Enough Already: The Psychology of Proving Yourself at Work

"Suddenly, I was on the witness stand instead of part of a team. I stared at the screen and thought: Wasn't I just in a meeting about the financial success of the project I led? Didn't I just take on that extra advising load when someone left mid-semester? But instead of saying any of that, I simply opened a blank document and started piecing together a timeline from my calendar, email threads, and task lists."

"Somehow my body knew what was happening before my brain caught up because I could feel my shoulders stiffen and my breathing shallow. What really drained me wasn't the list making, but rather what it meant. It felt like everything I'd already done didn't seem to count anymore and that the moment I hit send, the clock would reset, and I'd be right back to proving my value all over again."

Constantly requiring employees to prove their worth leads to burnout rather than improved performance. Psychological safety at work fosters creativity, performance, and long-term employee retention. Cultures that recognize intrinsic worth produce more resilient, collaborative, and high-performing teams. High-trust leadership strengthens team engagement and creates healthier workplace cultures. One account describes a manager's request to justify a course release triggering feelings of being on trial, bodily stress, and a defensive need to compile a timeline of achievements. The experience conveyed that prior accomplishments felt discounted and that the cycle of proving value would immediately resume. Organizational practices that emphasize trust reduce these harms.

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