Here’s the problem: The longer you are good at what you do - consistently excellent - the less people will notice. Your function is dealt with so perfectly that it falls off the radar. Sustained perfection becomes expected, and thus, under-valued.
When last did you think about the air-conditioning in your car? Only when it broke. Only when the gas ran out.
Remember this phrase: Excellence sustained can become invisible.
And when do they notice you again? When the wheels fall off. When the undercarriage drops out. When the fan is dripping with unmentionable substances.
Rather than bemoan the injustice, do this: Find a way to make a big, noticeable PR splash. You need something that draws attention back to you. Your options are to: Grow, shift, fix or change something.
Within your working environment, what could you grow? What could you shift? What could you fix or change? These are the levers by which you can become noticed again. These are your keys to renewed relevance.
Think beyond sustained excellence. Think ‘splash.’ And rule your game.