Talked to my manager yesterday and she said I'm too reliable and it messed with my head

My manager told me that because I always say yes to extra work, they don't see me as someone who needs a promotion. She said it straight up in our 1-on-1 at the office on Tuesday. Been at this company for 3 years and now I'm wondering if I should start saying no more often. Has anyone else had a boss basically tell you that being dependable backfires?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_hall1mo ago

wait wait wait... she actually said "too reliable" like it's a bad thing? that's wild to me. like i've heard of companies overlooking dependable people before but never had a manager just come out and say it to their face. honestly that almost sounds like she's testing you to see if you'll push back or just absorb it. been at plenty of places where the 'yes' guy gets all the grunt work and zero credit, but 3 years and that's the feedback? brutal.

schmidt.amy1mo ago

Ugh, that's a rough thing to hear. I guess I see it a little differently though - being dependable should be a bonus, not a reason to get passed over. Sounds like your manager is the problem, not your work ethic.