What happens when you do excellent work, but nobody notices?
In this episode of The Inclusion Catalyst, host Mickey Desai talks with technology leader, consultant, and self-advocacy author Shailvi Wakhlu about the often-overlooked forces that shape who gets recognized, promoted, heard, and trusted at work.
Shailvi challenges the idea that merit alone determines career success. Great work matters, but so do visibility, communication, relationships, and the ability to articulate your own impact. For people who have been taught that humility is always a virtue, that can create a difficult paradox: how do you advocate for yourself without feeling as though you’re being aggressive or self-promotional?
Shailvi takes on one of the most persistent workplace myths: "Good work speaks for itself." It doesn’t always. Some of the most valuable work, particularly behind-the-scenes or preventative work, may be defined by what doesn’t happen. The bugs that never appear. The crises that never occur. The problems prevented before anyone knew they existed.
For both employees and leaders, the challenge is learning how to make that invisible value visible.
- In this episode, Mickey and Shailvi explore:
- Why merit alone doesn’t always determine who gets recognized at work
- The difference between humility, assertiveness, and aggression
- How employees can conduct a personal "career self-audit"
- Why inclusion metrics can tell us who is in the room without telling us who feels heard
- The importance of influence, psychological safety, dissent, and trust
- Why employees may be reluctant to speak up—and what leaders can do about it
- How self-advocacy can help organizations identify and reduce business risk
- Why "good work speaks for itself" is one of the biggest myths of professional life
- How to communicate the impact of work that is difficult to see or measure
- Why employees shouldn’t leave their career advancement entirely to luck
Find Shailvi on LinkedIn or visit her website at shailvi.com.
This conversation only scratches the surface. The deeper question is one every organization and every individual should be asking: What valuable voices and contributions are we failing to see?
This episode is produced in partnership with the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center.
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