Don’t expect a thank you. What you get is what you need.

I’ve heard this sentiment countless times: “Being a project manager is a Thankless profession.” Often presented in a negative light. Personally, I think it can be, but let me take you on a very brief journey of why its never a prerequisite on our paths to success and why its actually a positive thing.

I often see or have conversations with other project managers that complain a lot, and after many long hours, burnout trying to pull every lever that they possibly can and feel like the least their clients can do is say ‘Thank you’. Now there is certainly nothing wrong with receiving praise for excellent work, and by all means if you find yourself in a position where someone has taken the time to recognise you and your work, you should appreciate it and accept it with grace. But thinking it is ever deserved in my opinion is an inhibitor to having a growth mindset. Even if a project is very successful, I would much rather receive objective feedback on areas of improvement. No matter how much experience you have, there will always be more to learn.

Being a project manager is a duty and a responsibility. If you have been entrusted with the privilege of leading a diverse group of individuals toward a common objective, it is your responsibility to empower your team to perform their best work. This could involve unblocking obstacles for your project team members to facilitate the completion of individual tasks or enhancing someone’s daily job efficiency through the project’s benefits at a larger scale.

That is your responsibility. Enabling your project team and your stakeholders to perform at their best so that they may get the recognition they deserve. We have been entrusted as leaders, and leaders take care of their teams. If fame and glory are what you are after, there are definitely easier ways to attain that. However, if you aspire to lead and be a servant leader, what you value more is continuous feedback on how you can better empower your team.

So, the next time you find yourself investing long hours and feeling underappreciated, don’t expect a thank you, no matter how much you think you want it.

To quote the Rolling Stones, ‘You cant always get what you want, but if you try sometime you’ll find, you get what you need’