My ____ Doesn’t Understand What I Do!: Showcasing Your Value Without Sabotaging Your Career

Transform the frustration of being undervalued into strategic opportunities for visibility as you learn how to educate your boss, colleagues, or leadership about your true impact—without sounding defensive, demanding, or difficult.

Whether it’s your manager who thinks you just “answer phones and schedule meetings,” colleagues who assume your work happens by magic, or leadership who doesn’t grasp the strategic complexity of what you do every day—being misunderstood is one of the most maddening challenges administrative professionals face. In this validating and practical session, you’ll discover how to shift from reactive frustration to proactive value demonstration. You’ll learn diplomatic ways to educate others about your role’s true scope, strategic techniques for making your contributions visible without appearing boastful, and professional approaches to setting boundaries while expanding understanding. This isn’t about complaining or demanding recognition—it’s about becoming a skilled communicator who can showcase your expertise, impact, and indispensability in ways that enhance rather than endanger your career relationships.

Learning Outcomes

• Develop strategic communication techniques for educating others about your role’s complexity and value without appearing defensive
• Create visible evidence of your impact through documentation, metrics, and storytelling that naturally demonstrates your contributions
• Navigate conversations about workload, responsibilities, and professional growth using diplomatic language that builds allies rather than adversaries
• Transform moments of misunderstanding into opportunities for greater visibility, respect, and career advancement