Shining light on ‘glue work,’ the overlooked tasks that keep the show on the road

Take a high-performing team. Then look more closely. Who schedules the meetings, writes the minutes, welcomes newcomers, liaises between departments?

They may not be the most visible person or the one most highly praised by management. Yet without them, everything loses momentum. They do a form of invisible work that is rarely talked about in companies.

Picture the scene: in the middle of a team meeting, discussion is flowing and ideas are being thrown around. And you are taking notes, rephrasing ideas, making sure that everyone understands, including those working remotely.

You are also the one who sends the report, plans the next steps and coordinates between the various departments involved. In short, you are the glue that holds the team together, and you’re doing what’s called “glue work.”

This term was brought into the spotlight in 2019 by Tanya Reilly, then an engineer at Squarespace. It refers to all those tasks that are essential to the proper functioning of a collective… but which are rarely recognized.

Indeed, this work tends to stay in the shadows, as vital as it is, and it does not fit into KPIs (key performance indicators) or evaluation grids. It is the silent glue that supports team performance.

Unsurprisingly, it is mainly women who take on this work. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review from 2018, women are 48% more likely than men to take on these tasks.

Worse still, they are 44% more often asked by their managers to carry them out. These figures highlight a persistent gender bias.

Making the invisible visible

In fact, in the workplace, women are often expected to be helpful, available, accommodating and ultra-efficient. As if it were innate.

They are expected to be naturally gifted at organizing farewell parties, welcoming newcomers, emptying the trash or closing the windows before leaving. In short, they are confined to support roles… without ever being given the recognition they deserve.

And when they take on these roles to meet implicit expectations, they pay the price: less visibility and promotions that pass them by.

This behavior, which is nevertheless essential to the proper functioning of the collective, is rarely valued. It does not fit into performance grids, which are often centered on quantifiable criteria.

In other words, “glue work” flies under managerial radars. It exists, it is indispensable, but it is rendered invisible.

So how can we ensure that this vital coordination work does not become a silent trap? Companies can start by putting a name to it: officially recognising “glue work” as a performance lever, creating dedicated coordination roles such as “chief happiness managers,” and including these tasks in annual appraisals.

A rotation system could also be considered, so that it’s not always the same people who bring in the breakfast pastries or water the plants, for example.

For employees, it’s crucial to document what you do: note it down, quantify it, give reasons for it. And above all, talk about it during interviews or evaluations with your line manager, without pretense.

Because “glue work” is not an act of goodwill. It is a discreet but essential cog in the overall functioning of the collective. It does not make noise, does not show itself in meetings, but it allows the whole mechanism to run smoothly. As such, it should stop being considered as a simple matter of good nature or generosity.

In a working world that celebrates risk-taking, leadership and innovation, it is time to also recognize the value of those who ensure stability, continuity and coordination.

It is not an extra gesture of good will, it is what guarantees that everything else can happen. It deserves to be named, measured and fully integrated into professional reward systems. – AFP Relaxnews