Why you feel you deserve more and how to get it

You deserve more when your daily effort isn't reflected in your recognition, compensation, or personal satisfaction, and the first step to claiming it is understanding the psychological gap between your natural work personality and your current role.

It is that heavy, nagging feeling in your gut at 3:00 PM on a Tuesday – the one that tells you you’re capable of so much more, yet you’re stuck repeating the same cycles. We’ve all been there, feeling like a ghost in the office, wondering why everyone else seems to be moving forward while you’re standing still. This isn’t about being ungrateful; it’s about a fundamental misalignment between who you are and what you do every day.

Key takeaways

• Feeling like you deserve more is usually a signal of a mismatch between your natural work preferences and your current environment.
• True career satisfaction comes from self-awareness and understanding your unique work personality rather than just chasing productivity hacks.
• Recognising your value requires looking at your contributions through the lens of objective personality data.
• Bridging the gap to what you deserve involves proactive communication tailored to your specific communication style.

The weight of feeling undervalued

Have you ever sat through a performance review where the feedback felt like it was for someone else? Or perhaps you’ve been told you’re "too much" – too loud, too quiet, too detailed, or too idealistic. When you feel you deserve more, it’s rarely just about the money. It’s about the soul-crushing experience of being misunderstood. At Compono, we’ve spent over a decade researching the dynamics of high-performing teams, and we know that when people feel they deserve more, it’s often because their natural strengths are being treated as inconveniences rather than assets.

You aren’t broken, and you don’t need to "fix" your personality to fit a mould that wasn't built for you. The modern workplace often rewards a very specific type of behaviour, leaving those with different natural inclinations feeling like they’re constantly swimming against the tide. This friction creates a sense of exhaustion that no amount of weekend rest can cure. You feel you deserve more because you are giving more of yourself than the role requires, but in all the wrong areas. It’s time to stop trying to be the person your boss wants and start being the person your work personality designed you to be.

Understanding the 'deserve more' gap

The gap between where you are and where you deserve to be is often filled with noise. This noise consists of external expectations, outdated career advice, and the internalised belief that if you just work harder, someone will eventually notice. But "working harder" is a blunt instrument. If you are The Auditor, your value lies in your precision and methodical nature. If you’re being forced to act like a salesperson, you’ll feel undervalued because your best work – the meticulous quality control – isn’t what’s being measured.

This is where Hey Compono changes the conversation. By using a personality-adaptive approach, the app helps you identify exactly where your natural energy lies. When you understand your work personality, you can finally put words to that feeling of deserving more. It’s not just a vague desire; it’s a data-backed recognition that your specific contributions – whether they are the visionary ideas of The Pioneer or the grounding logic of The Evaluator – are essential for a high-performing team. Understanding this framework allows you to stop guessing and start advocating for yourself with clarity.

The trap of the 'too much' narrative

Many of us have spent our lives being told we are "too" something. Too sensitive, too blunt, too focused on the details. This narrative is the primary thief of your confidence. When you believe you are "too much" of one thing, you start to believe you deserve less. You settle for roles that don't challenge you because you’re afraid your natural intensity will be a problem. But what if your "too much" is actually exactly what a team is missing? A team without someone who is "too detailed" will eventually fail on execution. A team without someone who is "too idealistic" will never innovate.

At Compono, our research into the 8 work actions that define high-performing teams shows that every personality type is required for success. If you feel you deserve more, it’s likely because you are holding back the very parts of yourself that are most valuable. When you use the Hey Compono app to map your personality, you see that your traits aren't flaws – they are your competitive advantage. The goal isn't to tone yourself down; it’s to find the environment where your natural volume is exactly what’s needed to get the job done.

Aligning your value with your work personality

Getting what you deserve requires a shift from passive waiting to active alignment. You can’t wait for someone else to discover your value; you have to define it first. This starts with an honest audit of your daily tasks. Are you spending 80% of your time on activities that drain you? If you are The Helper, but you spend your day in isolated data entry, of course you feel you deserve more. You deserve a role that leverages your empathy and team-building skills.

Hey Compono helps you bridge this gap by providing actionable steps tailored to your specific brain. It’s not generic advice like "be more confident." Instead, it might suggest how a certain personality type can better communicate their results to a manager who values logic over emotion. This personality-adaptive coaching ensures that the way you ask for more is actually heard. When you align your work with your natural preferences, the results follow naturally. You stop fighting your nature and start using it as fuel.

Key insights

• The feeling of deserving more is a valid emotional response to workplace misalignment.
• Work personalities define how we contribute; ignoring your type leads to burnout and feeling undervalued.
• High-performing teams require a balance of all 8 work actions, meaning your unique traits are always in demand somewhere.
• Self-advocacy is more effective when backed by objective personality data and tailored communication strategies.

Where to from here?

You’ve felt this way long enough. It’s time to stop wondering why you feel undervalued and start taking the steps to change your reality. Understanding your work personality is the most powerful tool you have for career growth. It’s about moving from a place of frustration to a place of empowerment.

Ready to understand yourself better? Start with 10 minutes free – no credit card required. You can also learn more about personality-adaptive coaching to see how it can transform your daily work life. You deserve more, and the data is ready to help you prove it.

Frequently asked questions

Is it selfish to feel like I deserve more?

Not at all. Feeling like you deserve more is usually your intuition telling you that your talents are being underutilised or misapplied. It’s a signal for growth, not a sign of entitlement.

How do I tell my boss I deserve more without sounding ungrateful?

The key is to frame the conversation around impact. Use your work personality insights to show how your natural strengths contribute to the team’s success and how a shift in responsibilities could drive even better results.

What if I don’t know what I actually deserve?

This is common when you’ve been misunderstood for a long time. Start by taking a work personality assessment to identify your core strengths. Once you see what you’re naturally good at, what you deserve becomes much clearer.

Can my work personality change over time?

While your core preferences tend to stay stable, how you apply them can evolve. The goal isn't to change who you are, but to change how you use your natural traits to navigate the workplace.

Why does Hey Compono focus on personality instead of just skills?

Skills can be taught, but personality is how you naturally engage with work. High performance happens when skills and personality align. Focusing on personality ensures long-term satisfaction and prevents burnout.