You did the work, so why are you giving the credit away?

Take a moment to think about the last time you achieved something big in your Assistant role. Maybe it was a complex project, a last-minute problem you solved before anyone even knew it existed, an event that ran seamlessly because you had thought of everything in advance.

Now think about what happened if your Director said, “The client was very happy”. Did you reply and say, “thank you, that means a lot”? Or did you smile quietly, say something like “it was a team effort,” and move on?

If it was the second one, this blog is for you and it’s a pattern I see again and again with capable Assistants.

What this pattern actually looks like

This is one of the five invisible expert patterns I see most consistently in Assistants, and it’s often the one that people feel most awkward addressing.

You work hard and deliver, but then automatically hand the credit somewhere else or don’t celebrate your achievements, quickly moving on to the next thing.

Not because you don’t care about your contribution. But because claiming it feels uncomfortable, like you don’t deserve to take the credit. Like you’d be making it about yourself when your job is to make everything run for other people.

So you create the impact but you don’t truly get seen and stay invisible behind the scenes.

My own version of this

I’ve been there too. Years ago, I remember organising a high-profile private dining event for a high-end corporate client. The spec was tough, the time for delivery was short and if I’m honest, completely unrealistic.

Yet I managed to secure the most amazing venue with just two days to go, and pulled everything together. From the transportation to the menu, wine and every other detail that made the night run perfectly.

When I spoke to my Director the next day, she said “the clients loved it”. I was pleased but it didn’t feel right to speak up. Without my contribution, that evening simply wouldn’t have been the success it was yet I just moved on to the next task.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that I wasn’t being modest. The leadership team got to shine that night because of the work I put in, and yet I never once acknowledged that. My contribution stayed invisible.

Why this matters more than you think

Every time you give away the credit for your work, you reinforce the belief that your contribution doesn’t matter. 

Over time, that belief becomes a habit and that habit makes it harder for you to be truly visible. Not because your work isn’t good enough, but because you’ve been practising being an invisible expert without realising it.

Lucy Brazier, founder of Executive Support Magazine, explains it well:

“There is a difference between saying that you helped organise an off-site, and explaining that the work you did enabled a senior leadership team to agree the priorities that will guide the business for the next twelve months.”

One small thing to try

I’m not going to tell you to start announcing your achievements to everyone in the room. That would feel completely out of character, and it’s not where I’d start. Instead, I encourage you to try this.

The next time you complete something you’re genuinely proud of, write it down. Not for anyone else, just for yourself. It can be anything from one sentence to a paragraph or two. Do what feels right for you, but take time to notice what you did and why it went really well.

It sounds small, but it starts to build the habit of naming and recognising your contribution, before someone else does, or doesn’t.

Ready to see the full picture?

This is just one of five patterns that quietly keep capable Assistants undervaluing themselves. If you’re curious whether any of the others are showing up for you too, my free guide ‘Are You an Invisible Expert?’ walks you through all five, with real scenarios you’ll recognise and reflective questions to help you see your patterns more clearly so you can start owning the value you already bring.

You can grab your free guide here…

www.suzieflynn.com/the-invisible-expert 

Did the pattern of giving your credit away or any of the other patterns in the guide stand out for you? Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear.