Ha, when you read this you´ll probably have one of two reactions:  1).  What the hell!?  This is not in line with your previous articles, and 2).  Stuff the company, they have to take care of me... after all... 

Right, kick and scream as much as you like, this is about you.  This is not about what your company, your manager, your director should, has to or should do or should´ve done for you - there´s been enough writing about that matter.  It´s always surprising how many articles and business books deal with "the company versus the employee" themes.  Why is that so?  Well, there is most probably a very technical and somewhat overcomplicated psychological theory for this kind of phenomena... or the simple version: 

Ignorance and small mindedness 

You might think: "Wow!  Slow down boy!"  I´m working for this damn bastard company and they sure treat me like... (put your own words here if you like).  I don´t get a thank you.  I don´t get any recognition.  I don´t even get a smile or nod of appreciation, so screw them, I´m most definitely not going to give it my all.  

Now here comes the controversial bit - are you ready for it? 

Frankly I don´t see the point of focussing so much on what your company, manager or director is not doing to make you feel appreciated.  First and foremost you should develop the personal ethic to yourself to not focus on what they do or don´t do for you.  It´s not about them, but all about YOU.  Yup, you need to find ways to appreciate your own competence.  The fact is that most managers and directors are where they are because they´re damn good at what they do... not necessarily because of their amazing people skills (with all due respect: no nastiness intended, if you are a manager or director), and sometimes they simply have way too much on their minds. 

So whether your manager constantly tells you what an amazing employee you are or whether s/he doesn´t is not supposed to make you perform better or worse.  Why do you think so many articles and business books deal with the fact that "...empower your employees... make your staff feel special... tell them how good they are..." is highly important.  My point is: when are you, as an employee going to get it?  When are you going to realise that you are a phenomenal asset because of who you are?  When are you going to realise that complaining about the lack of recognition is just s-o-o-o disempowering, and for that you have only yourself to blame. 

This sort article will most certainly not go down all too well with most of you.  First of all because it goes against everything you believe and feel and secondly because it seems to be in contradiction with some of my other articles, books, etc I´ve written - in case you do a search.  Without this starting to sound like a Dr. Phil or Oprah episode; this is about you finding yourself where you are and "knowing" that you´re doing a great job because what you´ve done or what you´re doing is working.  By focussing on the fact that "your manager doesn´t even say anything nice to you when you know you´ve done a great job" will only create a very unhappy, unfulfilled and very depressing spot for you in your job. 

And if you thought that attitude (wanting compliments to keep going) will help you secure a higher position at your company, think again.  Life can sometimes be very lonely at the top, so ya, start seeing your own value and start to understand your role in the bigger scheme of things.  The point of all those "books for managers and CEO´s" is to help them to help you... to eventually get to that same level of emotional intelligence and do the same for employees you have to mentor some day.  The sooner you learn this valuable lesson, the better... the younger you are, the better. 

The next time you read one of those self-help books where they tell you that you need to take ownership of your life and love yourself, be responsible for your own happiness, and so on... apply it to your world at work, too, and not only in your personal life.  Or should I rather say: your personal life includes your life at work, not the other way around.  Let me leave you with a trivial thought: 

The manager is gone - in ICU, hospital or something.  This one humungous project has to be completed.  Nobody else was told to "take the lead".  Now, if you all wait for someone to compliment you and make you feel good before you perform at your optimal levels... who will actually be doing the work. 

Even if it is your superior´s job to make you feel great about yourself... it remains your responsibility to "get it" and grow because of it until you don´t need it in order to perform at your peaks... what if you had your own business?

Lehan Stemmet is one of those rare people who studies one thing and ends up doing something else.  His brother reckons: Shrinks are mad, Scientists are eccentric, Marketing people are dilly and Authors just completely lost touch with reality... so much can be said about this young bloke who studied biochemistry, microbiology, psychology and industrial psychology, who ended up in marketing and well, who got his first book (Deal With It - emotional empowerment) published in the USA - show some sympathy, right!