your manager with a thoughtful, specific question that sparks dialogue. Try:
What is one thing I can do to improve my work?
What is one thing you feel I do especially well in my role?
Which advancement skills should I focus on developing?
How can I better support our team's fundraising goals?
What leadership opportunities do you see for me in advancement?
These questions guide conversation and may help your manager feel more confident offering praise or guidance.
If you aspire to become a university advancement leader or level up your leadership in your current role, prompting this kind of feedback can also signal initiative and self-awareness.
Expand your network
When your direct manager isn’t providing the encouragement or visibility you need, it’s time to widen the circle.
Invite a colleague from a different team in the advancement department to coffee or a quick virtual meeting
Reconnect with mentors or past colleagues who’ve championed you (and you can use my scripts and templates to guide these conversations)
Join an internal committee, ERG, or cross-campus working group to increase your exposure
Connect with advancement professionals at peer institutions
Participate in a regional CASE conference or AFP program
In addition to boosting your morale, these efforts also help you build relationships across your university and the broader higher ed advancement profession, which can support your future growth as a leader.
We all want to work in an advancement organization where our boss values and encourages us. Unfortunately, this best-case scenario may not be available to you right now. Instead, find ways to remind yourself of the value you bring to your organization. Celebrate your progress and accomplishments. Connect with others who can coach and teach you. Most importantly, keep showing up for yourself—that is definitely worth recognizing.
Looking for a partner to help you manage up, down, and across in your advancement organization? Discover how our advisory services and coaching help university development professionals build confidence, expand their influence, lead with intention, and advance their careers.
A version of this article was originally published on Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/91060919/how-to-stay-motivated-at-work-when-youre-not-receiving-the-recognition-you-deserve
