The Quiet Ones

A great reflection on the unsung, quietly exceptional employees who work beyond traditional performance metrics, often overlooked despite their critical contributions to organizations.

The best performers expect their work to be seen without having to announce it. When forced to advocate for themselves, something fundamental breaks. They realize the system rewards performance theater over actual performance.

We built performance matrices to seem fair. Instead, they systematically reward visible mediocrity over invisible excellence.

At every startup I’ve joined, the most critical person was impossible to promote. Their work crossed every boundary. They couldn’t be leveled because levels assume you do one thing well, not twenty things invisibly.

The Quiet Ones

writing.nikunjk.com

The Quiet Ones

writing.nikunjk.com